How to solve F1's problems
Discussion
Following MM's recent comments regarding the importance of Ferrari over any other Team surley Honda, BMW, Marcedes et al must be thinking this isn't exactly the ideal environment for them to be pumping their millions into.
Why don't they simply break away and set up a new championship free from the Bernie and Max show, the Ferrari biased FIA and what appear to be a bunch of other idiots that put the remainder of the rules together?
Why don't they simply break away and set up a new championship free from the Bernie and Max show, the Ferrari biased FIA and what appear to be a bunch of other idiots that put the remainder of the rules together?
Moseleys comments were basically saying that Ferrari have a historical and romantic interest which adds to the prestige of the championship. Honda/Merc/Toyota etc. get kudos for competing in such a prestigous championship.
Take them all away from F1 and sure, Ferrari wil have nobody to play with and F1 will fold. However, the others will just be competing in a brand new championship with no history or prestige - ergo the manufacturers would actually get less out of it.
Take them all away from F1 and sure, Ferrari wil have nobody to play with and F1 will fold. However, the others will just be competing in a brand new championship with no history or prestige - ergo the manufacturers would actually get less out of it.
Ordinary Bloke said:
Who said fight?
If they took away carbon-carbon brakes, anti-lock and launch control, then they'd have a competition.
Right now, it's a procession. Bring back the racing, you know, like overtaking...
They took away launch control a while ago. They don't have ABS; I don't know that they ever did have it in F1.If they took away carbon-carbon brakes, anti-lock and launch control, then they'd have a competition.
Right now, it's a procession. Bring back the racing, you know, like overtaking...
Carbon matrix brakes are used in many formulae in addition to F1. They are not that big a deal and may soon be on road cars.
Really? OK, but if there's almost no overtaking under braking, then there's almost no overtaking. Look at any sort of racing and you'll see it's that or slipstreaming. Slipstreaming doesn't work in F1.
Hence no overtaking.
Honestly, Renault 5's round Brands was more fun, crap brakes, 3 wheels round the corner etc. But you didn't know who would win, and it certainly wasn't decided by lawyers analyzing fuel samples.
Hence no overtaking.
Honestly, Renault 5's round Brands was more fun, crap brakes, 3 wheels round the corner etc. But you didn't know who would win, and it certainly wasn't decided by lawyers analyzing fuel samples.
F1 has TC for sure, and I think from the way the wheels lock into a corner - they don't have ABS for sure.
Well technically, if I am not mistaken no TC as of next year.
The gayest rule in my opinion, is this FIA dumb-ass rule of a 10 year engine freeze...
F1 has been great not purely for the racing element alone, but the peak of technology... and though I think rules and restriction are good coz it means you develop more different areas and go into further details, I think the FIA is losing the F1 original feel....
Arrrrgggg!!!
Well technically, if I am not mistaken no TC as of next year.
The gayest rule in my opinion, is this FIA dumb-ass rule of a 10 year engine freeze...
F1 has been great not purely for the racing element alone, but the peak of technology... and though I think rules and restriction are good coz it means you develop more different areas and go into further details, I think the FIA is losing the F1 original feel....
Arrrrgggg!!!
I read a very interesting article by Jeff Daniels the other week in Racecar Engineering IIRC, which he has alluded to in his response to a letter in this month's evo magazine.
In essence, stop the aero development, make the tyres skinny and allow any electricky the teams like.
I like his thinking.
In essence, stop the aero development, make the tyres skinny and allow any electricky the teams like.
I like his thinking.
Frik said:
I read a very interesting article by Jeff Daniels the other week in Racecar Engineering IIRC, which he has alluded to in his response to a letter in this month's evo magazine.
In essence, stop the aero development, make the tyres skinny and allow any electricky the teams like.
I like his thinking.
I don't know who Jeff Daniels is, but if the tyres are skinny the importance of aerodynamics will be increased because of the much decreased contact patch. More downforce will have a greater effect on the grip of the tyres. Possibly the difference between those with good and poor aerodynamics will be increased even.In essence, stop the aero development, make the tyres skinny and allow any electricky the teams like.
I like his thinking.
Edited by zac510 on Thursday 25th October 09:19
He was in 101 Dalmations 
I think racing is about drivers pushing it to the limits, and sometimes beyond them, where you don't know who will win each race.
F1 is a massive marketing campaign, lining the pockets of Max and Bernie, relocated to the oil-producing countries to maximize profit (not viewer & spectator enjoyment), questionable favouritism for some teams, where the activity of the software engineers, pit crew and lawyers outweighs the driver ability by a huge margin.
