14 replies to this topic

[Ali_G]

Well, it looks as if the FIA have done it again. Another stupid engine rule that's going to upset the grid again. Another stupid move IMO.

But its not the first stupid move by the FIA and surely not going to be the last.

A number of things come to mind, that the FIA have done to racing, in the past 10 years or so that has destroyed and mangeled the face of Motorsport for ever. Forget the Tony George fiasco in the USA. His plan made sense, the FIA howeve make little.

Lets start in the crown in the Jewel

Formula 1
A number of extremely stupid moves have happened since 1994 in Formula 1. A lot of these were knee jerk reactions from Imola 94 but some are just unexplainable.
1. The mangalation of circuits. Imola used to be a nice circuit. Tamburello may not have been a challeging corner, it was always taken flat out and showed very little problems to all the drivers. Drivers after the Tamburello used to get an overtaking chance then into Tosa. I remember seeing tapes of Gilles Villeneuve pulling off moves goint into that corner. I was most impressed. But then the FIA went and though some chicanes would solve a few problems. Those chicanes basically destroyed the flow of the circuit, and now overtaking is a rarety. Many stupid chicanes were installed. The one at Estoril was the most baffeling BTW. The funny thing is that most now agree that chicanes are a dangerous prospect to most drivers. Few forget the major pile ups expierienced at Monza over the last few years.
In 2000 a new style first chicane was installed at Monza. Why, no one knows. its just one of these things that the FIA like to do. There wasn't much havoc at it in 2000 but if memory serves me right 2001 was a different matter. 4 to 5 cars went out in turn 1. But can annone forget the 2nd chicane in 2000. major pileup, and worst of all, a marshal dead. So in retrospect, the FIA need to think seriously of their policy of using chicanes to slow down circuits. They're a driving hazard and destroy the flow of any circuit.
But its not just the installation of chinces that reck circuits. Look at present to what they are doing to the Hockenheimring. A great circuit for passing. They are at present castrating it into a preverbial sh*t of its former self. I'm not odl enough, but I know many from the Nostalgia Forum may argue that what they did to places like Spa and the Oistereichring was much worse. I too agree with them. The choice of circuit that they use is also equally as baffeling. hernan Rodriguez in Mexico was a great circuit. But then they dropped. I liked jarpagua, but they dropped it. Paul Ricard, was nice, but same story. Then they replace them with circuits like, A1 Ring, Sepang and Indy, which are all just go kart circuits

2. The cars themselves. Again there was a knee jerk reaction to the cars after Imola 1994. Rear wing height was lowered. This gave off less drag and hence less passing. new engine regulations of 3 litres came in 1995 aswell. But it was the carnage of 1998 that will be most remembered. Chassis made narrow by 20%. And grooved tyres. Many people never forgave Max Mosley for this. I still don't either. All these ideas, slowed the cars down, yet practially destroyed on track passing. 1998 and 1999 were 2 of the worst years for passing ever. The drivers also hated the new cars. They were unstable, and most thought that this unstability would just cause crashes instead of preventing them. Truly idiotic if you ask me. The new slimmer chassis gave off less drag and so less passing. The new grooved tyres reduced mechanical grip and so less passing.

3. The FIA's constant changing of the rules. Why do the FIA do this ? McLaren had a legal system in 1998 with their torque braking system. Why ban it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Ferrari fan. But I also like inovation. DOn't the FIA ? And what about X wings, bending wings due to load, etc etc which have been banned for no real reason. Shame on you FIA.

4. The present Concorde Agreement. I hate this agreeement. I loved it when there used to be about 35 cars trying to get onto the grid. At present though we are limited to just 24. And the 48 million to required to enter F1 is just a joke. What are the FIA thinking. This club has become a little too exclusive. There used to be a time where people with a passion for F1 could enter a team. Eddie jordan wouldn't be able to do now what he did back in 1991

GT Racing

This is where I am most at rage. The FIA have really ****ed this up badly

1. The wiping out of Group C racing in 1994. I used to love these cars. The Porsches and Jaguars of 1988/1989 come to mind. They were the fastest circuit cars ever built. They used to get up to 255 on the Mulsanne stragiht. It was really sad to see them go. I would love to see them back some day.

2. But the destruction of group c was the biggest thing that they did wrong. In 1998 we saw the last ever running of the FIA GT1 championship. What were they thinking. This used to be a great championship. McLaren, Mercedes, Porsches, there used to be some great racing. But in 1999 they cancelled GT, now only Gt2 cars are allowd. Why , why in God did they do this. I used to love Gt1 racs. The cars looked great and there was passing. It was also a great feeder series so that the cars also ran with slight modifications at LeMans. Just look at the GT championship now.
Now no one really cares about it. The whole field is basically made up of 911's. How bloody boring is that. Only ALMS seem to put forward good sportscar racign these days. Sadly, the destruction of GT1 also seems to have paid off at Lemans. This year there is only 1 GTP car running. I have always remember LeMans for closed top sportscars, not for prototypes. its sad to see the demise of the Gt1 championship. It used to run second to only F1, but look what the FIA have done to it.

