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Has F1 become to stale? Why? Has it become too littered with rules and restrictions? Doesn't this promote competative balance? Safety? Will the new rules cure the problems for 2009?

Let's discuss.

 

I think it is safe to say that to most racing fans, F1 is very, very, very boring. This is mainly due to the lack of passing. But to those who have watched F1 for a long time it has usually been those with the most money gaining the most success. The privateers have been suffering for a long time.

For me who started watching F1 when I was 10 during the 1998 season all I have seen is Mclaren, Ferrari, and Renault dominate. Being a lifelong Tifosi, I can't complain but to me in the years since I have been watching, the races have defintely become a lot more anticlimactic.

One of my favorite things about when I started watching F1 was the 1 hour session of qualifying - no holds barred. If you were a privateer like Jordan or Williams you could end up on the pole. It didn't matter how light you were, if you put in the fastest quali time you qualified in that spot.

Although the results were between the same manufacturers, the race at least had some excitement and showcased the drivers ability to pass. Then came single lap qualifying, which IMO was the worst idea ever. It did allow those Ferrari's to dominate, but as a race fan it didn't add much excitement.

Then came the stupid no tire change rule in which Michelin dominated the entire season, until the farce 2005 indy gp. All in all I am looking forward to the new changes and hope it adds some excitement, although I still think it will be the same teams leading.

 

Boy, you bring up a lot of interesting points there. Nice analysis. You get rep from me for that!

I think that customer chassis are a must. You simply cannot expect teams to be competative if it costs $500 million to develop a team. Hell, Williams spends that much every year and they can't get a podium to save themselves.

We need 30 teams in F1. Bring back the "free-for-all" qualifying session and let the top 25 teams race on Sunday. Relegate the bottom 5. With 25 teams on the grid there will be more passing - at least at the back.

What Lewis says about "clean-air" is the key. Slip-streaming can only occur with cleaner air. But how?

The drivers have changed too. Up through the Senna era it was about having fun. It was a way of life. Now the drivers are so serious. I mean what's up with Nico Rosberg refusing pre-race interviews to listen to his music?? His dad - a great champion - would have never done that.

To love F1 you must love the technology of the cars. The engine sound is enough to hook me. The rest is icing on the cake.

FORZA F1!

 

Dana, this is certainly a point of contention among the fans...and drivers I'm sure.

Few points:
1. Aero rules make it too difficult to pass.
2. F1 is morphing into a spec series so the races are fought at the factories.
3. More and more tracks coming to the schedule don't have many passing zones (add that to 1 and 2 and you have a formation race).

Being the pinnacle of motor racing, F1 has a lot of pressure to stay ahead of the curve. Some of the decisions made in the long-term interest of the sport have a negative effect initially...the rewards not being seen for years after the manufacturers have adapted the technologies to their street cars (think flappy-paddle gearboxes).

Example: Passing could be improved (encouraged?) if the FIA banned carbon fiber suspension pieces since drivers are always weary of the possibility of wheel-to-wheel contact resulting in a dnf. If the FIA were to go this route you and I could kiss any thought of carbon fiber suspensions being more readily available in our high performance street cars.

Some guy once said something to the effect of 'we race on Sunday to sell cars on Monday'.

 

Great post!

Modifying qualifying is a must.

 

Wow. You guys are on your game tonight! Sweet.

Alex, you are playing right into the tifosi's hands there. Ferrari is the only company that I know of that develops street cars to fund their racing division.

At least that is what they say . . .

Off to watch the practice!!

 

Didn't Schumacher once say that F1 cars were a breeze to drive? I heard an interview with Shuey several years ago where he expressed similar thoughts to Hamilton's. Losing traction control was one of the greatest changes to the sport in recent years, as it really forced everyone across the grid to step up their game. That first race in Australia where only half the cars finished only proves my point.

I do agree with others that the series has become essentially a spec series and there are definitely improvements to be made not only to the cars but the qualifying sessions. The FIA made big strides this year though by adding several new tracks. Although I found the race in Valencia to be a little boring (I actually thought the GP2 race had much more action), I'm VERY excited for Singapore which will be the very first night race ever! Anyway, this season is bound to have an incredible ending with such a close points race between so many contenders.

 

I'm glad that you said that, because it was similar to the point that I was going to offer. For me it is simplistic, and I'm sure that being a "good" F1 driver is not easy; but I'm turned off by the cars that "do" so much for the drivers.

I don't like the paddle shifters, I don't like everything on a car that assists the driver. I like to know that the driver is working in that car to make it go fast to nail the turns, pass, etc.

I'm a long time motorcycle club racer, so I like to know that the pilot is working to stay in control, and fighting for everything that he gets.

Again, simplistic point, and probably uneducated; but it is what occurs to me when I take the time to watch.

 

He is the epitomy of what is wrong with F1. Drivers being only a sponsor rep, a communications tool with no personality (in front of the cameras, of course). When they get behind a microphone it's always the same crap "ah yes, the team worked well, *** sponsor has been very supportive, we hope to be as good next race". They are all boooooring.

And the tracks ... of course you couldn't pass in Valencia! It's all a combination of little curves. Where's Monza without the chicanes? If you can't go fast, you can't pwn someone under braking.

It has just become like golf, all clean, tidy and organized. Actually, golfers occasionally get their feet wet.

Haven't been able to watch a race in years.

 

Choke motorcycle racers are simply at a next level of control. Watching how the motogp riders battle to keep the front tire on the ground out of corners is simply impressive.

In fact I remember watching the history of the Auto Union D and other early mid engined grand prix cars that mid-engined cars were so radically different in handling motorcycle racers were among the best at coming to terms with them as current drivers were only used to the push encountered by the front engined cars. The midengined cars could snap oversteer because of their more neutral handling.

In reference to grand prix racer Bernd Rosemeyer. Also Tazio Nuvolari was an accomplished motorcycle racer before turning to grand prix racing.

"Yet Rosemeyer was such an immediate and spectacular success that there is little room to doubt his greatness. He came to Auto-Union straight from several years on motorcycles, a novice to car racing. It was suggested that the handling characteristics of the mid-engined Auto-Union were so unusual that only someone who didn't know how a car was "supposed" to handle could master it."

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From wikipedia.

His father owned a garage and repair shop where young Bernd Rosemeyer worked on motorcycles and cars. Having started by racing motorbikes, Rosemeyer became a member of the Auto Union racing team with hardly any experience in normal race cars. This was later considered a benefit as he was not yet used to the handling of traditional layout race cars. The mid-engined Silver Arrows of Auto Union were hard to drive, and only he and Italian Legend Tazio Nuvolari truly mastered these 500 bhp beasts.

Bernd Rosemeyer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia