ways to make Formula 1 interesting again

ways to make Formula 1 interesting again

Author
Discussion

Adrian W

Original Poster:

13,875 posts

228 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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I'm going with surprise tyres, don't let them know what they are getting until 1 hour before the race.

wibble cb

3,608 posts

207 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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How about surprise results, you go to bed with 3 on the podium, wake up with a different podium, oh hang on...

rolleyes

SeeFive

8,280 posts

233 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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Manual gearboxes, reduced aero, no daft fuel and tyre restrictions, no DRS style gimmicks, remove anything that brings about such things as fuel management, silly levels of tyre managment, give them as much power, fuel and as many sets of tyres as they need.

Remove engine and gearbox penalties, let them spend what they want and go as fast as possible. Get back to designing engines with tolerances that cause them to explode on the run down lap if not before in the pursuit of power, and not today's under stressed chuggers.

If little teams can't afford F1, ie the pinnacle and most expensive level of Motorsport, then GP2 is there for them. Don't dumb down F1 for the sake of those that cannot afford to compete.

If you have to encourage the little teams, make a start by sorting out the F1 money allocation so that the red cars are on an even playing fields as the others and do not get more dosh every year just for being who they are (were).

Smollet

10,598 posts

190 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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wibble cb said:
How about surprise results, you go to bed with 3 on the podium, wake up with a different podium, oh hang on...

rolleyes
rofl

RichTT

3,071 posts

171 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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Refuelling, nothing more exciting than a Ferrari driver tearing down the pit lane with either a member of pit crew or some refueling hose trailing along behind them.

Muzzer79

10,000 posts

187 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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It is a difficult problem to solve.

The best years have always been when there's at least one or two teams that are closely matched in terms of performance of the cars.

Take 2008 - McLaren and Ferrari pretty evenly matched, exciting championship battle, good F1.

2013 - Vettel wins 13 races on the bounce - bad F1.

You can't remove or standardise aero/engines/etc as that reduces the team element from the sport.

Gimmicks are, well, gimmicks.

They need to find a car format and stick to it - eventually car performance will more or less equalise in time - then control costs so that teams aren't spending squillions on parts that give hundredths of seconds advantage.

MissChief

7,111 posts

168 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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SeeFive said:
Manual gearboxes, reduced aero, no daft fuel and tyre restrictions, no DRS style gimmicks, remove anything that brings about such things as fuel management, silly levels of tyre managment, give them as much power, fuel and as many sets of tyres as they need.

Remove engine and gearbox penalties, let them spend what they want and go as fast as possible. Get back to designing engines with tolerances that cause them to explode on the run down lap if not before in the pursuit of power, and not today's under stressed chuggers.

If little teams can't afford F1, ie the pinnacle and most expensive level of Motorsport, then GP2 is there for them. Don't dumb down F1 for the sake of those that cannot afford to compete.

If you have to encourage the little teams, make a start by sorting out the F1 money allocation so that the red cars are on an even playing fields as the others and do not get more dosh every year just for being who they are (were).
So the team that spends the most money wins and there are four teams? And when a manufacturer realises it's spent £500 million to come fourth and will need to spend more to become competitive again they leave, meaning an engine manufacturer also leaves? Be careful what you wish for.

I agree that the money should be shared out equally. Big teams will always get more in sponsorship so will always be better off.

Iva Barchetta

44,044 posts

163 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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wibble cb said:
How about surprise results, you go to bed with 3 on the podium, wake up with a different podium, oh hang on...

rolleyes
I didn't even know it had changed AGAIN....biggrin

KevinCamaroSS

11,640 posts

280 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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For me it is quite simple. Reduce aero significantly and increase mechanical grip. Job done.

Catatafish

1,361 posts

145 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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I would prefer full size remote control F1 drone racing completely removing all safety constraints inherent in having the driver onboard. let them go as fast as physics will allow with mega aero and state of the art tech.

BoRED S2upid

19,708 posts

240 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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I've said it before - just stop interfering! Stop changing the rules every other year designers will catch up with each other and make competitive cars if they are left to it and just let them race each other! No fuel management no tyre management, no turning down engines just balls out racing from lap 1!

Oh and make the races longer again how many races get interesting in the last 5 laps? Back in the good old days they were 200 laps long.

C70R

17,596 posts

104 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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I vote we turn it into a Running Man style course, at least once per year. Perhaps it could replace Russia. We'd bring back SubZero and Buzzsaw (played by Jesse Ventura), and have all the drivers catapulted down long tubes in sparkly jumpsuits before they jump into their cars.

