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Charlie Whiting has stated that the teams are to blame for the lack of overtaking in 2017, not the cars. Last season saw the car's aerodynamics altered significantly, making them faster in the corners and visibly more threatening.
However, overtaking was down by 47% from 2016, with 431 fewer overtakes featuring in the 2017 season. The wider cars with more downforce theoretically means that it is much more difficult to follow the car in front, due to the increased dirty air.
"The wider cars look great and they've given us more grip, but when they take up more space on the track you have less clean air so it does make following harder," said Daniel Ricciardo following the end of the 2017 season.
But F1 race director Whiting doesn't agree with that assessment: "I don't think closer racing is the issue, and I don't think the cars are the problem," he told the New York Times. "The biggest problem we've had this year is that it's clear the big three teams - if you want to call them that - in Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are significantly quicker than the rest.
"I don't think the racing has been bad, it's just that some have done a significantly better job than others, which is nothing new in formula 1," Whiting added.
Fergal Walsh
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Replies (4)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
To blame the top 3 teams for an overall reduced amount of overtakes really misses the point, methinks. Im more in line with Ricciardo with this, plus we need to take into account that these regulations were brand new. Overtakes were bound to suffer.
Pauli
Posts: 140
I agree.
I have to add that more consistent and durable tyres also remove some easy over takes. When tyres had durability problems there was some very easy over takes because someone might lose a lot time near end of tyre life when going over the performance cliff. Without making careful analyse I suspect this accounts at most 25% of overtakes in 2016.
Orchide
Posts: 82
"I don't think the racing has been bad, it's just that some have done a significantly better job than others, which is nothing new in formula 1," Whiting added.
Who has done a better job than others? Even Hamilton had a hard time trying to pass the Saubers with the 2016 engine.
Bhurt
Posts: 320
That's the problem with F1. People in high positions are clueless as to what is going on.