Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen Join Forces to Wage War Against the FIA for Wasting Fans’ Hard Earned Money

The 2023 F1 season has been marked by changes aimed at improving sustainability and reducing environmental impact, which makes sense. Pirelli, the official tire supplier for the sport, introduced a new qualifying format and tire allocation for the Emilia Romagna GP at Imola. The regulation change required drivers to use a different tire compound in each qualifying session and reduced the total number of allocated dry tires. However, as weather conditions caused the race at Imola to be canceled, the new format is now being implemented at the Hungarian GP.

But Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have joined forces to criticize the modifications, alleging that they have wasted fans’ hard-earned money. Heading to Budapest, all eyes are on Pirelli and their efforts to promote sustainability through their tire allocations. This year, they have brought the 3 softest tire compounds, the C3 (hard), C4 (medium), and C5 (soft), to the Hungaroring. Additionally, the teams will receive only 11 sets of tires, down from the usual 13, as part of a trial to improve sustainability.

Lewis Hamilton expressed his displeasure with the new qualifying format in the press conference, stating, “The format change is really not nice. Maybe they should look at the trashed rain tires instead of stealing the fans’ track action time.” Hamilton’s sentiment was echoed by his fierce competitor, Max Verstappen, who chose to conserve his tires during the disrupted practice sessions, and pointed out that the new format has made Friday’s sessions almost meaningless. He lamented that drivers are compelled to save tires for the crucial qualifying and race sessions, potentially diminishing the spectacle for the fans in attendance.

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While the pursuit of sustainability is commendable, F1 must carefully consider the consequences of its regulatory changes. Both Hamilton and Verstappen’s concerns highlight the need for a balance between sustainability measures and ensuring an exciting and competitive on-track experience for the fans.

Other Drivers Express Concerns Over F1’s Qualifying Tire Experiment

The revised rules dictate that drivers must use the hard compound in Q1, the mediums in Q2, and the soft rubber for the Q3 shootout for pole position. While the idea of promoting sustainability is commendable, some drivers worry that the changes might not lead to the desired outcome. As Esteban Ocon points out that the limited number of available tires could result in less running during Friday’s practice sessions. With teams needing to conserve their rubber, the learning opportunities before qualifying might be significantly reduced, making it more challenging for teams to optimize their setups.

Charles Leclerc believes that the switch to harder tires in the early stages of qualifying could surprise some drivers, but he hopes the format will eventually find a balance that preserves the true meritocracy of the sport. However, Lance Stroll worries that mandating tire compounds for each part of qualifying might prevent underdog teams from making strategic moves to progress, as they won’t have the luxury of using multiple fresh sets of soft tires.

What are your thoughts about these changes?

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