Be Bernie

[Szisz]

So, imagine you are Bernie Ecclestone and have the power to do almost anything you like with the sport. And imagine that, unlike Bernie, you are acting in the interest of the sport and not in the interest of your own already indecent bank balance.

What would you do and where would you start?

[TrapezeArtist]

I'd fire Bernie.

[Graz]

Reduce wings to early 80's type sizes (looked better but relatively ineffective), bring back a form of ground effect so cars can follow each other through corners and put on bigger tyres.

Ban wind tunnells.

Fire Herman Tilke.

Bring back the historic or classical venues that we're losing, for example - San Marino (put Tamburello back but with a slow corner entry - not what they did following 94), Paul Ricard, the Old Hockenheim (which is still there, just the trees have encroached), the old Osterreichring (which too remains intact contrary to some belief that it doesn't), move the US GP Road America (with some safety upgrades), re-profile the Lesmos at Monza back to what they were before post '94's changes.

Put gravel traps back where concrete now is so that drivers can't get away scott free with running off where maybe a wall used to be. If not and drivers do run off, it's an automatic drive thorugh penalty or take subjectivity out of it and have software that senses all 4 wheels have gone off that kicks in for 20 seconds to reduce power at the next safe spot, like a DRS type line, similar to the pit lane speed limit technology but obviosuly not as slow - still better than the wall that used to be there. These drivers are the best in the world, they should be able to stay on track - like in the past where the consequence was to be killed.

Reduce the calendar to 18 races.

Bring back 2 day qualifying - it made Friday interesting and relevant.

Post qualifying, Friday should be a fan day where the drivers are obliged to make themselves available for on stage chats (with no PR goon) like in MotoGP at Silverstone, fire T-shirts into the crowd, autograph sessions, competions where a group of fans can maybe have lunch with a driver.

Allow 2 days testing the Mon and Tues after each European GP - the cars and people are already there.

Try to enforce a budget of say 100m a year but allow complete freedom in the regulations. Sod trying to be green - it's F1 and road relevance is irrelevant. Let's have proper sounding atmo's again or proper throaty turbo V6's if that's the route people go. Use the budget as you wish but it is capped - at least try, don't just say 'can't be done.' Anything can be done.

[Paradise City]

I don't like the "Be Bernie" angle. Who'd wanna be him?!

If you mean if I was F1 autocrat, what I'd do is loosen the engine rules whilst using price controls to keep things under control. I'd allow competitors to examine each others technology. I'd ban outright pit to car radio and in-race telemetry. I'd give the FIA teeth as a regulator, I'd horsewhip anyone that suggested garbage like DRS or that dumb rule where lapped cars get their lap back during yellow flags. I'd allow for tyre wars and bring back the gravel. I'd limit race numbers to 17 per season and guarantee a spot for some of the classic tracks. Any other venues can get on, on a rotating basis. That kind of stuff.

I'd also bring back old style qualifying for Friday and see a 'provisional pole' headline going into the weekend whilst maybe the top 10 or 15 cars can duke it out on Saturday during a bite sized 30 minute session in the current qualifying style.

[chillibowl]

lots of ideas, many of which we have discussed at length, but are perhaps not politically possible to implement but this one i think is a great and easy idea to implement.

Originally Posted by Graz

Post qualifying, Friday should be a fan day where the drivers are obliged to make themselves available for on stage chats (with no PR goon) like in MotoGP at Silverstone, fire T-shirts into the crowd, autograph sessions, competions where a group of fans can maybe have lunch with a driver.

its costs little to do this for a tremendous amount of goodwill. the MotoGP fan experience, from driver access to the team hospitality areas, is phenomenal compared to what F1 offers.

[P38 in workshop]

This won't be a popular choice but if I were Bernie,I would have myself cloned pretty soon.Then my clone could run F1 for quite a while to come.

I doubt that anybody else will ever manage the feat and it isn't a popularity contest.

[Casper]

I'd resign.

[steve_r]

Revamp the distribution of money, so that smaller teams get a fairer share.

Ask someone like Ross Brawn to come up with a set of regulations that puts the emphasis one mechanical grip instead of aero grip.

Do something about these over complicated and over expensive engines. Probably turn away from the hybrids back to turbo charged petrol engines.

Buy a volcano and build a top secret base inside where I will plan the ultimate downfall of mankind. I'm thinking Monorails are a necessity.

Try and do something to retain many of the under-threat traditional races, such as Italy.

[Moneyseeker]

Tear up every bit of paper he has signed with the teams - which even he now says has left him unable to make things happen as he used to..

I would advise the FIA to do the same with the FOM contract to level the playing field....

[Mekola]

One thing - More teams. Dams, Carlin, Super Nova (if they can), Coloni, a Super Aguri return, could be all suggested to be in F1.
Alas, allowance of customer chassis and satellite teams.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Revamp the distribution of money, so that smaller teams get a fairer share.

Ask someone like Ross Brawn to come up with a set of regulations that puts the emphasis one mechanical grip instead of aero grip.

Do something about these over complicated and over expensive engines. Probably turn away from the hybrids back to turbo charged petrol engines.

Buy a volcano and build a top secret base inside where I will plan the ultimate downfall of mankind. I'm thinking Monorails are a necessity.

Try and do something to retain many of the under-threat traditional races, such as Italy.

I liked everything about your post, except the going backwards part, HYBRID engines are here to stay ..

[Nikki Katz]

Spec series with a car that's faster than gp2 cars and can overtake without Drs. Get rid of Drs but retain possibility to use in case the car doesn't work as intended . 26+ cars, pre qualifyingd if necessary. No bonuses or vetos for historic importance, bribery etc. Don't call a race in Azerbaijan the European gp.

