152 replies to this topic

[D.M.N.]

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/114297

 

Formula 1 is poised for a revised weekend format in 2015, with Friday's practice schedule set for an overhaul, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

 

Teams have been debating various ideas to try to reduce costs in the future, and one proposal that has gained support is to revise the Friday timetable next year.

 

Sources have revealed that teams have now provisionally agreed to scrap the current format of two 90-minute sessions that has been in place for years.

 

Instead they want just a single 90-minute practice session on Fridays in 2015 - which is likely to take place late in the afternoon. It could even begin as late as 5pm.  

 

I can understand the logic in this, but not sure how this will help younger drivers, if at all.

[P123]

How much will that actually save them?  I suspect we are talking about pennies in the grand scheme of things. 

 

It will however massively short change the fans at the track, and lack of running will prove a turn-off for people.  Subsequent reduced attendance will then prove an additional hindrance for the traditional tracks when trying to cover the race sanctioning fees.

Edited by P123, 06 June 2014 - 12:15.

[bushgold]

Good luck selling tickets next year. Three day attendance barely dilutes the crazy pricing as it is.

[Jovanotti]

Even less F1 action for the fans at the track.
Keep ignoring the elephant in the room - distributing the TV-money and premiums more evenly - and continue with implementing creative pseudo-solutions

[ConsiderAndGo]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

[D.M.N.]

It wouldn't surprise me if this was the beginning of a move to move all races to evening slots - after all on Saturdays for European races, the on tract action doesn't end until 18:00 as it is.

[Anja]

How much will that actually save them?  I suspect we are talking about pennies in the grand scheme of things. 

 

 

They always focus on little things like this when talking about cost cutting. So effective.

Edited by Anja, 06 June 2014 - 12:18.

[Exb]

So next year we are going to end up with only 2 pre-season tests, no in-season tests and only 1 practise session on a Friday.

Not really helpful to young drivers or even rookie drivers.

Also not good value for fans attending the race having even less on-track action.  I bet the ticket prices don't go down.

[HoldenRT]

I don't see how the data could be very valuable if it's being run in conditions that vary wildly from the race?  5pm means the sun is barely hitting the track.  They've already cut inseason testing and half the time on Fridays they are parked in the garages anyway.  They only use the softer tyre in the second session?

 

Seems a strange idea to save costs.  What's running it late in the afternoon got to do with saving costs?  What difference is it, if it's 3pm or 5pm?  Off peak track hours for cheaper track usage?   The pinnacle of motorsport?  They could just turn up and scrap everything, and just race on the Sunday, but it doesn't make much sense.  This season they've introduced post race tests are certain venues, but now they are talking of reducing Fridays?

 

Bit of a head scratcher.

[Slackbladder]

*cynical hat on*

 

This will boost the viewership for practice sessions on TV, as more people will be watching after work

 

/cynical hat off

[krapmeister]

Bravo F1... bravo.

*slowly claps*

[Slackbladder]

It wouldn't surprise me if this was the beginning of a move to move all races to evening slots - after all on Saturdays for European races, the on tract action doesn't end until 18:00 as it is.

 

Not sure the BBC would like that at all. It would clog up their prime-time at weekends for 10-15 weeks during the year. In addition they then wouldn't have much room to put in highlights etc.

Edited by Slackbladder, 06 June 2014 - 12:33.

[Francesc]

They still don't understand anything.

 

Plus this move won't save that much money.

[Thomas99]

We should just not race, its cheaper!

 

[Seanspeed]

How much will that actually save them?  I suspect we are talking about pennies in the grand scheme of things. 
 
It will however massively short change the fans at the track, and lack of running will prove a turn-off for people.  Subsequent reduced attendance will then prove an additional hindrance for the traditional tracks when trying to cover the race sanctioning fees.

Indeed. Not understanding how this saves them much money at all.

And on top of everything you mentioned, it will create headaches for teams at times. If you have a problem during Friday practice, that's it. No opportunity to get any running til the next day. Ultra limited in-season testing means teams have to test out any potential updates during practice time, so this would squeeze the schedule between setup and testing work even further. And of course, it gives drivers less time on track and will likely mean the end of test drivers getting the occasional Friday session.

I'd really like whoever is proposing this, whether the FIA or the teams or whatever, to explain the specific reasoning behind this cuz it sounds like its an all-round bad idea.

