Formula 1 is experiencing a season start under criticism of the new technical rules, and former driver and 1992 F1 champion Nigel Mansell stated that fans are right to show dissatisfaction, especially due to the impact on overtaking.
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The main point of debate is the power split between the combustion engine and batteries, which has changed the way cars are driven. Now, drivers need to manage energy during fast laps, while electronic systems control power delivery, reducing the direct influence of the driver at certain moments.
Mansell believes this scenario compromises the authenticity of the battles: “Some overtakes are completely fake. Sometimes they look great, but on corner exit the car simply rockets because of the extra energy released by the system, not by the driver’s action,” he said.
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He cited an example involving McLaren’s Lando Norris, who reportedly made an unintentional overtake on Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton due to the system’s operation: “He himself said he didn’t want to overtake at that part, but he had no choice. Then on the straight, he ended up being overtaken again,” he added.
In this context, changes are already planned for the Miami GP, including reducing the battery’s maximum charge from 8MJ to 7MJ, in an attempt to lessen effects like ‘lift and coast’. Still, Mansell emphasizes that the discontent is widespread: “Fans around the world are angry, and rightly so. I agree with them,” he concluded.
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