Renault racing director Frédéric Vasseur says Formula One teams should stop complaining about the sport’s regulations and focus on racing instead.
Rule changes are a constant feature in the ever-evolving, fast-paced world of F1, with series chiefs eager to keep the sport at the cutting edge of technology while ensuring the show remains exciting.
However, any tweaks to the rulebook triggers a variety of reactions up and down the paddock, usually depending on the current competitive order.
Thus, Toto Wolff, whose Mercedes team has been the class of the field since the last round of technical changes in 2014, repeatedly said next year’s rules revolution was not needed, arguing that the first races of the 2016 season had been spectacular enough.
On the other hand, Christian Horner, whose Red Bull squad dominated F1 from 2010-2013 but lost its edge with the introduction of the 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged engines, was overtly in favour of the new regulations.
Vasseur, who stepped up to F1 following a storied a career in junior categories to oversee Renault’s return as a works outfit, thinks teams should just get on with whatever rules are enforced.
“I think we have to stop blaming the regulations and be focussed on racing,” the Frenchman commented. “The regulations are what they are. In football, the player are not complaining about the size of the ball. At one stage, we have to play by the rules. The rules are the rules and I’m OK with them.”
After Renault's late takeover of Lotus, the team's senior management have made it clear that 2017 was the French constructor's real target to start chasing performance.
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