"They've been deferred a year but they're definitely coming in 2022," says Brawn of new rules, which will lead to slicker, racier cars
Tuesday 5 May 2020 13:45, UK
Formula 1's sweeping new technical regulations will "definitely" be introduced in 2022 despite pressure from teams to defer them a further year, Ross Brawn has told Sky Sports.
The rules, bringing an overhaul to the sport's cars, were initially set for 2021 but have been delayed due to coronavirus, with F1 and its teams looking to save money where they can.
There were calls from certain team bosses to carry on with cars similar to the current generation until 2023, with Red Bull's Christian Horner telling Sky F1 last month: "There's not a single component that is a carryover from 2021 into 2022. It just seems an unnecessary pressure on the system to put that cost into 2021."
But speaking on Monday's F1 Show, Brawn, F1's managing director of motorsports, insisted that the regulations - described as a "turning point" for F1 - will only be delayed a season.
"I think there's a justifiable need to carry these cars over into next year because we're in the middle of a terrible virus," said Brawn. "And some teams have pushed to delay them a further year.
"But they'll definitely be 2022."
The new rules will lead to cheaper, less complex cars with heavily-revised aerodynamics aimed at improving overtaking, as well as a reduction of the Grand Prix weekends from four to three days.
Explaining why F1 "needs" to introduce the overhaul sooner rather than later, Brawn added: "The initiatives we're bringing with these new regulations are to make the sport more economically viable in terms of the complexity, where the money's spent, the competitiveness.
"The cars we have now are so complex, the more you spend the quicker you go. We need to level off that slope and create a situation where money is not the only criteria for how competitive you'll be.
"So we need these new cars to even that slope out.
"We still want the great teams to win, we have to maintain the integrity of Formula 1 - it's a sport and we need to have the best people winning.
"But I think we'll have a competitive form of racing in the future with these new regulations and the new cars. They've been deferred a year but they're definitely coming in '22."
F1's first-ever cost-cap will still be on its way in 2021 as planned, with Brawn revealing they are in the final stages of agreeing a reduced spending limit.
