2021 Formula 1 rules made restrictive to prevent racing limitations

Formula 1 sporting chief Ross Brawn says it is important the 2021 regulations come down hard on teams in order to stop them designing cars detrimental to racing

F1 unveiled its blueprint for future grand prix cars earlier this week, which will see a shift towards a new ground effect design that F1 hopes will allow for better racing.

A step towards improving racing through simpler car design was taken this year with the re-designed front wings, though its impact has been minimal.

Brawn understands the lack of freedom in design for 2021 rules will prove "frustrating" for teams, but believes it is necessary for the good of the spectacle.

"We know with these very proscriptive regulations, the fertile minds of F1 will come up with different solutions," said Brawn during a presentation of the new rules.

"They [the rules] will be proscriptive because we have to make sure we achieve these objectives, but there is enough latitude there.

"Undoubtedly, from the relative freedom that the teams have had so far, it is going to be frustrating.

"But if they can take the approach that these regulations are the same for everyone and if they do a better job than anyone else, 'we just won't be two seconds faster we will be two tenths faster', then that is what we want in F1."

One of the concerns from teams about the new rules is that the restrictions placed on car design will make it harder to distinguish each machine from one another.

However, Brawn disagrees with this argument, highlighting that the current grid of cars look largely the same.

"We have been very proscriptive to begin with, because if we are not we will not achieve the objectives," said Brawn during a presentation for the new rules.

"There are complaints that all the cars are going to look the same and the other nonsense we have heard, so as an exercise, Pat [Symonds] took all the existing cars and took the livery off them and put them up [on a wall].

"You cannot tell the difference between the cars we have now once the colours are taken off them.

"You need to be an extreme geek to pick them out, and even within our office we managed to pick three out!

"So when you see the existing cars with the colours taken off, you wouldn't know."