Lewis Hamilton has sounded his concerns about Formula 1’s direction in 2021 and criticised the process of deciding them.
The FIA, teams and Liberty Media are entering the final few weeks of talks to agree on a full set of regulations, which it is already known will feature a budget cap and all-new cars.
In recent months, however, Hamilton and other F1 drivers have been wanting a bigger say and have joined meetings to offer their guidance on what has been proposed.
But the five-time champion fears their points have been largely overlooked.
“The changes they’ve made in previous years have not been particularly effective so they’re probably not confident in the decision-making process,” Hamilton said via RaceFans in Sochi.
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“It’s not an easy job, ultimately, but there’s a lot of people involved in the decision-making process. I think us drivers are trying to have more of an impact and more of a role in helping them make a better decision, but it doesn’t seem to have made much difference to be honest.”
Drivers have been particularly vocal about plans to introduce shorter qualifying races at some Grands Prix next year with Sebastian Vettel calling them “bulls**t” in Singapore.
Hamilton too was among those not impressed and he went further in Russia.
“The fact that now they’re trying a reverse grid and all that it just seems to me like, it feels like an excuse for not doing a good enough job in the decision process,” he claimed.
“I’m still concerned and I don’t think that’s going to change, to be honest, based on what I’ve experienced and witnessed in the meeting it is what it is.”
Hamilton’s harshest criticism though came when it was suggested the performance of the 2021 cars would be several seconds slower than the current generation.
“We’re going slower as well. Why would I want to go slower?” he responded. “We’re supposed to be moving forwards in technology and innovating, we should be faster.
“We’re going to worse tyres and heavier cars, more sluggish, but when you speak to these guys they just don’t understand.
“Pretty much all of them haven’t raced ever before or haven’t been in a Formula 1 car, but that’s how it’s been for the whole of Formula 1’s period. So I hope I’ll just try and remain hopeful that the decisions they make will be good.”