F1 2010

[Keith]

Totally agree with brakes.

I don't really think teams give 2 hoots about the drivers championship these days.

To be quite fair, in open wheel racing no-one else has got it right either. The cars have made 95% of the tracks irrelevant through technology. I thought Las Vegas was a travesty, now they're all like it!

But, if you start to control technology F1 is not interesting anymore - the Pinnacle of Motor Racing.

Perhaps to be a true World Champion of World Motor Racing, drivers should compete in several completely different disciplines such as Road Circuit, Rally and Oval (in suitable cars of course). Now that WOULD truly be a World spectacle.

I had a bad feeling about Sunday and find myself not caring less after 45 years of interest. That track totally sucked.

Sorry Mr Tilke, don't like racing in car parks.

Found this on-line petition from 6 years ago!

Let someone else design an F1 track Petition

 

[Dave]

Why try and slow them down? Make the rules no rules. Let them do what ever it takes.

Horse power, aero, Massive wheels, all the turbo's you can fit. Computer aids. Four wheels or six.

Set them free I say.

 

[Mike]

The problem with a totally unrestricted no-rules approach is the richest guy wins. New or privately funded teams don't stand a chance. You trade one kind of boredom for another, like the complaints when Shuey won everything in sight. 2009 started a little like that with Button.
Don't know what the answer is, but from a spectator (and marketing) point of view, NASCAR sure draws them in. Seems passing and close racing is key to excitement. Now why can't those geniuses come up with a "formula" that minimises one car's effect on another/trailing car? God knows they try, but you would think the aero experts could dictate a foil that would do that, regardless of how it reduces downforce. So maybe they end up with no wing? So what? I remember some damn fine racing before wings. Does it really matter to the spectator whether the car is cornering at 80 mph or 90? As long as it is obviously on the limit?

 

[David Morton]

Get rid of quite a few things and intoduce steel brakes. As a cross section, how many of our website have fancy exotic brakes other than steel? Probably none. How many of us have a fancy front wing and wing balance control ? A fixed splitter may be, but not a lot else. How many have an up-link for car data? How many drive round and round on a boring circuit in a park?
We did discuss this a few years ago and I htink the answer for nearly all of us came out with was if it's F1 it has to be no limits but also within the technology we can see on out road cars. If they want a 21 litre car and tires 10 feet tall, do it. But whatever they do, get rid of the boredom thats has already invaded the season from the first race.
Cost cutting ? Cut the costs of the tickets for a start, and then some of the prima donnas salaries as well.

 

[Russ Noble]

Why try and slow them down? Make the rules no rules. Let them do what ever it takes.

Horse power, aero, Massive wheels, all the turbo's you can fit. Computer aids. Four wheels or six.

Set them free I say.

I whole heartedly agree! BUT given no restrictions it would be easily possible to build a car that will generate more G forces than the human body could cope with. It would be very easy to induce drivers blacking out, retinas falling off etc. I guess there is always G-suits etc.

But given these PC times why not just restrict the amount of fuel that can be used in a race. Leave everything else free. An F1 economy drive! But the first to the flag wins! That way they would be trying to produce the fastest car using a a set amount of fuel. That would eliminate high drag high downforce aero. Produce more meaningful developments for production cars etc. Still cutting edge but with an emphasis on efficiency.

 

[Jason Lindsey]

I think F1 is a victim of its own success. It has to be at the leading edge of inovation and design, as this is expected of the top race series in the world (allegedly).

Look at the close racing of touring cars, they have strict rules that even out the field and put the emphasis on driver skill. lots of overtaking happens because of very little aero aids, the cars rely on mechanical grip and can follow each other with inches to spare.

Look at bike racing, they have no aero aids to assist them other than making the bikes as steamlined as possible. Some of the best racing happens at club level. I took part in, and still watch club racing in the UK, its the best 'racing' pound for pound. Ok, there is not millions of pounds invested and the facilities can be a bit basic, but i go for the racing, not to show off.

In my opinion, F1 needs to go backwards in order to go forwards. Get rid of the aero aids and increase mechanical grip. They can still keep all the technology and all the money to show off, but they need to remember that without the fans, the real fans (not the money people) the show will not go on. Unfortunately, its the money that will drive decisions, not what fans want. Just look at the new big money tracks, they are so boring and lack character, can you imagine F1 at Brands Hatch!!

Jas

 

[John Coombs]

How about smaller fuel tanks so that you have to make two refueling pit stops. Change tires as often as you want. Reduce the aero aids on the cars but increase the mechanical grip thus reducing the wash out you now get when following another car.

 

[Pat Buckley]

John - those were last years rules. They changed the rules for this year and made refuelling illegal.

 

[David Morton]

Pete
Have you wet weather gear ready.

 

[Terry Oxandale]

Yeh (I hope)!!!

 

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

very cool race.My australia was rainy today but I loved it anyway.

Still I think Vettel is THE man to beat,and the best one...so sad he ended such way for brake failure.Always too cool in comments.

shame also for lewis,he made a too great race.He didnt save any position, he just pushed always to win...and sometimes he looses. maximum respect also for him.

 

[Keith]

Oh! Thanks Paulo... :veryangry:

 

[tim]

Get rid of quite a few things and intoduce steel brakes. As a cross section, how many of our website have fancy exotic brakes other than steel? Probably none.

I do, and thanks to F1. I just ordered some Brembo Carbon fiber Corvette 2009 ZR1 brakes. I bet Fran and others will start using them soon too, as the price drops some more. With the GT40's being built these days (bigger engines etc...) owners would want to use the best brakes and suspension
that are avaliable. These products come onto the market years after they have been developed in F1.

 

[Keith]

Carbon brakes.

With 70mph max national speed limits radar traps every mile and 30 million cars on the road (in the UK) that'll be just what the doctor ordered.

Track maybe, public roads no. Rich mans exotic toy at best.:thumbsdown:

 

[tim]

Don't no about being exotic, just go to a Chevrolet Dealership and order them. I first held a Carbon Fiber disc in 1992 and I thought it would never be fitted to a road car. Now standard on high performance road cars.

 

[Keith]

May be talking cross purposes here. I was referring to carbon carbon brakes but you may be talking about carbon fibre-reinforced silicon carbide which is used on the more exotic road cars and can extend the life span of discs by an order of 2 or more. I agree, they might make sense but not the kind of carbon systems used in F1.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Old style Le Mans running start, mandatory 6 pit stops, where they must each quaff a pint of strong lager and then we might see some fun ! Oh , nearly forgot, also no use of astronaut style urine bags in the cars. They have to time their pee stop so they don't join a queue for the solitary toilet.

 

[David Morton]

Tim,
Definitely not the Carbon brakes used on F1. You would have crashed by now.
They only work at temperatures around 600c+ and to get that sort of heat into your brakes on a road car is impossible. My original comment is still valid -probably more than 99.9% of production road cars are still steel discs.

 

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

Porsche and ferrari offer carbon-ceramic brakes on their cars. Quite expensive but surely great brakes.

think the price is around 20.000 euros...correct me if I am wrong.

 

[David Morton]

Paolo,
Corretto. MA non utilizzato in F1