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What are the Safety Car Alternatives?


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#1 Calorus

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 04:49

So, after a couple of races where the safety car has allowed the field to close up, and over excited drivers have tripped over each other many here are complaining that - even whilst there are marshals or cranes on the track - the Safety Car is causing danger.

I'd be very interested to hear some of the alternatives?

Do you want more use of a reduced speed VSC?

Red flags and rolling restarts?



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#2 KLF1F

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 05:20

 https://forums.autos...tart/?p=9226835


From PayasYouRace in another thread: 
 

The delta system could easily be used to reset the gaps to what they were before the race stoppage or SC condition. I've suggested it a few times. On the last lap before green, have the SC come in and then the leader gets a reasonable lap delta to meet. Then each car behind him gets that delta + the gap to the leader. When the leader comes round, green flag. By the time the last car on the lead lap reaches the line, he's exactly where he was before the SC. We know how much time a car loses in the pits too, so that can be added to the delta for any car that pitted under yellow.

Maybe something like this would make the safety car periods actually safe and remove the chaos that sometimes follows them.

(Personally, I prefer the chaos, as long as it happens under standard race conditions such as a safety car restart or a red flag restart. I would maybe support a safety car restart zone type solution that is a zone within the final corner, to force the leading car to accelerate in the final corner of the lap, but I will leave my opinion in brackets as I have been drinking and could surely do a lot more thought before spewing it out through my keyboard).
 



#3 Jazza

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 05:46

When the safety car pulls in, make the drivers initiate the pit lane speed limiter at the safety car line. They stay at 80kph down the straight and then release the pit lane speed limiter one at a time as each car goes across the start finish line.

Boring as anything and would string the cars out into turn 1, but absolutely no way of anyone trying to anticipate the start and going early.

#4 smitten

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 05:54

 many here are complaining that - even whilst there are marshals or cranes on the track - the Safety Car is causing danger.

 

That is a little disingenuous - at Monza the marshals were on the track BEFORE the SC had picked up the field.  If it needed a SC for the marshals to be safe (which is what we want) and the stricken driver is not in danger (which he wasn't as he was already out the car) then why were the marshals on track?

 

I see the SC as a necessary evil - don't like how it equalises advantages that drivers have worked hard for (or how it sometimes gifts advantage by where you are on track when it is deployed) but all other suggestions seem unnecessarily complex.



#5 Beri

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 06:10

So, after a couple of races where the safety car has allowed the field to close up, and over excited drivers have tripped over each other many here are complaining that - even whilst there are marshals or cranes on the track - the Safety Car is causing danger.

I'd be very interested to hear some of the alternatives?

Do you want more use of a reduced speed VSC?

Red flags and rolling restarts?

 

At many indoor karting tracks, at the push of a button a limiter kicks in and the karts only go X-kmh when an accident has ocurred. This is without any influence of the driver. So I think the FIA could regulate this also and mold it in a system where drivers are driving slow and they could line up again like behind the safety car. And the same button releases the drivers again. No tampering with unclear delta's or other artificial things.



#6 Jazza

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 06:25

At many indoor karting tracks, at the push of a button a limiter kicks in and the karts only go X-kmh when an accident has ocurred. This is without any influence of the driver. So I think the FIA could regulate this also and mold it in a system where drivers are driving slow and they could line up again like behind the safety car. And the same button releases the drivers again. No tampering with unclear delta's or other artificial things.


It’s impossible in F1 but. If a driver is mid corner on the throttle and the car suddenly loses power they would spin off the track.

#7 Nikolay

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 06:44

Just make sure the safety car turns its lights off early enough so that the leading car can have enough gap with it before pushing.
The safety car must be back in the pits when the first f1 has at least a corner left.
Otherwise we will have more stupid situations like this Sunday or Baku few years ago.

#8 PayasYouRace

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 06:48

It wasn’t the gap to the SC that was a problem at Mugello. The characteristics of the track meant Bottas would have gone slowly right up to the line to avoid being slipstreamed into T1. The SC could have pulled off halfway round the lap and the leaders still wouldn’t have wanted to bolt early.

