Carlos Sainz classified Formula 1’s new Straight Line Mode (SLM) as a ‘patch’ that only covers the energy management problems caused by the category’s new engines.
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The Spaniard closely followed the debut of the feature at the Australian GP, where he started 21st after problems with the energy recovery system and finished 15th, further hampered by a front wing change that cost about twenty seconds.
“The biggest risk for me is the first lap. It was really unstable with everyone using SLM on the straight, even coming from behind. It felt very dangerous, very difficult to control the car in the slipstream and with SLM. And during a battle with another car, the situation repeats itself. In a straight line, it’s not bad, like DRS was last year. But in corners, with both cars using SLM, it gets unstable too,” he stated.
Sainz explained that the need to use SLM is due to the energy limitation of the new units, which combine electric and combustion power in a balanced way.
“SLM is a patch over the engine to protect the power delivery problems we have. At circuits like this, which require a lot of energy, you end up using SLM in sections where you shouldn’t, creating dangerous situations on the first lap and during overtakes,” he added.
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Despite the criticism, Sainz recognized that the feature is still necessary for racing: “Without SLM, we wouldn’t be able to race with the performance we have. It’s a temporary solution, but necessary, because the new engine configuration is still not working optimally,” he added.
During the weekend in Melbourne, the FIA even temporarily removed an SLM zone between turns 6 and 9 at the Albert Park circuit, but the measure was reversed after evaluation by the teams.
The Spaniard made it clear that SLM does not solve the underlying problem, serving only to protect power delivery in the new engines, but warns that the situation still represents safety risks.
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