How can racing in Formula 1 be improved?

[kooleracer]

It's seems that F1 teams and the countless governing bodies surrounding F1 are coming up with silly rule changes every single year that haven't improved racing. I would like to hear to opinions of hardcore F1 fans on the matter. The topic is NOT about cost saving! It's about improving the racing on track.

To keep this topic clean. please start every new suggestion with a number. And place the suggestion in categories

Aerodynamics

1. redistribute the down-force package. 80% or more of the down-force should come from ground-effect. Drivers will suffer less from dirty air / turbulent air if they follow each other closely.

Tyres

2. All the drivers seem to complain about the lack of grip from the current Pirelli tyres. I would love to see wider rear tyres in the future. The will enhance the mechanical grip of the cars, thus putting less of an emphasis on aero. Also i would like the tyres to last longer giving the drivers grip for a longer time.


Race

3.I would love to see refueling back, because refueling meant that race was divided in sprint races which meant drivers were doing qualifying laps every single time on the track. Also with smaller fuel tanks and less fuel on board the delta between race pace and quali pace will become smaller again. The cars will go faster on track and make it more exciting to watch for the fans. Also it will reward the fastest drivers again.

The result of the changes:

Less aero grip, more mechanical grip. Tyres that last and smaller fuel tanks. This means that the fastest why to complete a race is doing quali laps because the tyres won't degrade and because of the smaller fuel tanks you have to pit, so there in no advantage in saving fuel or doing a 1 stop. Now the can carry 100kg of fuel i would reduce it 40kg. This means drivers must stop 2 times and this would mean the last stop will be very short and the car would be very light which could make the last part of the race really exciting. Also teams will have more room for strategy, because you could take less fuel on the first pit-stop to gain track positions and add more fuel during the last stop.

[Tim.Wright]

3.I would love to see refueling back, because refueling meant that race was divided in sprint races which meant drivers were doing qualifying laps every single time on the track.

Qualy laps every round is not not I remember the refuelling era. I recall it as one where nobody risked a pass on track unless it was absolutely necessary. The preference was to pass in the pits on stategy and it made the racing really boring.

[SectorOne]

I´d say generate all downforce from the floor with a fan. Champion at the end of the year has to get his floor photographed to keep competition tight.
Get rid of the front wing, bargeboards, rear wing, winglets, vortex generators etc etc.

Keep the engine but loosen the electric side of things. 650-700hp engine with an electric motor topping the total power at around a thousand solid horses.
What you can harvest during the race you are free to use as you like.

Better tires with the purpose of longevity and grip as opposed to making a show.
Refuelling, no need to lug around a bunch of fuel you won´t use for the next 50 laps.

[thomin]

I liked the refueling era, but it's not coming back. With only 100l per race, it simply doesn't make much sense.

Other than that, I'd immediately support your ideas.

[kooleracer]

3.I would love to see refueling back, because refueling meant that race was divided in sprint races which meant drivers were doing qualifying laps every single time on the track.

Qualy laps every round is not not I remember the refuelling era. I recall it as one where nobody risked a pass on track unless it was absolutely necessary. The preference was to pass in the pits on stategy and it made the racing really boring.

Ofcourse, but during that era we had a lot of battles on track also. Also drivers would virutally fighting each other i loved that bit personally. Because you would know that a stop was 25sec and the gap was 22sec and the great drivers like MSC always shined in those periode with great inlaps before the pitstop windows. If they weren't battling wheel to wheel to would still have to drive 100% percent. Also refuelling give 2 drivers from the same team more freedom, which all helps racing in my opinion.

Example how virtual racing each other could be really exciting. But also remember great battle on track in the refueling era. More than the current era without refueling.

[sectionate]

Lets revert to the old days, because, you know, the future holds nothing of interest.

Some of the racing this season has been the best in probably a decade

[GitanesBlondes]

Some of the racing this season has been the best in probably a decade

Not even remotely close to being true.

This isn't racing, it's engineering economy runs.

[MOWOG]

[Cam]

Separation of driver and team. Teams build a car, hands it to driver to qualy and race. That's it. No remote adjustments, no radio calls to turn this, manage this, up that, save this etc. If nothing else, this should bring back the driver having more impact on the results.

You could go for days listing possible changes to try, but that single change would bring far more to the sport than anything else - and it's free (zero cost).

[Nick Sieczkowski]

1. Reduce the aero downforce,
2. Put big fat tyres on,
3. Allow a tyre war but limit the number of compound changes per season,
4. Don't mandate tyre changes or fuel stops. Let individual teams decide what they want to do at each race,
5. No team to car comms allowed (maybe just a box light and a retire the car light on the dash). Race direction to car comms allowed for safety,
6. Limit the number of engines per season. Once an engine is used its development is frozen but the other engines that haven't been used call still be developed,
7. No Tilke-o- dromes!!! They seem to make the cars just look so slow,
8. No more drs but more powerful ers,
9. No more of these terrible and awkward post race interviews on the podium. And those few minutes before the podium when the drivers are in that room having a drink is by far the most awkward thing on TV ever!!,
10. It should go without saying but no double points, no fake sparks, no standing restarts, no stupid gimmicks at all,
11. Free to air races!!!

[Cam]

9. No more of these terrible and awkward post race interviews on the podium. And those few minutes before the podium when the drivers are in that room having a drink is by far the most awkward thing on TV ever!!,

lol - I actually like this. It gives as a wonderful insight into these guys. If anything, it humanises them. An example of this, the interaction between Webber and Vettel, with Newey as well, in that room during the Multi 21 incident is priceless (you don't need sound).

Or Alonso throwing Vettel's hat?


Most of the time they look like they just finished a light workout - not a 300km flat out romp in the worlds fastest cars

[TzeiTzei]

I think the racing is fine as it is right now. And has been for years now.

[Cam]

I think the racing is fine as it is right now. And has been for years now.

Nice try Todt - we know you've been lurking here for a while......

[AnthonyG]

Race:
1.Just like the topicstarter I'm in favor to reintroduce refueling, my reasons would be: that races are easier to folow and the pitstops become less of a lotery.

Engines:
12.Specific power output is determined at beginning of the season, each engine manufactorer complies his engine to this output, there is no rev limiter, thus making it easy to overtake someone.
13.NA engine or a small turbo allowed, constructors are free to chose everything else.

Qualifying:
13.Reintroduce the burning fuel rule
14.shorten Q1

Tyres:
15.Stiffer sidewalls than the current ones (a lot of drivers would perform better with tyres like that)
16.All tyres available to the teams for each race, they may pick compounds ahead of the race. (Teams can pick tyres to better suit their car, thus improving performance and racing)

Aerodynamics:
17. The FIA sets a series of requirements for the air behind the car, this gets tested/evaluated by wind tunnel. It should aid overtaking and still leave teams with quite a lot of freedom.
18. Reallow the use of F-duct and ban the drs wing.

[TzeiTzei]

I think the racing is fine as it is right now. And has been for years now.

Nice try Todt - we know you've been lurking here for a while......

Maybe I should have written more. What I don't like is FIA/Bernie/whoever making constant changes in their quest for "spicing up the show". By making F1 "more" entertaining, they are reducing the sporting values F1 has. It's like they don't trust that pure top level motorsport is what people are looking for when they're wathcing F1. They should just stop messing with F1 and leave it as it is. The cars are fine. The engines are fine. Tyres, qualifying, race format... they are all fine. One thing I don't like is DRS. Artificial gimmicks that do overtaking for the drivers is not part of proper racing. Just my 2 cents.