#9 Kalmake

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 07:06

At many indoor karting tracks, at the push of a button a limiter kicks in and the karts only go X-kmh when an accident has ocurred. This is without any influence of the driver. So I think the FIA could regulate this also and mold it in a system where drivers are driving slow and they could line up again like behind the safety car. And the same button releases the drivers again. No tampering with unclear delta's or other artificial things.

Some lower Formulas have used to pit limiter during VSC as well. F1 car engines would overheat and brakes underheat.

 

What is unclear about deltas?



#10 Beri

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 07:48

Some lower Formulas have used to pit limiter during VSC as well. F1 car engines would overheat and brakes underheat.

 

What is unclear about deltas?

 

There will always be a solution for those problems. But the delta's are unclear to viewers (read: to me). I will never understand why one could gain x seconds when everyone has to follow the same delta like what has happened in the past. A full blown safety car is clear, the gaps are to be seen for the viewers. Plus, adding delta's is again adding a computerized gimmick to F1. Which is a totally irrelevant issue at hand in this discussion, but computing in F1 is something F1 could do without as much as it is right now. It is bad for the sport in my opinion. But as said; thats another discussion, but it does add to my opinion on delta's.



#11 statman

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 08:44

some dumb drivers mess up ---> autosport forum: an alternative to the safety car has to be found

 

 

:drunk:



#12 Nikolay

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 08:58

It wasn’t the gap to the SC that was a problem at Mugello. The characteristics of the track meant Bottas would have gone slowly right up to the line to avoid being slipstreamed into T1. The SC could have pulled off halfway round the lap and the leaders still wouldn’t have wanted to bolt early.

I will disagree here. Normally the leading driver will Prefer to push before the last corner and this will be enough to keep the position. This is what they do even in Baku and Spa under normal circumstances. Yes, there is the split stream, but he has the advantage to push first, there is no DRS and the final corner will separate the cars.

However, this was not possible for Bottas this Sunday, because the SC turned the lights off too late and it was was so close that if he pushed before the last corner he would have overpassed the SC before it had entered the pit stops. He had no choice but to continue to the start line. This was the reason for Hamilton’s radio and post race comments.

 

It is similar to what happened in Baku’17. On the first SC Hamilton was given a warning that he has got too close to the SC on the restart. Then on the second restart he was slowing a bit too much to avoid this, causing Vettel to do a mistake and later loose his nerves...



#13 BRG

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 16:06

It’s impossible in F1 but. If a driver is mid corner on the throttle and the car suddenly loses power they would spin off the track.

No problem, just display the VSC boards and apply the limiter 5 secs later or the race director comes on the radio and counts down 5-4-3-2-1- Limiter on, so drivers have the chance to adjust. Such countdowns are common in other series, so why not F1?



#14 northanmonkee2

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 16:49

there is already an alternative  ,the vsc ,

in fact i cant remember the last time it was used this season .

anyone want to take a guess why it hasn't been used much ?

the safety car is basically a race reset {good for the show } the vsc keeps the status quo

but according to mr massi  we dont use them at all to improve the show its all about safety  :drunk:



#15 Frank Tuesday

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 17:34

Some lower Formulas have used to pit limiter during VSC as well. F1 car engines would overheat and brakes underheat.

 

What is unclear about deltas?

Nothing is unclear, but people want the cars bunched up so that the race becomes more exciting.  So they'll make up imaginary problems because they don't want to admit that they just want the cars bunch up.  In a few more years they'll be yearning for Bill France to throw a watch onto the track to force a safety car. 



#16 Frank Tuesday

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 17:37

There will always be a solution for those problems. But the delta's are unclear to viewers (read: to me). I will never understand why one could gain x seconds when everyone has to follow the same delta like what has happened in the past. A full blown safety car is clear, the gaps are to be seen for the viewers. Plus, adding delta's is again adding a computerized gimmick to F1. Which is a totally irrelevant issue at hand in this discussion, but computing in F1 is something F1 could do without as much as it is right now. It is bad for the sport in my opinion. But as said; thats another discussion, but it does add to my opinion on delta's.

How to explain deltas to the viewer:  "And on this last lap before green, drivers have a delta time that they have to meet.  This delta restores the time gaps between cars to the same as before the safety car came out."  What is complicated about that? 



