Horner sees rule simplification as main path to better F1

Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner hopes Formula 1's future regulation framework will embrace simplification as a means for leveling the playing field and improving racing.

Horner has never hidden his negative views on the sport's current V6 hybrid-engine and its associated engineering complexities that have been in force since 2014.

Mercedes has succeeded in front-running its rivals on the power unit front for the past four seasons although Ferrari has inched closer while Renault remains at a fair distance both in terms of performance and reliability.

F1 is currently finalising the rules which shall be introduced in 2021, with an emphasis on stripping the engines from part of their sophisticated hybrid component, and on cost reduction.

• Team agreement on F1 future is 'impossible', says Horner

A summit between F1 and the teams is set to take place in Bahrain this week, where Liberty Media will unveil its elaborated plans for the future. Needless to say, Horner is hoping that common sense and simplicity will prevail.

"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."

As a way of appealing to fans, Horner wants F1 to put drivers in command of performance once again rather than a team's engineers.

"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."

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