F1 Season 2008

I think this would spice things up no end.

I love F1 racing, both for the racing and the team strategies over the whole season.

IMO the sport should be all about the most skillful driver in the best car on the best tyres, with no electronic aids, no movable aerodynamic parts, etc.

By all means have rules on dimensions, weight and engine size, but the engines should be normally aspirated with manual gearboxes and clutches, and tuned to provide the best performance for the circuit on the day. There should be be no traction control, electronic starting aids, ABS, boost controls, ....

Teams should be free to decide on race strategy, fuel load, tyre choice, etc - that's all part of the game, if they want to run heavy with no pit stop, that's fine - but I doubt if its often the optimal strategy.

Qualifying should be either be a timed free for all or a fixed number of rounds of timed individual laps. I don't think it really matters from a spectators point of view whether qualifying has to done in race trim or with a light fuel load.

BTW - my money is on Raikonnen and Alonso shoot out!

No traction control this year, no abs for a while now, no 'moveable' aero-aids but some flex is allowed/impoosible to engineer out, the teams are free to chose strategy and tyres.

Things are, imo, going in roughly the right direction as regards the rules on cars. Anyone that cares to go and see some old '80s F1 cars with about 400bhp doesn't say to themselves "Needs more power and a paddle gear-change". Or "Needs to rev to 19,000 and brake later". (ok, I almost get turned on by the sound of a DFV or a Ferrari flat 12 on the over-run, but that's just me!)

Here's to a few wet races this year.

Tony

I agree with most that chris suggested. I would have a full race fuel load from the start of the race this would give the engineers a much more difficult engineering exercise.I seem to rember when it happened before certain front running teams had great difficulty getting away from the "sprint" car designs.I've yet to be convinced that pit stops for fuel are "safer" than carrying it about, any way jellyfication of the fuel would sort that out.
Could we also get rid of all those bloody ugly pieces of modern art that they call the aero package, simple single element wings would give a greater design challenge too.

quote:

BTW - my money is on Raikonnen and Alonso shoot out!

i don't think Alonso's car will be up to Mercedes and Ferrari this year - it won't hardly be competitive...

we'll see saturday after the (new) qualifying procedure.



regards
BF

My money is on a Ferrari - McLaren battle again. Who will be the third quickest team, I can't guess.

How to get it more interesting? Ban fuel pit stops, back as it where before 1993. Paddle gear change is fine with me, or maybe you think that having manually controlled spark advance would constitute "proper" driving by "real men"?

JohanR

It will be interesting to see what effect Ross Braun has on the Honda team this year...I hope they do better than last year.

Tim

quote:

Originally posted by JohanR:


Paddle gear change is fine with me, or maybe you think that having manually controlled spark advance would constitute "proper" driving by "real men"?


JohanR

No, not really. It's just that it would introduce an opportunity for error while under pressure.... two of the world's top drivers, side by side down a straight, who'll get the down-shifts spot on??
Mind you, after playing on the D-Box F1 simulator at my local hi-fi shop yesterday I certainly appreciated the fully auto-box!!

Tony

quote:

Originally posted by Tony Lockhart:

No, not really. It's just that it would introduce an opportunity for error while under pressure....

I think that at that level of racing there is plenty of room for error anyway - maybe it just looks smooth and easy from where we're sitting.

I had my first go ever in track cars last week.

Went to a corporate event at Palmersport in Bedford. Drove lots of things, very fast, with instruction. From Clio Cup cars, 911s, Caterhams and Jag single seaters.

Fantastic fun (one of my best days ever) but driving them fast is bloody hard work! Assuming an F1 car is harder by say ten fold, then ...blimey!

quote:

Originally posted by JamieWednesday:
I had my first go ever in track cars last week.

Went to a corporate event at Palmersport in Bedford. Drove lots of things, very fast, with instruction. From Clio Cup cars, 911s, Caterhams and Jag single seaters.

Fantastic fun (one of my best days ever) but driving them fast is bloody hard work! Assuming an F1 car is harder by say ten fold, then ...blimey!

I did that last year, James. I had a day at Brands Hatch and drove the Renaults, Caterhams, A Rally car and a single seater amongst others. It was great fun indeed, but I was rubbish and came 4th from last!

Mark

I was very chuffed at doing the fastest time of the day in the Porsche And I have my trophy to prove it!

I've pre-booked my tickets for the British GP. Going up in the grandstand this time instead of jostling for position at the fence!

Mark

Maybe they should ban pace notes and co-drivers from WRC?

That'd sort the men out from the boys. It would be all about skill then...

quote:

Fantastic fun (one of my best days ever) but driving them fast is bloody hard work! Assuming an F1 car is harder by say ten fold, then ...blimey!

I have driven a modern F1 car (Arrows FA 14). Contrary to popular belief they are incredibly easy to drive. The imense downforce makes them booth nimble and perfectly stable at the same time. Mind you, driving a car, any car, on the limit is the tricky bit, and some are much better at it than most of us.

JohanR

quote:

What was your lap time J ?

Ummm...you're not going to top me are you..?

58.87

Well, the cars were a lot more overs-teery in qualifying than I thought they'd be!
And well done Kubica. So close to a Pole on pole.

Tony

That's more like it race cars rather than Scalextric.

All they need to do now is properly reward those that make it into the Top Ten shoot-out by leaving them free to qualify with 3 or 4 laps worth of fuel if they want to, then allowing complete freedom over how much fuel to carry at race start. At the moment, 11th on the grid has an advantage over 10th....

Tony

quote:

At the moment, 11th on the grid has an advantage over 10th....

I was thinking the same thing....

They might have to fine tune the new rules a bit.

Sandy

That bit is no different to last year. 11th down have the free choice of fuel loads.10 to 1 have put their race fuel less Q3 and formation laps.

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
That bit is no different to last year. 11th down have the free choice of fuel loads.10 to 1 have put their race fuel less Q3 and formation laps.

Yep. At least we don't have the pointless fuel-burn phase this year.

Tony

I'm just about still awake - come on, Lewis!

quote:

I'm just about still awake - come on, Lewis!

Do what I do time shift it,I've just finished watching. That was certainly interesting, Ferrari drivers really need overtaking courses. I hope DC don't hurt Massa too much(don't really).
Kovelienan was a bit unlucky, but did the move of the race on Alonso shame about the PL speed limiter though. Bordais was unlucky too.
Lets hope the rest of the season is a good.

If the FIA are serious about saving money "more tha £50k for a steering wheel" come on let's get real.