Martin Brundle worried about 'dangerous' F1 problem that could seriously injure drivers
The debate surrounding the new engine regulations has continued after Sunday's season opener in Australia.
Martin Brundle is the latest Formula One figure to speak out against the new engine regulations. The first race of the season took place this weekend, with fans, drivers and pundits all sharing their thoughts on the changes.
Mercedes appear to be the only ones entirely satisfied with the switch. and why wouldn’t they be? George Russell was close to three seconds faster than second-place Kimi Antonelli at the Australian Grand Prix, while the Italian finished over 15 seconds ahead of third-place Charles Leclerc.
Some have already remarked that the Constructors’ Championship should just be given to Mercedes right now, but a more serious debate has emerged following the opening race. It surrounds the safety of the drivers, with Lando Norris claiming the new regulations will lead to a serious accident in the future.
Writing in his Sky Sports column, Brundle admitted he enjoyed aspects of the race, but did share fears over the ‘dangerous’ aspects of the new engines.
He said: “The current raw product will take some smoothing out, but the might and resource of the F1 teams will prevail. But many of us knew these regulations were partially flawed some years ago when announced. To triple the output of the kinetic electrical motor (MGU-K) and yet remove the very efficient generator from the turbocharger (MGU-H) was always going to make it difficult to harvest enough battery juice, especially on high speed and minimal braking circuits like Melbourne.
“Some Le Mans cars collect electrical energy from the front wheels too, called front-axle regen, but we don't have that in F1 as the weight and packaging would be a compromise. Those decisions years ago were made to satisfy some manufacturers who wanted to enter, or remain, in F1.
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"Something approaching 50/50 battery/engine at maximum power and sustainable fuels with road-relevant technology very much appealed to them. I'm told that MGU-Hs are not road-relevant.
“But what we've ended up with is a car which can largely deplete all of its battery capacity in one decent straight. And a nasty knock-on effect of losing that turbo MGU-H is that standing starts have become extremely difficult to consistently deliver, and some cars are not getting off the line at all well, which is dangerous.”
Racing resumes this weekend from the Shanghai International Circuit, with Russell aiming to become the first Mercedes driver to top the podium in China since Lewis Hamilton in 2019.
