FIA Technical Director Gilles Simon believes sophisticated technology and entertainment don't cancel each other out in F1 when the right balance is achieved.
Simon, an engine specialist who enjoyed spells at Renault, Ferrari and more recently Honda, was appointed by the FIA last September as Head of Technical following changes to the governing body's technical department.
As F1 devises its future engine regulations from 2021 and envisions a simplification of its power unit hybrid technology, the Frenchman recognizes the need to enhance the show but insists technology and entertainment can coexist in Grand Prix racing.
"I don’t feel that entertainment and technology are against each other," Simon told Racecar Engineering.
"As a promoter in any of our championships, they want the championship to be interesting to the last minute, to be spectacular and provide a good show.
"This is the best way to catch fans and keep them interested, and is generally the case for all sport and all entertainment," adds the FIA representative.
"What is specific to motorsport is that there is a motor, so you have already technology there. Part of the fan interest is about the cars. It is about the fight, but it is also the beauty of these cars.
"It is about having spectacular and fast cars, and also anyone of us looking at any kind of race, it is about the engineering of these cars. Why is this one faster, and behaving like this? Part of the show is due to the technology."
"There is no antagonism between technology and entertainment, there is just balance for each championship. T
"The costs have to remain in a window that is acceptable. The issue is probably more to have a sustainable model in each formula of motorsport, so to understand what kind of budget makes sense in F1, endurance, GT or touring cars, once you define this, you have to identify the technology within this window."
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Simon insists however that F1 must retain a link with the automotive industry and remain road relevant.
"In June, I was at a congress on gasoline engines, discussing this with other people, and I understood that at least two big OEMs started a programme on energy recovery on the exhaust, because they knew this was a potential solution," explains Simon.
"They never had the ability to get the budget to research it. As soon as they said “it’s the system that they use in F1”, they got the budget.
"This effect of leading has always been so, and I believe that it remains important for our industry and our sport.’
"The tricky question for us from a technical regulations side is to find a balance between the cost and the maximum technology that you can fit into it for that price," he adds.
"We are facing some difficulties but we have to find a compromise. The question is simple: we have to find the right balance. It is tricky and you have different opinions, but we have to discuss it at length to find what is reasonable and the right direction.
"Our approach is to sit down with interested parties rather than say ‘this is the regulation’."
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