F1: Todt Feels 2019 Aero Regulations are Justified

The 2019 changes in aerodynamics proposed by Liberty Media has received widespread criticism from every section of the F1 fraternity, including drivers. But FIA President Jean Todt is having none of it.

Todt blasted the drivers who keep complaining. He said, “We hear all the time from the drivers that the cars can’t get closer to each other. I read the press conference transcripts, they all complain. And they are in the front. Can you imagine what it’s like at the back?”

He stated the need to take action when something is wrong. “I feel that we that if we understand that something is wrong, we should try to find a solution. We all want to say we want to have a better sport, a better show so let us do something.On one side people say ‘let’s wait for 2021’, so we would go through 2018, 2019 and 2020 knowing that there is a problem which is damaging the sport.”

Todt further revealed that the decision was well-thought out after multiple discussions with various engineers. “In this case, we asked some relevant engineers to address the problem. They explained that as the car is getting closer, because of the aero at the front, unless it is over 1.5s [faster] you cannot have any overtaking.”

“So you speak with the engineers and you say, ‘Do you think we can do something to improve the situation?’ And they said they could”, added Todt.

He also took a sly dig at F1, “We are trying to make the sport better. We try using the proper governance- which as you know is not the easiest thing in Formula 1- to make a proposal. And by a miracle, it was accepted.”

These statements by the FIA President has surely given a new perspective to fans. The decision seems to be a well-researched one and not just a run of the mill one. We’ll have to wait and watch as to how effective these are in the next season.