5 replies to this topic

[dan2k]

I think its ridiculous that the FIA have all these restrictions and rules on how each f1 car should be built.
They say its for safety reasons, but how safe does it need to get?
Its not that i am against safety, like alot of people i dont want to see our favourite driver/s dying from a crash.
But the danger of it is what separates the brave driver and the one without any balls (like how it use to be).
I think the drivers and teams (fans too) should do something about this, the FIA are getting to carried away.
Soon we will probaly see a driver next to a computer screen controlling the car on track for safety reasons.
Look at the racing now, its not exciteting as it use to be and its not going to improve if they keep adding these new restrictions and rules every year.
Shouldnt the cars be getting faster every year instead of getting slower?
I think they should just get rid of all the bullsh*t restrictions and rules and let the designers and engineers run wild.
If it wasnt for all these restrictions and rules imagine what kind of technical innovations there would be now, and those technical innovations could be past on to road cars. The FIA say that slowing the cars down will make things safer, how about telling all the teams to make the cars safe enought to withstand a crash at high speeds or make tracks that are safer? For example, the top cars from the turbo era use to have 1000+ hp.
Well instead of bandning those type are cars the FIA should of ask the teams to try and make their cars safe enougth to withstand a crash with the type of fast cars they had or modify the tracks so there is room for fast cars like that to race on.
F1 doesnt need all these restictions and rules, the FIA cant keep trying to slow them down for ever can they? Because soon our road cars might be going faster then f1 cars are, if they keep putting all these new retrictions and rules in f1 every year.
If it was all up to me, i would give all the teams or designers and engineers freedom to do what they like.
So that the 21st century will be an era of inovations and no boundaries or limit to what the designers and engineers could do to make their cars faster then the other teams.
We are the people that watch f1, without viewers there would be no f1. If we dont like how f1 is we should all do something about it. After all if we are watching something shouldnt we be satisfied with it?
Ofcourse everybody has their own opionion on this, but this is my.[p][Edited by dan2k on 12-14-2000]

[Bruce]

dan, some of the best innovation springs from people who are creating or designing in an arena where the opportunity for real change is small. Thus, if, as you hope, F1 is to be a technically relevant series, the present situation may not be a bad thing.

Technical constriction has been a way of life in F1 since before I was born. The challenge is to create the fastest car within the limits imposed by the FIA. I think that you will find that if you refer to drivers comments in the early 80s, they were tired of driving the ground effect monsters, and argued (rightly, I think) that the average spectator would not notice if a car was 20mph slower in a corner...

Speed is not the essence of F1. Competition is. If you want balls out acceleration and performance above all, watch drag racing. Did you realise that some of Schumacher's fastest laps this year were slower than the lap records? Do you think any less of his driving because of this?

In truth, I think that F1 needs more, not less rules... Rules like; • No traction control, • no semi automatic gearboxes, • no refueling, • no engine mapping, tighter restrictions on aerodynamic grip, looser regulations on mechanical grip, limitations on money spent etc etc ad nauseum.

Your idea of a series sans rules with no limit excepting safety devices tries the bounds of credulity. Firstly, F1 is an inherently dangerous profession. Adding to the danger by placing no check on performance is tantamount to writing death certificates for drivers. F1 history is littered with drivers who were driven or drove to their deaths in cars that were woefully under-equipped to sustain the impact that their energy created. How do you expect a body unable to enforce rules on traction control to be able to legislate cars safe enough to withstand any (given that your mooted performance limit is zero) crash?

Your wishes are understandable and laudable, as they would be if they were wishes for world peace, a billion dollars in your bank account and a pony for every six year old girl.... but sadly, I think, no more realisable or realistic.

[dan2k]

Bruce,
I do agree with some of the things you wrote, but what i am really trying to say is that there are too many rules and restrictions now days. I would just like to see more freedom given to designers and engineers.

The challenge is to create the fastest car within the limits imposed by the FIA.

But some of these rules take away some of the good driving or compitition in f1.

Speed is not the essence of F1. Competition is. If you want balls out acceleration and performance above all, watch drag racing.

Which would you preffer to see. F1 cars going around at avarage speed of 100 kmh or 200 kmh?
Speed and competition is what make f1 good, without speed where would the trill of it all be in f1?

Did you realise that some of Schumacher's fastest laps this year were slower than the lap records? Do you think any less of his driving because of this?

No i didnt notice it, but what i did notice is not alot of passing. And why wasnt there? Because of the aerodynamics of the cars and the groved tires that the FIA inforce on.

When you said.

F1 history is littered with drivers who were driven or drove to their deaths in cars that were woefully under-equipped to sustain the impact that their energy created.

How about making the cars safer to sustain the impact instead of slowing them down? Why do car manufactoriers put air-bags into cars? Why dont they just make the cars so slow that an impact at such low speed wouldnt need air-bags?

What i really meant when i said

If it was all up to me, i would give all the teams or designers and engineers freedom to do what they like.

.
Not getting rid of every rule in the book, but getting rid of rules that caused less compititon in f1 now days and giving the designers and engineers abit more freedom to create new inovations.;)[p][Edited by dan2k on 12-14-2000]

[mhferrari]

It is ridiculous, they should also build more safety into the car and less in the track, so we can have better tracks.

[tony]

The idea of no technical rules is just not feasible. We would have teams with jet engines out there. I do agree with the general philosophy that the long term goal of any motor racing series should be to increase performance including speed. I certainly would like to think that in 50 years the top speeds at Hockenheim would be near 300 mph. F1 not wanting to increase speeds and performance would be devistating. Speed sells. Everyone who claims that they are not attracted to F1 for the speed are kidding themselves. If you claim to only want to watch for the driving skills why not just have the top drivers race 60 mph go carts. So my viewpoint on this is a simple one. Every motor racing series should strive to increase performance, speed and the general entertainment value of it's series without endangering the drivers, crew, or fans. Having performance and speed increases are fine as long as safety innovations keep up. As far as specific rules go, I would get rid of grooved tires, traction control, and allow the cars to have on the fly adjustable aerodynamics. Adjustable aerodynamics could make things safer if done properly so that the wings are strong and don't collapse.

While at the USGP someone told me that MS was asked if he would like to take a lap around the oval. He replied "I'm not brave enough." Just thought that was interesting.

[dan2k]

I agree with you tony and mhferrari. What makes f1 exciting is watching drivers drive at fast speeds you wouldnt be able to drive at, or not brave enought to do so.
If we all watch drivers driving at an average speeds of 100 kmph, people would say "Its not that fast". If you ask someone, what do you think about f1? The person
would reply "Its fast!".
What we also need is safer tracks for f1 cars to race on also. The tracks need to be safer, to accomodate todays f1 cars.
Ofcourse there should be certain rules in f1, but no rules that take away the good racing like groved tires.