Ross Brawn says it will take years for Formula One to solve overtaking problem

Sport360 staff 20:20 28/03/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Ross Brawn has acknowledged F1's overtaking problem.

    Overtaking was a missing vital ingredient at Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix and Formula One supremo Ross Brawn says it will take years to rectify the problem.

    “Think of how much wheel-to-wheel dicing we missed out on,” the former Benetton and Ferrari technical director and Honda, Brawn GP and Mercedes team boss said.

    “The point is that, until we take a structured approach to the problem, we won’t really make any progress.

    “One of our aims, which we are looking at with the (governing) FIA and the teams is that, for 2021, we want to have cars that allow drivers to really fight one another on track,” he added.

    Brawn, whose current role is as F1’s managing director for motorsports, says the FIA and teams are conducting extensive research to help improve car designs to make for better overtaking.

    “We need to evolve a car design that achieves close to the level of performance we now see, but permits wheel-to-wheel action,” Brawn explained.

    Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit is notoriously difficult for overtaking, and fans were treated to a couple of stunning passes by home favourite Daniel Ricciardo in the lead Red Bull. However, in general, car performance reduces when too much time is spent right on the tails of another car, a problem that many drivers have highlighted.

    “My best friend was on the edge of a cliff and I couldn’t get to him to save his life today, that’s how hard it was to overtake,” Lewis Hamilton said after finishing second, with his Mercedes dropping off significantly after reducing the gap to Sebastian Vettel‘s Ferrari to just about a second at one point.

    Hamilton started on pole but Vettel getting past him was down to a strategy call rather than a direct battle on track, as the German jumped his rival during a pit stop while the Virtual Safety Car was in place.

    Red Bull’s Max Verstappen said he had no doubt fans watching on TV would have found Sunday’s race boring.

    “Completely worthless. I would have turned off the TV,” the Dutchman was quoted as saying.

    “(It was) very boring. You do your best to try something, and I was in DRS range all the time, but there is nothing you can do.”

    Recommended