Rule changes were imperative to prevent the sport from getting 'worse and worse', as per F1 director

F1's managing director Ross Brawn has confessed that the new 2022 regulatory changes were needed to save the sport from getting 'worse and worse'.

Speaking to the media about the next generation of F1 cars during the first pre-season testing sessions, Brawn elaborated on the necessity for the rules that have been brought in ahead of the upcoming season. Claiming that it was unavoidable, he said:

“Due to the nature of the regulations, inevitably when we start the season, we may see some scatter in the performance of the teams. I think it’s unavoidable, but I also think it was unavoidable to go that route. I think where we were, it was just going to get worse and worse.”

Brawn went on to add, saying:

“We had a little hiatus with Covid because the teams were constrained in a way with what they were able to do. They had to use the same chassis and various other parts but there’s no doubt the cars would just continue getting worse and worse and worse.”

---

New F1 rules implemented to 'get closer competition going' between teams, claims Ross Brawn

Ross Brawn also reiterated that the regulatory changes for the 2022 season and onwards were brought in primarily to deliver closer racing and competition between all F1 teams.

After domination by two teams, Red Bull and Mercedes, for more than a decade, the sport felt a loss of competitiveness among the other entrants. This has led to new rules as well as a strict cost-cap that have all been designed to bring the entire grid closer together.

Speaking to the media during the recently concluded testing session at the Circuit de Catalunya, Brawn said:

“Every decision we’ve made has been towards not dumbing down the sport but making it achievable for more of the teams and to get closer competition going on for the future while still leaving a meritocracy so the best teams still win. So I think there will be a bit of disparity in the beginning, we all know that with new rules, but I’m not expecting huge disparity unless somebody makes a complete cock-up.”

More about the disparity or lack thereof between the various F1 teams will be known when the second round of pre-season testing gets underway in a week's time in Bahrain.