The podium winners at the British Grand Prix all expressed their reservation about slowing cars down in order to make overtaking easier in the future.
Juan Pablo Montoya, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen, were responding to a survey conducted by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, which had asked Formula One fans to comment on how they could improve the sport.
An overwhelming number of viewers who watch races claimed they would like to see more overtaking. However, the teams technical directors stressed in order to achieve that they would have to make cars slower.
“In my opinion, I think they could compromise,” Montoya told reporters. “We could still have the same speed and I think one of the problems is that they are reducing downforce in the car and one of the ways to find more grip is increasing the tyres, so that the hole when you follow someone is bigger so the turbulence is bigger and the grip level is smaller so it makes it harder to pass. Even if you go slower you don’t have the grip so it makes it harder to pass,” he explained.
Renault’s Fernando Alonso aped Montoya’s sentiments adding: “We should find a good compromise for the drivers’ point of view. Of course we would like to drive the fastest car possible. We are in Formula One and we are already racing in many other categories and when you arrive here you want maximum technology and maximum car performance. But for sure you can have something in the middle.”
Räikkönen added: “When you compare to the last year, it is developing more difficult to follow people around here than it was last year. So even when they have tried to change the rules they have not exactly worked out because trying to follow someone in the high speed corners is much more difficult.”
