F1: Tyre changes, at the same time, both cars. Okay or not?

[bcnrml]

My question is prompted by the article below, and thoughts on the chaos that accompanies rain during a race (and indeed qualifying). If you're in the "wrong" place when rain starts (or gets heavy), it is really bad news to find yourself waiting for your team-mate to change tyres, losing lots of time.

Could the pits be easily enlarged to accommodate all cars, allowing team-mates and pit crews to change simultaneously if they wish (change the angles, etc)? Yes, it'd mean other changes, including maybe a review of the rules for safe release. But given the article below, the lottery, and the odd dangerous move, it's got to be worth considering, and may be fairer on team-mates who are so close to each other, but far enough ahead of the competition to get in and out without one being penalised by the current single car tyre-change model. It might also allow pit crews in the same team to compete with each other (in real time).

Please, folks, this question is not about Button or Hamilton etc, etc. It is about maximising the performance based entertainment, and minimising the weather lottery without compromising safety.

Reuters said:

Wet weather not rule changes spice up the F1 show
By Nick Mulvenney
SHANGAI (Reuters) - Despite the millions of dollars poured into Formula One, and the hundreds of hours of thought put into developing new rules to spice it up, the most significant factor in the season-opening Asia-Pacific swing has been rain.

The Formula One road show started negotiating the tricky business of making its way back to Europe Monday after a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix, the third of the first four races of the new season where wet weather played a major role.

The result has been plenty of entertainment but just one real glimpse of the way the new rules banning refuelling might change races, and that in the season-opening race in Bahrain which, unpromisingly, was by far the dullest race of the lot.

More tinkering of the rules might yet be in the pipeline, according to the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

"We'll have to take a look at it, it's all down to the technical regulations," he told reporters in Shanghai.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE63I1LG2010041...

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ETA: Title should be both cars in one team, not both teams. Mods, please could you amend? Thanks.

Edited by bcnrml on Monday 19th April 18:03

[miniman]

Maybe at the new, dull, purpose-built circuits like Bahrain, but how could it possibly work at the proper circuits? Monaco is already barely big enough for one garage per team and IMHO if it can't be made to work at Monaco it is dead in the water.

[bcnrml]

Thanks.

However, couldn't the layout in Monaco be changed to accommodate an idea like this, even if it means shortening it? Sacrilege, I know, but Monaco is mainly about processions anyway. Spa, on the other hand..........

One just despairs of the implication by Bernie of more tinkering with the rules, and the changing weather lottery wouldn't be such a lottery if both cars in every team had the option of going into the pits for tyres within seconds of each other.

[zac510]

I've been surprised how much the teams have been getting out of even the option (supposedly soft) tyres.

I'm not entirely sure but it seems like most tracks will be one stoppers in the dry.

[d3dna]

If they were re-fuelling then the idea has merit. Unfortunately the pit space would be the only issue as highlighted above. Also considering the support races using the additional space what is left over from the F1 teams it would need a re-think in allocation of space.

[bcnrml]

The rest of the article suggests the rest of the season will be as boring as Bahrain, and that Bernie's thinking about doing something about that.

Those headlines are definitely not what he wants to see.

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ETA: Sorry, that wasn't clear. I meant to say at the start that one-stop, dry races would mean conservative (boring) driving, and no exciting racing.

Edited by bcnrml on Monday 19th April 21:09

[KaraK]

The "stacking" effect doesn't happen that often - realistically it's only applicable during condition changes (which despite the skewed start to this season are generally the exception rather than the rule) and even then when the team's two cars are within about 6sec of each other on the track.

Also when it does happen it's not really a "lottery" - the driver who was doing the better job (ie out in front) gets the better end of the stick and quite rightly to. Look at what happened this wekend with Massa/Alonso - Fernando knew that being first into the box would bring big benefits so we saw him sling a move up the inside in the freaking pit entry, and that was some serious entertainment