George Russell criticizes Scuderia Ferrari's stance on F1 start safety
What's the story
Mercedes driver George Russell has criticized Scuderia Ferrari for their reluctance to support changes aimed at improving safety during Formula 1 starts. The FIA had proposed a rule modification after last week's Australian GP witnessed significant variations in start performance across the grid. The proposal was reportedly blocked by Ferrari, leading Russell to call their actions "selfish" and "silly."
Rule modification
FIA proposed rule change
The FIA had proposed a rule change to address the issues witnessed in Australia, but Ferrari was against it. As per BBC Sport, Russell explained that the problems stemmed from a "very quirky rule" limiting how much energy a car can harvest on the formation lap. He claimed this affected drivers at the front of the grid more than those further back, who could recover more energy before their actual start.
Performance disparity
'Just a little bit silly'
Russell also pointed out that Ferrari's engine design gives them an edge over other teams when it comes to starts. He said, "The FIA was looking to potentially adjust that but as you can imagine some teams who were making good starts didn't want it, which I think is just a little bit silly." The FIA can enforce a change on safety grounds but has refrained from doing so in hopes of consensus among teams.
Information
F1 2026: George Russell wins season-opening Australian GP
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