McLaren boss Zak Brown hopes there is a change to FIA super license rules which saw IndyCar’s Colton Herta get snubbed
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Zak Brown at a press conference during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (IMAGO / PanoramiC)
AlphaTauri’s first choice to replace Pierre Gasly had been IndyCar driver Colton Herta, but he did not possess the required number of super license points, and their plea to the FIA to make an exception was rejected. Zak Brown had wanted a change in the rules back then as well, citing that drivers like Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen wouldn’t be eligible (by the current rules), and he still wants a rule change now.
While winning Formula 2 and IndyCar both give you 40 points each, that amount consistently decreases for the latter series, with 2nd place getting 30 points, P3 getting 20, P4 getting 10, P5 getting 8 and so on. On the other hand, finishing in the top 3 in F2 gives you the required 40 super license points needed to compete in F1, but below that, all positions award more than their IndyCar counterpart positions.
As per BBC Sport, Zak Brown said that the super license system needs to be reviewed and that it was ‘a shame’ that Herta wasn’t able to get into F1. He hopes the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem would consider changing the rule: “The thing that I’ve seen about Mohammed is he’s prepared to challenge rules that are in place and fix them moving forward.”
According to Brown, Ben Sulayem is prepared to review rules that may not be very optimal: “So he’s playing it by the rules – ‘These are the rules and we’re not gonna bend the rules,’ which I think is the right thing to do. Even if we think the rules aren’t good, such as the super-licence. But what he’s very prepared to do is go: ‘Maybe that’s not a good rule. We should review that rule and make a change.'”
Zak Brown wants more ‘technical freedom’ in case of the budget cap
Many team principals and team leaders (including Zak Brown) had warned early in the season that they may (or will) breach the budget cap. After Red Bull were found guilty of a breach (that would have amounted to around 0.37% without a tax filing error), they were docked aero development time and handed a $7 million fine. Christian Horner later stated that six teams ‘may’ breach the budget cap in 2022.
Brown argues that the technical regulations should be relaxed if there is a budget cap: “I don’t know why the regulations have to be as tight as they are. If you’ve got a cost cap, then there should be some more technical freedom, because you’re governed. Then you’d see more innovations, more risk-taking, the cars will look even more different.” and that if both limits are enforced, then innovation in F1 is ‘at risk’.
McLaren lost the battle for P4 in the championship, which is certainly not ideal, but the extra wind tunnel time they will have compared to Alpine and their driver lineup consisting of young gun Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris should provide them with a boost for next year. The team haven’t won a Constructor’s title since 1998, and with a name such as McLaren, that must be the end goal. However, considering how far behind they are compared to the frontrunners, it is fair to say that a return to the top won’t happen in 2023.
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)