New F1 start rules could require tweaks, says Mercedes boss Wolff
Formula 1's new clutch-start rules may need to be revisited should the drama they are due to deliver go over the top, according to Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff
The start to F1's Belgian Grand Prix has often been engaging, but the beginning to next Sunday's race at Spa-Francorchamps may prove even more striking.
The FIA has banned remote assistance from the pitwall to help cars get off the line, and instead starts revert back into the hands of the drivers.
Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed expectation the starts would become "more unpredictable", potentially lead to "more weaving", and in a worst-case scenario even be "disastrous".
Although still believing it to be "a good idea", Hamilton did suggest "it is not going to be the right thing and it is going to be adjusted".
Wolff concurs with Hamilton that work might be required, should the new starts ultimately produce an undesired effect.
"I think what he [Hamilton] says is right," Wolff told AUTOSPORT.
"We wanted to make the starts more variable and unpredictable, to give more responsibility to the driver and make it look less 'remote control' from the garage.
"This is the first exercise in tuning technology down for the sake of the entertainment, and all the steps which have been done are understandable.
"But is it going to cause drama beyond expectations, or variability beyond expectations?
"If so then it will need to be looked at again and adjusted.
"What none of us want is completely unpredictable starts for everybody which then completely devalues qualifying.
"It is going to be learning on the job, but Formula 1, the FIA and the stakeholders have shown in the past we are pretty flexible in adapting things for the sake, or safety, of the sport if required."
Wolff, meanwhile, feels Hamilton was perfectly at liberty to let his hair down during F1's summer break.
Hamilton documented his holiday in Barbados on his social media account.
One particular photo drew criticism in some quarters as the championship leader could be seen 'grinding' with a fellow party-goer and smoking a cigar, alongside the message '#0FucksGiven'.
Wolff, though, insists he is not one to judge, as he said: "I try to avoid looking at social media in general because it doesn't always reflect what is really happening, and therefore I am always a bit cautious when it comes to what I hear and see.
"But Lewis knows himself, he knows what he needs and wants, what he likes and doesn't like.
"I think if he enjoys himself in travelling, and entertaining himself, than that is what he should do.
"We will be the last ones to interfere in his private life. I wouldn't want anybody to interfere in mine and tell me what I should do on holiday, so I won't do it with him either."
Previous article
F1 rookies Verstappen and Sainz silencing critics, says Toro Rosso
Next article
Honda aiming to match Ferrari with Formula 1 power unit update
How Ferrari has brought the best from F1’s smooth operator
As a young boy, Carlos Sainz was schooled by his father in the special folklore surrounding Ferrari in Formula 1. Now an established grand prix ace – and a Ferrari driver to boot – Sainz opens up to BEN ANDERSON about driving for the team of his childhood hero, and of his own boyhood dreams
How Hungarian GP thriller sounded alarm bell for F1 2022 cars
OPINION: The 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix may not have been a thrill-a-minute overtaking fest, but it's a race that will live long in the memory as one of the best of the current era of Formula 1. And as F1 moves to regulations in 2022 aimed at boosting overtaking, Hungary showed the balance it must strike with its new machinery as not to deny similarly tense spectacles
Was Hamilton's Hungary solo start a good or bad look for F1?
OPINION: Different perspectives had Lewis Hamilton’s solo second standing start in Formula 1’s 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix as fabulous or farcical. But did it make the championship appear too silly for the sake of a moment of high-charged sporting drama?
Why unseen Hungary heroics could be the making of F1's most overlooked driver
The chaotic start to the Hungarian GP set the scene for F1's less heralded drivers to make a name for themselves. Esteban Ocon did just that to win in fine style, but further down the order one driver was making his first visit to the points and - while the circumstances were fortunate - took full advantage of the chance presented to him
Hungarian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
This was race that showcased the best and worst of Formula 1, producing a first time winner and a memorable comeback to a podium finish. Avoiding trouble at the start and astute strategy calls were key to success, but where some drivers took full advantage, others made key errors that cost them dearly
The “heart-breaking” call that led to Ocon’s Hungarian GP triumph
Set to restart the red-flagged Hungarian Grand Prix in second, Esteban Ocon had some doubts when he peeled into the pits to swap his intermediate tyres for slicks. But this "heart-breaking" call was vindicated in spectacular fashion as the Alpine driver staved off race-long pressure from Sebastian Vettel for a memorable maiden Formula 1 victory
The F1 champion who became an Indy king in his second career
Emerson Fittipaldi’s decision to go racing with his brother led to him falling out of F1, but he bloomed again on the IndyCar scene. NIGEL ROEBUCK considers a career of two halves
Why Mercedes is pleased to be in the Hungary hunt at a 'Red Bull track'
Mercedes ended Friday practice at the Hungaroring with a clear gap to Red Bull thanks to Valtteri Bottas’s pace in topping FP2. But there are other reasons why the Black Arrows squad feels satisfied with its progress so far at a track many Formula 1 observers reckon favours Red Bull overall
