F1 is boring me to death!!!!

[Hershal Byrd]

Yeah Mike , I hear ya' but I'm from the old school when like old Yeller, you run what you brung and may the best car and driver win. Ahhh! the good ole days.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Hersh /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Parity sucks. It's communism for motor sports. Can't win on your own? That's okay, we'll make the other guys slow down. 2+2=5, Outcome based racing.

The way it stands now you are forced to try and catch up. Make it a parity based environment and you disincentivize the other teams from trying their best.

 

[Gary Gibbs]

NHRA Pro Stock is a good example of a blend of "tight" rules and innovation. It is some the closest racing on the planet (% difference from first to last and margin of victory).

 

[ChrisL]

There is nothing wrong with parity as such. It just becomes a problem when people try to apply it where it doesn't belong. Parity is not a solution to non-parity based problems. They are two totally different animals. Apply parity to a non-parity competition and you have effectively ended that competition and created something else. What a shame it would be if we were left with a competiton that was F1 by name only.

 

[Gary Gibbs]

MS does it again! Another pass for the lead in the pits, and Button had a very fast car and had a very tough time working his way up to 7th in the field (from 14).

 

[David Tickle]

Well, I've just finished the ironing again. Shirts and trousers. Perfect creases and without steam too! I wish I could post a photo of them, I'm sure you'd all appreciate one. I find medium to hot is the best temperature and Teflon coated base is superior. What temperature do other members find best?

Oh, bye the way, did I say something earlier about Ferrari reliability and 1 -- 2 finishes.

Dave Tickle

 

[Gary Gibbs]

Correction. There was a pass for the lead at the start. Renault from 4th to first. They really understand the dynamics of the launch. They were the kings of the computer controlled launch and have figured out the mechanical launch pretty well to.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

[ QUOTE ]
Parity sucks. It's communism for motor sports. Can't win on your own? That's okay, we'll make the other guys slow down. 2+2=5, Outcome based racing.



Could not agree more Pat. Well said.

 

[Gary Gibbs]

It appears as though F1 can't decide what form of racing they want. The new rules they are proposing include manual shifting requirement, a single manufactuer of spec tires, Smaller mandated v-8's, etc.

 

[ChrisL]

I don't know how many seasons they've been discussing it, but how difficult can it be to slow the cars down and make the racing more exciting and cheaper? I can think of all sorts of ways, some more radical than others.

How about this one...
No tyre changes for the whole race (but keep the madatory fuel stops). Force the teams to submit their tyers a week in advance and then place them in official storage until the race. Then during the race without notice but at secretly pre-determined times, spray a section of the track with water. The teams would have to design cars and tyers to last longer and perform well in all conditions, just like real cars. What better way to slow them down.

Yes, I know, I'm a trouble maker /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[ChrisL]

The commentary could go something like this…
“…but look, look Martin! It seems that the water trucks are on the move again. We’ll be keeping a close eye on them to see where they pop up.” “Yes James, MS’s car seems to be flying in the dry, but we think that FA’s Renault is set up for the wet. He should catch MS pretty quickly during the wet stages, and probably pass him if the wet stage lasts long enough.”

I would be glued to the screen waiting for the next water spray /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

I like your idea Chris - I know I always enjoy a wet race. For what it's worth, I enjoyed the spectacle of yesterday's race. Racing with a broken header, Williams losing their brakes due to too small brake ducting, etc. F1 is all about strategy and tactics, and I love it for that. Perhaps for those reasons alone it will never become dominant in America. Maybe that's not a bad thing, given the type of racing that seems to occupy American's hearts. I for one do not want F1 to become like CART, IRL or NASCAR. F1 is technical prowness at its finest.

It would be a lively debate on what might make it better for tv yet still keep the core of F1 intact. I would disagree with the idea of no tire changes. In the past, before refuelling, one of the great difficulties in driving was managing the changing mass and weight distribution of the car as the fuel load was expended. If they brought back slicks, we would increase mechanical grip (although with the times we are seeing now that could be debated). Eliminate fuel stops for the reason above, and improved safety in the pits. I have no problem making the engines last longer, but I do have a problem with a common ECU. A concrete reduction in aerodynamic download would make things interesting. And of course the entire scheme of qualifying is terrible.

What are your comments about Bob Magget (forgive the spelling) as commentator on Speed? He is simply wonderful talking about the technical aspects of the car. How many people would have caught Jensen's tire coming off the rim on his qualifying lap?

