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Todt: "We make and control the rules, not Liberty"

Published on 27 Mar 2017 15:00
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By: Rob Veenstra

Jean Todt has made clear the FIA will continue to make the rules in formula one. As the Liberty Media era begins in earnest, new F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn said in Melbourne he is prepared to "fight" for changes if the spectacle is not right.

FIA president Todt, also in Melbourne, responded: "I'm glad the Liberty people are thinking about the future. I am willing to listen to their thoughts about the regulations," the Frenchman is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport, "just as I respect any input from any side. But the final responsibility will always be in the hands of the FIA," Todt insisted. "We make and control the rules."

The next set of rules is already being thought about because, while the new cars are more aggressive looking and faster, most agree that the spectacle could suffer due to one-stop races and a lack of overtaking. Todt admitted that is a problem.

"The cars are more spectacular and faster," he said, "but I'm a bit worried about the racing and the gaps between the teams. As nice as it is that Mercedes has an opponent in Ferrari, the gap of 2 seconds from the midfield to the top is too much. Another thing that surprised me is that we were promised a time improvement of up to 5 seconds, but pole was only 1.7 seconds beneath last year's time. Perhaps this is due to the circuit only," Todt added.

Nonetheless, rule changes are already being discussed, including the dire need for cheaper, simpler and louder engines to satisfy the trackside spectators. But Todt insists F1 is actually in good health.

"Your question implies that we are talking about a dying sport," he said. "The organiser in Melbourne sold 300,000 tickets, where last year it was only 220,000. The media centre is also full, so there is no crisis here. Why do we always see only the negative? Let a few races pass and then we can make a judgement." (GMM)

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Replies (4)

samtkm

Posts: 10
f1 needs cheaper louder engines .
v8's with kers was fine , all fia had to do was give extra battery capacity v8 ear and say go find other ways to recover energy, surely cheaper than full new engine in 2014.

needs cheaper louder engines also so lower teams can free up budget for chassis and aero work.
hybrid is clever but it is also complex & flawed at present
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- Mar 27 2017 - 15:29
Ram Samartha

Posts: 1,172
V8 and V10 engines are going the way of the dinosaurs both in racing and on the streets. People always want something to bitch about so for now it's the noise. These current engines and cars are amazing. In 20 years F1 probably won't even have ICEs any more. Probably some sort of merger or buyout of FormulaE coming within a decade. The percentage of older fans who care about the noise is probably high, maybe 60%, but the percentage of new and future F1 fans who care about the noise is probably about 1%. You can't evolve the sport if you want to go backwards in the technology of the cars. That's a recipe for extinction of the sport all-together. Even hybrid engines are just a transitional stage until we get faster and more efficient electric cars. Some countries have already banned the sale of combustion engines by 2025. So what, no races in those countries? The writing is on the wall for an evolution past hybrids. A neighbor 3 blocks away from me has a Chevy NASCAR. He has been banned from starting the car anywhere but the track because of complaints from neighbors about their house shaking every time he started it up in his driveway. Dinosaurs just before the meteor hits.
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- Mar 27 2017 - 17:55
- Barron
  
  Posts: 625
  Very well stated....
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  Mar 27 2017 - 19:34
MADMICK

Posts: 19
F1 is now and always has been the pinacle of motorsport technology, going back to normally aspirated V8s is such a massive backward step why not also go for spoked wheels, crossply tyres and no wings. That would really bunch the field up. No this needs to be a long term strategic plan to benefit not only the fans but also encourage more manufacturers to enter teams so as to benefit from the technological advances. Anyone who has read the recent book of Ross Brawn will realise that we now have someone of influence who will have the interests of all in mind, for a better more relevant Formula 1 and not just doing a deal and getting more millions in the bank in contempt of the fans. A 3-5 year strategic plan may seem a long way off but the past 10 years knee jerk reactions have done little to improve things. I for one look forward toi hearing the plans for the future of our beloved sport. Jean Todt has worked with Ross in the past with great success, lets hope they can do the same for the sport now.
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- Mar 27 2017 - 22:09