13/10/2021
NEWS STORY
F1's managing director, Ross Brawn insists that the "knife-edge" 2021 season is proof that change was needed.
While attention is focussed on the six points that currently separate title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, with just six races remaining, it's easy to forget that the season hasn't been entirely dominated by Mercedes and Red Bull this year.
In Italy, Daniel Ricciardo claimed victory for McLaren, while in Hungary it was Alpine's Esteban Ocon who stood atop the podium.
Admittedly, both wins were totally unexpected and went against the form seen for much of the season, but nonetheless few would say that 2021 has been predictable, far from it.
Indeed, speaking in the wake of Sunday's race, Christian Horner said that just as things get interesting, it seems a "shame" that the sport faces a massive rules overhaul.
One of the chief architects of those rule changes, Ross Brawn, insists that the changes are needed, and that these, together with moves like the budget cap, finally introduced this year, are improving the sport by doing what was intended, levelling the playing field.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the cost cap and the rules changes that were implemented are having a positive impact on the closeness and intensity of the championship," he says in his Turkish Grand Prix debrief on the sport's official website.
"There is no capacity for a team to pour massive resource into a championship and try and run away with it," he adds. "The resources are now limited and the teams are also focused on next year's car, which is requiring a lot of time and resource.
"We still want a meritocracy," he insists. "We still want the best team to win. But we don't want them to win by a country mile simply because they've got a bigger budget than anyone else. It's pleasing to see the way things are developing."
Referring to Horner's comment, which has been echoed by others within the paddock, Brawn says: "This weekend I heard some comments around whether the 2022 regulation changes are needed given we're currently enjoying such a golden season.
"I think that fails to understand the fact that while the championship is thrilling this year the cars still struggle to follow each other closely and create overtaking opportunities.
"While the 2022 rules won't change the situation overnight I think they are a much better platform to improve the racing on the track and I'm sure that once the new rules have settled down, we will see some incredible races and championships in the future, with even more wheel to wheel action.
"When I ran teams, there was no silver bullet," he adds. "It was a case of chipping away at everything to make incremental improvements. I believe it's the same with the sport."