F1 needs clearer rules - Haug

[John S]

When you are right you are right!    Give the man a cigar for sticking his head above the parapet

F1 needs clearer rules in order to steer away from controversial race weekends, Mercedes' Norbert Haug insists.

Melbourne last weekend staged a highly-controversial 2009 championship opener littered with protests and technical infringements, and results blemished by the spectre of looming appeal hearings.

"Controversy in F1 is as old as the sport itself," Haug told the news agency SID, "and it is quite often exaggerated at the first race of the season."

But the German stressed that "clearer regulations" would go some way to minimising the controversies, for example in the rear diffuser saga and other areas of the technical rules.

"We have been demanding it (less vague rules) for a long time. 
 
Different interpretations are fatal for the reduction of costs : obviously designing something twice costs twice as much," added Haug.

He said it is not good for the sport if the drivers who stand on the podium are only able to celebrate provisionally.

"That is a justifiable criticism," Haug admitted. "We are no different to the fans in wanting absolute clarity."

Source GMM
© CAPSIS International

[Jericoke]

With a machine as complicated as an F1 car, it is impossible to specify one best way to do something.  It's not like the FIA sets out to create controversial loopholes, it's the designers and engineers poring over the minutae who find them.

If they want to get serious about the rules, I suggest some sort of FIA oversight:  an FIA employee is present at each factory, with complete access to all testing and design.  Any questions can be answered then and there.  They can coordinate amongst the other 'referees' the moment they spot something unusual.  Honda's diffuser could have been ruled on last summer while it was an idea, not right before a GP where, as Haug points out, it could cost a lot of money. 

It would also clear up any shenigans like Ferrari/McLaren a couple years ago.  The FIA would know right away of McLaren was using any stolen technology.

[SennaMan]

well hold on here - The FIA ruled KR's win in 2007 was clearly illegal as his FERRARI had a 'movable floor' and allowed the result to stand without any penalty, apart from ordering FERRARI to remove it forthwith, so with this precedent I cannot see how BRAWN's 1-2 result can be changed

oh, sorry I forgot BRAWN-MERCEDES is not FERRARI so they could be penalised with loss of race points and a hefty fine too!

[Chameleon]

Great - put FIA observers in each design office so they can squash the last remaining vestiges of innovation in F1.  Brilliant idea.

All advances in design are made by some bright spark spotting a loophole in the rules.  Eliminate that and you eliminate the very essence of the sport.  The three double-decker diffuser teams have given us hope in that they have demonstrated that even today it is possible for clever engineers to outwit the rulemakers.  That is what is supposed to happen, for pete's sake!  Always has and (hopefully) always will.

The only thing wrong is that, in this case, the FIA have refused to give a clear ruling on the matter as soon as it became evident.  Max, Charlie Whiting and the stewards have indicated that the diffusers are legal according to the letter of the law - that should be sufficient for any protests to be thrown out immediately, rather than submitted on appeal to the WMSC. Who is running the show, after all?

And as for giving such incompetent asses even more power to shove their noses into the teams' business...

.oO(Ahhh, that felt good - must allow myself to let off steam more often in future)

[Jericoke]

Wasn't someone saying last year that all rule interpretations (including penalties) were up to local Stewards.  They said that the FIA should be providing professionals, so that the same people are laying down the same rules for all races.  (Now, it would be up for debate if they're doing a good job or a bad one, but at least you'd know what to expect.)

[Scott]

Personally I think the monkey show starts in the Court of Appeal.  They should rule, and then appeal at the track, with the local stewards or local FIA officials, and then that's it.  Nobody can go home or on to the next race until it's completely sorted, and then there is no appeal in Paris or Geneva.

As to the notion of the FIA's peering eyes everywhere in the factories, it is way too Big Brother for me.  If somehow over time they proved themselves to be completely impartial, then I could perhaps warm up to it, but as it stands today, I think the FIA is perhaps the most corrupt entity in F1, so no, I wouldn't like to see them have any factory access unless invited to clear up a technical question.

[johnbull]

The idea of having FIA spies in every factory sounds a bit dodgy.

Chammy, I agree 100% with your post. It's great to let off steam sometimes - problem here is that it's usually 'er indoors that gets the brunt of it. Poor gal!