85 replies to this topic

[Claymore25]

The mistake there was trying to include it without aligning the technical regulations, which is what they did all-too-briefly in the 1920s. If that had been the case in the fifties you might have seen some crossover.

In 1950 was done on a last minute decision because the dictatorship of Juan Perón could not finished the track to hold the argentinian gp on time. From 1951 there was not excuses.

Edited by Claymore25, 15 April 2021 - 13:34.

[Risil]

In 1950 was done on a last minute decision because the dictatorship of Juan Perón could not finished the track to hold the argentinian gp on time. From 1951 there was not excuses.

 

Right, so they threw it in to avoid it being a Europe-only world championship?

[ARTGP]

Infrared on-board cameras

 

This wasn't a gimmick imo. Just short lived.

Edited by ARTGP, 15 April 2021 - 14:11.

[Claymore25]

Right, so they threw it in to avoid it being a Europe-only world championship?

Probably.

[Myrvold]

Also, those painfully awkward podium interviews by celebrities. Crippling cringe to leave your palette in ruins after every race.

 

Though, I hate the pre-podium interviews they have now. Yes, the drivers had to wait in the room before going to the podium previously. I just feel that it takes away a lot from the actual podium celebrations.

[loki]

Gimmick doesn’t mean what a lot of you folks think it does.

[sennamaster]

Do they still use the AWS tyre degradation percentage thing ?

[ANF]

I'm afraid so.

[PayasYouRace]

I think if a certain driver read this thread title he'd hope that exhaust blown diffusers had been around longer than the 4 years he got to use one.

 

Nigel Mansell?

[Jon83]

Those silly things the Mercedes tested in 2014 to try and make the engine noise louder.

[noikeee]

Lapping around slowly to burn fuel on purpose during qualifying, because the FIA then gave it back and it paid off overall, or whatever the hell that was.

[Risil]

Gimmick doesn’t mean what a lot of you folks think it does.

 
For the avoidance of doubt, here's the OED (it's originally US gambling slang!)
 

Originally U.S. slang.
A gadget; spec. a contrivance for dishonestly regulating a gambling game, or an article used in a conjuring trick; now usually a tricky or ingenious device, gadget, idea, etc., esp. one adopted for the purpose of attracting attention or publicity.

[Clatter]

One lap qualifying was great as was the 2005 no tyre change rule.

Sad to see them regarded here as gimmicks when they're the ultimate in purity.

 

One lap quali was only suited to the TV viewer, it was absolute crap if you were trackside. I'd also question the purity bit, as conditions were not always the same for all drivers.

[Afterburner]

One lap quali was only suited to the TV viewer, it was absolute crap if you were trackside. I'd also question the purity bit, as conditions were not always the same for all drivers.

Huh, that wasn't my experience being present for single-lap qualy once.

I still think they should increase the number of eliminated drivers in Q1/Q2 (7 apiece would be perfect) and turn Q3 into a six-car single-lap shootout for pole. The single-lap format had lots more tension than the current one, I think, and with only six cars competing, both the window and the penalty for poor track conditions would be drastically reduced.

[domhnall]

Bernie's proposed medal system where the driver with most wins would be the champion.

[Fastcake]

The Austrian trophy robots last year.

Bring. Them. Back.

 

I am absolutely heartened that someone else mentioned those wonderful robots.

 

The other gimmick we have today which has been "normalised" is the compulsion to run two different tyre compounds in the race.

 

If we're not going to ban tactical pitstops, I should at least be allowed to put a set of hards on and try to run them without stopping, a la Berger in Mexico 86

Or put a set of softs on at Monaco, and run 10 seconds off the pace but be almost impossible to pass.

[Giz]

When I first read about the adjustable wing flaps I thought it was a pretty clever idea to regain the downforce lost in dirty air. But I'm not enough of an aerodynamicist, or perhaps just not a good enough thinker, to know why they didn't work!

Iirc there was a limit on how often you could adjust it and drivers just used it to manage tyres better rather than to add grip when following another car.

[ARTGP]

Lapping around slowly to burn fuel on purpose during qualifying, because the FIA then gave it back and it paid off overall, or whatever the hell that was.

 

I don't think that was a gimmick. That was just a loophole.

 

To me a gimmick is a "party trick" so to speak. Looks fancy, but has no real value or additional insight into the racing. Like the tire life stuff or the Netflix 

Edited by ARTGP, 15 April 2021 - 18:19.

[Tony Mandara]

'Williams reveals revolutionary walrus nose on their 2004 challenger'

"I can't understand why more teams haven't done it!" says Patrick Head.

'Cause it was crap, Pat. It was crap.

Edited by Tony Mandara, 15 April 2021 - 18:27.

[greenman]

Huh, that wasn't my experience being present for single-lap qualy once.

I still think they should increase the number of eliminated drivers in Q1/Q2 (7 apiece would be perfect) and turn Q3 into a six-car single-lap shootout for pole. The single-lap format had lots more tension than the current one, I think, and with only six cars competing, both the window and the penalty for poor track conditions would be drastically reduced.

 

Yo there's now two of us who pitched this exact same idea. Is that enough to try it out instead of sprint races?

 

 

I don't think that was a gimmick. That was just a loophole.

