May 13 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has hit out at the aerodynamic changes set to debut in formula one next year.
Red Bull’s Christian Horner has already blasted the “half baked” new front wing design intended to boost overtaking next year.
“I agree. I find it a bit comical,” Ferrari’s Vettel said in Barcelona.
“In 2009 we went ‘let’s go less aerodynamics for better racing’. I think it didn’t change too much,” he said.
“Then we said ‘let’s put more aerodynamics and make them wider, more spectacular’,” Vettel added.
World champion Lewis Hamilton agrees that the estimated 1.5 second laptime loss for 2019 is not the right direction for F1.
“We want to push the boundaries and the limits,” said the Mercedes driver. “One of the exciting things this year has been that we are breaking records.”
Vettel agrees that slowing down the cars for 2019 is plain wrong.
“All the drivers’ feedback was ‘Thank you very much, spectacular, that’s what we like’. More challenging, you see us more exhausted after the race.
“And now we want to make them slower again? It’s a bit like cruising to America and changing direction 100 times,” said the German.
Vettel said a better idea is to let the drivers have a real say about the basic structure of the car regulations.
“Not to say that we know everything, but we know how the cars feel,” he said. “And their limitations to overtake. But we’re not really asked.”
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo agrees: “We should also participate. We’re not engineers, but we know exactly what’s going on with the cars during the racing.
“Our opinions should at least be heard.”