Why a boring 2021 season is better for F1's future
Thanks to a year of stability within Formula 1's technical regulations, the 2020 season should be a closely-fought affair. While that might suggest leaving the rules alone would be better for F1's spectacle, 2021's overhaul addresses deeper-lying issues
It's been said many times in Formula 1 that one of the best ways to close up the grid is to leave the rules alone. By doing that, the law of diminishing returns at the front limits the top team, while the pursuing pack are slowly able to chip away at any deficit they had.
Such rule stability is why this season has all the potential to deliver a thrilling three-way fight between Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari that could become one of the closest we've seen in years.
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Jonathan Noble is Motorsport.com’s Formula 1 editor. Having graduated from University of Sussex Jonathan worked for sports news agency Collings Sports reporting on F1, F3, touring cars and other sports, with articles appearing in The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Reuters, Autosport and other publications. In 1999 he moved to Haymarket Publishing to become a senior editor at Autosport Special Projects, and one year later he became Autosport’s grand prix editor. In 2015 he moved to Motorsport Network, becoming the F1 editor for Motorsport.com. He is also a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and sits on the FIA Media Council.
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