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Grosjean says overhauled 2017 F1 cars won’t be “sexier”
Romain Grosjean has expressed concerns over Formula 1's planned 2017 technical regulations, saying they will not make grand prix cars any "sexier".
Jamie Klein
Edited: Feb 26, 2016, 11:54 AM
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Teams have agreed on a major overhaul of the sport's technical regulations for next year that are set to make cars three seconds a lap faster with wider tyres and more downforce.
Read Also:
- Tech analysis: What F1 2017 car rules will actually look like
But Grosjean says the planned rules, which will also make cars 20kg heavier, have not been well-thought out – and says he wishes the drivers had been consulted more closely about them.
"I have seen the rules for 2017, I've seen the pictures of what the cars should look like," Grosjean told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview.
"I'm struggling to understand how they're sexier, especially with such a rear wing, then the front wing... 20kg heavier, it's a bit dodgy.
"I'd like it if we were consulted more. Generally, all drivers say 'we'd like to be consulted more, we have ideas, give us a call'."
Asked about the extent to which drivers' concerns are taken on board, he added: "We're listened to, but we always need to push to move forward.
"I know that in the circuits' commission, we had a driver spokesman, I was that person for a while and the people there really listened to us, they were super-interested in our comments on kerbs, safety, all those things.
"But it's true that nowadays, when important decisions are made, we'd like to have our say, to say what we think."
Qualifying system "won't change much"
Grosjean also said he thinks major changes set to be introduced to this year's qualifying rules will not have much impact, except in mixed conditions.
"The only consequence is that all the teams will hit the track early in the qualifying to get a laptime and go back to the pits to wait, because we don't have more tyres than before, so we're not going to run more than before," said the Haas driver.
"The tyres can do one lap and that's it, we know that. With a drying track or difficult conditions, this could change and spring surprises.
"If the idea is for cars to run more, we'll need more tyres in qualifying. As you need to get a laptime in the first five minutes, and the worst laptime gets eliminated every 90 seconds, the laptimes will be done in the first three minutes.
"Except if you use a new tyre for another run at the end, but what does that mean for Q2?"
Interview by Basile Davoine and Benjamin Vinel
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