F1 2021: The big renunciation?

Tick, tock. The clock continues to tick, inexorably, and each day that passes brings us a little closer to the publication of the 2021 regulations. 15 days before the vote of the World Motor Sport Council on this very vast subject, we imagined, naively, that we had arrived at the stage where we are content to change the place of commas in certain texts.

But the F1 will always retain this remarkable ability to amaze us. We thus learned, at Suzuka, that several important points remained unresolved.

“Discussions are still ongoing, declared Mattia Binotto, team principal of Ferrari. It is difficult to predict the outcome of the negotiations at the moment. Interests diverge depending on the teams, as well as with the FIA. At Ferrari we intend to play our part. Given what we represent to F1, we have an important voice in the discussions and there are many points to be discussed.

The head of Gestione Sportiva reiterated that it would be a shame to use the historic right of veto that the Scuderia has enjoyed since the early 1980s. At Racing Point, Otmar Szafnauer admits that the Parisian meeting could turn into a test of tug of war.

“It’s good that everyone can express their opinions freely before we reach a compromise that satisfies everyone,” said the American boss. The big guns probably didn't want to change anything, while the more modest structures campaigned for the introduction of more radical solutions in terms of the budget ceiling or the redistribution of income. Measures inevitably lose some of their substance over time. This is the very nature of compromise”. So everything is fine…

Apocalypse soon?

However, we have had confirmation that, around the Singapore Grand Prix, the big players on the grid, unhappy with the latest developments in terms of aero restrictions, circulated a questionnaire to sound out everyone's opinions.

As revealed by the BBC, it appears that a majority of 6 teams have positioned themselves against the 2021 regulations as they stand and in favor of maintaining the current specifications. However, it appears that the wording of the questions was biased in favor of the status quo.

But is it a surprise when the document comes from a triumvirate Mercedes-Ferrari-Red Bull anxious to preserve its stifling domination? In the clan of activists for change, which brings together Renault, McLaren, Alfa Romeo et Williams, some still wanted to be optimistic.

While the pilots were staring at the video game console last Saturday during Typhoon Hagibis, their bosses got together to talk about 2021 again.

“These were constructive discussions, declared Andreas Seidl (McLaren. Editor’s note) the next day. I am convinced that we will have a regulation published at the end of the week and that it will meet the announced objectives.”

From this famous presentation of Bahrain 2018, however, we have the impression that the original spirit has been somewhat lost. From a budget ceiling of 150 million dollars (136 million euros) which included everything, we went to an amount of 175 million dollars (158 million euros) with numerous exclusions, the increased standardization desired was meticulously unraveled, and the ban on electric blankets from 2021 has been revoked.

All the levers which made it possible to really reduce costs have been abandoned, to the great dismay of some who outright think that several teams could give up and that the FIA ​​has deserted the ship. A slightly exaggerated alarmism that not everyone shares, but which clearly reflects the urgency of the situation.

And to think that six months ago, we were sold the postponement of writing the regulations as a simple way of refining the texts. And the groundhog, does he put the chocolate in the aluminum foil?