What should F1 'be'

[zac510]

I think there is quite a bit of difference across the wide spectrum of F1 fans around what they expect to see in F1.

In the recent past there has been no clear direction over what F1 is supposed to 'be', which is not particularly a negative thing. It's been a good sporting conundrum, like cricket: is it better to take wickets or make runs? Should you have a better car or driver? So fans have become endeared to the sport in their own ways, to the charismatic drivers or to the legendary cars. And they'd like to continue to like the sport in their way in the future.

So call this a little 'survey' to see what PHers like to see. You might notice that some of these aspects may not be compatible with each other and I've intentionally left off an 'All' option.

Please leave your opinions about what F1 should do to 'fix' itself - nobody is interested, and the point of this thread is to highlight that what you want might not be what others want to see.

But feel free to discuss the political and economic conflicts between the politics of pleasing fans' desires.

[groomi]

For me F1 should always be about engineering excellence - preferably with a more open set of rules to allow more creativity.

The drivers are simply hired to drive the cars. When the drivers are more important than the cars then the series is worthless IMHO.

[mcdjl]

Set a size and weight limit as well as some basic safety stuff (wheel teathers etc, impact protection) then everything else is free game. Limits on technologgy/ spending should be for GP2 etc

[zac510]

mcdjl said:

Set a size and weight limit as well as some basic safety stuff (wheel teathers etc, impact protection) then everything else is free game. Limits on technologgy/ spending should be for GP2 etc

Thanks, but you completely missed the point of this thread.

[Munter]

It's got to be about the engineering. Ever since Lotus turned up and showed what results can be acheived by a bit of thinking in how the car is made.

Define a box the car must fit in and some simple rules(including safety. No reason to let that slip). Let the boys play. I would not allow closed cockpit cars though. I want to see the drivers.

[zac510]

I was trying to get to the point that perhaps 50% of the F1 fans want to see the 'best drivers in the world' and the other 50% want to see the best engineering challenge (substitute the % figures for the result of this poll ) and how these conflict with each other when it comes to governing the sport. what you think the rules should be changed to is irrelevant in the context of this thread.

Edited by zac510 on Friday 31st October 13:26

[stew-S160]

first and foremost, the cars/teams.
secondly, the drivers. but it's probably 55/45 in favour of teams in my opinion.

[skinny]

groomi said:

For me F1 should always be about engineering excellence - preferably with a more open set of rules to allow more creativity.

The drivers are simply hired to drive the cars. When the drivers are more important than the cars then the series is worthless IMHO.

personally i disagree. i enjoy formula 1 for the fact that they are arguably the best drivers in the world. yes it's also important that the cars are at the very top in terms of design engineering and performance, but if you stuck a load of nobody's in this years cars, assuming they could get round the track, i wouldn't care half as much. i'm much more of a kubica fan than the guys who designed and built it etc.

[Scuffers]

zac510 said:

mcdjl said:

Set a size and weight limit as well as some basic safety stuff (wheel teathers etc, impact protection) then everything else is free game. Limits on technologgy/ spending should be for GP2 etc

Thanks, but you completely missed the point of this thread.

with respect, I don't think he has.....

[Munter]

zac510 said:

I was trying to get to the point that perhaps 50% of the F1 fans want to see the 'best drivers in the world' and the other 50% want to see the best engineering challenge (substitute the % figures for the result of this poll ) and how these conflict with each other when it comes to governing the sport. what you think the rules should be changed to is irrelevant in the context of this thread.

Edited by zac510 on Friday 31st October 13:26

There is no conflict in that sence. Drivers want faster cars, engineers want faster cars.

The only conflict is between both drivers and the rules, and engineering and the rules.

[zac510]

What about the fans like jellison who are welcoming control engines and control everything because they want to see the best drivers at work.. Isn't that at conflict with the drivers and engineers who want faster cars and the 38% of fans that have so far said they want to see F1 as an engineering challenge for the teams?

[MrKipling43]

zac510 said:

What about the fans like jellison who are welcoming control engines and control everything because they want to see the best drivers at work.. Isn't that at conflict with the drivers and engineers who want faster cars and the 38% of fans that have so far said they want to see F1 as an engineering challenge for the teams?

'Fans' like Jellison should stop whining about F1 and watch GP2.

Formula 1 should be about the best drivers in the fastest cars. Simple really.

[mcdjl]

zac510 said:

mcdjl said:

Set a size and weight limit as well as some basic safety stuff (wheel teathers etc, impact protection) then everything else is free game. Limits on technologgy/ spending should be for GP2 etc

Thanks, but you completely missed the point of this thread.

Appologies but let me re-phrase that: F1 should be all about the ultimate car with no limits placed on it. If people want to watch drivers battling it out in equal cars they can watch GP2 etc.

[fastcaterham]

mcdjl said:

F1 should be all about the ultimate car with no limits placed on it. If people want to watch drivers battling it out in equal cars they can watch GP2 etc.

Totally agree thats what I watch f1 for, I watch nascar and touring cars if I want wheel to wheel racing!

[zac510]

Seems to be a good showing for 'engineering' so far but options 1 and 3 together total 53%.

[FNG]

Emphasis on technology is part of what F1 is about but it must also be about the drivers.

Without the occasional superstar driver, F1 governed by technology could see the cars lining up two-by-two-by-two and racing to the flag in corporate formation.

I can't think of anything duller.

There has to be some reliance on the excellence of the drivers to mix things up a bit and to sort out the superstars from the merely very talented.

[RichB]

zac510 said:

mcdjl said:

Set a size and weight limit as well as some basic safety stuff (wheel tethers etc, impact protection) then everything else is free game. Limits on technology/ spending should be for GP2 etc

Thanks, but you completely missed the point of this thread.

That's somewhat pompous of you Zac, you open a thread on a public forum and then start telling people what they should write in reply

Anyway, for what it's worth, in my opinion, F1 should be a world-wide series with as few regulations as possible allowing the teams to be creative in designing the fastest racing cars in the world which would automatically attract the best drivers.

p.s. Jelly should simply cheer up and stop criticising everything and everything anyone ever says

[zac510]

I'll take that as a compliment! Nah seriously, I just wanted to raise the issue of half the fans wanting one thing and the other half wanting the other.. The governing body occasionally shows signs of listening to fans and thus the majority of the fans. That's democracy for you I guess? Although plenty might argue about the FIA being a democracy

I'm sure on some other forums the amount of people with care for the engineering aspect would be far less. If that half are listened to then we definitely will get control everything, no aero, etc etc.

[grumbledoak]

Tough poll. Not easy to find a choice that matches my feelings (I've voted 'engineering/team').

I think F1 should be the utmost in (racing) competition; as close to no rules as possible while giving some consideration to safety and not allowing the richest team to buy the trophy. If they want sixteen wheels, down-force fans, and two million 'torques', so be it.

It is never going to be easy to make rules that make this work, but the FIA seem to be getting it as wrong as they possibly could at the moment. Prostitutes and spankings aside...

[RichB]

grumbledoak said:

If they want sixteen wheels, down-force fans, and two million 'torques', so be it.