Put the current drivers in Karts or Saloons and you'd see a real race. IMHO.
I think racing is about drivers pushing it to the limits, and sometimes beyond them, where you don't know who will win each race.
F1 is a massive marketing campaign, lining the pockets of Max and Bernie, relocated to the oil-producing countries to maximize profit (not viewer & spectator enjoyment), questionable favouritism for some teams, where the activity of the software engineers, pit crew and lawyers outweighs the driver ability by a huge margin.
Put the current drivers in Karts or Saloons and you'd see a real race. IMHO.
I'd go the other way, big grippy tyres and mechanical grip with less reliance on aero. Let them follow each other close through the corners and so get a good toe down the straight.
I'd do away wtih the narrow cars as well - bigger cars punch a bigger hole in the air so make slip streaming easier.
All that said, Hamilton proved that overtaking is possible this year, and other drivers always have been able to overtake when they are genuinely fast than the car in front. There's a more fundamental problem though - the cars are all so similar, and the drivers so evenly matched that usually whoever is 1/10th quicker in qualifying is 1/10th quicker in the race, and so the ability to overtake isn't really an issue. The strategies are similarly worked out to the millisecond with allowances made for traffic and everything.
IMO the best racing comes when you have competing ideas put to the test - like the blisteringly fast but unreliable and thirsty turbo cars against the reliable and economical none turbos.
If you simply want to see cars going side by side into corners adn changnig places 3-4 times a lap then a 90 min F1 race will never compete with a 10 lap sprint race at a club meeting.
I'd do away wtih the narrow cars as well - bigger cars punch a bigger hole in the air so make slip streaming easier.
All that said, Hamilton proved that overtaking is possible this year, and other drivers always have been able to overtake when they are genuinely fast than the car in front. There's a more fundamental problem though - the cars are all so similar, and the drivers so evenly matched that usually whoever is 1/10th quicker in qualifying is 1/10th quicker in the race, and so the ability to overtake isn't really an issue. The strategies are similarly worked out to the millisecond with allowances made for traffic and everything.
IMO the best racing comes when you have competing ideas put to the test - like the blisteringly fast but unreliable and thirsty turbo cars against the reliable and economical none turbos.
If you simply want to see cars going side by side into corners adn changnig places 3-4 times a lap then a 90 min F1 race will never compete with a 10 lap sprint race at a club meeting.
groomi said:
Moseleys comments were basically saying that Ferrari have a historical and romantic interest which adds to the prestige of the championship. Honda/Merc/Toyota etc. get kudos for competing in such a prestigous championship.
Take them all away from F1 and sure, Ferrari wil have nobody to play with and F1 will fold. However, the others will just be competing in a brand new championship with no history or prestige - ergo the manufacturers would actually get less out of it.
Don't Mercedes have a longer racing history than FerrariTake them all away from F1 and sure, Ferrari wil have nobody to play with and F1 will fold. However, the others will just be competing in a brand new championship with no history or prestige - ergo the manufacturers would actually get less out of it.
AAV said:
groomi said:
Moseleys comments were basically saying that Ferrari have a historical and romantic interest which adds to the prestige of the championship. Honda/Merc/Toyota etc. get kudos for competing in such a prestigous championship.
Take them all away from F1 and sure, Ferrari wil have nobody to play with and F1 will fold. However, the others will just be competing in a brand new championship with no history or prestige - ergo the manufacturers would actually get less out of it.
Don't Mercedes have a longer racing history than FerrariTake them all away from F1 and sure, Ferrari wil have nobody to play with and F1 will fold. However, the others will just be competing in a brand new championship with no history or prestige - ergo the manufacturers would actually get less out of it.
The answer lies in the tyres - Big, Slick and Hard as Rock.
You really don't want soft grippy numbers - instead hard, progressive tyres that will happily slide and spin and have much less grip.
Then you can lift all engine restrictions and not worry too much about brakes either - too much power, either engine or stopping and you lose traction. Simple.
The irony is that with a single tyre supplier, this is easy. Worried about corner speeds? Harder tyre please Mr Bridgestone.
Just think, F1 cars going sideways again.....
You really don't want soft grippy numbers - instead hard, progressive tyres that will happily slide and spin and have much less grip.
Then you can lift all engine restrictions and not worry too much about brakes either - too much power, either engine or stopping and you lose traction. Simple.
The irony is that with a single tyre supplier, this is easy. Worried about corner speeds? Harder tyre please Mr Bridgestone.
Just think, F1 cars going sideways again.....
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff