Yet another voice has been added to concerns that formula one must change its rules to stop them "killing" the sport.The powerful Strategy Group will meet in May and it is expected the headline agenda item will be a sharp change of direction for F1 in 2017.
Smaller teams are struggling to survive, bigger teams are struggling for success in the new 'power unit' era, while fans and promoters are calling for the cars to appear, drive and sound more aggressive. And now, former F1 driver and current FIA steward, Briton Derek Warwick, says rules like those mandating long-life gearboxes and engines are "killing the sport for TV and spectators".
"Most of them (the drivers) are only doing 10 laps in practice because they are saving something -- whether it be engine, power unit, gearboxes," he is quoted by Sportal. "So they (the rules) are kind of backfiring a little bit, the principle is right but something needs to change to make F1 exciting, to make the drivers look like gladiators."
Instead, Warwick argues, the stars of the show have become little more than "polished PR machines", while the cars allow teenagers like Max Verstappen to leap almost straight from karting to F1 points. In contrast, the cars of old were "animals", Warwick said.
"We had 1,600 horse power and downforce that made your eyes pop out," said the 60-year-old, who raced throughout the 80s. "(Today) you see them doing a test and within ten laps they are two tenths off the lead driver. That didn't happen in my day, therefore these cars must be easier to drive," Warwick said. "We just need to take a step back, have a good look at ourselves before it is too late." (GMM)
@Dutchtreath - I agree. I suspect that D.Warwick didn't work as hard as many of the current drivers do, nor were the cars as well prepared, or as optimized, or as understood. That is why the drivers can reach the maximum potential of the car's so quickly. Otherwise, for good or bad, it's more of a business than a sport today. Get over it!!
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Also, the rules are the same for everyone except for the CASH!!!! How can the contribution of a back marker who produces a car capable of running at 110% or so of the leaders be worth nothing to the show? Yet Ferrari gets more money just to show up?
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Now, some solution suggestions . . . (And there is really nothing new here!) 1) If they don't like the single line race tracks, reduce or remove the wings and ground effects. 2) Make the tires durable enough that they don't leave themselves all over the track, this will also widen the line. 3) Give the teams the option to carry enough fuel to race for the entire time they are on the track! 4) Don't have engine (PU) requirements that outstrip the amount of fuel they are allowed to use. 5) Don't make it so the cars and the engines cannot be improved throughout the season. 6) Don't penalize teams that have the misfortune to have their engines blowup. (Or teams will just "babysit' their engines.) 7) Distribute the prize money more equally among the participants.
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Yes, some of these will cost more money . . . but how are all those cost saving efforts working out now? If every team can only spend the same amount or money, the cars will essentially be the same and then the races really will be a parade . . . or more accurately a charade!
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DutchTreath
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yeh yeh, there we go again....in our days.