Suzuka has exposed a serious flaw in the new regulations. Recharging the battery on the straight can be dangerous, generating large speed differences between two battling cars. The accident between Bearman and Colapinto confirmed the drivers’ fears, who since the Bahrain tests had warned about the risks of power cuts at high speed. Andrea Kimi Antonelli also spoke on the subject, for whom resolving the situation is not simple, one more reason why those defending must drive with caution.
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Antonelli’s opinion
The Italian driver shared his point of view with the Italian press a few hours after his victory in Japan: “I didn’t see clearly what happened to Ollie, I was told about it. It’s certainly not easy. For example, even with Leclerc, I was using much more battery in places where he wasn’t using it at all, and in these cases, you find yourself with a significant speed difference. Even those defending must be fair and avoid making risky moves at the last moment, because you risk situations like today’s.”
For Kimi, the side effects of battery recharging are inherent to the new regulations and as such are not immediately solvable: “I don’t think it’s something so easy to fix. Each team decides how and where to use the battery. Precisely for this reason, drivers must be respectful in this regard and not make last-minute maneuvers, it’s too risky. Sometimes the speed difference is so great that you don’t even notice it, you only realize at the last moment that the other is about to overtake you. Maybe you come out of the corner half a second behind and you would never think that in a few hundred meters they would already be alongside you. It’s not easy to manage.”
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FIA and teams at work
Although those defending have responsibilities in avoiding an accident, the FIA still seems determined to modify the regulations to mitigate the problem. Immediately after the race, the Federation issued a statement, informing that “all interested parties have agreed on the need for a structured review after the initial phase of the season, in order to collect and analyze sufficient data.” From this point of view, the April break is providential, giving the FIA and the teams time to perform the necessary simulations and understand the most effective way to intervene.
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