Ferrari boss hits back at F1 racing critics: ‘DRS was more artificial’

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has rejected claims that Formula 1 racing has become “artificial” as a result of controversial new engine regulations.

F1 world champions Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are among the drivers who have made disparaging comments about the much-maligned 2026 rules, both in terms of their complexity and how the cars have to be driven.

The constant back-and-forth nature of the on-track action this year has led to it being dubbed as “yo-yo racing” by some critics. But Ferrari chief Vasseur hit back when a journalist suggested that “the first three races have left some question marks from those watching”.

“I would be less harsh than you on the show of the first three events,” he said during Friday’s FIA press conference at the Miami Grand Prix. “Honestly, we had good races, a lot of overtaking.”

Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have engaged in some of the most entertaining on-track battles seen so far this season.

Vasseur argues that the new overtaking modes create less artificial racing than what F1 had with the Drag Reduction System [DRS] that was introduced in 2011.

“You can say that perhaps you have the feeling that it’s a bit artificial but for me it’s much less artificial than the DRS,” he countered.

“DRS was just to push on the button. Today, it’s energy management and it’s coming from the drivers or from the team. It’s not artificial at all.

“For sure we have to fine-tune, we have to adapt. Thanks to the FIA we had the capacity to discuss after each event to try to improve the system. Once again, it’s not easy to do it during the season but we are, I think, all collaborative with this.

“Regarding the future, we have different options on the table. I think it will be soon time to discuss about the different options.”

1992 world champion Nigel Mansell was the latest high-profile voice to criticise the new rules, labelling the racing as “totally false”.

"I might get shot for saying this, but sadly some of the overtakes are just totally false," Mansell told Autosport.

"I mean, some of the overtakes look great and then you come out the next corner and then the car just blasts past you and the other car goes backwards because the computer is giving you the extra power not at the right time and the driver doesn't control that obviously because he wouldn't have employed it.

"I think it was Lando [Norris] who said, 'well I didn't want to overtake him going into the fast corner into the chicane, but I had no choice,' I think coming out the corner he didn't lean and then the car just blasts past him again going down the straight.

"I think you've got to be very careful because, forget me, it doesn't matter about me, but the fans around the world, I know an awful lot of them are very grumpy and to be fair to the fans I agree with them."