F1 News
Sergio Perez hopes 2021 rule changes lead to midfield teams on podiums
Sergio Perez believes that if the cars were all equal then the grid would only be separated by a few tenths of a second. In Formula 1 the top three teams are so much faster and this means that quality drivers in the midfield can go through their whole career without finishing on the podium at all. The Mexican hopes the 2021 rule changes make the cars more equal and that midfield drivers finish on the podium more often.
"It is something bad for the sport and bad for drivers. You have fantastic drivers that have never been on a single podium. That is crazy to hear," Perez was quoted by GPFans.
"Between the best and the worst [drivers], it is three tenths. In between the best and the worst car it is more than three seconds.
"So, it is something fundamentally wrong."
Perez hopes that the powers of Formula 1 see the 2021 rule changes as an opportunity to improve the competitiveness of the sport.
"I hope they keep good cars, fast cars," he said. "When you look at the midfield, today, one-tenth will change a lot, from P16 to P8, and I want that for the whole of the grid; that things are not won by teams, but by drivers.
"I think it's what all the drivers want to see. To be in a series where the driver can make the difference.
"I think that would be what's best for the sport. If they can achieve that - that would be great. At the moment it's a team series, not a driver series."
Drivers like Perez and Nico Hulkenberg could easily compete for World Championships if driving for a top team but will instead have to hope that new rules give midfield teams greater chances of winning races.