GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Andy B on December 01, 2017, 11:43:50 PM
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Am I alone?
I remember the days when cars would run nose to tail waiting for a mistake or missed gear change to be able to pass.
I remember when team mates would race each other as well as the other teams.
I remember when the sound of an F1 car starting up would send a tingling feeling down your spine and try to destroy your ear drums.
So what is 2018 going to bring us?
Cars that cannot run close together so they form processions and the old adage that whoever gets to the first corner first wins may become true.
Softer compound tyres forcing two stop strategies so more overtaking in the pits not on the track.
Halo the majority of the drivers it seems do not want it its ugly and could cause problems in certain conditions.
The rear flappy thing remains to give us false overtaking.
Liberty's contribution to date has been to change the name to rri, allow the drivers to use social media and sack Bernie!
Can they change my mind over the next year?
Only time will tell.
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Preachin' to the choir brother! I totally agree. :good:
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I can remember a time when F1 races were won by over a minute or more from the 2nd place on regular basis and just poodling around in mid pack not pushing your car could give podium finishes because reliability was always an issue. I can also remember top teams having defined no 1 drivers.
F1 never Stands still, nor should it IMHO, which is why I can't wait for the rri Oz GP to come round. ;)
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Top teams still often have defined Number One drivers, they've just learned to be more secretive about it because now sponsors have issues with the practise, rather than just the fans (or, in an earlier age, nobody at all).
F1 races used to be won by much bigger margins, but then again it used to be possible to overtake people with performance gaps of under 3 seconds without gimmicks, and the order of things changed rather more often than now (when the basic order is set as soon as the engine manufacturers reveal what engines they have for this particular engine cycle, and then mostly - though not entirely - decided by how many hundred million a team can raise). Also, nowadays, pootling around not pushing your car is the only way to win because attempting to do otherwise gets you "Computer says no" and enforces pootling around. It's not even "pootle around or your car breaks" any more.
Reliability is something I usually welcome in today's F1 though. Fortunately, I still enjoy supporting Force India against the odds, and look forward to seeing how my new favourite F1 driver, Charles Leclerc, does. If it wasn't for that, supporting F1 would be... ...difficult.
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I know I'm in the minority, but I like the quieter engines. Being to a live race and actually getting to talk to the people around me was an amazing experience. If I spent the whole race buttoned up in headphones, what's the point of being there live at all?
The gap between the top and bottom of the grid is historically small. When was the last time the 107% rule was even brought up?
I think the issue of cars relying on aerodynamics is a problem. However, I feel it's a problem of imagination, not rules. The cars are all designed to run in clean air, which is great if you're in first place, but since 19 cars aren't, they should be designed to run in disturbed air. Passing would be much easier then, without a change in regulation.
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For me, the jury is still out on Liberty. I like the DRS, The halo might not be the prettiest thing in the world but I think it's a necessary safety measure. I can't stand the colicky kitten mini motors or race cars that are fully capable of electrocuting drivers, mechanics and marshals.
For the time being, I'm still a fan. I'd have to list my relationship with the sport as "It's complicated."
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If Liberty are going to make a big impact it will take 2 or 3 years. Most of the problems with F1 come from the FIA. They just do not understand or care what the spectators want. F1 problems are classic 'designed by committee' ailments. Worse, just as the teams start to understand what is required from the rules and gentle tinkering with the regulations start to make improvements they introduce more massive regulation changes. The noise from the engines will not make people watch F1 or drive them away from F1 but the complete lack of 'racing' will definitely result in the loss of paying spectators (at the tracks or on the TVs). F1 should be exciting; it needs close hard racing with the constant possibility of overtaking. Races should not be decided in the pits, nor should the most exciting thing be whether the over-cut or under-cut will be the best chance of gaining a place. Cars should be designed to gain advantage from being in the slipstream (not end up almost going off the track due to loss of downforce). They should all have similar power, be fitted with tyres that do not shred balls of 'marbles' after just a few laps resulting in only one safe line around each corner, they should be weight governed so they are encouraged to use maximum power all of the time (not trying to gain advantage by running 'light' but then fuel saving for the last quarter of the race), they should be allowed to run at least 8 power units per season (again so they are encouraged to 'give it the beans' all of the time), reliability problems should result in lost Constructors points but should not alter the driver's grid position, etc., etc.
It would be great if all of this could be done while fossil fuels are still allowed to be used and I am young enough to get to a few tracks!
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When was the last time the 107% rule was even brought up?
This time last year, when discussing what would happen if Manor got a buyer.