Ericsson shows how F1 must improve

Sainz Jr. comes to realize that in F1 the car is 99% and the driver skill 1%

(GMM) Marcus Ericsson is a good example of how Formula 1 must improve.

That is the view of McLaren driver Carlos Sainz Jr., as the new rules for 2021 begin to shape up this weekend in Montreal.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the draft 2021 regulations have finally now landed on the teams' desks, and one big change is that Thursday 'media day' will be dropped.

Scrutineering will only take place on Friday, from which time stricter new 'parc ferme' rules will apply and practice occurs only in the afternoon.

Team bosses in Montreal met to discuss the draft rules on Thursday, and technical directors got together later in the day.

Sainz hopes whatever emerges in the final 2021 rules help to improve Formula 1.

He sees former Sauber driver Ericsson's move from F1 to Indycar as an example of how the sport needs to shape up.

"You see a driver like Marcus go to another series (IndyCar) and immediately show excellent speed and fight for victory or the podium, and then you look at yourself and understand that you cannot rise above seventh position," said the McLaren driver.

"It doesn't particularly worry me as it is just my fifth season in Formula 1. But if you think about Perez or Hulkenberg, who have been here for years, I think it's unacceptable," Sainz added.

"We need to change something urgently. Drivers in the middle of the grid will not wait forever as they finish every race in seventh place."