Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn told Red Bull and Mercedes that any attempts to change next year’s technical regulations will at some point be dealt with and wiped out by the FIA. The two teams ended an epic battle for Constructors’ Championship glory that was ultimately won by the Silver Arrows at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Sergio Perez was forced to retire from the all-important season finale.
The last race of the campaign was overshadowed by the drama on the final lap, in which Max Verstappen ousted Lewis Hamilton to the drivers’ championship title under exceptional circumstances.
Mercedes was understandably saddened by the way in which Hamilton was denied the record-breaking eighth title but has since acknowledged the designers’ recent triumph.
The German team has secured the award at the end of the season for eight years in a row and is hoping to expand its own record next time with another successful campaign.
Red Bull also wants to compete with Mercedes for the price after narrowly missing out in Abu Dhabi in the end.
All teams will be forced to adapt to new regulations over the next year, with a new generation of F1 cars set to be unveiled to the public when pre-season testing begins in February.
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The new rules are designed to reduce aerodynamic downforce in cars to reduce the effects of dirty air to encourage closer racing.
Red Bull and Mercedes will be desperate to avoid slipping in the pecking order as widespread rule changes could potentially shake up the grid next year.
However, Brawn has already warned against exploiting any loopholes in the system and has insisted that any violations be addressed accordingly.
“That was one of the main focuses with the new car, that we’re trying to make it a little more robust, a little easier, a little less critical,” Brawn told F1TV’s Tech Talks.
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“No doubt the teams will complicate the concept, but then I think we can pull it back.
“So that you [the 2021 cars] are fascinating and incredibly impressive designs, but actually not very good racing cars. “
Mercedes successfully exploited the regulations back in 2020 with their controversial Dual Axis Steering (DAS) system, which was later banned before this year’s campaign.
Development helped them take another constructors’ title while Hamilton drove through the season to take the individual honors at a gallop.
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Whether the Silver Arrows or Red Bull will produce another innovation of this kind remains to be seen before the competitive action begins next year, which begins in March at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner previously insisted that his team would not slow down development in 2021 to boost preparations for next season, suggesting a slow start could be in sight for Verstappen.
“It is anchored in our racing team that it is not in our culture to give up a season,” Horner told Autosport in August.
“Of course we also have budget constraints, which makes life a little more complicated. But people have short-term memories in this sport and you have to do that.”