[Thomas99]

You would think the expense would come from shipping tons of equipment and thousands of people around the world to run the 'show'. Putting a bit of fuel in the cars and two sets of tyres is hardly a big expensive or worth removing.

 

Take away a few hours of wind tunnel usage per week if you want to cut costs.

[Thomas99]

Indeed. Not understanding how this saves them much money at all.

 

Its all attempt to sidestep budget caps.

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

Might save a few pounds but not major money.

 

What good would be having a FP session at 5pm if quali and the race are at 1pm or 2pm? Less relevant data surely

 

The BBC and no doubt other broadcasters around the world likely wouldn't be keen to have every race as an evening race (can you imagine Canada as an evening race? You'd have the race starting at roughly 10/11pm in the main TV markets!)

 

Plus you have the issue of circuits having no choice but to install floodlights all around the track as obviously some races the sun sets quite early-ish. Silverstone may not be too bad as at it's normal time of year it's still relatively light at around 7pm, but for other races a 5pm start for any session would absolutely require floodlights. Would they really want to fork out that money?

[Fonzey]

*cynical hat on*

 

This will boost the viewership for practice sessions on TV, as more people will be watching after work

 

/cynical hat off

 

Indeed, I'd welcome FP2 to be run later in the evening in EU time so I can watch with a beer at home instead of squinting at an alt-tabbed text feed or something during the day. A single session doesn't make much sense to me though.

 

I appreciate these cars cost a lot of money each time a wheel is turned, but surely once they've flown/driven the crew/equipment/cars to the circuit, setup the motorhome, done catering for a few dozen sponsors and stuff like that - the cost of running for another 90mins surely can't be THAT significant.

 

I've only visited Grand Prix in the past with a full GP2/GP3/Porsche undercard - so there's always plenty of action on a Friday... but really we're all there to see the F1 cars!

[MrAerodynamicist]

 

Take away a few hours of wind tunnel usage per week if you want to cut costs.

The big teams won't accept anything that makes a major cut in to their advantage, so the smaller teams have to accept the breadcrums.

[MrMan]

It seems the key to this cost-cutting is to appear to be cost-cutting, whilst not cutting a lot of costs.

[tweiss]

Been a racing fan for over 30yrs... every series I watch has destroyed the essence of racing... they all complain about money... yet each of them in the large series are multimillionaires... I don't begrudge anybody having millions... but don't complain about how much it costs to go racing. 

[pokerkid]

so even less value for money for paying fans? Yet another genius idea by the muppets who run the sport. Amazingly every single idea they have is terrible. Wonder whats next? Shorter races? I'm sure they will find some way of justifying it.

[Jon83]

Ok, so all we hear next year is how the teams won't learn anything on the Friday due to track conditions being a lot cooler than when the race is on.

 

I've been to two race weekends and both times, the Friday was my favourite day as allowed me to see the cars at different points of the track (Monza) between the two sessions.

[yasushi888]

This change will just create another problem, which means changing something else, which will create another problem and so on and so on. Do they ever learn??? Stop changing things! When was the last time they made a good decision that was for the benefit of the sport moving forward?

[Afterburner]

At first I was like, "Oh, cool, three Friday practice sessions per weekend now."

And then I read the thread. What a cataclysmically stupid idea. The 'twilight' motif behind sunset practice would be ironically fitting.

[kosmos]

So less FP and no in-season testing?. The cost cutting BS is stupid, they can cut costs without making any damage to the fans or the sport integrity, I'n 100% sure of it.

[Frank Tuesday]

It wouldn't surprise me if this was the beginning of a move to move all races to evening slots - after all on Saturdays for European races, the on tract action doesn't end until 18:00 as it is.

 

At that point, it can just become a single day event.

 

8.30 - 9.30       F1 Practice 1

10.00 - 11.00   F1 Practice 2: Sat

11.30 - 12.30   Support Qualifying:

---Track Lunch Break---

14.00 - 15.00   F1: Qualifying

15.30 - 16.00   Support Race:

17.00 - 19.00   F1 Race:

[nosecone]

The best idea in terms of cost saving: More European races...

[aguri]

This is dumb, and reduced testing is also dumb.

 

Just divide the ****ing money evenly.

[Atreiu]

Just what F1 needs, less track time. Promoters will love it too...
Fecking idiots.

