Di Montezemolo - Valid Points?
Discussion
In my opinion, LDM does make some very valid points alongside with the hyperbole, which is covered in another thread.
Why indeed shouldn't there be more than 2 Ferraris (or Red Bulls etc...) on the grid? Not many people on here would disagree that the thought of Kimi in a Red Bull alongside Vettel and Webber next year does have a certain attraction? Di Resta in a third McLaren anyone? I for one think that there is room for another 6 cars on most of the grids.
Why is testing banned? Costs I hear you say. I wonder how much is spent 24 hours a day in the wind tunnels compared to belting around a test track. Testing is also (usually) open to spectators, try getting a look in at McLaren's wind tunnel! Testing also helps blood the new boys, I do wonder how improved someone like Senna for instance, would have been with a weeks acclimatization behind him. 7 days a week testing certainly helped a certain Mr Schumacher climb the heights of greatness.
He could have gone further though. What about customer cars. Racing for non championship points?
I'm not saying that there has been too much wrong with F1 since the departure of Max, but I do think mixed in with some rather controversial comments, LDM suggestions are certainly worthy of discussion.
Why indeed shouldn't there be more than 2 Ferraris (or Red Bulls etc...) on the grid? Not many people on here would disagree that the thought of Kimi in a Red Bull alongside Vettel and Webber next year does have a certain attraction? Di Resta in a third McLaren anyone? I for one think that there is room for another 6 cars on most of the grids.
Why is testing banned? Costs I hear you say. I wonder how much is spent 24 hours a day in the wind tunnels compared to belting around a test track. Testing is also (usually) open to spectators, try getting a look in at McLaren's wind tunnel! Testing also helps blood the new boys, I do wonder how improved someone like Senna for instance, would have been with a weeks acclimatization behind him. 7 days a week testing certainly helped a certain Mr Schumacher climb the heights of greatness.
He could have gone further though. What about customer cars. Racing for non championship points?
I'm not saying that there has been too much wrong with F1 since the departure of Max, but I do think mixed in with some rather controversial comments, LDM suggestions are certainly worthy of discussion.
On the first point, I think it's clear that some of the top teams already field one primary driver and one as 'support' already... Allowing a 3rd would 'clog up' the grid in these cases, whilst pushing the lower teams (who couldn't afford to support another driver) even further down the pack.
Totally agree on the second point - I can see why testing was banned, but I don't think it's helped anyone in reality - especially new teams and drivers... it actually appears quite dangerous in some ways!
Totally agree on the second point - I can see why testing was banned, but I don't think it's helped anyone in reality - especially new teams and drivers... it actually appears quite dangerous in some ways!
I personally think an extra 6 cars would be too many instead why not let the big teams help the smaller teams more and use them as development / test cars?
Testing should be brought back if the smaller teams cant afford it then they don't test or just test as they are doing now it will make no difference to the running order. The cost argument doesn't wash with me just sell the rights to test sessions to a TV network or tickets for spectators and recoup some money.
Testing should be brought back if the smaller teams cant afford it then they don't test or just test as they are doing now it will make no difference to the running order. The cost argument doesn't wash with me just sell the rights to test sessions to a TV network or tickets for spectators and recoup some money.
Ultuous said:
On the first point, I think it's clear that some of the top teams already field one primary driver and one as 'support' already... Allowing a 3rd would 'clog up' the grid in these cases, whilst pushing the lower teams (who couldn't afford to support another driver) even further down the pack.
That's a very valid point isn't it. It wouldn't be much fun watching Ferrari field another car just for it only to serve as another whipping boy for Fred. However, if the drivers were on an equal footing just as was demonstrated by Mercedes ('keep it clean Michael...'!) at the last race, then there would surely be sporting benefits.I support the customer cars idea, but with some restrictions. It could help to reduce costs for manufacturers and assist the less established/resourced teams be more competitive. However there should be restrictions on the number of customers per manufacturer and the overall number of customer teams with appropriate budget caps (say 1 customer per manufacturer with customers making up no more than half the grid).
There should also be some controls on mode of supply. Something akin to RBR and STR's arrangement in 2008 where the customer buys the design but builds and updates it themselves.
There should also be some controls on mode of supply. Something akin to RBR and STR's arrangement in 2008 where the customer buys the design but builds and updates it themselves.
The references to testing...... yup, in theory it's banned, but I'm guessing I'm not alone in remembering a certain "test driver" tweeting about having a sore neck (ie not just straight line testing) and then the tweet disappearing when team management realised what the guy had just confessed to. I suspect the team in question wont be alone either.....
Test contracts used to be a solid way of getting track time and keeping the bank account solvent for a whole raft of drivers that the money men didn't consider bankable from a sponsor/marketing viewpoint, but the engineers knew could contribute to car development and has from time to time turned up some surprises when testers have been promoted to the big time.
I'd say the way to go would be to have say three 2 day tests scheduled mid season financed partly from the somewhat hefty entry fees charged by the FIA with the cars available to the marketing droids, the teams permitted to assess new talent, engineers allowed to actually test legitimately and the FIA actually enforcing the no test rules aside from the FIA mandated test sessions. Nominate a different three venues each year and let the public in..... Bingo Bango..... everyone a winner.
Test contracts used to be a solid way of getting track time and keeping the bank account solvent for a whole raft of drivers that the money men didn't consider bankable from a sponsor/marketing viewpoint, but the engineers knew could contribute to car development and has from time to time turned up some surprises when testers have been promoted to the big time.
I'd say the way to go would be to have say three 2 day tests scheduled mid season financed partly from the somewhat hefty entry fees charged by the FIA with the cars available to the marketing droids, the teams permitted to assess new talent, engineers allowed to actually test legitimately and the FIA actually enforcing the no test rules aside from the FIA mandated test sessions. Nominate a different three venues each year and let the public in..... Bingo Bango..... everyone a winner.
We should have proportional testing.
At the start of the season everyone gets to test, as teams gain points the amount of testing allowed is reduced, so midway through this year Red Bull would have been back to no testing, McLaren and Ferrari just 1 day over the break whereas Lotus, Vrigin etc would still be unlimited.
This would give those behind a better chance to catch up in the developement race and provide seats for young drivers not to mention year round testing for those that need it most.
At the start of the season everyone gets to test, as teams gain points the amount of testing allowed is reduced, so midway through this year Red Bull would have been back to no testing, McLaren and Ferrari just 1 day over the break whereas Lotus, Vrigin etc would still be unlimited.
This would give those behind a better chance to catch up in the developement race and provide seats for young drivers not to mention year round testing for those that need it most.
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