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Nikolas Tombazis, director of the FIA’s single-seater division, was a guest on Pirelli’s first ‘Box, Box, Box’ podcast. Read what the Greek aerodynamicist had to say about what makes Formula 1 attractive, about the priorities he sets for the design of the new technical regulations, as well as about the beauty of the cars.
Having passed through top positions at Ferrari and McLaren -among others- in Formula 1, Nikolas Topazis has been for the last few years the director of the single-seater sector of the FIA - that is, the man who has under his responsibility Formula 1 (and all regulations) to the Sports Authority, to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.
So he was joined by sports champion Max Verstappen and McLaren F1 director Andrea Stella as a guest on Pirelli’s first podcast, called ‘Box, Box, Box’, during which host Tom Clarkson told him the following questions:
- My first question is a general question about Formula 1. In your opinion, what makes F1 it crown of motor sports?
I think speed is one of the elements, but I would also say the skill required of the drivers. It’s not just the speed. The speed itself is relatively easy. In a straight line, you can move much faster.
But I think it’s the combination of high speed and the skill required of the drivers and the engineering behind it all. It is not a series with single cars. Different teams compete with different cars, and big companies invest their best engineers. This I think makes the sport very special.
- You’ve worked on both sides, both in the teams and now as a regulator of the sport with the FIA. What is the most important role of the FIA?
The most important role is security. And security is something we can never be complacent about. But overall, a lot of people, not just me, have put in a huge amount of effort and we’ve gotten to the point where Formula 1, although inherently dangerous, is relatively safe. So safety comes first.
Then of course, we want to be fair so that the best man wins. We also want to be important to society, to follow the technological directions it needs. And of course, the top priority is our audience, the millions of viewers who want to watch matches with suspense and uncertainty about the winner, which is part of our goals.
- Isn’t 2024 a perfect example of what you just described?
Yes, it just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?
- You’ve worked for teams, like I said. How much has this experience helped you now that you are inn other side, of the legislator?
I think it’s very important because everyone in the paddock loves the sport and wants it to be successful, but they also love themselves and want to win. Our job is not to care who wins, but to ensure the health of the sport.
My experience of teams allows me to understand that they will try to exploit every regulation to the fullest to find an advantage, even if it is an unfair advantage within the framework of the regulations. A ‘leave no stone unturned’ mentality is important in this job.
- When you were at Ferrari, as head of design of cars, how important was it to you that the cars look good?
I think cars look good when they win. My favorite memories are of the 2007 and 2008 cars, winning championships and looking amazing when they were winning. Usually, cars that don’t win don’t look so good.
Nikolas Tombazis with Fernando Alonso in the early 2010s, when the Greek aerodynamicist was the Scuderia’s Chief Designer
SCUDERIA FERRARI PRESS OFFICE
- Generally speaking, pDo you agree that beautiful cars win? Eare you objective about their beauty?
It’s like a mother-child relationship. A mother will never say that her child is not beautiful. The same thing happens when you work on a car for a whole year with so many people. You are hardly objective about his beauty.
However, I believe the regulations should push the cars towards beauty, and we pay a lot of attention to that these days. The regulations lead to cars that we think are beautiful, and the priority when designing a car is to be fast and win. And with it comes beauty, I believe.
- Proerchesh from an artistic family, as the father pu he was an architect. There was some disappointment in the family that he did not you became an architect?
I think there was an expectation that I would become an architect somehow. And I guess, coming to this subject of beauty, my father always said that beauty alone is not enough if it is not functional, and vice versa.
It has to be both. Something can’t just be beautiful and non-functional. or vice versa. And that’s something I’ve always kept inside of me. I guess initially, when they heard that I was going to be an engineer instead of an architect, there was some disappointment in that regard. But when that was combined with Formula 1, I think I kind of compensated the situation.
- Now, moving on to 2026, with the new technical regulations. How enjoyable was the process of creating them?
It is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. There are many opinions and discussions, everyone is very passionate, and it is not easy to have these discussions as everyone is passionate. But working in a team and helping to shape the future of the sport is very rewarding. That’s one of the big, cool elements of this job.
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