[Sheepmachine]

All this money they will allegedly be saving will just be spent on wind tunnel running and CFD for the big teams, the small teams will get further away and no money will be saved. Stupid

[pokerkid]

It won't be long until they become 2 day events with testing in the morning then qualifying late afternoon. Saves more money right?? Lets just make them race go carts, and save even more money. Dead set morons.

[yasushi888]

How about F1 races in Abu Dhabi every round and Bernie gets his money. I'm sure he would be happy with that. Then everyone else can move on and a new championship is formed where we start with a fresh set of rules and regs which make sense for the teams, tracks and fans.

[superden]

Less track time and, in comparison to the financial issue faced by the sport, a miniscule saving.

 

What a deal.

[rallye3]

Makes no sense. Spend all that money to develop and get the car to the circuit and then barely use it. Same with proposed limit on pre season testing.

All this means is that the cars that are good out of the box will stay in front and those that need more work will stay where they are - midfield or at the back.

More reason for less successful teams to drop out of F1

[Fastcake]

That sounds like an awful idea. It just deprives the fans of even more on-track action, as the teams are already skipping chunks of practice time now.

Still, it does prove yet again that track testing is no longer as important as some fans seem to think.

[Disgrace]

Yet more evidence the teams should not run the series.

[RonnyRonny]

I guess friday tickets will take a hit, thent he cost will be moved to Sunday tickets.

 

Great.

[Ferrari2183]

You would think the expense would come from shipping tons of equipment and thousands of people around the world to run the 'show'. Putting a bit of fuel in the cars and two sets of tyres is hardly a big expensive or worth removing.

Take away a few hours of wind tunnel usage per week if you want to cut costs.

Wind tunnel hours are already heavily regulated. Unless you want teams to design cars purely on CFD with no testing and let the chips land where they may.

All this is getting rather ridiculous.

BRING BACK TOBACCO SPONSORSHIP!

[Fastcake]

BRING BACK TOBACCO SPONSORSHIP!

You're not serious are you? Because that is never going to happen.

[bauss]

Do.Not.Like

[Ferrari2183]

You're not serious are you? Because that is never going to happen.

It won't happen but it WILL solve the financial issues teams are facing.

[mtknot]

Looks like Formula E might really end up taking over Formula 1...

 

[Tuxy]

F1 is dying.  It's not sustainable.

 

The things that made it great are no longer possible in today's financial, social and eco climate.

 

The things that defined champions in the past, are not relevant, possible or desired in the present by sponsors, teams, investors and broadcasters.  

 

The fans cling to their precious fondness for past F1 glory, while the present serves only to distance itself from the things fans identified with originally.

 

• F1 IS MONEY, GOBS OF IT... if you can't compete GTFO
• F1 IS WARFARE... the only advantage, is unfair advantage
• F1 IS INCENDIARY SPEED... the pinnacle
• F1 IS DANGEROUS... "we who are about to die, salute you."

 

BTW, this proposed format sucks.

 

Watch Isle of Man TT and tell me that doesn't give you goose-bumps.

Edited by Tuxy, 06 June 2014 - 13:38.

[apoka]

Doesn't make sense to me. We have less testing now anyways, so please at least give the teams two sessions on Friday to sort things out. How much can that cost when all the people and equipment are there anyway?

 

It would actually make sense to have more testing before/after race weekends - now they seem to move in the opposite direction.

[Waffle]

So a few years back they got rid of in-season testing and compensated with more practice sessions at the racetrack - this was done to save money.

 

Now they've reintroduced in-season testing, and they're going to get rid of a practice session - to save money.

 

Someone please explain to me how this works.  I'm baffled.

[wonk123]

Absolutely ridiculous! I was talking to my cousin today about buying tickets for Melbourne next year, we always go for 4 days, Thursday is a cruisy day with all the supports, Friday is usually the best day, but now it will almost be 2 full days until we see a car, I am rethinking my plans now!!

[Thomas99]

Wind tunnel hours are already heavily regulated. Unless you want teams to design cars purely on CFD with no testing and let the chips land where they may.

All this is getting rather ridiculous.

BRING BACK TOBACCO SPONSORSHIP!

 

I get that. But they need to reduce anything other than the show.

 

The fans wont notice if less development hours go into the car, but we'll notice 90 minutes less coverage.

[TomNokoe]

Brundle, in one word, saying the one session idea is rubbish