McLaren boss Zak Brown went on a rant about F1’s rules, saying that the entire sport has become an embarrassment.
F1 finds itself firmly in the mud after the shambles of a race in Abu Dhabi. The rules were broken on the last lap of the race in controversial fashion, with the outcome of the race and the world championship being decided because of it.
It ended up causing a massive stir, with fans accusing the authorities of being incompetent and inconsistent. The debate and resentment continues to this day, something the McLaren man concurs with.
Brown went on a rant about F1’s rules, saying that the poor application of said rules is the reason for the image of the sport currently.
“It is obvious to focus on the events of Abu Dhabi at the end of last season, which are the subject of an FIA investigation, but this was a symptom rather than cause in my view,” he said, as quoted by Racingnews365.com.
“There have been systemic issues around alignment and clarity on who makes the rules – the FIA or the teams – that have manifested themselves in the past couple of years, at times in a high-profile way.”
Not good enough
“It is clear that some of the rules and their governance are not acceptable as things stand,” Brown continued.
“No one is happy with the inconsistency in the policing of the regulations, but which has been habitually exploited by teams for competitive advantage.
“It is the teams who applied the pressure to avoid finishing races under a Safety Car at all costs. It is the teams who voted for many of the regulations they have complained about.
“It is the teams who have been using the broadcasting of radio messages to the Race Director to try to influence penalties and race outcomes, to the point where an over-excited Team Principal plays to the gallery and pressurises race officials.
“This has not been edifying for F1. At times it’s felt like a pantomime audition rather than the pinnacle of a global sport,” he concluded.
Read more: Brown rules McLaren out of title challenge – “It really won’t be until the 2024 season”