The Formula 1 circus has come to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix.
But as the winner approaches the race on Sunday, it won’t be as usual.
This after the organization implemented new regulations which include that mechanics and other team members are not allowed to climb the fence and celebrate when their car crosses the finish line.
“Any team in breach of this ban will be reported and face penalties,” F1 said in a statement.
“Always been a part”
The new rules surprised Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, who spoke out after his driver Max Verstappen set the fastest lap during Friday’s practice session.
— I’m surprised it was a problem, to be honest. But everything that has to do with security must be taken seriously, says Horner.
— But it’s quite an iconic moment, when you see a car finish a grand prix and the stable celebrates at the fence, which is lost. Personally, I’ve never seen a problem with it. It has always been part of the races.
The stable manager knows nothing
Nor does McLaren’s team manager Zak Brown seem to understand what the tightening of the rules is due to.
— I don’t know what made it necessary to change the rules. I am not aware of any incident. That being said, if they feel it’s not safe then we will follow the rules.
Out on the track, Red Bull has had a dream start to the season with Verstappen topping the drivers’ championship after two races, and being overshadowed by teammate Sergio Pérez.
— That is exactly what we want. We want two drivers who push and challenge each other. Both are competitive and want to win. But they know that the stable comes first, says Christian Horner.
“Not the same speed”
Other top teams seem to think that it will be difficult to keep up with Red Bull this year.
— It feels like we are heading in the right direction. But that does not mean that we have the same speed as our competitors, they are still in the driver’s seat. We still have a lot of work to do before we can seriously challenge, says Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Nor does Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton believe in any top position this weekend.
— We will not compete against the Red Bull cars. For us, it’s about finishing as high as possible. I think we have enough speed to finish around fifth place.