FIA president Jean Todt has gone out of his way to defend the rule changes that are going into effect in 2019 which should drastically improve overtaking, as he explains that drivers now complain about it all the time.
One part of the new rules is that the front wings will have to be much simpler, which should make it easier for cars to follow each other from close range. However, this will make the cars about a second and a half slower, something that was dubbed by Sebastian Vettel as "comical", as he referred to the aerodynamic rule changes in 2017 that made the cars faster but would decrease overtaking.
"We constantly hear that drivers can't follow each other," Todt explained.
"They're all complaining, and that's just the guys at the top, so imagine how the guys at the bottom must feel.
"When we think something's not going well, we try to find a solution."
He then analyzed that the problem was that cars lose a lot of downforce when they're closely following another car. That's why the Frenchman decided to take action.
"We made a proposition and that somehow got accepted, you know how complicated the F1 can be on a directional level."
Todt also briefly addressed the drivers' criticism of not being involved in the decision-making. He explains that they are, but they don't act on it.
"There are more than enough meetings where they're welcome, but they never come."
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