Formula One aiming to get rid of 'predictability'

Bosses at Formula One are aiming to get rid of the 'predictability' factor in the sport and have identified three key areas which need to be focused on for any regulation changes - aerodynamics, engine and suspension, according to Pat Symonds.

The new owners of F1, Liberty Media, have installed a new research team led by technical chief, Ross Brawn, amid concerns of predictability in the sport, the amount of overtakes last season which was halved from the previous campaign. and the performance gap between Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and the rest of the field.

Symonds has insisted that the main target of the research team is to improve the spectacle of F1.

"F1 technical regulations are split into 21 sections," Symonds said.

"As we go through those sections, we can see some of them aren't very relevant to the spectacle. So we decided that what we wanted to do was technically, we wanted to have three performance differentiators.

"Those would be aerodynamics -- it is interesting to a lot of people and no one could write rules that didn't make it a performance differentiator so we might as well expect it and make it one of the things that matters.

"Equally, the power unit. For manufacturers involved in F1, it's important to them. It interesting to fans so let's make it a performance differential. Finally is suspension - and by that I mean the way we treat the tyres, the way the teams use the tyres. Those are the three technical differentiators that we want to see."

One of the more controversial changes being implemented by Liberty Media is the standardisation of engine parts and the subsequent more even distribution of finances among the constructor teams, but Symonds thinks it is important to level the playing field.

"Costs are making it difficult for those further down the field to make an impression on the leaders.

"We want to get rid of predictability. Over the last couple of decades, the worst times in racing have been when the result has been predictable. We had a little bit of it with the Mercedes domination. At least for a couple of years we didn't know which driver might have won.

"We want to look at the spectacle, we want visual appeal, we want to recognise the role of the driver. We need to look at the problem of the live audience and the TV audience as they have different requirements.

"And we have to look at the race week experience. It's no longer good enough to think about just what happens on Sunday."