Autosport Plus

Why F1 must sacrifice its 'DNA' for the spectacle

OPINION: Purists decree that Formula 1's 2021 tech rules overhaul needs to be careful not to go against the so-called 'DNA' of the series, but F1 should be wary of risking a brighter future for the sake of something that never really existed in the first place

When Francis Crick and James Watson first proposed the double-helix structure of DNA, they had no idea that the term would become a trite synonym for a sport's fundamentals, usually employed within an argument resisting against any kind of change. Humans are creatures of habit, after all.

And so, as Formula 1's lawmakers and governors address the herculean task of defining 2021's new regulations, the collective careful tread through the minefield seems to be rooted in the anthropomorphisation of motorsport and refusal to 'upset F1's DNA'.

Share Or Save This Story

Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.