Wattie: fresh idea ?

Regarding last week's great race in Melbourne, John Watson calls for even more radical changes:

"I think all tracks should have sprinkler systems, which could be turned on before a race. Just before the start they should be turned off to let the track dry out naturally. Drying tracks always provide entertaining Grands Prix and it will be compulsive viewing for the fans. Last week was a great example of exciting racing, but that was 95 per cent down to the weather.”

... obviously he refers to the possible fact that the weather rather than Mosley's new regulations themselves may actually have contributed to a better show than usual. What do you think ?


I couldn't help posting this great picture from Wattie - www.sportsartworld.com

If i remember right, Alfred Neubauer said that ideally "half of the race should be run in rain". Or was it "half of the races"?

Hmm, I actually thought the race was a bore despite the weather and left after about an hour... :

Fines : honestly, if you really got bored after an hour in front of last
week's Melbourne race, I guess you probably did not see many races'
end since a few years - right ?

I love Wattie, it's an exciting idea, and good for him, but in this case it has not really been thought through.

If the organisers randomly sprinkled water on race circuits, it would cause far bigger controversy from within the teams than anything currently implemented.

There would be far bigger complaints from whomever happened to be leading or challenging for the championship than anything witnessed in F1 at present. Also the complaints about the safety risk would be astronomical. One can imagine lawsuits if an accident were to occur.

I think the current revisions to the qualifying format help increase the random factor over a race weekend without making it too artificial or controversial.

I hate to say it, and Turk Thrust would disagree, but that particular idea is best left to films like "RollerBall" and the football fight in "Flash Gordon" (where the floor was artificially tilted, flames shot out randomly etc)