Official F1/Motorsport thread

[toythatkills]

In theory you are right but then they would just be stuck behind cars with worn tyres anyway, and would have lost a load of places by pitting. The only way to fix it would be to say that drivers have to make at least 2 stops.

Which would be a completely stupid rule and I can't believe they're even considering it. It's only one step away from "you have to let Schumacher cross the finish line first" or something.

If a team doesn't need two stops, they shouldn't have to make them. It should be beneficial to make two stops. If they want teams to make two stops, they need to work out how to make it a better option than taking one, rather than just enforcing it.

They could introduce "refuelling" for example.

[abigsmurf]

I've been trying to think of a way they could fix the mess they've made with this rule.

Extra championship points for the people with the fastest laps? Could work but I guess it would just lead to the person in first with an open road in front of them speeding up for a couple of laps then slowing down.

[Shez]

We can only see how the rest of the season pans out, but for the moment there is too much emphasis on saving tyres.

The drivers don't want to even try and risk any kind of move, because as soon as they are in the dirty air, the lack of downforce increases the tyre load substantially - Let alone adding in the problem a lock up might cause.

I think Melbourne will be more exciting, it usually produces a good race.

[vanpeebles]

I was so looking forward to the first race with all the new cars, returning drivers, changes etc etc only to be pretty dumbfounded as to how boring it was. Bahrain is a boring track but even that was taking the biscuit.

They really need to look at reducing the effects of downforce or cleaning up dirty air then add a load more horse power for overtaking.

[PeteJ]

Mclaren are calling for a two pit minimum but I agree they shouldn't touch anything yet. In my opinion the issue is Bridgestone - the hard compound was just too good. There was no risk.

[ChrisF]

I know... (not a serious suggestion coming btw...) how about they lose 1 point for every second they're adrift from the current lap record? That'll force em to get a beat on!

[vanpeebles]

Bring back turbochargers and have an overboost button of 100 to 200bhp.

[Mr_Skinny]

That race almost rivaled Valencia in terms of sheer tedium. If the powers that be are going to change the regulations then they need to do it properly, instead of the 'tinkering' approach they seem to have adopted.

My first suggestion is to shoot both Bernie Ecclestone & Herman Tilke in the face.

Other than that perhaps they should change the design regs so that the cars resemble those of the 90's, when they could actually follow each other more closely without too much of a problem. I know F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport and technology but what good is that if it's dull dull dull?

I'm not a fan of the multiple tyre compounds, I'm struggling to think of a single instance where that has added any real excitement to a race, nor am I a fan of enforced pitstops. Bring back the days of a single compound, which has the potential to last an entire race, with pitsops being optional. That way teams have to gamble on if it's worth risking staying out on the same set, or getting a performance boost by stopping for fresh boots.

All this 'you must stop x number of times' and 'you must use each compound at least once' stuff to me seems rubbish, and artificial.

One thing they do seem to have got right though is having former drivers on the panel of stewards, perhaps that will at least stop drivers being penalised for having the nerve to take to the track in anything other than a Ferrari.

End of rant

[Atticus]

Listening to Martin Brudle continually comment about how cars can't stay close behind another (let alone overtake one) was just depressing. If that's the case they might as well all go and park up and think of a new sport.

Let's hope the better circuits make a difference.

[vanpeebles]

Yep, bring back slipstreams or give them the raw power to break the dirty air.

[Roddie]

I don't see why they were even considering banning refuelling. I'm not convinced it's just the circuit, but I hope we get a bit more action in the coming races.

[bwi]

random sprinkler systems arond the track, races that get wet in the middle are always exciting or maybe a Speed (the movie) kind of encouragement

bri

[toythatkills]

They could allow cars to carry weapons, Wacky Races style. Schumacher could destroy Kubica with some well placed drawing pins. Button passes Massa with a nicely timed whack with a sledgehammer. Alonso goes into a wall after Hamilton cleverly painted a tunnel onto it.

Legard would still make it sound boring though.

[Alex_976]

They NEED to ban or majorly reduce the aerodynamics and get rid of carbon brakes. No one can follow each other through the turns because they lose down force and if they do get close enough to overtake, braking at the 100M board is too close to the turn to allow out braking.
So scrap the wings and get some road legal steel brake discs in there!

Something needs to be done about the ‘marbles’ also. The drivers are so scared to go offline it’s shocking. They tyres need to be made to they don’t fall apart so easily.
My final suggestion is get rid of all the micky mouse tracks. The new section at the Sakhir circuit was AWFUL. They’ve got all that space in the middle of the god damn desert and there making them do 2nd gear corners. Give them some 5th, 6th, 7th gear corners. Let’s see who’s got the balls to keep the throttle floored when others would lift - Letting the driver make a difference no who’s got the best car.
It’s not like they haven’t got room for run off like some of the older tracks. All the new tracks seem to be in deserts!

Mansell and Senna never had any problems overtaking. Watching the F1 classics on the red button, one race that stood out so far for me was Nigel Mansell blasting round the outside of Gerhard Berger in Mexico. A true showing of skill and balls - A general wanting of wanting to overtake!!!
Sadly something the current crop of drivers seem to scared to do.

[Alastair]

They NEED to ban or majorly reduce the aerodynamics and get rid of carbon brakes. No one can follow each other through the turns because they lose down force and if they do get close enough to overtake, braking at the 100M board is too close to the turn to allow out braking.
So scrap the wings and get some road legal steel brake discs in there!

F1 has to be the pinnacle of motorsport if it is to attract the spectators, TV audience and investment that it needs to survive. Doing the things you mention above would result in GP2 cars being faster and probably things such as DTM being faster too. Something does need to be done to make the racing more competitive but I'm not sure what. If it was going to be easy to do it would have been done already I guess.

I agree about the tracks though.