In closing I hope someone will finally depose Max Mosley soon. His other ideas are things like having only one type of tyre which can run in dry or wet conditions. Max Mosley is going to destroy motorsport and F1 at this rate.

Niall

[cjpani]

Originally posted by Ali_G
Formula 1
.
1. The mangalation of circuits. Imola used to be a nice circuit. Tamburello may not have been a challeging corner, it was always taken flat out and showed very little problems to all the drivers. Drivers after the Tamburello used to get an overtaking chance then into Tosa. .

3. The FIA's constant changing of the rules. Why do the FIA do this ? McLaren had a legal system in 1998 with their torque braking system. Why ban it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Ferrari fan. But I also like inovation. DOn't the FIA ? And what about X wings, bending wings due to load, etc etc which have been banned for no real reason. Shame on you FIA.
GT Racing

This is where I am most at rage. The FIA have really ****ed this up badly

1. The wiping out of Group C racing in 1994. I used to love these cars. The Porsches and Jaguars of 1988/1989 come to mind. They were the fastest circuit cars ever built. They used to get up to 255 on the Mulsanne stragiht. It was really sad to see them go. I would love to see them back some day.

Niall

Brilliant post.
I agree with you completely

cj

[arcwulf7]

Good post Ali -- yup f1 racing is much different than it was in decades past. Some of the changes in the name of safety have been thinly disguised pandering to commercial and television interests. The great tracks are almost gone or unrecognizably mutilated, the few driving bits that haven't been taken over by electronics now constitute what remains of a real 'drivers' championship. The aero rules and grooved tyres producing often stultifyingly predictable racing. f1 could certainly do with a return core racing values.

[MP4/?]

I think you are 100% right... He sport isn't anymore the great sport we used to have in the '80's and early 90's...

But not only this, you forgot to mention stupid moves by the stewart's during races that changed results and the FIA did nothing. Such Silverstone '98, Malaysia '99, Brasil 00, Malaysia '02, canada '98, Germany '01, Australia '02, etc...

Seems to be a move to make F1 a great TV business insted of a great sport. Ferrari and Schumacher have 70% percent of the fans and they are sure that they are always there fighting, whatever is the cost of this...

GT racing used to be great...

[CaptnMark]

For me the real F1 finished at Jerez '97.

What we have now is something different...

[dick]

I agree Ali_G. I feel sorry for the people who've gotten into F1 recently...they have no idea how great it used to be. As for the Sports Cars, we used to have a great series here in the States...IMSA. Very much like Group C cars. Those days are gone also. ALMS is OK but the cars are butt-ugly compared to the IMSA cars. Kind of like the modern F1 car. No matter how they dress them up I think they are horrible. As for the circuits, don't you think the prevalence of 2nd gear turns are purely for sponsors and have nothing to do with safety? After all it's hard to read whats on the wings as the cars go up Eau Rouge.

[Slyder]

Great post Ali, most of my feelings are there

Jerez 1997 was the last time F1 was REALLY that interesting

now Formula 1 is more interested in being a business rather than a sport

[Ali_G]

yeah, I too have noticed a big difference between 1997 and 1998.

i have fond memories of 1997. Mostly because the last race in Jerez was on at a respectable hour. I wasn't that excited since hill Schumacher 94.

98 wasn't a bad season either, but it was very different. Good battles but the cars were just never the same, and will never be the same again.

its sad to see such a great sport being led in such an aweful way. i wish teh days of old would com back. The F1 I'm seeing at the moment is not the same as the one which I was brought up with.

Niall

[chooch]

youre right - Jacques is the champion of the last real season - slicks and no aids (except for 1 team).

[The Rock]

You know i often wonder if the FIA and the motorsport world in general would be better off with people who actually care about real racing and what the fans think cos certainly the bunch of morons in charge at present are stuck with their own stupid and stuborn ideas of whats best for F1 ,which funnily enough is not what the majority of people or even drivers want.

Certainly if the FIA was run by ex-drivers the sport wouldn't be in such a state today, i mean come this rule about the 1 engine rule is turning F1 into a NASCAR type hybrid and the silly rules about electronic aids, grooved tyres and what not has carried the sport into a state of limbo.

At this point i would prefer almost to see the drivers race in formula fords that what F1 has turned into now.

[Ali_G]

From what I know Max Mosley used to race a bit.

i think he drove in F2. Not sure though.

Niall

[Indian Chief]

:yawn::yawn: Only the 1,890,781,824th thread on this subject. Are we through yet?

[Indian Chief]

If you guys are bored with F1, then WHY WATCH IT???

I used to be a huge tennis fan from the late 1980s to the mid 90s. Now I think its boring, but I don't go around bashing the game on tennis BBs.:

I can remember the pre-grooves days very well. Monza '97 with slicks was probably the most boring race of the 1990s. Every season had its good races and its bad races.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Ali_G
From what I know Max Mosley used to race a bit.

i think he drove in F2. Not sure though.

Niall

Yes - his was the car behind Jim Clark at Hockenheim 1968 when the greatest was killed. Didn't have a particularly long career in F2, more or less retired after that.

[Slyder]

NIKI LAUDA FOR FIA PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!