How to make F1 more exciting...

[d9f1c7]

How's this for an idea? We have quailifying as now for the first race. For all the other races they start in reverse order of their current standings. What do you think?

[d9f1c7]

How will they qualify last cazz? there is only one qualifiying session.

[DTCwordfan]

and what is it, weecalf? square wheels or remove them all together?

[flump1]

Take out all the car engines....and let the drivers pedal them .

[cazzz1975]

Oh I see I didnt read it properly, do you mean they use their world championship position as a start position? or their last race finish position? (in reverse order)

[Prudie]

ooh look Michael's qualified 2nd and Alonso 9th. That's exciting.

[cazzz1975]

mercedes are a good team prudie, just imagine how good they could be with a good driver to partner rosberg ;)

[cazzz1975]

hamilton qualified second.

[snags]

''ooh look Michael's qualified 2nd and Alonso 9th''

Your point being? That's purely down to their respective cars in there current incarnations, not the drivers. Shuey wouldn't be second on the grid in the Ferrari as it is at the moment...

[Prudie]

He did but Hamilton's got a 5 place penalty. Hey I like Schuey, what's the proble?. The post was about making the race more exciting not more robotic.

[Celticv11]

Well it certainly needs something to change, it,s like watching scaletrix. Do away with pole positions and have an equal start. The cars have evolved, the drivers are more skilful but the tracks are all as they have been for a century. Wider tracks, we also do not need long straights to allow cars to reach top speed, the track should be twistier and more challenging to the car and drivers. And let them carry enough fuel so that pit stops are not necessary. Why dont they have a diesel category too, i,m sure that the resultant innovations in technology would be a benefit. Other than that, a figure of eight circuit.!

[snags]

''And let them carry enough fuel so that pit stops are not necessary''

Pits stops now are not for fuel...

[cazzz1975]

I think a lot of the nit picking rules have killed the fun of racing (remember the saga about not being allowed to overtake at certain times), I dont like the engine saving/tyre saving rules, the penalties for making big repairs.

the constant need to save tyres and engines leads to many dull moments

[Celticv11]

So they don,t refuel in the pits?

[cazzz1975]

no just tyre change

[ttfn]

I may be missing something here, but I believe that the lack of excitement may be a direct result of the sport's huge improvement in safety - both for the drivers and the spectators. Surely, that alone, is worth the loss of some excitement?

Many sports may be seen as lacking excitement but that hasn't stopped the enjoyment of many sport enthusiasts.

[Celticv11]

Shows how long since i could be bothered to watch. Think last time a car set off with the fuel filler pipe still inserted. Well thats a step in the right direction

[New Judge]

F1 is different to almost all other types of motor racing. There is a drivers’ championship and a constructors’ championship for starters, each viewed as equally important by the teams and their sponsors. There has to be an element of “development” competition among the teams. Using cars identical in every respect would negate the idea of a constructors’ championship.

Having cars start in reverse order to their current championship standings (and I assume you mean the drivers’ championship standings) would not have any great effect. The top half dozen or so drivers would still dominate the races, even if forced to start towards the back of the grid. There have been races where some of the top drivers have started towards the back for various reasons, and still they come through to score good points.

If you look at F1 results you will find that, bar accidents and breakdowns (and the occasional lottery brought on by rain) the top three or four teams usually fill the top half dozen places fairly consistently. So different is the standard between say, the top three teams and the bottom three or four that the lower teams would have absolutely no chance of consistently high results even if they started at the front of the grid for every race. At present the bottom six cars are usually lapped before the race is half over (often much sooner than that) and those cars and their drivers would simply not have the performance and skills to finish high up.

In 2011 only five drivers and three constructors won the nineteen races. Furthermore only seven drivers and four constructors occupied the 57 podium places. To demonstrate the difference in performance in only eight of the nineteen races were all the points scorers the top ten) on the same lap when the race finished, such was the dominance of the top teams.

In some respects it is unfortunate that this is the case and I don’t really know how it can be avoided. I am an avid F1 fan and I enjoy the races even though I know that three of only about the half dozen or so “usual suspects” will be on the podium at the finish. It is a highly technical sport, a supreme test of the drivers’ skill and concentration and a battle of technical wizardry among the teams. The pendulum swings slowly in F1. Schumacher and Ferrari had a period of dominance. Williams had their glory years. McLaren went through a purple patch. Red Bull have had two excellent seasons but seem to be struggling a bit so far this year. I accept it is not everybody’s cup of tea but there are plenty of other forms of motor racing where such predictability is not rife.

One thing may help. Bernie Ecclestone has suggested (tongue-in-cheek, I think) that randomly sparaying the circuit to simulate rain may mix it up a bit !

Hope this is constructive enough for you !!

[craft1948]

How about all the cars are parked along the side of the track, the drivers are placed 400 metres from their cars, when the whistle goes they have to race to their cars, and the first one there sets off first etc............

[New Judge]

As used to be done (to a degree) at Le Mans?

[Prudie]

Similar to boarding with easyjet in fact.