Sebastian Vettel says the controversy over last year’s title-decider shows Formula 1 needs to focus on sport rather than entertainment.
Lewis Hamilton lost out to Max Verstappen in the championship after the rules were overridden in Abu Dhabi to ensure the race did not finish behind a safety car.
Four-time F1 champion Vettel, 34, said: “The main thing is that we focus on the sport and not so much on the show.
“[That] there is clarity.”
Vettel was talking as his Aston Martin team launched their 2022 car, which they hope will move them up the field from their seventh-place finish in the championship last year.
The controversy in the Abu Dhabi title-decider last December arose as race director Michael Masi attempted to restart the race after a late safety-car period.
Masi failed to implement the rules correctly in at least two different ways – by only letting some of the lapped cars unlap themselves; and by overriding the rule defining at what point the race could restart.
Hamilton had dominated the race before the safety car, but Masi’s decisions led to Verstappen passing his British rival when the race restarted for one final lap – and caused an outcry.
Governing body the FIA has launched an inquiry into the events of Abu Dhabi, the findings of which will be presented to the F1 teams and F1 president Stefano Domenicali on Monday.
Vettel’s views on the Abu Dhabi finale were backed by team-mate Lance Stroll.
“It’s great racing and everyone wants to see the two drivers in the championship go head-to-head with one lap to go, but you can’t be making up rules at the end of the race like that. It has to be set in stone,” the Canadian said.
“If the consequence is that there is not time, and we don’t get a whole lap of racing, well..that’s how it is. This was maybe a little bit too much. It’s important those things are set in stone.
“Abu Dhabi was just not right. When there’s a safety car, lapped cars get to overtake the safety car and then we go racing. There is nothing that says half the cars can overtake and half stay behind and then we go racing. Those things can’t be modified just to put on a show.
“The rules are the rules and you can’t be changing the rules for entertainment. It has to be sport first.”
Masi’s future as race director has been called into question, but Vettel defended the Australian, who took over the role when F1 director Charlie Whiting died on the eve of the 2019 season.
Vettel added: “There are two interests clashing, the sport and the show, and I don’t care so much about the show.
“It is not the easiest to be in the shoes of the referee or Michael’s shoes, but I think he has done a great job, especially filling in after Charlie passed away so suddenly.
“He has been very focused and determined to do a good job. I don’t know his future, but I hope he sticks around because overall he did a really good job. There is a lot of controversy over the last race but there shouldn’t be. Overall he has done a really good job.”
Removing the pre-race moment
F1 has decided to remove the part of the pre-race ceremonies that, for the last two years, have given the drivers the opportunity to show their support for diversity, anti-racism and other causes close to their heart.
Vettel said he was “surprised” by the decision and the drivers had not been consulted on it.
“The issues we’re tackling are not going to be gone in just two years,” added the German.
“I hope that, as drivers, we find a way to get together and express topics that are important to us. Some probably don’t care but some do. Probably, it was getting a bit too strong and too individual for the business side of it.”
What about the new car?
While the Red Bull launched on Wednesday appeared to differ only very slightly from the generic 2022 car model produced last summer, the new Aston Martin seems to be much more like a definitive car.
Some key features immediately stood out, including a front wing featuring a slight arch in the middle to allow more air under the nose and towards the floor. There are also side-pods with an unusual dual opening for cooling air entering the body.
The new rules completely change the way F1 cars develop their aerodynamics, in an attempt to make the racing more competitive, overtaking easier and to close up the field.
A greater proportion of the cars’ total downforce will now be generated by the underbody, which is shaped in so-called venturi tunnels that create a phenomenon called ‘ground effect’, rather than the largely flat bottoms that have been used in F1 since 1983.
Aston Martin have a five-year plan they hope will eventually see them become title contenders. They also have a new team principal in former BMW motorsport boss Mike Krack.
“This year will be a true test for us and we will see how good we are,” Vettel said. “A new generation of cars – and we will be able to show what we can produce.”
