Something has to change

[pdman]

I know, I know that this sounds like the same old song but when are we going to see something done to put racing back into F1 instead of of it being a pit lane competion.. Today's race may as well have been stopped after the first 3 laps and decided by the pit crews competing against each other on tyre changing and re-fueling times. (best out of 3)

My new rules:
Each year the teams nominate the top 22 race drivers.
The teams have test drivers and these are the only drivers that can drive the cars between races.
At each race meeting the race drivers names are pulled out of the hat to see who drives which car.

Teams are allowed a 3 litre engine.
Wheels of any width.
Any aero dynamic device they like.

Thoughts on these or you rules ????

[Inigo Montoya]

Hi pdman! Welcome to 10-10th's

I think today's race was about putting in the quick laps while on a lighter fuel load than your rival, and Michael is the master of that.

As for the "any aero device they like" rule you propose, I think you'd really see processional racing in that case!

[Knowlesy]

Well, the season hasn't been bad, in fact it was largely pretty good stuff until these past two races.

I think we need no-tyre-change rule back. That improved exciting races and made traditionally boring races quite exciting usually.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

I think we need no-tyre-change rule back. That improved exciting races and made traditionally boring races quite exciting usually.

Preach on, Brother Knowles.

[marzF1rocks]

i dont think the racing boring, i think sometimes the coverege we get could be better.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by marzF1rocks

i dont think the racing boring, i think sometimes the coverege we get could be better.

Where the director took us there was never anything much happening,felt sorry for the guy.

[pdman]

I guess I've touched a nerve with some of the respondants but thanks for your feedback on a subject that's obviously been raised more times than some would care to comment.

I think what really p****d me off today was that with Imola I knew beforehand that it was about getting a good qualifing position and then everything else being sorted on the pit stop strategy (dnf accepted).

BUT I was really looking forward to a good race today at a circuit where overtaking is possible and a reality. So why was Montoya stuck behind Heidfield's BMW (along with about 4 other cars). and as djinvicta pointed out why couldn't fisi have stuffed JV.

So I still believe "something has to change"

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by marzF1rocks

i dont think the racing boring, i think sometimes the coverege we get could be better.

this was mentioned earlier but this is easily the best and most implementable solution to the problem.

there was action we just didnt see it. we had an entire 2nd stint with JV/GF and JPM neck and neck and also CK(IIRC)/ and NH going at it and the race director ingnored almost all of it. maybe showing the race with a 10-15min delay so they can plan a little better would be a good change.

[Bononi]

Welcome pdman.

Well, there's at least a dozen threads with this subject. Good points, but there you go, nothing's going to change.

[Kirk]

Removal of electronic driving aids, if it ever happens, should help somewhat. When you hear stories like Rubens at Ferrari who just trounces on the accelerator coming out of a corner and relies on TC to do the rest ... well that is just pathetic. And oh yeah, bring back slicks.

[Adam43]

Welcome pdman

Originally Posted by pdman

Today's race may as well have been stopped after the first 3 laps and decided by the pit crews competing against each other on tyre changing and re-fueling times. (best out of 3)

Did Michael's absolutely stunning laps have nothing to do with it? Indeed on the first attempt he messed it up by a mistake on the in lap.

I agree it isn't ideal, but to suggest the gimmic that we shouldn't have drivers in specific teams is not going to help this. In addition it is not what F1 or Grand Prix racing is about or ever has been. It doesn't need changing from that and besides there is plenty of other motorsport to watch.

IMHO there is only one thing more boring than a boring GP and that is a boring GP discussion!

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

I thought the middle stint of the race where Schumi and Alonso were trading fastest laps was great. Two of the best drivers in the world putting on a masterclass of on the limit driving.

I don't agree that things have to change, we're getting some great racing with the rules we have now.

[ggreen29]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

I thought the middle stint of the race where Schumi and Alonso were trading fastest laps was great.

I think this demonstrates how low our standards have sunk. Most people consider a good race to be one where drivers trade positions, not fastest laps.

As for improvements, I see some consensus here that I agree with: less aero, more tires, more car driving and less car-shaped computers

But if wishes were horses the status wouldn't be quite so quo.

[Sodemo]

These are the F1 regs that I wrote last year at some point, I still think they are pretty realistic, and would please the majority of people.

Bodywork/Aero:
Lowered front wing to pre – 2000 levels in order to increase front end grip.
Increase the size of rear diffuser, to generate clean aero.
No “mini-wings” allowed above the height of the rear wing.
Rear wing to have a maximum of 2 elements:
1) A mandatory top section placed at right angle, 70mm "tall" in order to create drag (and sponsor space).
2) A small pre-defined limited surface area of bodywork which the teams are free to develop.
Overall intended 70% loss in downforce.
Increase track to 200cm (pre 1998 levels).

