2022 Formula 1 Thread

[DLSTR]

Mclaren boss with good concise view here.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ab...brown/7360442/

Abu Dhabi 'pantomime' proves F1 and FIA needs reform - Brown
By: Jonathan Noble
Jan 17, 2022, 8:44 AM
McLaren CEO Zak Brown urges Formula 1 chiefs and the FIA to be stronger in moving control away from teams, as fallout from last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix continues.


F1 and its governing body have found themselves on the receiving end of a wave of criticism for the way in which the 2021 season ended in controversy after the way a late-race safety car restart was handled at the final race.

While an FIA investigation into the events of Abu Dhabi and questions over F1's decision-making process is ongoing, Brown says the lessons of 2021 show that change is needed.

He says that the arrival of new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem offers a great opportunity for a much-needed new approach that could avoid the kind of 'pantomime audition' scenes that F1 descended in to last season.

Writing on McLaren's website, Brown said: "It is clear that some of the rules and their governance are not acceptable as things stand. No one is happy with the inconsistency in the policing of the regulations, but which has been habitually exploited by teams for competitive advantage.

"I have said before that the teams have too much power and it needs to be reduced. We have a significant role in the drafting of the regulations and governance of Formula 1 and that influence is not always driven by what is best overall for the sport.

"Yes, teams should be consulted, and their informed perspectives considered, particularly on long-term strategic issues. But at times it has seemed the sport is governed by certain teams.

"Let us not forget that we, the teams, have contributed to the inconsistencies in the policing of the regulations as much as anyone. It is the teams who applied the pressure to avoid finishing races under a Safety Car at all costs.

"It is the teams who voted for many of the regulations they have complained about. It is the teams who have been using the broadcasting of radio messages to the race director to try to influence penalties and race outcomes, to the point where an over-excited team principal plays to the gallery and pressurises race officials.

"This has not been edifying for F1. At times it's felt like a pantomime audition rather than the pinnacle of a global sport."