None of this will happen though.

[GingerPixel]

I think a spec series undermines everything that F1 is, and has always been about.

Every entry gets the same ammount of cash.

No more hybrids.

Single element front and rear wings, no slot gaps.

Monorails.

[Szisz]

It occurs to me that I dropped this thread in here without fully describing what I would do if I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to wake up as Bernie Ecclestone.

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I think that my first step would be to guarantee eight circuits a place on the Formula One calendar, with the remaining eight Grands Prix subject to change. I would cap the season at sixteen Championship races in order to maintain a healthy balance between quality and quantity. It would also be good to get a race somewhere in Africa - perhaps South Africa or Morocco - so as to be able to say that there's a Formula 1 Grand Prix on every continent in the world.

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Autodromo José Carlos Pace
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Nurburgring
Silverstone Circuit
Autodromo di Monza
Suzuka International Circuit
Circuit de Monaco

In order that circuits actually make money from hosting Grands Prix, I would relax the stifling regulations that keep such things as circuit sponsorship under the auspices of Bernie's autocracy. This might also reduce ticket prices a bit, which would be very encouraging for most fans.

I would also echo what an earlier poster said about greater fan interaction. I remember once attending the British Grand Prix, where BMW Sauber had an area set up where you could change tyres on F1 cars, race in a fully kitted-out Sauber simulator, meet team staff and other things. I think such things are excellent, and should be made as close to mandatory as possible. Ideally, drivers should also be accessible to fans, as the riders are at MotoGP events.

I would also change the structure of the Grand Prix weekend a little bit. I'd go with the following schedule:

- FRIDAY (morning): 2-hour practice session
- FRIDAY (afternoon): Single-lap qualifying to determine grid for sprint race
- SATURDAY (morning): 2-hour practice
- SATURDAY (afternoon): 25%-distance sprint race to determine grid for GP
- SUNDAY: Grand Prix

This would hopefully mean that there was something riding on every day of the Grand Prix weekend. The single-lap shoot-out on the Friday is everyone's first glimpse of the drivers' raw pace, and gives a provisional pole headline for the media to report overnight. The Saturday sprint race would be a more exciting way of determining grid positions, and should be made a bit more exciting by drivers who made mistakes on Friday working their way through the back-markers.

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I would also seek to create a larger grid of cars, ideally around 30. Currently, that wouldn't be possible because of the exhaustive cost of developing a Formula 1 car, so the obvious thing is to impose a budget cap for teams to develop their cars. To keep this budget down, it might be worth looking at the hybrid engines. As a spectator, I like them a lot, but as an F1 Team's accountant they would be the bane of my life.

To balance out the budget cap, I'd significantly relax the rules and regs that have pretty much turned Formula 1 into GP1 anyway. If McLaren want to use their budget to develop independent front and rear braking or brake-based steering, fine - go for it. If Red Bull want to invest in double diffuser, then fine, do it. If the new Haas team wants to try to create a four-wheel drive F1 car, they should be able to do so. F-ducts, mass dampers; if the teams think they're worthwhile, they should be able to go for it. The crucial thing is that it shouldn't be possible to afford to use all of them at once and to do all of them at once. This should really give each car its own unique identity far more than is the case now.

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Most importantly of all, though, the whole governance of Formula One needs an overhaul, it cannot be an autocracy (Bernie) or an autocracy (Ferrari). It cannot have a system where one team could finish last in the Championship and earn more prize money than another team if they finish first. Otherwise, there's no point in anything - any rule change to try to level the playing field a bit will just get vetoed by Ferrari..

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by Szisz

It occurs to me that I dropped this thread in here without fully describing what I would do if I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to wake up as Bernie Ecclestone.

---

I think that my first step would be to guarantee eight circuits a place on the Formula One calendar, with the remaining eight Grands Prix subject to change. I would cap the season at sixteen Championship races in order to maintain a healthy balance between quality and quantity. It would also be good to get a race somewhere in Africa - perhaps South Africa or Morocco - so as to be able to say that there's a Formula 1 Grand Prix on every continent in the world.

-- huge snip --

Antarctica

[S griffin]

I would safeguard races like Britain, France, Belgium, Germany and Italy. I'd get rid of those that add nothing to the calendar, like Bahrain, Russia, Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan. Then I'll see what else there is to do

[Woolley]

If I woke up one day to find I was Bernie, the first thing I'd do is book an appointment with Dignitas...

[Armco Bender]

I thought you might use his billions to buy a better rugby team...

[Viperion101]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I would safeguard races like Britain, France, Belgium, Germany and Italy. I'd get rid of those that add nothing to the calendar, like Bahrain, Russia, Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan. Then I'll see what else there is to do

I would keep Russia. I would maybe keep one of those other tracks, but rotate them on a seasonal basis. For instance, one year Bahrain, the next Abu Dhabi, and then Baku.

[Viperion101]

I would also make some modifications to Circuit of the Americas to make it, well, more American and not Tilke garbage.

[S griffin]

The other thing I would do is allow more teams in and safeguard them. Then we there would be more opportunities for talented drivers. Although I wouldn't let Life and Andrea Moda back in.

[stripedcat]

Go down to the barbers and ask for a pudding bowl haircut. Then find myself a 6 feet 4 inches Amazon über babe about 20 years my junior and marry her.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by stripedcat

Go down to the barbers and ask for a pudding bowl haircut. Then find myself a 6 feet 4 inches Amazon über babe about 20 years my junior and marry her.

Again?