Thursday, August 30, 2007
Boredom
Formula 1 has been accused of being boring so many times, that the argument almost seams boring. But what are we going to do about it?
Here’s Alex’s Six point plan to fix F1:
1) Qualifying has three sessions. First two same as current. Before the third starts the teams determine the starting fuel load and submit it to the FIA in secret (not revealed until after the race). Then qualifying takes place, in low fuel, and the order of the fastest cars is the order that the drivers start in. The drivers then start the race with the fuel loads they picked before the session.
2) The cars are to have no pieces of bodywork which allow air to pass between them and the car or that deviate from the form of the car, with the exception of allowing air to pass through the engine, or to exit after passing through the engine.
3) No engine or gearbox penalties, or rev limits (it’s not saving money anyway) the penalties get in the way of the sport.
4) The standard points per race are as follows:
Pole – 2 points (to keep people wanting it, see point 5)
1st – 15 points
2nd – 10 points
3rd – 7 points
4th – 5 points
5th – 4 points
6th – 3 points
7th - 2 points
8th – 1 point
5) You get 2 points for every person that you overtake for position on the track (literally passing manoeuvre) if you simply have a faster pitstop than somebody then you don’t get any points. If that doesn’t get people wanting to overtake then I don’t know what will.
6) The person who finishes the full race distance and used the least fuel gets 5 points. This balances out point 4 in a much more effective way.
Here’s Alex’s Six point plan to fix F1:
1) Qualifying has three sessions. First two same as current. Before the third starts the teams determine the starting fuel load and submit it to the FIA in secret (not revealed until after the race). Then qualifying takes place, in low fuel, and the order of the fastest cars is the order that the drivers start in. The drivers then start the race with the fuel loads they picked before the session.
2) The cars are to have no pieces of bodywork which allow air to pass between them and the car or that deviate from the form of the car, with the exception of allowing air to pass through the engine, or to exit after passing through the engine.
3) No engine or gearbox penalties, or rev limits (it’s not saving money anyway) the penalties get in the way of the sport.
4) The standard points per race are as follows:
Pole – 2 points (to keep people wanting it, see point 5)
1st – 15 points
2nd – 10 points
3rd – 7 points
4th – 5 points
5th – 4 points
6th – 3 points
7th - 2 points
8th – 1 point
5) You get 2 points for every person that you overtake for position on the track (literally passing manoeuvre) if you simply have a faster pitstop than somebody then you don’t get any points. If that doesn’t get people wanting to overtake then I don’t know what will.
6) The person who finishes the full race distance and used the least fuel gets 5 points. This balances out point 4 in a much more effective way.
Comments:
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The argument becomes boring when we don't do anything else, Alex. But there's nothing wrong in having a moan or suggesting improvements - we just shouldn't get hung up on it, that's all.
As regards your suggestions, I can't see that #1 would change anything. Why should we be concerned with how much fuel the first ten cars have on board anyway? Let them do what they want in that area and just go out and set the best times they can, say I.
#2 I agree with, although you should be aware that it puts you in my "ban wings" camp. ;)
#3 is spot on - all attempts to limit spending are doomed to failure so we might as well have the craziest, fastest, most powerful engines!
The points system you propose seems a little too weighted towards race wins, although I don't think it would make much difference to the outcome of the championship. I think three points is enough of a gap between 1st and 2nd places.
But giving points for overtaking won't change anything - except maybe increase the accident rate by encouraging completely wild passing attempts. That problem needs to be addressed at its source: aerodynamics. And you have solved that one with rule 2, I think.
Finally rule 6 - and my advice is to stay away from fuel efficiency points at all costs. That was the kind of thing that spawned the strangest cars the world has ever seen in the Le Mans 24 hour races of the fifties and sixties. Just ban refueling and let them work out how to make a tank of fuel last the race distance, that's what I say.
As regards your suggestions, I can't see that #1 would change anything. Why should we be concerned with how much fuel the first ten cars have on board anyway? Let them do what they want in that area and just go out and set the best times they can, say I.
#2 I agree with, although you should be aware that it puts you in my "ban wings" camp. ;)
#3 is spot on - all attempts to limit spending are doomed to failure so we might as well have the craziest, fastest, most powerful engines!
The points system you propose seems a little too weighted towards race wins, although I don't think it would make much difference to the outcome of the championship. I think three points is enough of a gap between 1st and 2nd places.
But giving points for overtaking won't change anything - except maybe increase the accident rate by encouraging completely wild passing attempts. That problem needs to be addressed at its source: aerodynamics. And you have solved that one with rule 2, I think.
Finally rule 6 - and my advice is to stay away from fuel efficiency points at all costs. That was the kind of thing that spawned the strangest cars the world has ever seen in the Le Mans 24 hour races of the fifties and sixties. Just ban refueling and let them work out how to make a tank of fuel last the race distance, that's what I say.
I don't mind being in your "ban wings" camp Clive!
I think #1 is important (even though it is the least radical of the suggestions). It means that Qualifying is purer. I find that it is very difficult to know what happened on a Saturday. I was kind of happy with single lap quali, but on the other hand I know that fundamentally it was less exciting. My suggestion balances between purity and keeping the race interesting.
I think that making overtaking easier doesn't automatically make it happen. You need to balance such things with a benefit. What I like most about this rule is what it might do to the backmarkers. It means that Spyker shouldn't be completely pointlessly tooling around in last place without ever having a prospect of a point. Spyker should have been rewarded for Sutil being ahead of Barichello in Hungary. And this would have done that.
Also I almost went for 20 for a win, and 10 for 2nd but pulled myself back at the last moment. I think winning should be more important than anything else. I know there is a concern about the season being decided way before the end.
But imagine a scenario where Kimi, facing the championship struggle he's in right now, decides that he should start from the pits next race. He might get up to 3rd in the race (7 points, and have passed 19 drivers - 38 points, 45 points from a single race). He'd be leading the championship, and it would be exciting as hell.
Surely that would encourage exciting racing without being too artificial?
I think #1 is important (even though it is the least radical of the suggestions). It means that Qualifying is purer. I find that it is very difficult to know what happened on a Saturday. I was kind of happy with single lap quali, but on the other hand I know that fundamentally it was less exciting. My suggestion balances between purity and keeping the race interesting.
I think that making overtaking easier doesn't automatically make it happen. You need to balance such things with a benefit. What I like most about this rule is what it might do to the backmarkers. It means that Spyker shouldn't be completely pointlessly tooling around in last place without ever having a prospect of a point. Spyker should have been rewarded for Sutil being ahead of Barichello in Hungary. And this would have done that.
Also I almost went for 20 for a win, and 10 for 2nd but pulled myself back at the last moment. I think winning should be more important than anything else. I know there is a concern about the season being decided way before the end.
But imagine a scenario where Kimi, facing the championship struggle he's in right now, decides that he should start from the pits next race. He might get up to 3rd in the race (7 points, and have passed 19 drivers - 38 points, 45 points from a single race). He'd be leading the championship, and it would be exciting as hell.
Surely that would encourage exciting racing without being too artificial?
ban wings,
limit the amount of fuel per pit stop,
limit the weight of a car,
standardise drivers' cocque
everything else, even engines no limit
that's the formula for success!
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limit the amount of fuel per pit stop,
limit the weight of a car,
standardise drivers' cocque
everything else, even engines no limit
that's the formula for success!
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