This year's Formula 1 cars will be "brutal," says former McLaren driver Martin Brundle. Has the sport taken a wrong turn? “It’s certainly going to be different; the cars are going to be brutal,” said Brundle, who made 158 starts across a 13-year career in the sport. “In theory, I think we’ve gone the wrong way in terms of making the racing better. You hear some stories that some corners will be reclassified as straights." Through his television work with various networks, Brundle has been able to sample some of the more recent hybrid entries and had nothing but admiration for the power delivery from the power units. “With the amount of power and torque the (current) cars have got -- although they don’t sound very good -- I’ve driven the Mercedes, Force India and Ferrari now. They are amazing engines to drive, endless amounts of power -- even though they sound (like) rubbish. “Put that into a car with a lot more downforce and 25 percent bigger tires -- the whole thing is 11 percent wider -- it is going to be a monster to drive. Whether it makes better racing or not, we’ll find out. “The braking distances will be shorter, too. More grip means they might be braking four or five meters later. That means you have less opportunity to overtake." In the past, a larger focus on aerodynamics has made it harder to get close to the back of the car ahead, but, since the introduction of DRS, the number of overtaking maneuvers executed is increasing dramatically, although fans still want more real passing moves. “The key this is: Can they follow each other? That will be the absolute litmus test of how it works this year," Brundle said.

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