“The principles are evolving,” insists the FIA’s Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis in response to drivers claims.
Following preliminary runs within the simulator, a variety of drivers, most notably Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, have expressed concern at subsequent yr’s laws overhaul, the most important in dwelling reminiscence.
One of many major considerations raised is that the brand new regs would require extra deal with vitality administration and the like, versus out and out racing.
“Clearly when you might have a a lot greater proportion {of electrical} energy and a smaller proportion of ICE energy, and you do not have batteries which might be discharging over all the race distance, then vitality administration turns into a bit extra of a problem,” admits Tombazis to Motorsport.com.
“Now the chance of those new vehicles for the collaborating producers is to develop the batteries, {the electrical} programs, and so forth,” he provides. “I believe we are going to see some innovation on {the electrical} facet of the engine subsequent yr, which I believe might be good. However clearly there are some challenges with the vitality administration, and the noises that we hear are normally associated to that.
“We’ve not completed the principles but in that respect,” he insists. “The principles are evolving and we knew of those points from day one. The second you scale back one energy, and also you enhance the opposite one, we knew that there have been points to handle.
“We now have to undergo an approval course of with the PU producers,” he explains by way of the potential want for adjustments, “so we won’t simply unilaterally make a change tomorrow. However by and huge, after we tackle particular issues, the groups and PU producers are typically comparatively useful.
“I believe what we’ve got now and what we’ll have in the beginning of subsequent yr is just not precisely the identical factor,” he admits. “I am not saying will probably be utterly completely different, however there will certainly be numerous evolution between now and the beginning.
“Clearly, one of many difficulties is that it’s not at all times straightforward to get everybody to agree,” he admits. “When groups and producers focus on these issues, they consider a mix of the nice of the game and their very own aggressive place.
“In fact, one bit influences the opposite, so unavoidably, there might be completely different opinions. In the intervening time, the technical specification of the engines, {the electrical} half, and all of that’s set in stone. That is not altering.”
Confirming that the FIA continues to be engaged on the vitality restoration facet of issues, he says: “I believe there is a common feeling that every one of those subjects could have very robust levers on which to react. These issues must do with the utmost energy, how shortly it can scale back on the straights, the vitality that you could get well, and so forth. There are all kinds of levers that we will play on, and that we’re enjoying on.”
Requested about claims that drivers might want to elevate and coast on the straights, one thing of which Verstappen has been extremely vocal, Tombazis says: “There might be various new provisions as a way to handle the vitality higher and to be sure that vehicles are usually not decelerating on the straights, doing humorous issues, or, as an instance, doing unnatural issues.
“What we do not need, is a state of affairs the place they must elevate off, for instance, on the straights or something like that. We are going to completely, categorically, be sure that they do not must elevate off in a selected space as a way to do one thing with the vitality or no matter. When they should go quicker, drivers will maintain the pedal to the steel, as they are saying.”
Returning to the theme of producers focussing on themselves, Tombazis admits that some are proving reluctant to share their preliminary knowledge.
“Some are very secretive about what they’re doing, whereas some others are very open and really useful in proposing issues,” he admits. “We’re taking numerous these concepts on board.”
As for the drivers considerations, he believes that a lot of this might stem from the truth that they do not but have the total image.
“I believe it is essential to convey that, as a result of some folks, together with the drivers testing within the simulator, do not comply with the evolution of our discussions with the groups intimately. Perhaps they solely get a snapshot. However the motive they’re driving the simulator is exactly to determine these issues, so we will clear up them.
“If we did not have drivers within the simulator, we would not have all this suggestions. We are able to do quite a bit with simulations ourselves, however you really want a driver in a automotive and get numerous suggestions. That is what’s going on these months.”
