For Ecclestone, the driver must take precedence over the computer and the engineer
During a joint interview, Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley both expressed regret that the hierarchy in F1 is now more dictated by engines and engineers rather than by the drivers.
Current strongman of FOM (Formula One Management), Bernie Ecclestone spoke with Max Mosley, the former FIA president, during an in-depth interview given to ZDF. The two men discussed the current situation of the discipline, and both pointed out many flaws in the competition.
Always affable, Bernie Ecclestone reminded that he was never in favor of the introduction of V6 Hybrids in Formula 1. “It’s Max’s fault that we have this engine,” he stated, casting an accusatory glance at his interlocutor. Max Mosley then justified: “The idea was to have an engine that was suited for research into road cars, rather than for competition cars.”
However, the introduction of V6 engines has led to a dramatic increase in development costs, which is currently penalizing independent teams. Max Mosley, according to his own statements, was never informed by the engine manufacturers of this financial inflation, which would quickly become problematic. The important factor was that the research could be applied to production cars, he recalled.
The engineers have therefore taken over, in this field as in others. Bernie Ecclestone has regretted the numerous driving aids provided to drivers nowadays. When people ask me who I think was the best driver, the name that comes to mind (and many people disagree with me) is Alain Prost. Prost. He had to be careful with his brakes, his gearbox, everything, and he did a good job. So he finished more races and in a better position than others, while today’s drivers don’t have these kinds of concerns. (…) We are more or less in a championship of engineers. I’m not saying Lewis isn’t an excellent driver, but he is really helped a lot. I’d like to see him in a GP2 car with GP2 drivers… I’m not saying he wouldn’t win, but it would be interesting.
Max Mosley is not of a different opinion: « I would like the cars to change to give full control to the driver, even the gearbox. (…) At the same time, I would like to change the regulations regarding costs: all teams could spend the same amount, but hardly more. So the best car would be designed not by the richest engineer, but by the smartest engineer. (…) What is fundamental is that much of the technology is so complex that no one understands it. You can look online at a photo of a modern F1 steering wheel with all those buttons… »
The former FIA president recalls that in 1994, he introduced the ban on electronic driving aids, so, he says, that the driver has to drive a car and not a computer. It is a constant battle to ensure that the computer does not become increasingly important. I think it’s a strong argument for a return to fundamentals, where the driver has a traditional steering wheel and perhaps even a gear lever.
For Bernie Ecclestone, a good solution would be to ask the fans what they would like: « We must not forget this is an entertainment business. So we should have the rules people want. We should ask the public ‘what do you want for today’s Formula One, and what did you like about the Formula One of the past?’. We need to review everything. »
