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Former Grand Prix driver Martin Brundle believes that Liberty Media must make bold decisions regarding the future of Formula 1. The Sky Sports F1 pundit hopes that the sport's commercial rights holder will form regulations that produce "the fastest" and "scariest" racing cars.
F1 regulations took a shake-up in 2017, with aerodynamics getting a major overhaul. The cars were much faster and proved to be much more difficult to drive than the machines of recent years. With engine rules set to change in 2021, Brundle has urged Liberty Media to take the sport in an aggressive direction.
"They have got to be bold," Brundle said. "They have got to say 'this is the future of Formula 1, this is the direction we're going in, join up or depart'. And they've got to be really clear on that.
"We have to be the fastest, the scariest, the best racing cars with the finest drivers wheel to wheel," he added. "The objective is very easy, and I actually think getting there is relatively easy, but there's just an awful lot of politics and self-interest in the way. So I don't know where it is going to end up."
The new engine regulations were recently presented to Formula 1 manufacturers, with Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault speaking out against them. Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne stated that if he didn't agree with the direction the sport was taking with the regulations, he would pull the Italian squad out of the pinnacle racing series.
But Brundle thinks his words are no more than empty threats: "I think they're bluffing," he said. "For example, where would Ferrari go? Go and get their backsides handed to them on a plate by Mahindra in Formula E?
"They are already in Le Mans, they won the GT world championship - nobody knows about that. They do no advertising around the world, not a penny, because Formula 1 does it for them. So I believe Liberty have to be super tough."
Fergal Walsh
Grand Prix of Belgium
C. Sainz jr
Rindtchamp
Posts: 304
hear hear
First item on the agenda, bin the halo.