Vettel Talks about F1 Overtaking Complaints

At the conclusion of the season, Pirelli has released data that showed the 2017 campaign was the worst for overtaking in the DRS era. F1’s tyre supplier recorded 435 passes, which is a 49% drop from the 866 in 2016, when there was one more race. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel spoke about the numerous F1 overtaking complaints. To some extent, the German is right because in this DRS era, drivers tend to wait until the DRS done before attempting to pass. It is shocking to see almost a 50% drop in the number of overtakes from last season.

Vettel said, “Wishes for next year is that everybody calms down. Some races are boring, so what? I don’t see the problem in that. I don’t think we need another record, another record every race, to have more overtaking and more overtaking. It’s true that overtaking sometimes, especially if you’re behind and you’re fast and you can’t get past for those reasons, it annoys you.But then again if you make the move there is a massive reward inside the car, sometimes out the car. What I want to say is that overtaking should be an achievement and not handed to you. Sometimes just relax and calm down and accept a boring race or a boring two races in a row and then there will be another great race after that and another one.”

Following the dramatic changes to the F1 aerodynamic regulations, drivers have found it tougher at certain circuits to follow other cars and get close enough to pass. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo agreed with his former teammate, “I think Seb’s right in some ways, that’s just the way it is and that’s the way some tracks are laid out. I think the wider cars and all that look great and they’ve given us more downforce and grip but when they take up more space on the track you have less clean air to try to find so it does make following harder – so that one is good and bad.”

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton hopes that tweaks can be made so that the possibility of overtaking increases, as he believes that will improve the show. Hamilton also addressed the F1 overtaking complaints. He said “On the racing side, I hope moving forwards, overtaking gets easier,” he said. “Not easier, but being able to follow each other is really what the sport needs. The more overtaking, the more fun it is for people to watch.”