Lately, F1 has seen a substantial rise in the number of controversies arising from the misinterpretation or varied interpretation of the rules and regulations laid down by the sport’s authorities. Given the same, Ferrari President John Elkann wants the authorities to provide more clarity over the rules.
“I’m disappointed and in disbelief with the situation.” ☹️
Carlos Sainz is not happy after receiving a 10-place grid drop for his Ferrari due to a damage that was out of his control at the Las Vegas GP. pic.twitter.com/3qKr6Dhu81
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 17, 2023
The Ferrari head honcho recalled the infamous AD21 incident where Max Verstappen snatched a record-breaking eighth title away from Lewis Hamilton under a controversial safety car. Likewise, he mentioned the incident in Las Vegas involving Carlos Sainz, asserting the need for further clarity on rules, as quoted by SoyMotor.
“It is important to be able to clearly define the rules and their applications . You don’t want things like the 2021 championship happen, which we all know how it ended. You also don’t want to have situations like Las Vegas, where you are penalized with ten positions through no fault of your own.”
Stepping away from the conversation about the rules of F1, Elkann also addressed the dominance of Red Bull throughout 2023. He claimed that while every team hopes to achieve a level of dominance like Red Bull, it isn’t good for the sport. “The more competitive it is, without a doubt, the better.”
Talking about the various outcomes depending on the result of the Abu Dhabi GP, Elkann said that such a scenario is much more desirable for the sport as the race becomes more exciting.
Ferrari to hold private discussions over the Las Vegas GP incident
After Carlos Sainz‘s car went over a loose manhole cover in Vegas, Ferrari had to install new parts on his car, breaching the cost cap regulations. However, pleading that the circumstances leading to the parts change were beyond their control, Ferrari asserts they will hold private discussions with the Las Vegas GP authorities to reconsider the compensation.
Here is a look at the damage caused to Carlos Sainz Ferrari by the loose drain cover at the F1 Las Vegas GP pic.twitter.com/yfrf3wg8YC
— Sidecar Fun (@FunSidecar) November 17, 2023
Back in 2017, Romain Grosjean’s Haas picked up damage in a similar incident at the Malaysian GP. Following the same, Haas negotiated a financial settlement with the race authorities and organizers.
Ferrari wants to do something similar and will hold a private meeting for the same. The meeting will also include Liberty Media and F1, apart from the race authorities, since the race was an in-house promotion instead of a local one. Speaking of the cost cap, Fred Vasseur pointed out, “There is no provision into the budget or cost cap for excluding the crashes.” He added that repair costs from similar incidents should be removed from cost cap regulations in the future.
