Lewis Hamilton will soon no longer be able to use party mode in qualifying
Photo:Bryn Lennon / Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton knows a thing or two about parties. He celebrated 87 wins in Formula 1, four are still missing before Michael Schumacher's record is set. 91 pole positions are already a record. At the beginning of the 2018 season, Hamilton coined a term that has been used again and again since then when it comes to the superiority of his own racing team: the party mode.
It's about a special engine setting at Mercedes, with which Hamilton and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas can call up more power in qualifying. Party mode can be beneficial in the battle for the best lap time on Saturdays. But it is not intended for the races because the car and tires are put under too much pressure in the long run with this extra power. Now the world motor sport federation Fia is acting as a party crash, because from the next but one race in the Belgian Spa, Formula 1 will only be driven in one motor mode.
Rule changes during a current season actually require either the approval of all teams or serious safety concerns - which in this case do not exist. The Fia is therefore using a trick and is issuing a so-called technical directive with which the association tries to eradicate gray areas in the regulations. "The multitude and complexity of the modes" is intended to make it more difficult for the Fia - according to its own communication - to assess whether all rules are being adhered to.
Why is the Fia reacting now?
It is at least an unusual time. Technical directives are part of Formula 1, but the premier class of motorsport is in a difficult phase. On the one hand, there is the fundamental dispute about how drastically it is allowed to copy in Formula 1. The focus of the affair is Racing Point, a Mercedes customer team that is said to have illegally recreated parts. The Fia penalty was relatively mild, but Ferrari and Renault are taking action - and the role of Mercedes has not yet been discussed.
Racing Point, like Williams as the second racing team with Mercedes engines, would be affected by the ban on party mode. Temporary driver Nico Hülkenberg finished third in qualifying at Silverstone last weekend, and the result was something of a party for the midfield team. But anyone who thinks that the standardization of engine performance would be a reaction to the copy dispute is wrong.
Because Formula 1 is also in the final phase of negotiations on the new Concorde Agreement. This is a kind of basic contract between the Fia, the teams involved and the commercial rights holder. This contract primarily regulates how the income and prize money are distributed among the teams, but it also deals with the basic obligation of the racing teams to stay in Formula 1 for a specified period of time - and there are Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull more important than Williams or Racing Point.
The Daimler Group is in a difficult situation due to the corona pandemic, which is one of the reasons why Mercedes has not yet approved the Concorde Agreement. But now there are media reports about a fundamental agreement. The danger of a Mercedes exit would be averted - and the Fia can devote itself to sporting questions again.
Will Formula 1 be more exciting again in the short term?
After the previous five races of the season with five first places on the grid and four racing successes, the trend of the past few years seems to be confirmed: Mercedes can only be beaten in exceptional cases (heat, tires demanding routes). The world champion has basically already been determined with Hamilton, even if all those involved refer to the many races still to come. Something extraordinary would have to happen for another world champion. And since the basic direction of the racing cars will not change in the coming year, there is a risk of boredom for a year and a half.
"To be honest, it's not a surprise, they have always tried to slow us down," said Hamilton in Barcelona before the next race (Sunday 3.10 p.m. live ticker SPIEGEL.de; TV: RTL and Sky) about the Fia plans: "But I think it won't lead to that result in the end. Our team just did a good job with the engine. "
He could also have said: his team did a good job with the entire car. The party mode for the fastest qualifying lap is just one of many building blocks in the superiority of Mercedes. The engine remains the best in the field. The Silver Arrows also have the most powerful car from an aerodynamic point of view. Hamilton is the fastest and most consistent driver. The change will not create any real tension.
Icon: The mirror