Magnussen and Bottas: The driver’s role will be more important

The season will mark the return of the V6 turbo in Formula 1, with new regulations requiring engines to consume a maximum of 100 kg of fuel. To achieve this, the engine block will be hybrid – with electric power derived from kinetic and thermal sources, as we already explained here – and the parameters to manage will be significant. For many, this will truly place the driver back at the center of race management.

In any case, this is what Kevin Magnussen, McLaren driver and Formula Renault 3.5 Champion, claims: It’s really a driver’s car, more than the previous ones. With the blown diffuser, it became a bit easy, but this season, it’s more about the driver, and I think it’s great. The Dane, who will make his competition debut at the wheel of an F1 this season, had the opportunity to drive last season’s MP4-28 during the Young Driver Tests in July at Silverstone.

The management of tires, a fundamental parameter in /f1/actualite/15904-essais-jeunes-pilotes-de-silverstone-le-bilan-des-3-jours.html, will still be essential in /f1/actualite/16872-au-revoir-les-moteurs-bienvenue-aux-unites-de-puissance.html, with cars whose re-acceleration risks putting the tires to the test: « It’s a bit more delicate with more torque. It’s difficult to take care of the tires and I think it’s going to be complicated. You need more sensitivity and finesse with acceleration. »

« It will always be impossible to win in a car that is not capable of winning, but this is Formula 1; it’s a man and a machine, and I hope we will see the drivers make more of a difference, » he stated to our colleagues at Autosport.

Valtteri Bottas, who impressed – like the entire Williams Martini Racing team – during winter testing, agrees and points out the various parameters to which the driver will need to pay attention: With a bit more power compared to the aerodynamic downforce and grip you have, they are a bit trickier, and also, I think that over the race distance, it’s not just the tires that will need to be managed effectively, but also the fuel. The Finn added that all these things put together make the driver’s role more important.

For him, it is a true challenge: From the pilot’s point of view, saving fuel without losing too much lap time will be very important this year. It won’t just be about tire management. He admits that the human won’t be alone with the car, but his role remains essential: Obviously, we will have some computers to help us, but in the end, it’s up to the driver to save fuel without losing time.