Drivers are not being invited to steer the conversation
Lewis Hamilton thinks Formula 1 drivers are heading into the next round of talks with very little influence over what happens next. With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix both cancelled, F1 now has a month away from racing, and the sport is using that window to address the issues that emerged from the opening three rounds of the season.
The main topic is the new power units, which have already revealed several weak points in their first races. Meetings are expected during the April break, including sessions with all five power unit manufacturers, but Hamilton is not expecting drivers to shape the outcome in any meaningful way.
"I’m not expecting much from it, but I know I hope they make some big changes," Hamilton told media.
He then offered a fairly blunt assessment of how these discussions usually go.
"There’ll be a lot of chefs in the kitchen. It doesn’t usually end up with a good result.
"The drivers don't have a say, they don't have any power, we're not on the committee, and we have no voting rights."
Ferrari’s deficit remains unclear
Hamilton also turned his attention to Ferrari, saying the team still needs to figure out exactly where its power unit is losing ground to Mercedes.
"Obviously, we’re hugely down to the Mercedes engine," he said.
"And what that is, we don’t know whether it’s just that they have a bigger turbo or just more crank power or something else. We’ll find out."
In other words, the drivers may be the people actually using the machinery, but they are not expected to have much say in how it gets fixed. A familiar arrangement, apparently.
