They’re the spice of the sport

System 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has steered he’d wish to see extra rivalry over the technical laws within the championship, labelling a handful of examples from his personal time at Ferrari as moments of “spice”.

In his earlier function on the Maranello firm, which encompassed roles within the business division earlier than he grew to become sporting director and, after Jean Todt’s departure, group principal, Domenicali sat on either side of the fence throughout a number of technical controversies throughout the 2000s and 2010s.

In an unique interview with Autosport, the Italian talked about Ferrari’s personal involvement in its double disqualification on the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix, the place the group’s bargeboards had been discovered to be unlawful – a choice that provisionally handed Mika Hakkinen the drivers’ title.

On the time, technical director Ross Brawn appeared to confess that the group had made an error however modified his tune on enchantment, when Ferrari efficiently argued its case – hinging on inconsistencies on a ruling that outlined a 5mm tolerance for sure bargeboard surfaces. The disqualification was later revoked by the FIA, reinstating Eddie Irvine’s win to maintain the title race going till the ultimate spherical at Suzuka, the place Hakkinen obtained the job completed however the Scuderia ultimately gained the constructors’ crown.

Domenicali additionally talked about a number of the technical developments that groups discovered within the following many years that provided a championship-contending group a bonus, all of which had been ultimately outlawed. He steered that these improvements had been lacking, as a result of tighter restrictions governing automobile design.

“I’ve lived via lots of these: Malaysia ’99, the double diffuser, FRIC, mass dampers, F-ducts… all a part of F1’s story,” Domenicali stated. 

“I was hands-on with technical and sporting regulation debates nearly each Sunday. Years in the past, there have been far broader gray areas than at the moment – however F1 folks nonetheless know tips on how to push all the pieces to the restrict.

“Personally, I really feel at the moment’s controversies are comparatively minor. In truth, it’d be good to have a bit extra of that once more – they’re the spice of the game.”

Talking additional on F1’s present state of affairs in a technical capability, Domenicali reckoned that there have been a handful of areas the place single-spec parts can be justified – citing the gearboxes for example.

He stated that the present viewership can be extra receptive to areas the place technological developments and leisure go hand-in-hand, and that the folks answerable for F1 ought to take into account tips on how to implement that.

“Followers of my era must rethink what creates efficiency and technological curiosity,” he added. 

“Specializing in sustainable fuels is totally the correct path. However – and this will sound provocative – having groups make investments big quantities in designing their very own gearboxes not is sensible. The efficiency features are minimal. “Followers not see it as an thrilling space of growth. We have to establish areas the place expertise and leisure overlap. 

“Many issues that when appeared cutting-edge not justify main funding. We will need to have the braveness to just accept that the panorama has developed.”