Three cars per team - Yes or No?

[AndyF]

As talk of three car teams for 2003 continues, would you welcome this rule change? Hopefully it would boost grid numbers and also give a chance for less experienced drivers to use the 'third' car!?

[Mr V]

I would support it if all teams could field a third car so the Constructors Championship is not affected, after all, who wants to see a team win a constructors championship if they're the only team who can/have put out three cars where as the others couldn't/haven't.

I personally don't see the possibility of three cars happening as that would mean that we'll have to lose three teams, taking the ammount of teams from eleven down to eight, and i honestly don't see Bernie allowing it to happen.

I did read this on Autosport from Sir Frank which made me chuckle

Ever the pragmatist, Frank Williams said: “Well, if three cars are necessary, the merits and demerits will not be of any interest to Bernie. He'll just say front up, you deal with the problems.”

[JR Ewing]

The racing would be closer and tactics would become much more detailed - all of which would be good for the spectator (wagepayer)

[Mr V]

Originally posted by JR Ewing
The racing would be closer and tactics would become much more detailed -

Don't necessarily agree JR, what happens if a driver with outright no 1 status has 2 no's 2's to play "rear-gunner" for them? Might make it even more boring as the same winner of every race could even more assured.

[1000HP]

It would make a good opportunity to see some new drivers in action...

[Lee Janotta]

No damn way. It's too much power in the hands of too few manufacturers and team bosses. Team orders would become a way of life, and driver signings would be even less meritorious.

[Sato san]

3 car teams are a bad idea IMO , but if there isnt enough teams to fill the grid , then it is the only short term answer

[DNQ]

I don't like the idea. I like the idea of teams selling their cars, but a three car team, no way. Imagine a Ferrari 1-2-3 with McLaren 4-5-6 and Williams 7-8-9. How the hell are Sauber, Arrows etc meant to score?

[Kex]

The more cars the better.

Although I'd prefer it if there were more teams. I miss 26 car grids.

[Tom Fuller]

Don't like the idea. You could see Ferrari getting 1-2-3 every race

[Sato san]

thats right. Then we will never see TGF racing properly if he has 2 other driver to help him win

dont take that as a anti TGF post , im just refering to races like Austria where the situation could be much worse if they had 2 number 2 drivers .

of course the same thing could happen at other teams also.

[BootsOntheSide]

I can't believe people are saying yes. We would have boring processional races with the smaller teams ahving no effect, only being there to prop up the grid. And as Lee said, it would all come down to power only being with the big teams. Toyota, Ford, Honda and Renault's money in trying to challenge the top teams would effectively be wasted, and the private teams may as well quit straight away.

[Maxmil]

I can see no redeeming features in this idea. It will increase the degree of dominance of the top three teams and be the death sentence for the rest. Who likes nine car races?

[EERO]

In the seventies, several teams ran three cars, BRM even ran 5 on occaision. We face the very probable likelyhood that Arrows and possibly Minardi and even Jaguar may not be around next season. The grid will need to be supplemented.

Let us not forget that McLaren, Williams and Renault run a third car already and Ferrari two. I would rather haveseen Marc Gene, Alex Wurz, Fernando Alonso and Luca Badoer in races rather than pounding out laps at Valencia or Maranello this past season.

The rules would need to be changed though, and probably the points system would need revamping. Also, if teams were prevented from testing after January, the stunning reliability that Ferrari experience due to there copious testing miles would be diminished, and the early season races ait least would be free-for-alls. One rule might limit the number of races in which teams were allowed to run a third car, say 6-8 races.

[Legend]

Originally posted by Tom Fuller
Don't like the idea. You could see Ferrari getting 1-2-3 every race

So true, so true

I am a Ferrari fan and I like the idea. Make it 6 cars pr.Team so only Ferrari scores all the points.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Legend


So true, so true

I am a Ferrari fan and I like the idea. Make it 6 cars pr.Team so only Ferrari scores all the points.

But wouldn't that make TGF's title meaningless as he has 5 drivers all pulling over for him?

[Jordi]

Gilles debuted in a third car...

Anyway. I say yes, if we have three cars from the powerful teams we should continue to have quality, and it was like that in the 50's to the 70's

[freud]

Originally posted by mr v
I would support it if all teams could field a third car so the Constructors Championship is not affected, after all, who wants to see a team win a constructors championship if they're the only team who can/have put out three cars where as the others couldn't/haven't.
[/B]

Agreed.

[EERO]

Originally posted by Jordi
Gilles debuted in a third car...

If I may add to that list:

Patrick Tambay
Patrick Depailler
Jody Schekter
Niki Lauda
Mario Andretti (and got Pole to boot!)

[Speeddemon555]

The problem with a three car F1 team is money because how will an owner afford to field three cars in a high tech racing series.

[LucaBadoer]

I'd love to see a few of the top teams running 3 cars......

*dreams of Badoer racing for Ferrari*

But Ferrari would never give Luca a drive.

[EERO]

Originally posted by Speeddemon555
The problem with a three car F1 team is money because how will an owner afford to field three cars in a high tech racing series.

They ALREADY do!!!!!! The testing teams are independant of the race teams. I say put those cars and the effort into racing.

[alesi95]

3 Car teams? Difficult to call, Yes it would be a godspend to young/new drivers but running a third car is a much more expensive task than Mr Eccelstone rekons it would be.

Yes teams take a third/spare car to races but they don't run three drivers. A third memember would mean a third crew to run, more spare parts and probably an extra spare car.
In short the whole team would have to increase in size by 50%.

Just as some teams have problems fianancing 2 cars big budget teams would find 3 car teams a little more expensive for their liking.

[BD]

I agree with alesi95, it would just be too difficult for the lower teams to compete. What if they could only afford 2 per race? Then they would automatically be at a disadvantage. They would still test so costs would only go up.
I want to see a larger grid, but 3 car teams is not the way to do it. Bankrupting teams is a bad idea.

[EERO]

Originally posted by alesi95
3 Car teams? Difficult to call, Yes it would be a godspend to young/new drivers but running a third car is a much more expensive task than Mr Eccelstone rekons it would be.

Yes teams take a third/spare car to races but they don't run three drivers. A third memember would mean a third crew to run, more spare parts and probably an extra spare car.
In short the whole team would have to increase in size by 50%.

Just as some teams have problems fianancing 2 cars big budget teams would find 3 car teams a little more expensive for their liking.

Once again, now pay attention, McLaren, Renault, BAR, Ferrari and Williams ALREADY have that third team in place. Each of these teams already has a third driver AND a seperate pit crew.

If testing were cut back, they could easily add an additionla car for race weekends with little addional expense. It would aslo make the sponsors happier because those cars would be in front of Fans and cameras instead of on a desolate race track midweek.