There’s been a lot of debate this season about the direction that Formula One is heading in, with the sport drawing harsh criticism from fans, drivers, and commentators alike.
The F1 strategy group, consisting of F1’s top six teams along with the FIA, the sport’s governing body, and commercial rights holders FOM, met last week to discuss a number of changes to improve the spectacle and arrest F1’s declining global audience.
Here’s a breakdown of the key changes discussed, and a few thoughts on what impact these changes could have for the future of Formula One.
‘Increased restrictions on driver aids and coaching …with a particular emphasis on race starts’
Driver aids have become more common and more complex over the past two decades, but the trend has drawn criticism from fans, with many suggesting these aids reduce the emphasis on driver skill.
What changes should we expect to see?
Change, and soon. It has been confirmed that technology to assist drivers at the race start will be outlawed as early as this year’s Belgian Grand Prix in two races time, and further clampdowns on ‘driver coaching’, will soon follow to bring back the driver in full control of the car.
‘…an overhaul of the power unit penalties’
For this season, new rules were introduced that meant if a driver was unable to drop the full amount of grid places for an engine-related penalty, then further time penalties could be applied during the race.
In Austria, McLaren-Honda drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button received farcical 25-place grid penalties, despite the full grid consisting of just 20 cars.
What changes should we expect to see?
After proving hugely unpopular, it has already been confirmed that the rule has been scrapped with immediate effect. From now on, the severest penalty a driver can receive is to start the race from the back of the grid.
‘…changes to the exhaust system that will improve engine noise for 2016’
A major talking point in Formula remains the new V6 turbo power units, which replaced the naturally aspirated V8s at the end of 2013.
The FIA were pressured into the change by engine manufacturers keen to make Formula One more environmentally aware, with technology more relevant to future road car development.
Despite being significantly more efficient than their predecessors, the majority of fans simply don’t like the sound, and it’s a complaint that refuses to go away.
What changes should we expect to see?
With TV viewing figures falling, the sport has had no choice but to explore options to improve the show, and have confirmed they will be looking at changes to improve the sound of the cars.
It’s expected that through modifications to the designs of the exhaust system, a more aggressive engine note can be achieved, and it’s hoped these changes can be implemented as early as next season.
‘…it was agreed to allow an extra power unit per driver in the first year to any new manufacturer entering the championship’
F1’s current engine regulations allow each driver just four power units per season, with grid penalties enforced for exceeding these limits.
Unfortunately, Renault and Honda have experienced a number of reliability issues in recent races and have already exceeded those limits with more than half the season still to run.
What changes should we expect to see?
The FIA have promised ‘an extra unit per driver for any new manufacturer entering the championship’, and in an unexpected twist they added that ‘…for the sake of fairness, the measure will apply retroactively to Honda for the 2015 season’.
Perhaps the driving force behind this change was to encourage new engine suppliers to join the sport, something Formula One needs, especially if Renault decide to exit.
‘…a comprehensive set of measures for power unit development and cost of supply, including a full review of the token system’
The rules regarding the use of engine ‘tokens’ can be a little tricky to grasp, but in a nutshell, each engine manufacturer’s development is restricted and is managed by a set of ‘tokens’ assigned to parts on the basis of their influence on performance.
Mercedes have a clear advantage at present, and this has enabled them to dominate over the past 18 months, but this dominance is only part of the issue.
Many teams feel that the current restrictions on engine development prevents them from being able to close this performance deficit, and in turn, fans are growing tired of the lack of competitive racing at the sharp end of the grid.
What changes should we expect to see?
Hard to say at this stage, but several leading commentators have suggested a tweaking of the rules to allow Renault and Honda to catch up. Back in 2008, Renault received special dispensation to upgrade its engine, but reaching a similar agreement could be more difficult this time round as Mercedes currently hold a lot of power within the sport.
Secondly, we could well be about to see the cost of engines significantly reduced for customer teams. Formula One cannot afford to lose any more cars on the grid, and this will move would certainly ease the pressure on smaller teams like Force India, Sauber and Manor.
‘…an increase in race fuel allowance’
During the Canadian Grand Prix, there were a number of radio messages whereby drivers were being instructed to ‘lift and coast’ in an attempt to save fuel.
Many fans took to social media to express their displeasure at hearing these instructions, and some of the drivers have also expressed their frustration at not being allowed to drive ‘flat out’.
What changes should we expect to see?
One of the topics discussed in last week’s meeting was to remove the current fuel limit. This is not to be confused with the current rules regarding fuel flow rates, but rather this rule change would allow teams to start the race with as much fuel as they like, which should, in theory, reduce the number of ‘lift and coast’ orders being delivered to drivers mid-race.
Significantly, there was no mention of a return to mid-race refuelling. It was suggested a few weeks ago that this would make a return for next season, but after a mixed reaction from those within the sport, the idea seems to have been dropped.
‘Increased freedom of choice for tyre compounds’
Currently, the tyre compounds for each race are chosen in advance by Pirelli. The idea to allow teams greater freedom to choose the tyre compounds themselves was first put forward by Force India a few weeks ago.
The idea was that by allowing teams the freedom to choose, we would see more variation up and down the grid and this would allow teams the option to run a more aggressive strategy should they so wish.
What changes should we expect to see?
The idea was positively received, and the FIA are negotiating with Pirelli to introduce this rule as early as next season.
This change potentially has the impact to spice up the racing, especially with refuelling now not the cards. A greater variation on tyre strategy could lead to an increase in overtaking by allowing the smaller teams to gamble on a more aggressive strategy at certain tracks.
‘A new set of regulations aimed at achieving faster and more aggressive looking cars for 2017’
We may not have a clear idea of exactly how these changes will impact the sport until the strategy group meets again in September, but it’s looking increasingly likely that Formula One is set for a radical and exciting overhaul of car design and performance.
With falling TV audiences and declining ticket sales, it is encouraging to see that the strategy group has listened to the fans and is putting plans in place to arrest F1’s declining popularity.
What changes should we expect to see?
The main headlines from the strategy group meeting include wider cars and wheels, new wings and floor shape, increased aerodynamic downforce and lap times five to six seconds faster than current spec cars.
The impact of these changes should be that future F1 cars are more visually attractive, faster, and more difficult to drive. We should expect to hear more on these plans in the coming months, with changes expected to be introduced in time for the 2017 season.
‘Several exciting and innovative changes to the qualifying and race weekend formats’
Perhaps the most intriguing line in the entire press release was the last one, where it was announced that the governing body were looking at making changes to the race weekend format.
What changes should we expect to see?
It’s difficult to say, but at this stage I would not expect to see a major overhaul of the race weekend format anytime soon. There has been talk in the media of qualifying being moved to Friday and a Saturday morning sprint race to decide the grid, and even a separate sprint race to include only third drivers.
Any move to alter the format of a Grand Prix weekend is a risky one. In the past, we have seen a number of different qualifying formats used to determine the grid, but significantly, a Grand Prix weekend has traditionally included only one race since it’s inaugural season in 1950.
More details will surely follow in the coming months, but many within the sport feel that the race weekend format is not broke, and therefore, does not need fixing.
Summary
The majority of proposals put forward seem to be steps in the right directions, but it may well be that the strategy group are looking to gauge reaction before committing to any of these changes.
It’s important to remember that these are just ideas at this stage, and the F1 Commission and the FIA World Motor Sport Council will have the final say on whether these changes are given the green light.
Images Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool and Pirelli
