Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, “very much intends” to issue a technical directive that prohibits special engine modes in qualifying in time for when the 2020 season resumes at the Spanish GP.
Conventional wisdom says that this will blunt Mercedes’ edge in qualifying, which has been particularly obvious this year, yet rival teams’ drivers have hardly jumped from joy when hearing the news.
This is because, while the change could lead to a more exciting remainder of the campaign, it is very easy to see a scenario – one Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has warned of – in which the Silver Arrows become even more dominant in race trim.
In this video, we outline the effect of qualifying ‘party modes’ and expand on how the move to ban them could make Mercedes’ life no harder – or even easier:
