Show Notes
To many, Formula 1 is about engineering genius, so why does the governing body, the FIA, so often outlaw bold new ideas after they appear? Has grand prix racing become anti-innovation, or is it essential for 'the show' to control technical development?
On this episode of The Race F1 Podcast, which was inspired by a question sent in by someone in The Race Members' Club on Patreon, Edd Straw is joined by Samarth Kanal and Mark Hughes to debate whether F1 has got the innovation balance right or wrong, and to hypothesise on what would happen if the FIA relaxed the rules and allowed the teams to innovate as they wish, provided they stuck to the cost cap...
Here's the full listener question from StevieNoises that inspired the episode:
Why is F1’s strategy so anti-development? Ferrari’s exhaust wing is banned for 2027 and, to quote from The-Race.com ‘although the FIA was satisfied that the designs fully compiled with the regulations, it was mindful that if things were left untouched there was a risk of things getting more extreme and a potential tech war exploding.’
'Tech war' is negatively loaded language that perfectly describes the sport! Car performance is based on the design of the car rather than the talent of the driver (for the most part), so a tech war is what Formula 1 is. Why is the strategy to counter development? Teams cannot just spend their way out of problems now. All of the teams saw the Ferrari rear wing in testing and took time to evaluate if it is worth bringing. 10 years ago, all of the top teams would have had one on the car for round 1. With the cost cap in place, there arguably should be more freedom in chasing designs.
I understand that occasionally developments are banned because it can lead to one team being extremely dominant which you could make the argument with McLaren's system. But it's not like Ferrari have won a lot of races this year BECAUSE of the exhaust wing. This is not a development like DAS, or the double diffuser for example.
Get bonus F1 podcasts, extra content and ad-free listening, sign-up to The Race Members' Club on Patreon today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Race F1 Podcast
In the latest episode of The Race F1 Rewind, Edd Straw and Mark Hughes dig into the truth about Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari exit in 2006, which brought the curtain down on a period of unprecedented dominance that included five drivers’ and six constructors’ world titles and 72 Schumacher victories. They explain the circumstances around the news breaking and explore the conspiracy theory that Schumacher was pushed out, before hitting the fast forward button and speculating on what might have happened if Schumacher had never left.
As F1 heads to Austin’s Circuit of The Americas, Mercedes faces a huge test not only of its troubled upgrade, but also of its 2027 prospects, with rivals Red Bull and Max Verstappen proving the combination to beat in recent races.
In the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast, sponsored by Skinceuticals, former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner joins Edd Straw and Jon Noble for a wide-ranging and feature-length conversation. He reflects on building Red Bull Racing from a disruptive underdog into a multi-championship powerhouse, the leadership style that shaped that success, and why he got forced out. He also explains his non-negotiables for returning to the sport, what Max Verstappen brings to a team, and his thoughts on whether Adrian Newey will prove a success at Aston Martin. There’s also a number of surprise revelations - including one about Fernando Alonso - plus Horner tells the real story of how those recent Ferrari rumours came about…
In the latest edition of The Race F1 Tech Show, Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson take a closer look at Red Bull's recent performance gains and explain Mercedes' upgrade troubles, and look ahead to what both situations mean for 2027.
We get the inside story of the new Rwanda F1 circuit in the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast. Edd Straw is joined by Jon Noble, who recently visited the site where the recently announced African Grand Prix will take place in the early 2030s.