#17 ArrowsLivery

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 17:45

The only necessary change is that on restarts, the field goes when the green light is waved, and not the idiotic rule they use now where the leader goes whenever he feels like it.

#18 Hati

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 17:45

some dumb drivers mess up ---> autosport forum: an alternative to the safety car has to be found

 

 

:drunk:

We don't need an alternative because some dumb driver messes up, we need a solution for two reasons:

1) We don't waste race laps behind safety car

2) We don't turn results into lottery because of the safety car.

 

And I told the solution on previous thread, we stop the race until the track is clear and then launch the players back with gaps they had when race was stopped. (And don't allow anything to do for the cars with exception of tyre change if weather conditions change during the stop period.)



#19 ensign14

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 18:21

VSC.  They're Formula 1 drivers, they should be able to keep well away from marshals doing a controlled speed.

 

Maybe a bit more imagination is needed as well.  You cause a safety car, you miss the next race. No blame apportioned, just a strict liability penalty for interrupting the race.  Start with that as a basic position anyway.



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#20 Rodaknee

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 19:26

 

Maybe a bit more imagination is needed as well.  You cause a safety car, you miss the next race. No blame apportioned, just a strict liability penalty for interrupting the race.  Start with that as a basic position anyway.

Team Potty Mouth might as well pack their bags.



#21 masa90

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 19:36

Safety car is ok. The drivers should take some responsibility on stupid stuff they during the races aswell.

 

Stuff in Mugello was horrible driving standards.



#22 Beri

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 21:21

How to explain deltas to the viewer: "And on this last lap before green, drivers have a delta time that they have to meet. This delta restores the time gaps between cars to the same as before the safety car came out." What is complicated about that?


Very much. You lost me in your second sentence. And besides, it wouldn't work because safety car periods would then take ages if cars have to drop back to their original gaps.

#23 PayasYouRace

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 21:29

Very much. You lost me in your second sentence. And besides, it wouldn't work because safety car periods would then take ages if cars have to drop back to their original gaps.

 

It would take one lap to restore the gaps. Each driver would get their own delta. You know when the SC comes out and the leader goes slowly and all the cars behind go faster until the gaps are closed up? Well this would just be the opposite to restore the situation to what it was before the SC came out. It's not particularly complicated. I'm sure the average F1 viewer can grasp the concept.



#24 Izzyeviel

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Posted 15 September 2020 - 23:46

It would take one lap to restore the gaps. Each driver would get their own delta. You know when the SC comes out and the leader goes slowly and all the cars behind go faster until the gaps are closed up? Well this would just be the opposite to restore the situation to what it was before the SC came out. It's not particularly complicated. I'm sure the average F1 viewer can grasp the concept.

 ignoring the fact your cunning plan relies on the teams and drivers faithfully hitting their deltas, there are problems.

 

what if its late on in the race? with cars a lap down or more, you'd need another lap under sc to get them sorted out

what if driver A has a 20 second lead and makes his pit stop and is now 10 seconds behind driver B when the sc comes out? Driver B could make his pit stop under the sc and still come out with a 10 second lead. your idea is the race as it is now, rather than an actual representation of the race. You'd have a lot of pissed of people in Monaco.

 

Safety cars are fine. Sometimes they work for you, sometimes they **** you over. swings and roundabouts. Every team should have a sc plan.



#25 SB

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 01:52

Employing SC is not a problem (important to the safely of marshals in fact IMO) , The only issue is that if there is any better way to resume to normal condition.

 

Just a random thought -- as we could resume VSC back to green at any part of the circuit now, why must we have to resume SC period at the start / finish straight ?

 

For example the chaos in last Sunday could be most likely prevented, if the "restart line" is set at a short straight like somewhere between turn 14 / 15.



#26 ATM

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 08:38

Frankly, I place the blame firmly on the drivers themselves. The safety car rules seem to me sensible enough not to create trouble, if they would actually bother respecting them.
But if we must find ways to improve or change the SC, especially on the restart, just mandate a standing start after the SC ended. Or make them launch one by one, 2 secs apart. We’re trying to dothings too complicately; looking for a fool-proof 100% sure scenario in which all the restarts would be perfect even though the drivers will behave like jackasses. No, stop them behaving like jackasses first, because such 100% full proof solution does not exist.

