Breaking news

Formula 1

Seidl: F1's under-fire rulebook is what teams, drivers asked for

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl says teams and drivers cannot complain that there are too many rules in Formula 1 these days, because they are the ones who pushed for them in the first place.

Jonathan Noble

Jonathan Noble

Edited: Jul 2, 2019, 3:51 PM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren

The controversy over a recent run of penalty decisions – which included Max Verstappen’s move on Charles Leclerc in Austria being given the all-clear – has prompted many people to suggest that F1’s rule book needs a major shake-up.

Some believe that F1 would be better off getting rid of a lot of regulations, which would allow drivers more freedom to battle harder.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested in Austria that “maybe we are over-regulated anyway” because of the way that the Verstappen incident needed an investigation.

But Seidl thinks that F1 teams and drivers have to accept the current situation, because the FIA has only introduced so many regulations because they were asked to do so.

“For me it is a bit like the tyre discussions,” said Seidl, reflecting on the similarities between driver conduct rules and recent talks to revert F1’s tyre construction back to what it was in 2018.

“The rules we have in place are the result of team bosses and drivers asking for these rules. So this is why I think we have to accept we have these rules now. We have to trust the stewards that they make the right decision.”

Seidl believes, however, that what the sport does for 2021 could be better if teams do not have the final say in what the rules should be.

“My opinion, and it is also for the regulations, technical, financial and sporting which are being developed at the moment, it should be a consultative approach that teams get asked for their feedback," he explained. "But there should be a strong authority from the FIA and from F1 to go the way that they think is the right one.

“We have this unique opportunity in F1 and the FIA at the moment where we have very, very strong and experienced guys that have recent F1 experience, which is unique. 

"I think they have never been that strong in the past in terms of their own knowledge - with Ross [Brawn] and [Nikolas] Tombazis – so they know exactly what needs to be done in terms of achieving the objectives which we all agree on.

“We are really in favour that they should pull through now with the direction that they have put in the current proposals of the regulations, because we are convinced this would be the right thing for the sport.”

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article Ericsson: "Only positives" to F1 test, but IndyCar's the focus

Next article Renault opts for aggressive British GP tyre selection

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Jonathan Noble



Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours

Formula 1

Formula 1 Dec 31, 2024

Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours



The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season

Formula 1

Formula 1 Dec 31, 2024

The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season



Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress

Formula 1

Formula 1

Australian GP

Dec 28, 2024

Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress

More from

McLaren



McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas

Formula 1

Formula 1

Las Vegas GP

1 d

McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas



The surprising convergence behind F1's increasingly competitive 2026 season

Formula 1

The surprising convergence behind F1's increasingly competitive 2026 season



How Lando Norris prevailed in a swift errors tour of Interlagos

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

How Lando Norris prevailed in a swift errors tour of Interlagos

Latest news



Yamaha may not be competitive immediately in MotoGP's 850cc era, says Pramac

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Qatar GP

2 h

Yamaha may not be competitive immediately in MotoGP's 850cc era, says Pramac



With rallying back in the spotlight, it could probably teach F1 a thing or two

Formula 1

With rallying back in the spotlight, it could probably teach F1 a thing or two



You Ask The Questions: Jack Miller

MotoGP

Qatar GP

You Ask The Questions: Jack Miller



Why the anticlimactic WEC title showdown was the worst-case scenario

WEC

WEC WEC

Monza

6 h

Why the anticlimactic WEC title showdown was the worst-case scenario

Feature

Discover prime content



With rallying back in the spotlight, it could probably teach F1 a thing or two

Formula 1

By Maurice Hamilton

With rallying back in the spotlight, it could probably teach F1 a thing or two



How seizing every chance – and making it happen – keeps Pierre Gasly’s fire burning

Formula 1

By Jake Boxall-Legge

How seizing every chance – and making it happen – keeps Pierre Gasly’s fire burning



Tough love and F1 titles – A key life lesson behind Wolff's Mercedes success

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

By Ronald Vording

Tough love and F1 titles – A key life lesson behind Wolff's Mercedes success



How Brazil showcased everything that's good about F1 - plus some that isn't

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

By Filip Cleeren

How Brazil showcased everything that's good about F1 - plus some that isn't

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe