F1 bosses to use 'scalpel rather than baseball bat' for changes

Formula 1 bosses will use "a scalpel rather than a baseball bat" in making changes to the sport's rules at a meeting on Monday, says Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

The team bosses are meeting with commercial rights holder F1 and governing body the FIA to discuss changes to the power-unit regulations in the light of criticism of new rules from drivers.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen said at the last race in Japan that he was considering his future in F1 because of his lack of satisfaction with the new cars.

Wolff said on Monday: "The discussions that have been taking place between the group of drivers, the FIA, Formula 1, and the teams have been constructive. And we all share the same objectives.

"It's how can we improve the product, make it out-and-out racing, and look at what can improve in terms of safety, but act with a scalpel and not with a baseball bat.

"So I think we are coming to good solutions that we are going to ratify hopefully today, in order to evolve, because it's only three races in."

Mercedes driver George Russell said last week that the drivers had fed into discussions with the FIA and "had two headline points - flat-out qualifying, so no lift and coast, and then reducing the closing speeds".

Verstappen's concerns centre on the new power-units introduced this year, and the degree of energy management required.

The engines have a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power. This, as well as a series of complex regulatory constraints, has introduced a new form of driving and racing.

Verstappen does not enjoy either of the two main changes - qualifying laps are no longer on the limit at all times, in the traditional sense, because of the need to recharge the battery; and racing is being affected by the large variations in battery charge level and the new "overtaking" and "boost" modes - all of which leads to huge speed differentials between cars.

Wolff said: "I am carefully optimistic that we're going to improve the racing, while keeping the racing really good.

"If you have aligned objectives, and you define those objectives at the beginning, and that is, how can we work on making qualifying more spectacular, enjoyable for the drivers? How can we tackle safety objectives? And at the same time, protect what's really good within the racing, the overtaking. And that's why those steps look like they are in the right direction.

"Not overshooting, not undershooting, but if you come to the conclusion further down the line, that we need to maybe redefine the objectives, then so be it. But at the moment, I think that's carved out in a pretty clear way, and that's good."

It is expected that one of the changes that will be introduced before the next race in Miami on 1-3 May will be to remove a lower limit at which teams can recharge their batteries while at full throttle.