#27 absinthedude

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 11:07

How to explain deltas to the viewer:  "And on this last lap before green, drivers have a delta time that they have to meet.  This delta restores the time gaps between cars to the same as before the safety car came out."  What is complicated about that? 

 

A year ago I would have agreed with you. But we seem to live in an era when it is necessary to teach allegedly functional adults how to wash their hands, and where the majority refuse to accept the well understood basics behind how viruses spread. So maybe the average person simply isn't capable of understanding.

 

Maybe Bernie was right when he said that dropped scores were confusing the viewers. I'd always assumed that was an excuse. 



#28 jee

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 11:23

 

 What are the Safety Car Alternatives?

Drivers respecting yellow flags



#29 SenorSjon

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 11:46

It wasn’t the gap to the SC that was a problem at Mugello. The characteristics of the track meant Bottas would have gone slowly right up to the line to avoid being slipstreamed into T1. The SC could have pulled off halfway round the lap and the leaders still wouldn’t have wanted to bolt early.

 

Indeed. Just like Brazil or Baku with a long straight before you get to the S/F line.

 

I will disagree here. Normally the leading driver will Prefer to push before the last corner and this will be enough to keep the position. This is what they do even in Baku and Spa under normal circumstances. Yes, there is the split stream, but he has the advantage to push first, there is no DRS and the final corner will separate the cars.

However, this was not possible for Bottas this Sunday, because the SC turned the lights off too late and it was was so close that if he pushed before the last corner he would have overpassed the SC before it had entered the pit stops. He had no choice but to continue to the start line. This was the reason for Hamilton’s radio and post race comments.

 

It is similar to what happened in Baku’17. On the first SC Hamilton was given a warning that he has got too close to the SC on the restart. Then on the second restart he was slowing a bit too much to avoid this, causing Vettel to do a mistake and later loose his nerves...

 

Spa has a relatively short straight at the s/f line. Brazil '19 had the same as Sunday. If you bolt too soon, you will overtake the SC. So you keep a slow pace up until the s/f line to prevent slipstreamers crowding you. 

Why did the lower classes get it right? Some were too eager and there was a crash. Very similar to the Indycar one a few weeks ago at race start. 

 

Some guys at the back want to overtake the whole field at the start, carnage ensues. Penalise the driver responsible, but that didn't even happen in F1.

 

 

What I don't understand is why F1 wouldn't want to do slow zones at pre defined portions of the track (i.e. always start at the end of a braking zone to prevent people having to brake hard on a straight and getting accidents that way). At Monza, you would have gotten one entering Parabolica up until the S/F line. It works for LeMans.


Edited by SenorSjon, 16 September 2020 - 11:47.


#30 Marklar

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 11:50

some dumb drivers mess up ---> autosport forum: an alternative to the safety car has to be found

 

 

:drunk:

to be fair there is also the lottery/fairness aspect many dont like



#31 Risil

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 11:56

some dumb drivers mess up ---> autosport forum: an alternative to the safety car has to be found

 

 

:drunk:

 

I don't think this is what's happening -- Calorus only suggested that we could think through the alternatives to the safety car that exist elsewhere in motor sport.

 

Even if the current approach is overall the best one for F1, how would we find out without having the discussion?



#32 Risil

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 11:57

Fwiw I was all for the VSC before they introduced it, but having watched a few races interrupted by it I was totally confused by the experience.



#33 SenorSjon

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 14:15

Fwiw I was all for the VSC before they introduced it, but having watched a few races interrupted by it I was totally confused by the experience.

 

They should close the pit lane during VSC/SC. 



#34 chrcol

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 15:02

Majority of recent SC's in past 12 months were not even needed so main alternative is VSC.

 

Otherwise red flag.

 

More detailed answer here.

 

https://forums.autos...-7#entry9228768



#35 Kalmake

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 15:30

 ignoring the fact your cunning plan relies on the teams and drivers faithfully hitting their deltas, there are problems.

