Red Bull pins F1 shake up on simplifying rules

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists the key to improving Formula 1’s ongoing problems with a wide performance spread between squads is to simplify engine and chassis technical rules to place more emphasis on drivers.

Since the introduction of the V6 Hybrid engine rules in F1 Mercedes has stormed to four straight world drivers’ and constructors’ championships and completely dominated the sport. While Ferrari and Red Bull have appeared to close the gap on the German manufacturer a clear performance jump between the top three teams and the rest of the F1 field has emerged.

When quizzed on how to make F1 more competitive Red Bull boss Horner has put his faith behind the proposed 2021 rule changes and is “all for simplification” for power unit and chassis regulations.

“For me the most damaging thing over the last five years has been the introduction of the current engine regulations,” Horner said. “I think if you look at F1 as a whole, I think the regulations for both chassis and engine are too complicated. That drives cost, it drives complexity, it drives distance between the teams, so for me, I’d be all for simplification.

“Simplification of the power unit, simplification of the chassis, go back to basics of making the driver the biggest variable, whereas at the moment the driver is not a big enough variable.”

Horner feels F1 needs to see drivers being able to the key differences in races rather than it largely being engine or car-dependent which will engage more with fans.

“We want the best drivers competing against each other,” he said. “I think you’re always going to get variances depending on the skillset of the teams, and even if the teams have all equal budgets, you will still have teams that will perform better than others. That’s competition. We see it in other formulas.”

F1 commercial rights holders Liberty Media are expected to present its new proposed rules ahead of the 2021 changes while managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn has laid out potential plans which include the removal of the MGU-H components, standardising energy stores and control electronics plus an easier 'Plug-and-Play' design integration between engine, chassis and transmission.