Formula 1 News: Alonso Leads Drivers’ Cry for Less Regulation in Wheel-to-Wheel Racing

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has joined a growing chorus of Formula 1 drivers calling for a relaxation of rules governing wheel-to-wheel racing, citing the series as “overregulated.” This sentiment comes on the heels of a controversy surrounding the Austrian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were involved in a tangle that sparked debate about penalizing drivers for hard combat.

The Austrian Grand Prix Incident

The Austrian Grand Prix incident, which saw Verstappen handed a 10-second penalty for causing the collision, has reignited the conversation about the limits of acceptable driving behavior. Norris, who suffered a puncture in the incident, has urged the FIA to re-examine policing movement under braking, a tactic he believes Verstappen employed throughout the Austrian contest.

“I think avoiding an incident from moving under braking is probably the biggest part of it,” Norris said during Thursday’s British GP press conference at Silverstone. “There could very easily be an incident that comes from such a thing, and I think that’s the only thing we have to be very careful of is something that could happen.”

Drivers’ Call for Less Regulation

Despite Norris’ calls for further clarification in the rulebook, several of his competitors, including Alonso, believe that the current regulations are stifling the sport.

“I think we never had so many rules as we have now,” Alonso said. “We cannot overtake on the pit lane, we cannot go fast on the pit lane, we cannot go slow on track, we cannot do basically anything. This is probably overregulated, and drivers, we see or we feel frustrated sometimes, teams as well.”

Carlos Sainz echoed his sentiments, lamenting the sheer volume of rules that drivers must consider while racing at high speeds.

“If you guys read the rulebook about what you need to do if you overtake on the inside, what you need to do if you defend on the inside, what you need to do if you attack on the outside, what you need to do if you attack, defend from the outside… it’s all a different set of regulations that is already super detailed and specific,” Sainz said. “I struggle to follow exactly when I’m in a car driving at 300 kph because you cannot think at that speed about all those rules. Let’s say I don’t want any further rules.”

Verstappen’s Perspective

Verstappen, the alleged aggressor in the Austrian Grand Prix incident, took a more understated view on the current state of regulations in Formula 1.

“Look at already the rulebook from 10 years or 15 years ago to now, it just keeps on growing,” he said. “That’s also the world that we live in.”

As the debate rages on, it remains to be seen whether the FIA will heed the calls for a more relaxed approach to wheel-to-wheel racing or maintain its current stance on rules and regulations. One thing is certain, however: the world of Formula 1 is closely watching.

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