Following the hectic closing laps of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Formula One officials are considering one big change for the future.
Suggestions were brought forward for consideration in the aftermath of the race which would see F1 team bosses unable to speak to the Race Director over the radio.
Although live communication between each team’s pit wall and Race Control has been allowed for years, it was only in 2021 that spectators were able to hear the conversation over the airwaves.
However, after the incessant back-and-forth with both the Mercedes and Red Bull team bosses in the heat of the final lap shootout, people began suggesting they were both pressurising the stewards.
F1 Managing Director of Motorsport, Ross Brawn, spoke to German reporters in recent days and said in-race communication between team principals and the race director should be disallowed from now on.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff then said he agreed with the proposed change and admitted: “I agree with Ross, but I equally blame Ross and myself because we have been part of the decision making to broadcast more of the channels for the purpose of transparency and entertainment for the fans.
“There is so much going on on the intercom that giving fans a little bit of an overview of all the little dramas that happen – is the car breaking down, are we having some kind of strategy discussion? – was meant well but I think we overshot.
“I need to take myself by the nose. And Christian. We were given the opportunity to talk to the race director directly and because we fight so fiercely for the interests of our teams, all of us overstepped,” he continued.
“This certainly was part of the failures this year that under pressure from the team principals also the race director’s life wasn’t made easier. So we need to come back.
“The team principals shouldn’t speak directly to the race director, it should be the sporting directors.
“I would even go one step further; I don’t think the sporting directors should be lobbying the race director or exercising pressure.
“They should be pointing to situations that the race director and his colleagues might have not spotted. But not lobbying or pressurising.”
The Mercedes boss then went on to add that: “The whole system of decision making needs to be improved.”