How many people complained when McLaren won 17 of 18 races between Prost and Senna? What about when Mansell had his stellar season? The constant ebb and flow as teams rise and fall will always be a given. Hats off to BAR and Renault for the great jobs they are doing. Shame on Ron Dennis and his new Paragon - how many millions of dollars are being spent there as his cars languish? Perhaps the reason so many people are frustrated with F1 now is due to Ferrari's dominance - but who's fault is that? It seems that as with so many things, people love to start changing rules rather than compete when someone builds a better mousetrap.

Perhaps a more intersting discussion here would be a remembering of your favorite F1 season or period. For me it would be Schumacher at Benneton. With an underpowered car he was fantastic. What a talent he has for not only car control, but also bringing together a group of people as focused as he.

Sorry for rambling (not really).

 

[HILLY]

Pat,
Ramble on…. You have hit the nail on the head with regard to many aspects of F1 which I love. I certainly do not dislike Ferrari and MS rather I tend to admire MS and the endless talent, determination and focus that he possesses. (I am a life time admirer of Senna for the very same reasons). I am however disappointed with the other big guns for there lack of performance which has ultimately led to the one sided affairs that we are currently seeing.
I also love the strategic and technical side of F1 racing. In what other motor sport would the fuel company design a fuel for their team which is lighter than the rest and enables their cars to stay out an extra lap or two. Mind boggling.
With regard to all the proposed rule changes, it will not really matter too much what they end up with as long as there is no restrictions within those guide lines the effort to maximize the performance of each component will remain the same as it is now and the extra emphasis on driver car control will still see MS at the front. We all shuddered when they banned turbo’s. The next year they went faster. Grooved the tyres…Faster again.
F1 is the ultimate motor sport regardless if you like it or not. I get excited just hearing their unique sound.
And that’s my ramble.

 

[ChrisL]

Pat,

Having just read an article on further proposed changes to the rules (Motorsport News), it seems that tyer changes may well be on the way out.

Other changes included...
fixed front and rear wing packages for each track,
narrower front tyers for less grip
wider rear tyers for more drag...
and a few others.

Also mentioned was Ferrari's tease that they have nothing left to prove and may withdrawer after all contractual obligations have completed in 2007!!!

 

It will be certainly interesting to watch what happens. It seems that while the FIA says these will move forward quickly, there are some team managers that don't share his optimism. With the requirement for 100% agreement, it should make for a lively debate in the press.

 

[Mike Dozier]

For those engineering inclined, there is an interesting
article on Ferrari's use of data in the May issue of
Design News, a trade publication found in some libraries.
www.designnews.com

The level of data taking is amazing....150 sensors on the car, 1,000 samplings per second ! Some of this data is converted into adjustments while the race progresses. There are switches on the steering wheel
that allows the driver to alter several variables
including the engine mapping, suspension setup, etc.

These used to be available to the pit crew, but F1 changed
the rules and on track corrections can only be made by the driver. Since the driver can get a little busy, Ferrari
is testing voice activated controls.

Does anyone remember how silly we thought that concept was
when it was used on old TV shows like Knight Rider?
Technology marches on.

MikeD

 

[Gary Gibbs]

Yea! Interesting race!

I am not sure that these guys fully understand the strategy of the full course caution. If you are at the tail end of the lead lap why would you NOT come in a take tires and enough fuel to finish. Truli as the leader did it and it paid off. If MS would not have recked he would have had to pit like his team mate and be even further behind. Top two guys pitted under yellow and were miles ahead at the end. I find it interesting that they do not bunch up on the green flag restart. Button (caught by traffic) was 6 seconds behind at the restart.

 

[Dan W]

I agree Gary, Ferrari brain farted big time!They should have pitted as well. That was a bad restart , i dont understand the gaps either,,lol.

Just when everybody has once again written off the races (just like last year) they get very intresting and Ferrari doesnt look that strong. Lets hope it continues to be a intresting season from here on out.

 

[ChrisL]

... and what was it with MS throwing out all anchors in the tunnel behind the pace car. I don't beleive a word of the "puting heat in his brakes" theory. You don't almost flat-spot your tires just to get some heat into the pads.

 

The Monte Carlo race kind of looked like NASCAR at Bristol. Maybe some of the F1 guy will be racing down South soon.

Vic