Newey critical of F1: 'The sport has gone in the wrong direction'

Formula 1 cars have become a lot bigger and heavier following the introduction of new regulations at the start of 2022. Adrian Newey regrets that the sport has gone down this road and thinks it is the wrong direction.

Last season, F1 teams struggled to reach the minimum weight of 798 kilograms to make the car faster. Red Bull Racing in particular had many problems with an overweight car. The RB18 lost more and more weight throughout the season, but the minimum weight was not reached.

Speaking to Motorsport-Magazin.com Newey criticises the direction the sport has taken with the new regulations. Because the cars have become bigger and heavier, they are aerodynamically inefficient because they have high drag. "I think it's a bit of a shame that Formula 1 has gone down this path, especially because right now there is a need and opportunity to do exactly the opposite," the Red Bull engineer says.

F1 takes wrong direction

"It is clear that this wrong direction is the same one that the general car industry has taken recently: bigger and heavier cars and people's obsession with running on batteries or petrol. The biggest problem is the amount of energy needed to move the damn thing, regardless of where that energy comes from. It seems Formula 1's technical regulations don't understand that, because the big car manufacturers obviously don't want that," Newey ends.