SPIEGEL: Mr. Steiner, last Thursday, the motorsport world federation Fia presented the Formula 1 regulations, which will apply from 2021 onwards. One of the important goals was to get more exciting races by making overtaking easier. Is this goal achieved?
Steiner: We'll only know that when the cars are ready and driving on the track. The Fia and Formula One Management technology team, Liberty Media's Formula One owner, have invested a lot of work and believe it's the way to go.
SPIEGEL: Does that sound skeptical?
Steiner: No, I'm neutral. People do not want change, that's part of human nature. But we have to take a step forward, we have to make sure that the cars can move closer together, that there are more overtaking and more exciting races. Obtaining the status quo is also no solution.
SPIEGEL: The problem for every Formula One racing car behind is currently the enormous air turbulence that the front wing of the vehicle triggers. With two carriage lengths, this eliminates up to 40 percent of the contact pressure produced by a front wing. According to the new regulations, this disadvantage should shrink to ten percent. Is this realistic?
Steiner: The ten percent I think is a bit ambitious. Especially since the engineers of all ten teams will sit down and try to get the best out of the given rear wing for their drivers. And the worst for the following. That's the game, but the general direction is reasonable.
SPIEGEL: And if overtaking is not going to get any easier?
Steiner: If the changes turn out to be unfit, then we have to muster the courage to say that we need to rework. This is possible with the Fia and Formula One Management.
SPIEGEL: The biggest change in the new regulations relates to finances. In the future, there will be a limited $ 175 million budget for each team. In addition, however, the salaries for the drivers, for three additional employees, for travel and marketing costs are calculated. The three top teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will easily come to 230 million dollars in spending. Is that good enough to shorten the distance between the big three and the other seven teams?
Steiner: It's an approach, a first step. I understand that the very big teams can not immediately come down radically from their budgets. Since smaller racing teams like Haas will never spend $ 175 million, the superiority of the big three will naturally persist with such a difference. So you have to see if you can reduce the budget limit after a while.
SPIEGEL: The new regulations also aim to drive the hybrid engines that have been in use since 2014. Apparently, the manufacturers talk to each other, whether one should freeze the further development in order to save costs. Does this make sense?
Steiner: I'm not involved in the talks, but there are examples where such a moratorium worked. The current engines have reached such a high level that every development step is insanely expensive. I do not mind if you gradually freeze the engine development. Then, as team boss of Haas, I would not have to pay so much money for every single engine.