Top F1 teams will "lose more performance" in 2019 - Budkowski
Formula 1’s top three outfits are set to be pulled back closer to the midfield teams thanks to the 2019 regulations, reckons Renault executive director Marcin Budkowski.

With F1 teams having to design all-new aero for this season, thanks to a raft of rule changes aimed at helping overtaking, there is potential for a change in the pecking order.
Budkowski thinks that the changes will hurt the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull more because they had built up a bigger advantage with the older specification cars.
And that could mean the huge advantage the three teams had over the other teams in 2018 could be much reduced for the season ahead.
Speaking about the loss of downforce from the 2019 rules, Budkowski said: “I am not going to tell you exactly where we are, but the loss was significant at the beginning yes.
Read Also:
“It is difficult to say whether it was more significant for us or others, but my personal opinion of this is that the bigger teams, the best teams, will have lost more performance.
“That is because by definition they had a quicker car, so they had a more optimised car. Everything was more in tune and more optimised. So they will have made a bigger step back.
“But they are also better equipped to recover, because they have bigger structures with more resources.
"Also, the understanding they had that allowed them to get to that previous level, they still have it, so they can use it to try to find further performance. So it is difficult to say who has made the bigger step back and who has made the bigger step forward.
“My feeling is that probably you will have closed the gap a little bit between the top teams and the midfield, because the regulations are more restrictive than they were before. There is less available performance.”
Renault finished last year as the best of the rest behind the top three teams, and has set its sights on being closer to the leading trio in 2019.
Budkowski thinks it too much, however, to expect that the French car manufacturer will fully bridge the gap this season.
“Realistically if you look at the situation as it was last year, the gaps, recovering 1.5 seconds of performance over one winter is nearly impossible,” he said.
“Now, we have a regulation change so that could have influenced the pecking order. There are some changes at the front as well that could jeopardise some people’s performance or reliability, so there are external factors, but we are not in control of these.
“From our point of view, it is to get the best possible car out and do the best possible job with the regulations, do our homework and reach our targets.
“Overall the pecking order is a question of relative performance. If we reach our targets of performance we should be progressing compared to last year, and if the others don’t do as good a job then it is going to be good for us.”

Previous article
Bottas takes stage win, fifth overall on rally debut
Next article
Perez felt underrated against "next big thing" Ocon

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Author | Jonathan Noble |
Top F1 teams will "lose more performance" in 2019 - Budkowski
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…
Why Haas is willing to sacrifice its 2021 F1 season
Every Formula 1 team is facing the same difficult decision this season: how do you split precious aero development time between the current car and the all-new 2022 project?