Alonso: 'New rules not safer'

Fernando Alonso does not believe that the changes to Formula 1's technical regulations will slow the cars enough to have any effect on safety

By:

autosport.com staff.

Jan 23, 2005, 1:20 PM

The Renault driver reckons that the new rules will instead increase the number of accidents in races, as the loss of downforce will lead to more spins.

"The new aerodynamic package makes the car lighter and more difficult to drive," said Alonso. "When you do a run of 20 or 30 laps you can feel the grip going away little by little, and I'm sure that will lead to a few more spins in the races.

"We're trying to increase the safety but I'm not sure that was achieved. The cars are slower, (but only) 1s per lap and that means 0.1s per corner. So if you have an accident, I don't think the outcome will be very different.

"The biggest change, for me, is that we'll have more spins, and therefore more excitement for the spectators."

Alonso was speaking after sampling a 2004 Renault chassis modified to fit the 2005 regulations. The definitive new season Renault R25 will be tested for the first time next week, prior to its official launch in Monaco.