Domenicali urges calm despite driver criticism of new F1 rules
All four active F1 world champions have criticized the driving experience
New engine rules have tripled electrical power but kept batteries similar in size
F1 is considering additional sporting elements for race weekends
Changes to rules will be made if necessary to maintain great racing
📖 Full Retelling
Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali called for calm in Bahrain on Thursday amid criticism from drivers regarding the sport's new rules, while indicating that changes would be implemented if necessary. The Italian, speaking at a news conference during pre-season testing, acknowledged that F1's four active world champions - Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris - have all expressed dissatisfaction with the driving experience under the new regulations. Domenicali emphasized that the rule changes represent just the beginning of a new journey for the sport and urged against overreaction, highlighting the open approach taken by the FIA and teams in sharing data to identify potential improvements. The criticism has primarily focused on the new engine regulations, which have tripled the electrical power output while maintaining similar battery sizes to last year, forcing drivers to employ counter-intuitive energy management techniques that have been described as detracting from the purity of racing.
🏷️ Themes
Rule Changes, Driver Feedback, Technical Evolution, Fan Experience
Planning and operation of energy production and energy consumption units
Energy management includes planning and operation of energy production and energy consumption units as well as energy distribution and storage. Energy management is performed via energy management systems (EMS), which are designed with hardware and software components to implement the tasks. Energy ...
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Deep Analysis
Why It Matters
The new F1 regulations have sparked widespread criticism from top drivers, raising concerns about race quality and energy management. Domenicali’s call for calm signals a willingness to adjust rules while preserving competitive racing.
Context & Background
Drivers have complained about complex power‑unit rules
F1 introduced carbon‑neutral fuels and new energy recovery limits
Stefano Domenicali is CEO of F1 and has pledged to listen to feedback
The 2024 season is the first to feature the new engine package
Teams are testing to assess the impact of the changes
What Happens Next
F1 will review data from the Bahrain test and may tweak energy‑recovery devices or power‑unit limits. The governing body is also exploring additional sprint‑race events to enhance fan engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did drivers criticize the new rules?
They say the new engine and energy‑management system make the cars harder to drive and reduce overtaking.
What is Domenicali’s approach to the criticism?
He urges calm, says changes can be made if needed, and is open to data‑driven adjustments.
Will there be more sprint races?
F1 is considering increasing sprint events beyond the current six to add action on Fridays.
Original Source
'Keep calm,' says Domenicali on criticism of new F1 rules By Andrew Benson F1 Correspondent in Bahrain Published 3 hours ago Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has called for calm in the face of criticism from drivers of the sport's new rules - but said changes would be made if necessary. F1's four active world champions - Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris - have all made disparaging comments about the driving experience of the new cars in one way or another. But Domenicali said in a news conference on Thursday: "We need to avoid overreaction because it's just the beginning of a new journey, so that's why I say we need to stay calm. "And if there is something that is useful and can be implemented straight away, I've seen a very open approach by [governing body] the FIA and also the teams sharing their defined data of course with the others. "It's a new concept where it has to be, of course, improved if needed." Norris admits new F1 cars 'not purest form of racing' Published 12 hours ago 'Just not F1' or 'a lot of fun'? New cars split drivers Published 12 February The biggest rule change in F1 history has seen cars, engines and tyres all subject to change this year, in addition to the introduction of carbon-neutral sustainable fuels. Drivers have targeted the new engines, which require substantial energy management at all times for optimum performance. Verstappen said F1 was now "like Formula E on steroids", while Alonso added "the chef could drive the car" at the speed he was going around some fast corners to harvest energy, and Hamilton claimed the new rules were "ridiculously complex" . Briton Norris, who initially defended the cars last week as "fun", said on Thursday he had made those comments to see the reaction and admitted they were "certainly not the purest form of racing". Domenicali, the president and chief executive officer of commercial rights holder F1, pointed out the new engine rules were conceived as an attempt to attrac...