 

To me a gimmick is a "party trick" so to speak. Looks fancy, but has no real value or additional insight into the racing. Like the tire life stuff or the Netflix  

Unintended consequence I suppose. Is qualifying with race fuel onboard considered a gimmick though?

 

Another unintended consequence was then in early '08, when they said ok, the fuel you finish your qualifying with, is the fuel you start your race with. So drivers finished their lap and then coasted back to the pits, even if some drivers were on their hot laps (see Malaysian Q3).

[r4mses]

Infrared on-board cameras

 

Bring them back!

 

In contrast to all that AWS stuff -- which tbf is random nonsense anway.. to spare a swearword -- this infrared stuff was actually interesting. 

[Rodaknee]

Creating a circuit in a huge car park.

 

I believe it will be returning next year in Miami.  That'll be fun - not.

[ARTGP]

Bring them back!

 

In contrast to all that AWS stuff -- which tbf is random nonsense anway.. to spare a swearword -- this infrared stuff was actually interesting. 

 

The least they could do is put it in the F1 TV stuff so its available to subscribers even if they don't want to use it on the main broadcast.

[ANF]

Bring them back!
 
In contrast to all that AWS stuff -- which tbf is random nonsense anway.. to spare a swearword -- this infrared stuff was actually interesting.

Yeah! Also, remember the overlay corner comparisons we used to get in practice? They had a static camera and you would see two cars take different lines and carry different speed through the corner. Now they try to describe those differences with silly scores...

[PlatenGlass]

Drivers using the track.

[Alfisti]

One lap qualifying was great as was the 2005 no tyre change rule.
Sad to see them regarded here as gimmicks when they're the ultimate in purity.

people have short memories. It was CLEARLY an advantage to do one lapnlaternin the session, what we have now is far better.

[PayasYouRace]

'Williams reveals revolutionary walrus nose on their 2004 challenger'

"I can't understand why more teams haven't done it!" says Patrick Head.

'Cause it was crap, Pat. It was crap.

Also Lotus twin nose from 2014.

Wouldn’t call them gimmicks though. Just failed attempts at innovation.

[SophieB]

Oh, I thought of one - the ‘fuel used/remaining’ graphic that was dropped after everyone realised it was meaningless.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Only examples I can find are from sim racing. It was the same effect, but overlaying the cars. I prefer it to the side by side view. Can't remember how long ago it would have been when they used it, and it was only for a short time.

I wouldn’t call that ‘ghosting’, to be honest. That is where you can see the other car’s ghost from your car, so it can pull away from you or disappear entirely. Overlaying the cars is a bit different. 

[Clatter]

I wouldn’t call that ‘ghosting’, to be honest. That is where you can see the other car’s ghost from your car, so it can pull away from you or disappear entirely. Overlaying the cars is a bit different.

I think it's exactly the same. It was used where the cars were close on the clock, so there was never a circumstance where one disappeared over the horizon.

[JustNotFastEnough]

2011 Pirelli tyres. The ultimate anathema to racing. Bring back tyres where lap times decrease commensurate with fuel load. This "saving the tyres" formula has been a complete turn off at times. LET THEM RACE! without me hearing after 2 laps that the tyres have gone off. Bring back Bridgestone.

Edited by JustNotFastEnough, 16 April 2021 - 07:43.

[Henri Greuter]

I think if a certain driver read this thread title he'd hope that exhaust blown diffusers had been around longer than the 4 years he got to use one.

 

 

Interesting how to achieve having exhaust blown diffusers after the introduction of the single turbo (thus single exhaust pipe....) hybrid engines.....

[ARTGP]

Interesting how to achieve having exhaust blown diffusers after the introduction of the single turbo (thus single exhaust pipe....) hybrid engines.....

Open the valves and Spin the MGU-H from the electricity.

[10kDA]

Selling tickets and programs for a GP which turned out to be an autocross event in a casino parking lot.

 

And, a gimmick which still exists but should have expired long ago: F1 cars with footprints larger than the typical Amazon delivery van.

[Henri Greuter]

Open the valves and Spin the MGU-H from the electricity.

 

I was more thinking about the location of the exhausts on the atmo V8s compared with the single pipe on the V6.

On the V6, it will take some tubing and redirecting of the gas flow into the diffuser, not very efficient and helpful.

 

BTW, Renault did have an exhaust blown read diffuser for a while during the 1983 season. But with the then current twinturbocharged V6 that was a lot easier. Turbo next to the engine in each sidepod so the tubing into the diffuser was short and still efficient.

[A.Fant]

One lap qualifying was great as was the 2005 no tyre change rule.

Sad to see them regarded here as gimmicks when they're the ultimate in purity.

 

 

Back in the day of your profile picture being at his prime they often used the same tyres for multiple races, let alone one.

 

The number of overtaking moves is not the sole determinant of good racing.

 

What could be more fair and pure for racing than everyone running the same set of tyres for the whole race?

 

Also, the mistake in 2005 was still allowing refuelling....

 

I called it gimmicky but I agree that if you disallow pitstops altogether you could certainly view it as pure racing, but if the car is stationary for 10s and you're not using that time to change tyres it feels arbitrary and artificial (like in 2005). Would most likely lead to very processional races unfortunately.