Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard hopes the FIA does not go too far in the alleged plans to eliminate aerodynamic loopholes in the regulations. Although nothing has been confirmed, the governing body is reportedly considering regulating technical innovations more strictly. According to Coulthard, this goes against the DNA of Formula 1: ‘Innovations are actually part of the fun of the pinnacle class’.
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Formula 1 is known for its technical innovations. This season, several teams again came up with unique concepts for their cars. For example, Ferrari already fitted the so-called ‘Macarena’ rear wing on their SF-26 during the test days in Bahrain, a concept that Red Bull later also used for the same part.
According to several reports, the FIA is reportedly considering eliminating the aerodynamic loopholes in the rules. A bad idea, according to David Coulthard. “Innovations that excite us and that we talk about are part of the fun of Formula 1 and make this sport stand out from other championships, where there is much less room to find such solutions,” explains the former Red Bull driver in the Up To Speed podcast.
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“As I have said before, Adrian Newey – the much-praised designer – always said that he does not read the regulations to see what is specifically in them, but to see what is not in them,” continues the Scot. “And he tries to design precisely in those areas. So hopefully we don’t lose that completely.”
Safety
Still, Coulthard says the FIA must intervene if the safety of drivers is at stake. “If something is developed on a large scale by all teams and it might be a bit more complicated – especially with an aerodynamic part – then I think the FIA, for safety reasons, can simplify the regulations and clarify that you may only open the flap instead of turning the entire wing upside down,” the former driver seems to refer to the ‘Macarena’ wings. Max Verstappen crashed during the British GP because this Red Bull rear wing did not close properly. “So I think it makes sense on those grounds, but it would be a shame to reject everything that deviates.”
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