F1 News: Ferrari Chairman Cites Controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi GP In A Bid To Gain More Clarity In Regulations

“You don’t want things to happen like the 2021 championship, how that ended up," he said.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann pointed to the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the recent Las Vegas FP1 incident with Carlos Sainz as examples highlighting the necessity for clear and stringent regulations in the future.

Former race director Michael Masi's interpretation of the rules resulted in only a portion of lapped cars being allowed to unlap themselves in the closing stages of the race, leaving Lewis Hamilton vulnerable to Max Verstappen on fresh tires.

Despite being one of the most controversial moments in the history of the sport, it continues to raise eyebrows and questions even today. A reason why Elkann feels rules should be adhered to very strictly. 

Elkann has held the position of chairman since July 2018 but, he has rarely taken the microphone to address the team's ongoing challenges. During his tenure, Ferrari secured second place in the standings on two occasions, but the noteworthy moment in recent years was the dramatic decline in performance in 2020.

In an interview with the BBC, Elkann hinted at the FIA when he was asked what changes he would like to see in the sport. He said:

“On one side, there are a lot of changes in how the evolution of technologies happen, the importance of being carbon-neutral.

“Within that, being able to define clarity on rules and applications is important.

“You don’t want things to happen like the 2021 championship, how that ended up. You don’t want to have situations like the ones here in Vegas, where you get penalised 10 places [through no fault of your own].

“So from the regulatory standpoint in terms of rules and applications and what we have seen with the budget caps, those are areas where you’d like to have more clarity.”

Expanding on the Las Vegas FP1 incident, Carlos Sainz collided with a drain cover at speeds exceeding 300 kph. This led to replacing both the battery and engine in his car, resulting in a ten-place grid penalty for him. Elkann decided to highlight the positive aspects of the incident. He added:

“I like what happened.

“You were fast. You had a manhole jump up. They worked very strongly, put the car back, did really well in the qualifying. That’s the attitude you want to have and that’s what is important to keep going and growing in 2024.

“The important aspect of looking at how you make progress is really that progress is not necessarily linear. The way you get out of difficult outcomes makes you ultimately stronger if you have that right attitude, and this weekend is exactly the example of it.”