Formula 1 Commission meeting this week

[cosworth151]

The Formula 1 Commission is meeting this week to discuss several items:

Williams, Alpine and AlphaTauri want a greater allowance to spend on upgrading infrastructure and facilities, which will help close performance deficits in the longer run. There are also set to be talks on engine equalization to allow certain changes under the engine freeze rules, in place through 2025, with the Renault-powered Alpine squad understood to be lagging behind its competitors.

They will be talking about whether or not to ban tire blankets for next season. A false economy move which will do little to help struggling teams and will negatively impact the racing IMHO.

They will also discuss the Sprint races for next year. 

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a44629826/f1-notes-from-hungary-new-alpine-ceo-tire-blankets-budget-cap-investigations-and-more/

[Jericoke]

I really do feel that the cost cap is a good idea, but they need to be flexible to make sure they're not just locking successful teams into a successful mode and weaker teams into a weak mode.  Even the whole 'good teams' don't get as much wind tunnel and CFD time... basically preventing someone from using their most expensive tool frees funds for all kinds of other things.  I'd hate for teams to have 'standard facilities', but if they want things to be equal, it might be worth discussing what baseline each team should be allowed so they can be competitive.

The tire blankets seems like such a weird thing.  I get that it feels like an easy way to cut costs, but like any project where the people have no idea what they're talking about are making the decisions, it doesn't sound like it's going to work.  I'm sure that Pirelli (or whichever supplier) could create tires that don't require warming, but to simply remove warmers from tires that do require it sounds like a terrible idea.  F1 has many forces at work, but both safety and 'the show' need to come before cost cutting.

I miss the days of unlimited engine development.  With cost caps in place, unfreeze the engines, if Alpine wants to spend all their money on engine development instead of shrimp cups for VIPs, they why not?  I don't really like the engines being a single spec, but I would like for them to be 'interchangeable'.  Make the block standard dimensions so you could plop a Ferrari in the back of a Red Bull at a moment's notice.  This allows customer teams to design their cars without worrying about the whims of a constructor making a stress bearing power unit specifically suit their own car.

Personally, I'm not opposed to the sprint races.  I don't feel like they've been integrated into the race weekend/season very well, and maybe there is no 'right' way to do it.  All the same, I don't mind them trying it out, and hope they get it sorted. 

[Alianora La Canta]

This is Year 15 of attempting to ban tyre blankets. I think, finally, some progress is being made.

I don't like the budget cap (which appears to lock in victory for whoever's allowed to overspend the most) or the sprint races (which tend to undo any excitement qualifying might have induced).

[lkjohnson1950]

Indy Car doesn't use tire warmers. Their Firestones do require warming. Pit exit burnouts seem to warm the rears successfully, but the cars often understeer on the outlap. Cold tires have caused a few accidents, but it doesn't appear to be a wide spread problem.