Assuming (this, the latest of many iterations of) the thread wasn't serious, of course?

Edited by C70R on Monday 31st October 15:10

SeeFive

8,280 posts

233 months

Monday 31st October 2016
quotequote all
MissChief said:
So the team that spends the most money wins and there are four teams? And when a manufacturer realises it's spent £500 million to come fourth and will need to spend more to become competitive again they leave, meaning an engine manufacturer also leaves? Be careful what you wish for.

I agree that the money should be shared out equally. Big teams will always get more in sponsorship so will always be better off.
Not much different to today. The minnows will never have enough budget to be competitive and the manufacturer teams / mega rich drinks manufacturers funding their own "manufacturer" race team will prevail just as they do today. Same with McLaren and Williams in the glory years - essentially they were factory teams.

Might as well make it formal and get the minnows out of the way, go for 3-4 car teams and have some true competitive balls out racing at the front with at least 3 or 4 cars from one team capable of winning compared to two cruising round today.

ETA: bring back proper testing.

Edited by SeeFive on Monday 31st October 15:26

Adrian W

Original Poster:

13,875 posts

228 months

Monday 31st October 2016
quotequote all
Catatafish said:
I would prefer full size remote control F1 drone racing completely removing all safety constraints inherent in having the driver onboard. let them go as fast as physics will allow with mega aero and state of the art tech.
That would certainly reduce the wage bill

Derek Smith

45,666 posts

248 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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The main problem is that it is currently more or less as it has always been. There were periods where it was one favoured driver in the fastest car out there, so at the moment we have more excitement and interest than in some years.

In the 'good old days', when racing was more or less as interesting as nowadays, there were clearly established sections of the race. There were the opening laps when cars tended to sort themselves into some semblance of order, then the middle section when tactics were established, and then the last few laps where there was close racing and a few overtakes.

Rather similar to yesterday in fact. The middle section was always said to be boring by non enthusiasts.

With refuelling we got three sprint races but the old form was there more or less.

The main cause of complaints from fans has been the lack of overtaking, but this has always been the case. It has got worse with aero gaining an ascendancy but the legislators don't seem to be bothered. The 2017 regs would appear to favour aero to the detriment of grip.

I think the danger is that next season will be no improvement, and that if we are lucky.

DRS might be more useful, with cars being set up for cornering rather than top speed, so the speed differential might increase, but I don't see how cars are going to get close enough in the corners before the DRS stripe.

A single wing at the front with equalised section top and bottom. Limited adjustment. A double element rear wing with limited adjustment. I have no idea about the section. This will reduce costs to an extent.

Engine manufacturers to supply any team that asks with identical engines. The reason for this is to limit the ability of the manufacturing teams to steamroll their way to the top and to limit costs if the engine has a maximum price.

Ban Adrian Newey. He has an indepth knowledge of what is needed. Ban Ecclestone for the opposite reason.

Apart from that, I think the new owners should splurge out a bit on social media, YTube, that sort of thing, to encourage younger fans. No extra money for Ferrari. I can see no logic for that. The kitty should be divided more equally.

C70R

17,596 posts

104 months

Monday 31st October 2016
quotequote all
Derek Smith said:
Ban Adrian Newey. He has an indepth knowledge of what is needed. Ban Ecclestone for the opposite reason.
laughlaughlaughlaugh
Probably the only useful suggestions in the entire thread.

Old Merc

3,493 posts

167 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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RichTT said:
Refuelling, nothing more exciting than a Ferrari driver tearing down the pit lane with either a member of pit crew or some refueling hose trailing along behind them.
There is nothing exciting about a fuel fire. (Just ask Max`s Dad.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6pNb5kAoXw

How about simple,very noisey V10`s and V12`s producing over 1000BHP.
Very basic aero with front wings that don't fall apart during a first lap tap.
The cars looking like outrageous bat mobiles.
Tyres that can take plenty of oversteer,lock ups,etc .
Two pit stops per grand prix for everyone.
May be some sort of joker loop?? at some GP`s(like they do in World Rallycross).

Edited by Old Merc on Monday 31st October 17:20

Dr Z

3,396 posts

171 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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OP earlier:


Sorry.

anonymous-user

54 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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Give them all a Mercedes biggrin

Iva Barchetta

44,044 posts

163 months

Monday 31st October 2016
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Why didn't we think of that earlier ^^^^ a one ,make formula.

That'll sort the men from the Max's.

It'll also save everybody a fortune.

Drivers have to race in Country colours ,British racing green, Italian racing red ,Indian racing gold.