 

what if its late on in the race? with cars a lap down or more, you'd need another lap under sc to get them sorted out

what if driver A has a 20 second lead and makes his pit stop and is now 10 seconds behind driver B when the sc comes out? Driver B could make his pit stop under the sc and still come out with a 10 second lead. your idea is the race as it is now, rather than an actual representation of the race. You'd have a lot of pissed of people in Monaco.

 

Safety cars are fine. Sometimes they work for you, sometimes they **** you over. swings and roundabouts. Every team should have a sc plan.

Maybe you didn't understand... The idea is essentially green -> SC -> VSC -> green. There is no excuse to do anything special for lapped cars since it wont be a bunched up restart.

 

Pitting can be slowed down by more during caution so it's roughly the same loss as under green. Or make it a bigger loss so people will only pit under green unless they need repairs.



#36 pdac

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 16:53

Yep, the problem is that drivers cannot be trusted to act responsibly. The solution is to not go directly from safety car speed to racing speed but, rather, use the VSC system to allow the speed increase to be more gradual.



#37 jimjimjeroo

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 19:00

Just have a safety car slip road way before the pit lane entrance. And the Race Director switches the flags from yellow to green effectively restarting the race. Removing control from the lead driver

#38 cheekybru

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 19:25

I'd just paint a line on each track before the last corner or at a safe place and that's where you can overtake from

#39 ExFlagMan

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 21:14

And then the drivers would be playing silly buggers as they begin to approach that line.



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#40 Atreiu

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 21:38

I prefer the SC over the VSC.

I’d simply make the whole track go green whenever race direction sees fit, take it away from drivers.

#41 MattK9

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 21:44

To summarise the thread, there are plenty of alternatives to restart the race other than the current system but all of them have the charm of a fresh bucket of sick.

Alot of these solutions are overthinking the problem and will suck the joy from the racing.

The issue at Mugello was that the cars were not bunched together properly so when drivers accelerated forwards to be on the tail of the drivers ahead then the drivers behind thought it was back to racing speed.

The FIA could mandate bunching the pack up prior to a restart alot tighter in the regulations. 10 car lengths is simply nowhere near bunched up. The SC could also back the pack up if required. Why should backing the pack up be something that is left to the race leader.

#42 Calorus

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Posted 16 September 2020 - 22:21

To summarise the thread, there are plenty of alternatives to restart the race other than the current system but all of them have the charm of a fresh bucket of sick.

Alot of these solutions are overthinking the problem and will suck the joy from the racing.

The issue at Mugello was that the cars were not bunched together properly so when drivers accelerated forwards to be on the tail of the drivers ahead then the drivers behind thought it was back to racing speed.

The FIA could mandate bunching the pack up prior to a restart alot tighter in the regulations. 10 car lengths is simply nowhere near bunched up. The SC could also back the pack up if required. Why should backing the pack up be something that is left to the race leader.

 

Agree with 95%, but seriously, crashes happen, sometimes even big crashes, that's why no-one at all is against the cars being safer.

The point of racing is skirting the edge between control and loss of control, and if you're doing that, control will, sometimes, be lost.



#43 MattK9

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 06:28

Agree with 95%, but seriously, crashes happen, sometimes even big crashes, that's why no-one at all is against the cars being safer.
The point of racing is skirting the edge between control and loss of control, and if you're doing that, control will, sometimes, be lost.


I do understand the 'Let em race' attitude and crashes will happen if we go racing. For example noone is discussing stroll crash last weekend in that way, like that was a heavy impact and it wasnt his fault what can be done about punctures. No, we just accept punctures happen and that can lead to a big crash.

However the startline crash was so silly, but could have had much more serious outcome and could have been avoided really easily if the pack was properly bunched up. The rules around the restart should be tweaked to avoid a startline crash in the future rather than wholesale new ideas like a 1 lap VSC period to reestablish gaps in the field.

#44 Calorus

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 07:18

I do understand the 'Let em race' attitude and crashes will happen if we go racing. For example noone is discussing stroll crash last weekend in that way, like that was a heavy impact and it wasnt his fault what can be done about punctures. No, we just accept punctures happen and that can lead to a big crash.

However the startline crash was so silly, but could have had much more serious outcome and could have been avoided really easily if the pack was properly bunched up. The rules around the restart should be tweaked to avoid a startline crash in the future rather than wholesale new ideas like a 1 lap VSC period to reestablish gaps in the field.

