Lewis Hamilton wants FIA to introduce rule which limits when F1 teams are allowed to start development on their next car to try and prevent one team keeping a big advantage; Red Bull have won all eight races so far in 2023; watch the Austrian GP on Sky Sports this weekend
Friday 30 June 2023 07:01, UK
Max Verstappen has dismissed Lewis Hamilton's suggestion that the FIA should introduce a date for when F1 teams are allowed to begin work on their next year's car to try and prevent one team getting or keeping a big advantage.
Red Bull are so far unbeaten in 2023, claiming victory in all eight grands prix plus the one Sprint so far this year. Verstappen holds a 69-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez at the top of the Drivers' Championship with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso a further nine points back. Hamilton is 93 points behind the Dutchman.
In the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull hold a 154-point lead over Hamilton's Mercedes team in second.
Mercedes have secured podium finishes in the last two races in Barcelona and Canada, and Hamilton thinks they can catch Red Bull on track before the end of the season, but only due to the reigning champions being able to switch focus to their 2024 car given their advantage in 2023.
Hamilton would like to see a rule introduced to prevent teams being able to switch to developing their next car too early in the season.
"The car (Mercedes' W14) is moving in the right direction. I think ultimately it's likely that - bit by bit - by the end of the year we will probably catch Red Bull, but that's only because they're probably already focusing on next year's car because they're so far ahead," Hamilton told Sky Sports at the Austrian GP.
"They don't have to make any changes to this year's car any more as they're so far ahead. He's cruising at 100 points ahead of us.
"I think the FIA should probably put a time when everyone is allowed to start developing on the next year's car. So August 1, that's when everybody can start so then no one can get an advantage on the next year, cause that sucks.
"It would make more sense. They should. Say for example you start the season and you know you have a bad car, you can just say I'm not going to bother developing this car and put all this money into next year's car and have an advantage."
Mercedes were the previous team to beat in F1, winning eight consecutive world championships from 2014 to 2021, and Hamilton believes such a rule change would help prevent long periods of domination by one team which the sport has seen over the years.
When pushed on Mercedes' previous ability to do what Red Bull now can, Hamilton replied: "We never started as early as them. That's why I'm saying it needs to change - because that's why you have dominance for so long, and they keep allowing it to happen.
"Ferrari was ahead and the same thing happened there, when Red Bull were ahead with Seb [Vettel] back in the day, they start earlier so they're always ahead."
Elaborating on his proposal, Hamilton said: "I was really fortunate to have one of those periods, Max is having it now, but with the way it's going it will continue to happen over and over again and I don't think we need that in the sport.
"If everyone had a cut-off time, then no one has a head start and it's a real race in that short space of time for the future car. Maybe that would help everyone be more on a level the following year.
"I might be wrong, but something has got to change...it would be cool to see in the next 20 years that we don't have huge bands of time where one team lead too far ahead, because we want to see better racing."
Championship leader Verstappen was unimpressed by Hamilton's comments when they were later put to him by Sky Sports F1 in the FIA press conference.
"Life is unfair, as well. So it's not only in Formula 1," Verstappen said.
"A lot of things in life are unfair so we just have to deal with it."
Verstappen added to Sky Sports News: "We weren't talking about that when [Lewis] was winning his championships, right? So I don't think we should now.
"That's how Formula 1 works. When you have a competitive car it's great, but at one point of course you also have to look ahead to the next year.
"It's normal people behind us say these kinds of things but they should also not forget when they were winning how it was looking, and if people would comment this kind of thing then probably they would comment a bit different, but that's how it goes in Formula 1."
With Red Bull having such an advantage in the championship already and being able to switch focus to their 2024 car so early in the season, it raises questions over the impact of the aero testing penalty they received for breaching the cost cap during the 2021 campaign.
Red Bull were given a further 10 per cent reduction in aero testing time - on top of their handicap for being constructors' champions - which runs until October this year.
Hamilton feels the reduction had next to no impact on Red Bull's performance, saying: "I don't think (the penalty) cost them anyways.
"The penalty didn't cost them anything. It definitely, definitely didn't, it was so small."
At the Canadian GP, Red Bull's technical director Pierre Wache explained to Sky Sports F1 when the team would feel the effects of the penalty.
Wache said: "Every time when you have a restriction it affects you. We have a restriction because we were winning the championship last year and we are still leading.
"Is the 10 per cent (further) reduction affecting us in the number of runs we are doing? We do less [sic] tests, less development but we have to be even more efficient in the way we work.
"For sure it will affect the performance of the end of the year car and next year.
"The positive of it is that it is maybe developing even better processes in the system and motivation in the team. When the system is against you, it's interesting to see that it affects you in some good ways.
"I try to see the positives of it but it's clear it's affecting us."
Hamilton has not won a race since the penultimate round of the 2021 season at the Saudi Arabian GP and last season was the first time he had failed to claim a victory during his F1 career.
Mercedes are introducing another "larger" upgrade at next weekend's British GP and will have further updates before the August summer break.
While Hamilton feels the small steps Mercedes are making will put him in a position to potentially challenge for wins as the season wears on, he wants the Silver Arrows to focus on delivering a title-contending car in 2024.
"I'm trying to win a race. I really have no idea. It depends where the car goes, I think we'll hopefully get close. But I can't predict what Aston are going to do, what Ferrari are going to do, where Red Bull will be.
"I hope so (can win a race this year) but I also hope we don't focus too much on winning a race this year. I care less to win a race this year and more to win the championship next year."
Friday June 30
8.50am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Austrian GP Practice (session starts 12.30)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.30pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up
4pm: Austrian GP Qualifying
6pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Saturday July 1
8.55am: F3 Sprint
10.30am: Austrian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Austrian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: F2 Sprint
2.30pm: Austrian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: Austrian GP Sprint
5pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
Sunday July 2
7.20am: F3 Feature Race
8.50am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Austrian GP build-up
2pm: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction
5pm: Ted's Notebook
Red Bull seek to continue their winning run in 2023 as they return to their home track for the Austrian GP - watch live on Sky Sports F1 from June 30-July 2. Get Sky Sports
