Todt minimizes overtaking conundrum

FIA president Jean Todt believes overtaking difficulties which have crept to the forefront of racing this year are the price to pay for faster, more spectacular cars.

A dominant theme since Formula 1's massive regulation overhaul, overtaking fears linked to the increased mechanical grip of the 2017 cars were confirmed by most drivers last weekend in Australia.

While admitting the situation will likely get worse before it gets better, Todt said the debate on overtaking was an old one.

"It is fundamental to the way the cars have been since I've been in Formula 1 but it's probably worse now than it's ever been," said the FIA president.

"It's definitely not going to be better – it's going to be the same for the rest of the season."

• Mercedes warns overtaking will be a problem

Todt is taking a 'glass half full' view of the issue however.

"Overtaking has always been a problem in motor racing," he acknowledged.

"I remember races 20 or 30 years ago, when a car with fresh tyres that was three or four seconds quicker could not pass a car with old tyres, because overtaking was difficult.

"Clearly we can figure out that overtaking will be even more difficult this year. But we have tried to find ways to make overtaking easier with DRS and other technologies.

"Maybe the new regulations will make overtaking more difficult, but maybe it was the price to pay by having wider cars with more aerodynamics."

Todt suggested that future regulations should perhaps include a rethink of F1's current stance on aerodynamics in order to enable cars to fight wheel-to-wheel and follow each other more closely.

"It's something that we need to address when we are going to speak about future regulations, about whether it is a good compromise."

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