Engines:
A choice between V8 2.6L, V10 2.5L, or V-12 2.2L engines.
1 single engine per race weekend.
Engine block must be a minimum weight.

Tyres:
1 set of tyres for the race and qualifying.
Tyres to be of slick (no grooves) construction.
Rear tyres to be 100mm wider than the front tyres (whatever that dimension may be).

Chassis:
Minimum car weight to be 800Kg.
Titanium skid blocks to be placed at the rear of the wooden plank.

Other:
No re-fueling.
All points scoring cars to be stripped and examined post race.
Increase in the average number of racing laps by 5.

[Not Rated]

I thought today's race was quite interesting actually. I don't know if F1 racing has ever been about ontrack overtaking. But there is a lot of strategic competition on and off the track, which makes it fascinating to a lot of people (myself included). As Peter Windsor said once, "If you want to see people overtaking each other ten times a lap, go watch MotoGP".

And if Michael and Fernando pushing their cars to the limit half a second apart for 2/3 of the race isn't racing, I don't know what is. I agree with knowlesy though that the no-tyre-change rule did spice things up.

[Marbot]

A good race screwed up by the pit-to-pass thing.Two hours of chess and nothing much else.I still like F1 however.

[Peter Nightingale]

Originally Posted by martyn bott

A good race screwed up by the pit-to-pass thing.Two hours of chess and nothing much else.I still like F1 however.

I totally agree, Cheers

[okeefe]

Lotsa cars out, but I thought it was pretty good race -- didn't sleep during this one.

[Marbot]

Overtaking just seemed to be more difficult than normal with all the risks being taken in the pitlane.Should have kept the one-tyre-per-race rule.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Has anyone else been watching the Racing Through Time documentaries on ESPN Classic here in the UK? Overtaking was a novel concept even back in the golden age of racing, it's just now we can use aerodynamics as the scapegoat.

Over the last few years we've had overtaking, it isn't at every corner like a Formula Ford race but that's just the nature of modern top level open wheel racing across the board. The only thing really needed is greater mechanical grip and we'll probably see that return with the slicks in a few seasons.

After every grand prix people seem to be calling for change, but maybe people need to start adapting with F1 rather than try to shoehorn it into a mould it never really fit in the first place.

[leonidas]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

After every grand prix people seem to be calling for change, but maybe people need to start adapting with F1 rather than try to shoehorn it into a mould it never really fit in the first place.

Or go and watch a sport that's more exciting like NASCAR, Touring cars or Rallycross...

Seriously, I think F1 has got to react to public demand - not expect the public to change for it. Things to spice it up -

1. Ban tyre changes and refuelling - then you HAVE to overtake on the track.
2. Run 'drafting' aero wings like Indycars.
3. Scrap hot lap qualifying and run reverse grid qualifying races on Saturday for the grand prix on Sunday.
4. Bring racing to the people - more street circuits, fewer 'identikit' tracks like Malaysia..

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

Has anyone else been watching the Racing Through Time documentaries on ESPN Classic here in the UK? Overtaking was a novel concept even back in the golden age of racing, it's just now we can use aerodynamics as the scapegoat.

The difference being, of course, that in the old days even a driver all alone could be interesting to watch since it was a lot more visually evident the driver was right on the edge, with the car moving around, having its rear end step out coming out of corners etc - these days it's like the cars are on rails and rarely move around at all, like they are controlled by autopilot. In other words, it's rather boring to watch.

Compare it to another hi-tech racing championship, MotoGP, and it's like night and day - in MotoGP it's practically standard to see the riders slide around and visually be right on the ragged edge of control. In Formula 1 one sometimes wonder if there is any human input involved in controlling the cars at all.

As for improving the on-track action in Formula 1, it's quite simple - eliminate the massive turbulence created behind the cars to allow drivers stay real close behind another car without losing front-end grip. I'm 100% confident it would make wonders for the on-track action.

[djinvicta]

Agreed; It was overtake by pit stop. I do believe Ferrari had 4 laps more to do on the first pit stop but they brought him in straight after Alonso to keep Renault thinking they were on the same stop laps. It even fooled James Allen. I sat and said watch MS stay out the next 3 laps when Alonso came in 2nd time, it was Ross Brawn at his best; A bluff first stop, with more fuel than Renault thought. Good race; would love to have seen Fisi have a dive at JV though.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by djinvicta

It even fooled James Allen.

infinity.

[Knowlesy]

Now there's a man that's never fooled!