F1: Jean Todt vows to address engine sound problems but stresses that rules won't be modified

Jean Todt

FIA president Jean Todt has stressed that the rules of Formula One won’t be changed mid-season, but has acknowledged the need to resolve the sound issues with the new engines which have inspired mass criticism from people all over the world.

The former CEO of Ferrari has vowed to analyse the sound problem and find a solution for the same following a series of complaints flowing in not just from fans, but also from a number of drivers who feel the relatively quieter engines have been disappointing.

Todt also admitted that the discontented bunch were in a majority as opposed to the ones in favour of the new sound.

Earlier, defending champion Sebastian Vettel had voiced his disappointment with regard to the sound of the new engines, and the head of the International Automobile Federation has agreed to fix a meeting with the German.

“Vettel made a negative comment about the engine noise, but not on the engines,” Todt said. “He’s an icon of our sport, four-time world champion… if he came to me about the noise problem I would listen because he is qualified to talk about it.”

On the subject of improving the sound of the new engines the Frenchman added, “We’re examining this problem with three engine manufacturers involved in F1. We’re seeing if we can make it noisier.”

However, the FIA president dismissed the notion of changing the rules in the middle of the season as that would require all the teams to come to a mutual agreement.

“We need the unanimous agreement of stables, otherwise we can’t change anything. We are in a competitive world, those in front don’t complain and others complain, making more noise than those who are happy. It’s in the nature of things, the history of F1 is filled with periods of domination. Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Red Bull and now, after only two GP, Mercedes.”

“I don’t have the power to slow them down and it’s a challenge for the other teams to catch up. It would not be fair to penalise a team that did a better job than others.”

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had commented earlier that two new teams might be joining the race circuit from next season and Jean Todt confirmed that the process was ongoing.

“Some teams have filed their dossiers, they were examined by people other than me, and we’ll make an announcement in the coming days,” he added.

Todt also revealed that the ‘Strategy Group’ of the sport has been giving him a hard time in his bid for a cost cap in Formula One. Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Lotus are the six teams in the group.

“My feeling is that F1 is too expensive. It has been proved to me that budgets could be limited, so I put this on the table, most of the teams agreed. Now I am told that the six members of the Strategy Group stables are against. I am disappointed because it will be more difficult to achieve this limitation which seems necessary to me.

“But I’m told you can get there by the technical and sporting regulations. That is why we have a detailed plan, spread over three years, from 2015 to 2017.”

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Edited by Staff Editor