‘American Entertainment Style’ F1 Comes Under Fire after Red Flags in Australia
Method 1 is dealing with loads of backlash from the game’s traditionalists after the present overtook the game on the Australian Grand Prix.
F1 champion and Melbourne winner Max Verstappen warned earlier within the weekend that he “will not be right here lengthy” if F1 pushes forward with initiatives like the proposed Sprint format shakeup for qualifying.
“This doesn’t assist in my choice to proceed after 2028,” Verstappen was additionally quoted as saying by European outlet De Telegraaf.
Now, Method 1 is dealing with widespread damaging suggestions after a number of red-flag intervals and grid restarts—one in every of which with simply two laps to go—turned the thrill right into a farce.
“That is going to degenerate into massive discussions,” mentioned Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg. “From a fan’s standpoint, an leisure standpoint, you’ll be able to fully perceive it. From the driving force’s standpoint or from the group’s standpoint, this American leisure model is usually irritating.”
And never simply irritating, but additionally probably very harmful.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff mentioned: “I believe the restarts are nice and I’m usually in favor of offering good leisure. However we have now to sit down down and decide beneath what actual situations a race is interrupted and when it’s with a Digital Security Automotive, a Security Automotive, and a pink flag.”
Fellow Austrian and Pink Bull guide Helmut Marko, of Pink Bull, added: “They might have used a Digital Security Automotive for the final two laps. Sergio (Perez) had a brand new set of soppy tires, whereas some had used tires, totally different compounds. And the Security Automotive drove very, very slowly, the tires cooled down, the entire thing was simply harmful.
“It wasn’t crucial.”
Others up and down pit lane, nonetheless, have been much more scathing.
“The entire objective of the pink flags appeared to be to create a present,” mentioned McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Valtteri Bottas added: “It is clear that if there are two laps left, there will likely be a giant battle and a giant mess.”
Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation director George Russell commented: “It was fully pointless. For gravel? I do not know what’s going on within the minds of race administration to make such choices. We have now to work collectively to make issues higher.”
Members of the media, in the meantime, have been much more vital of the course Method 1 has headed in as Liberty Media moved to spice up the present.
Dutch GP promotor Jan Lammers added, “Positive, particles on the observe is harmful, however a lot much less harmful than what we noticed this afternoon.”
With the ultimate phrase is Ralf Schumacher, the previous six-time Grand Prix winner: “The race administration ought to be ashamed of themselves. You’ll be able to’t simply say the drivers ought to be cautious once they’re given a state of affairs like that. I am sorry, however that is a nasty joke.”
