George Russell has revealed that drivers intend talking to the FIA and F1 concerning the lack of overtaking this season.
Whereas the topic made the headlines following – no pun supposed – the current Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the actual fact is that whereas the brand new laws launched final 12 months allowed vehicles to comply with extra intently, the age-old drawback of really overtaking stays.
There are a selection of causes, together with engineers getting on prime of the principles to create extra downforce and lesser slipstream impact, not forgetting the choice to shorten a number of the present zones.
Such was the processional nature of the Baku race, various drivers spoke out, whereas Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff described the occasion as “boring”.
George Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation, says that drivers are to boost the problem with F1 and the FIA.
“All of us need the most effective races, essentially the most thrilling races,” he stated. “And there is in all probability just a few simpler methods to realize this within the brief time period, like tyre degradation, you understand, it has been simple one-stops within the final couple of races.
“When everyone’s pushing flat out, there are much less thrilling races,” he added, “and clearly the DRS has gone within the incorrect route.
“So there’s a few small issues, however you understand, for certain, we will communicate with the FIA and F1 about this as a result of, you understand, we would like to have the ability to race, we would like to have the ability to combat, as all of us did in in go-karts, the place there was no aerodynamics. That is the last word dream.
“I believe the game took a very good flip for the higher when these new vehicles have been launched,” he insisted, “however we have to take it to the subsequent step now.”
Nevertheless, the Mercedes driver admits that there should not be a knee-jerk response.
“For a few races now it has been difficult to overhaul,” he stated. “For certain, Baku wasn’t essentially the most thrilling race on the earth. However there are a variety of things for that, however there ought to by no means be a knee-jerk response, however we have been all speaking about this problem previous to the race in Baku, after which the race clearly went on to be as boring as all of us anticipated.
“It is difficult for everyone,” he admitted. “Clearly, we’re pushing Pirelli to ship a very good tyre, a constant tyre and when it’s troublesome, you understand, the drivers, myself included, we do not prefer it. However in a super world, you’ve a really sturdy tyre, which at a sure level falls off the cliff and means you need to do just a few extra pit stops and provides it some completely different alternatives within the races. However yeah, I am not too certain actually.”
Esteban Ocon agrees that the shortage of tyre deg can be a major issue.
“Shortening up the DRS issues does not assist in any respect,” stated the Frenchman. “However there’s something that, you understand, we have not been by but, is that we have performed three races with no degradation for the time being, which, you understand, creates extra difficulties to overhaul I believe.
“In Bahrain, we have seen way more overtaking than the final three and there was no deg in Australia, no deg in Jeddah, no deg in Baku. I believe as quickly as there is a bit extra degradation, there’s extra fights and extra enjoyable on observe.”
“F1 created these laws to assist overtaking and following,” stated Russell, “and since they have been launched each single staff has form of developed naturally away from their preliminary intentions, as you form of develop the automobile.
“So each automobile on the grid could be very completely different in comparison with what, to illustrate, they have been supposed to appear to be 18 months in the past or two years in the past now or every time it was.
“I believe the overtaking is slowly getting harder but in addition as a result of the slipstream is not as massive as properly with these new vehicles so it is slowly going within the incorrect route for overtaking.”
