Ricciardo: I don’t care if F1 cars are three seconds slower in 2021

Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed concerns over slower cars in the 2021 Formula 1 rules shake-up if it produces closer racing.

The Renault driver gave his backing to the initial 2021 technical rule changes which look set to change the way cars create downforce along with other tweaks in a bid to allow cars to follow each other closer in race trim.

Having grown frustrated at the current technical specification in F1, Ricciardo feels the move deserves backing even if cars are slower as a result. During the presentation of the 2021 rule changes held at the United States Grand Prix, Ross Brawn confirmed the cars would be around three seconds slower and similar to the speeds F1 cars produced in 2016.

“I don’t care. I don’t mind. One of the most fun years I had in F1 was 2014, and the cars then were eight seconds slower than now. As long as we are racing close and hard,” Ricciardo said.

“I was in our meeting and the FOM coverage was filming the go karters at the kart track, and there was some battling and I was just getting excited watching them, going 30mph, but anything that is going to be close is exiting.

“I’d rather have good racing than single file lap records. Then we might as well do time trials for the rest of our careers. So I’m okay with three seconds slower.”

Despite giving his backing, Ricciardo remains wary of the width of the F1 cars still posing a hurdle to increasing overtaking and wheel-to-wheel action.

“The cars look sexy, wide, awesome. They look better than in 2016. But my concern was even in the width itself,” he said.

“The tracks were not made wider but the cars were, so there is less overtaking. Not even overtaking, but in F1 you look for the tinniest bit of clear air following a car.

“If he is on the apex curb, you try and take a bit more apex curb just to get some clear air on your front wing. Having wider cars it is harder to find that clear air, so that alone for me, taking the downforce out of it, taking more track, means it is harder to follow.

“That was not the best thing to do. I don’t want to say learn from our mistakes but we will learn moving forward.”