2022 is a year full of changes for Formula 1. The year in which a new era in the competition is welcomed, with the great hope of being able to make it much more even, competitive and where small teams also have their place in the leading positions, fighting against the giants. But, in addition to in terms of regulations, The FIA ​​is also being asked for changes or, at least, to have a stronger hand with compliance with the rules, especially after what was experienced in the last appointment in Abu Dhabi, when the pressure to Michael Massy, race director, by certain teams was maximum.
While the soap opera with Mercedes has only just begun, McLaren has wanted to share in a statement with everything he thinks about the situation. Or everything that many do not dare to say. Zak Brown, CEO of the British brand, has been in charge of showing his face, showing their disagreement with everything they have experienced in the last month and denouncing the clear abuse of power by the biggest teams in Formula 1. So much so that even “It has seemed that sometimes the sport is governed by certain teams.” He even accuses them of contradicting themselves, overreacting and pressuring the stewards for their benefit, thus ruining the essence of the competition.
“It is clear that some of the rules and their management are not acceptable as things stand. Nobody is happy with the lack of consistency in the application of the regulation, but has been exploited by teams for competitive advantage. I’ve said before that teams have too much power, and it needs to be reduced. We have an important role in formulating and governing regulations in F1, and that influence is not always driven by what is best for the sport. Yes, the teams must be consulted and their views must be taken into account, especially on long-term strategic issues,” Brown writes in a column posted on the British team’s website.
“Let’s not forget that we, the teams, have contributed to these inconsistencies in the application of the regulations. It is the teams that applied pressure to avoid finishing the races under a safety car at all costs. It is the teams that voted in favor of many of the rules they have complained about. They are the ones who have been using the TV broadcast of radio messages to the race director to try to influence the sanctions and the results, to the point that a team manager overreacts and puts pressure on the stewards. This has not been beneficial for F1. It has seemed at times like a pantomime audition rather than the pinnacle of a global sport.”
ask for changes
The departure of Jean Todt and the election of Mohammed Ben Sulayem as the new president of the FIA “It offers the opportunity for a collective reform of the way F1 works.” Brown admits the need “for greater leadership in the sport” and “greater clarity in the functions of the FIA ​​​​and F1”, in addition to the necessary strong hand for decision-making according to the regulations. Which it’s, would avoid another situation like the one experienced in Abu Dhabi, with the directors of Mercedes and Red Bull using the radios to talk to Michael Masi in the middle of the race, and all the subsequent controversy that is already known.
Zak points out what could be the most effective solution: “The previous managers followed a mainly autocratic style of government, so to steer the sport in the right direction, a more consultative approach with teams and stakeholders needed to be taken. But now that the sport has been successfully restored, it is necessary to return to a stronger way of governing”.