 

But if we want them to be racing, why are we keen to keep them apart?

Really, scary as that crash looked there are dozens of similar or worse every year across the very top levels (F1, F2, IndyCar, SuperFormula) and, on average, few to no injuries.

When a driver or two would die every couple of years (the golden days most are misty eyed about) the queue of willing racers was infinitely in excess of capacity.

I just watched a man jump out of a plane, parachuteless, in the assumption that he'd find a net to land in.

Sooner or later you have to give the recklessness of youth/old enough to know betterhood space to do what it will - and the crash on Sunday is what happens when lots of people who've bet their lives on making it in a sport know that finishing 10th is an achievement but finishing where they are is worthless.

Nothing other than keeping them apart will protect them - and if we keep the apart, what exactly are we paying to watch?



#45 jonpollak

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 07:57

Drivers not being stupid?
Jp

#46 Kalmake

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 08:17

But if we want them to be racing, why are we keen to keep them apart?

Are we keen to bunch them up? Do we want to bunch them up even if there is no need to deploy the SC? Do we perhaps want stages or competition yellows like in NASCAR Cup?

 

If* we agree that SC-restarts are no longer necessary, since we have VSC tech, then we must accept that they are interference for entertainment purposes. Is there much difference in having an SC-restart randomly (Masi could roll the die) to having a random accident that causes it?

 

Maybe it's an odd stance to want restarts, but only when there was an accident.

 

 

*I realize not everyone is convinced of this



#47 shure

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 08:25

Are we keen to bunch them up? Do we want to bunch them up even if there is no need to deploy the SC? Do we perhaps want stages or competition yellows like in NASCAR Cup?

 

If* we agree that SC-restarts are no longer necessary, since we have VSC tech, then we must accept that they are interference for entertainment purposes. Is there much difference in having an SC-restart randomly (Masi could roll the die) to having a random accident that causes it?

 

Maybe it's an odd stance to want restarts, but only when there was an accident.

 

 

*I realize not everyone is convinced of this

I don't think we can agree that, though.  Part of the reason for a SC instead of a VSC is that the stewards need the field to be bunched up, in order to give them a decent window to attend a an issue without cars constantly whizzing past.  Having them all grouped minimises the risks to the stewards and condenses it in a much shorter period.  There's also currently a clear distinction between a VSC - where drivers maintain a delta - and an SC, where drivers follow the pace dictated by the SC.  Giving that responsibility to eg the lead driver might lead to a conflict of interests between safety and keeping heat in the tyres etc.  



#48 Gorilla

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 08:29

Could you not just have a light on the steering wheel of all drivers that goes green when the leader guns it.



#49 Calorus

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 08:57

Are we keen to bunch them up? Do we want to bunch them up even if there is no need to deploy the SC? Do we perhaps want stages or competition yellows like in NASCAR Cup?

 

If* we agree that SC-restarts are no longer necessary, since we have VSC tech, then we must accept that they are interference for entertainment purposes. Is there much difference in having an SC-restart randomly (Masi could roll the die) to having a random accident that causes it?

 

Maybe it's an odd stance to want restarts, but only when there was an accident.

 

 

*I realize not everyone is convinced of this

 

It's like any other game - it needs a touch of random to it. If Masi has the option he has to be given the opportunity - there needs to be a reasonable reason to throw an SC, but the randomisation it causes is the catalyst for a huge amount of the intrigue tension and drama that follows.



#50 Kalmake

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Posted 17 September 2020 - 10:34

I don't think we can agree that, though.  Part of the reason for a SC instead of a VSC is that the stewards need the field to be bunched up, in order to give them a decent window to attend a an issue without cars constantly whizzing past.  Having them all grouped minimises the risks to the stewards and condenses it in a much shorter period.  There's also currently a clear distinction between a VSC - where drivers maintain a delta - and an SC, where drivers follow the pace dictated by the SC.  Giving that responsibility to eg the lead driver might lead to a conflict of interests between safety and keeping heat in the tyres etc.  

I didn't say use VSC instead of SC. If my writing is too incomprehensible, second post in this topic describes a kind SC alternative I'm referring to.