Allan Mcnish: “What Is Formula 1?”

Opportunities to interview great and revered racing drivers are not that often, especially when their schedules are always packed with too many commitments. However, I just had the chance to interview Allan McNish on topics close to him and I would very much like to thansk Allan for his time and his very open answers. Enjoy!

- Stephen Camp

Do you think the new Formula 1 regulations have gone in the right direction?

Principally, yes. Cars will be faster, more physically and mentally demanding, not that the old ones weren’t mentally demanding, because they were. Trying to understand the hybrid systems, recuperations, brake balance adjustments and everything else was definitely a handful. But, definitely in my view, to be five, six seconds off what the car can do in qualifying trim is far, far too much.

Even with a full fuel load?

Even with a full fuel load. So in that respect I think they did need to be faster, and at the same time I’m smiling that Pirelli have confirmed that the tyres will have less degradation than they did before. Now you have less degradation with more down force anyway, naturally. One thing it will in my opinion not do, it won’t necessarily allow cars to follow close, to allow overtaking, it will shorten braking distances and it will not help in the entry phase to the apex for overtaking, so therefore overtaking predominantly will be done on strategy and or the DRS zones.