F1 Artificial,Do you agree?

[astroron (Ron)]

Jacques Villeneuve reckons F1 is "Artificial" and in danger of loosing it's fans, do you agree
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/26178312
Cheers

[AndrewJ]

Yep, its just a game of hi speed "chasey" now.
Tremendous engineering behind it, and definite skill to stay on the track, but its not really "racing" anymore.
Ie DRS would be more fun if you were allowed to use it anywhere you liked, whenever you liked, but only say 10x per race.
At least a frontrunner would have the option to fight off a taildragger when reqd, vs the current almoast fait accompli pass for the trailing car.

Andrew

[gary]

Originally Posted by astroron

Jacques Villeneuve reckons F1 is "Artificial" and in danger of loosing it's fans, do you agree
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/26178312
Cheers

Hi Ron,

Did you like the Lotus comment where they said "The best thing would be to make
all the races double points."

As discussed in this article, none of the teams seem to like it and it is only because,
as the article quotes, "If Bernie wants it, he'll get it" -
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/26071434

They also discuss the overwhelming negative reaction from the fans.

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Ron,

Did you like the Lotus comment where they said "The best thing would be to make
all the races double points."

As discussed in this article, none of the teams seem to like it and it is only because,
as the article quotes, "If Bernie wants it, he'll get it" -
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/26071434

They also discuss the overwhelming negative reaction from the fans.

Gary, why don't they just have 10 points for a win and progresivly down to 1 point for 10th place
I cannot se the point of high numbers when it would be just as simple to do what I suggest.
At the moment, 3 wins gives you 75 points a heck of a lead over second place which was proved by Vetell over Alonso in second place, and the championship was over 3-4 races before the last race.
I would say Lotus was talking with tongue firmely in cheek.
Only 1 month to go before the start of the season
It should be interesting to see if RB have fixed their problems.
Cheers

[Kunama]

Take away their carbon composite brakes and make them race with steel discs supplied by one supplier and then you will see some racing again, currently the stopping distances are so short that nobody can outbrake another to pass.

[ianB (Ian)]

I enjoy watching F1, but yes I believe there are too many components availqble such as DRS that takes away or limits real racing and drivers skill on the circuit.

As for double points well thats just plain stupid, not to mention unfair.

One problem with the sport is that too few have the final say which limits freedoom of speech from the drivers who fear reprisals.

I would like to see certain technical advancements either limited or removed and thereby allow the driver to race using more of his skill rather than more technology, I would also like to see a review of the point system.

But I dont expect these things will happen.

[Astro_Bot]

KERS takes time to recharge, right? So how about letting the driver choose when to use it? Just design it so that, practically, it only has enough energy to be used for passing attempts once or twice (at most) per lap.

As for points, take a cue from an old game show: allow each team a "Joker" that can be used once per season - declare before the race whether the joker will be used (e.g. after practice but before qualifying starts) and the team's drivers (both) get double points for that race.

[glend (Glen)]

Absolutely agree its artificial. I was lucky enough to attend the early Canadian GPs at Mosport, when Gilles Villenuve was just getting started. There was none of these stupid rules and equipment like DRS etc. Its just a tv show now, Bernie has all the money he needs.

I much prefer watching the old F1 docos being run on tv, when Graham Hill, John Surtees and the young Jackie Stewart was starting out. I love those races conducted with no guard rails, runoffs etc just the odd haybail, and fans standing along side that track.

[gary]

Originally Posted by astroron

Gary, why don't they just have 10 points for a win and progresivly down to 1 point for 10th place
I cannot se the point of high numbers when it would be just as simple to do what I suggest.

Hi Ron,

The problem with your simple system is that seems to buck the historical trend
of having more and more complex point scoring systems in F1.
See -
http://www.formula1.com/news/feature.../12/15343.html

Dare to predict that by 2025 it will be a binary exponential system, on the
rationale that gaining one place is twice as hard .. 512 for first, 256 for second,
then 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1

Ferrari will probably want a Fibonnaci series simply because Fibonacci was an Italian -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number

[Steffen]

I bet they'll eventually settle for perfect numbers, the first ten of which are:

6
28
496
8128
33550336
8589869056
137438691328
2305843008139952128
26584559915698317446546926159538421 76
19156194260823610729479337808430363 8130997321548169216

That'll please everyone

Cheers
Steffen.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

I still go to the AGP and still watch most races on the TV but I agree that it has become far too artificial. DRS, fine, have it if you want, but how bloody stupid is a "Passing aid" which can be triggered by a car getting close to the next one, made redundant by the driver in front making a mistake or the driver behind proving to have great big clanging ones, and then the DRS is used as an "escape aid" by the driver who has already made the pass, just to make sure that there is no entertainment factor in the passed driver having a crack straight back at him because he has sat there helpless, watching the passing driver sail off into the distance with a heap of drag dumped.

And the bloody tyre rules! I loathe them and have done since they were introduced. How is it racing when they have "slow races" at various times where the only competition on offer is watching them compete to see who can get the tyres to last the longest?

Some of the rule changes I don't mind, the aero stuff usually just results in a burst of creativity. Who would have predicted (Not the FIA apparently) that on banning blown diffusers and mandating exhaust locations and angles, the boffins would respond by cajoling the exhaust gas to flow down over the outside of the body and into the diffuser area to get a portion of the benefit back?