FIA under fire for rolling out 'more technical directives than press releases' this season

FIA

FIA under fire for rolling out 'more technical directives than press releases' this season

Numerous TDs have been issued this season

Ian Parkes

Tuesday 29 June 2021 14:50

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Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur has criticised the FIA for its recent wave of technical directives he feels is "not the right way" to manage F1.

Teams have bemoaned the over-regulation of F1 of late in the wake of a swathe of TDs from the FIA covering a multitude of areas. Such documents are designed to close or tighten loopholes in the rules.

The most prominent TDs have related to the flexi rear-wing furore surrounding Red Bull, while Mercedes' front wing may yet be reviewed.

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Following the tyre blowouts in Baku involving Red Bull's Max Verstappen and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, an 18-page TD was issued governing pressures.

Most recently across the Styrian Grand Prix weekend, dismay was aired - particularly from Red Bull - at a new directive governing safety at pit stops.

According to Vasseur, the latter particularly impacts a team like Alfa Romeo due to the current Covid-19 restrictions in place.

Voicing his frustration, especially with regard to the timing of the pit stop TD, Vasseur said: “To manage the F1 by TD-ing the course of the season, I think it’s not the right way to do it.

“We have all the winter period to prepare things. Pitstops didn’t change compared to last year, and if they have to change something, it could have been done last winter.

“Now we are changing in a rush for safety reasons, but we will have to change a couple of things between Silverstone and Budapest. I’m not sure that it’s a good step forward for safety.

“In our case, we won’t be allowed to go back to the factory between Silverstone and Budapest with the quarantine in Switzerland."

Predicting the issuance of a future TD on front wings, Vasseur added; “I think it’s not the right way to do it, that now we have more TDs than press releases on Monday morning.

“Each Monday, we have a list of TDs. It’s the new way to govern F1, and it’s not the right way.

“Next topic will be the front-wing deflection. We have to speak about this.”