Ecclestone thinks short-cuts would be a good idea...

[Scott]

This was part of a longer story on Autosport, but this paragraph made my jaw drop:

"I think it would be very easy for us on each circuit to have an area where you could gain a bit of time so you could overtake - a shortcut if you like - which a driver could use five times during the race, so it would stop people getting stuck behind somebody," he suggested.
Say Bernie, why not just fire Tilke and let someone a bit more clever design the tracks?

Here is the rest of the story:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80852

[littledave]

Now all we need is some obstacles in the road and we have ourselves a race!

[bo bruce]

lets allow each driver to carry.. .oh, i don't know say, 4 handfulls of tacks that he can drop as he felt necessary, when some one was getting too close

berry has completely lost it -

[david1275]

We have the turbo button (KERS) now the short cuts, all we need is bombs and we could call it Mairo Kart. 

I think Bernie needs a check up!!

[Dare]

After watching Kimi at Spa last year I thought
we already had them

[david1275]

After watching Kimi at Spa last year I thought
we already had them

It was young Mr. Hamilton took the short cut was it not?

Kimi just tried to drive through a wall on the last lap. There's an idea for Bernie, ghost mode so they can drive through walls.

[cosworth151]

Flash!

Bernie has built a "more overtaking" car. I've got the video of their test! I'm not sure who his assistant is, but the name sounds familiar. 

[Dare]

watch Kimi's car in turn one

[John S]

After watching Kimi at Spa last year I thought
we already had them

Where do you think Luca's, oops sorry I mean Bernie's idea came from!

I think they should have a ramp, Evil Knieval style, that allows you to jump from one section of the track to another bit missing out one or two corners.   They can use it as often as they like but get it wrong and you could lose a lot more than you can gain.  Well at least it would be spectacular.  

[david1275]

watch Kimi's car in turn one

That's not corner cutting, that's using all the available track. 

[Ian]

Bernie  , has surpassed himself this time, what a total and utter prat.

[Scott]

That's not corner cutting, that's using all the available track. 

Could you imagine that corner if they corrected the track and paved it the way Kimi's car went?  It would be an amazing high speed sweeper.  A lot more fun than now.

[FW14B]

Ah Bernie, old age is catching up big time now.  Pity.  Short cuts?  Gold medals?  Definitely it does sound a lot like Mario Kart.  Maybe as a cost cutting measure they'll install the Wii 'Wheel' controller instead of those expensive old steering wheels?  Or better still, remote control driving? 

[Monty]

As I said in the general forum the idea isn't even new.
This is what they do in European Rallycross. Introduced because overtaking (especially in dry / dusty conditions) was becoming very difficult. In my opinion all the short-cuts do is break up the race and I haven't heard anyone suggest the idea is working.
I still grimmace when I think about how the over-regulated approach to F1 would deal with cars moving onto the short-cut and then rejoining the main track. There would be dozens of stewards watching to see if they crossed the blend line too early, changed direction safely, indicated correctly......