Separating WCC from WDC

[henry]

In this forum, and many others, there is general disquiet that F1 is too predictable. This seems inevitable when you have one of the very best drivers in the very best car. There are lots of threads dealing with perceived causes. Issues such as the PUs are wrong, the aerodynamics are wrong, the finances are wrong, the tyres are wrong, and many others. I want to suggest that additionally the whole premise of the competition(s) is wrong.

Since the inception of WCC in 1958 there have been just 10 occasions when the WDC didn't drive for the WCC. Decade by decade the occasions are:
50s 1
60s 0
70s. 2
80s 4
90s 2
00s. 1
10s. 0

So the greatest skill of an F1 driver is to choose the right team. I know market forces mean that the best teams select from the small pool of perceived best drivers but this simply exacerbates the problem of predictability, and if the perceptions are wrong many worthy drivers never get a tilt at the prize.

My suggestion to give more drivers a realistic chance is to separate the two championships with different entrances and scoring systems.

WDC

Each driver will drive each entered car once per season.
This means that the number of drivers, cars and races would need to be the same. We are close to it next year. Just add 2 more races to the calendar and we are there.
Drivers will be allocated to a car for each race by random ballot.
Points in each race will be awarded to all drivers. Positions will be awarded as now but extended to include retirements on any lap right back to the start. The scoring system will be set to encourage racing.
Most points WDC.

WCC

Points for each car team will only be awarded for their leading car. The other car(s) in the team will be removed from the results and the cars below shuffled forward. So for next year 11 points scoring positions.
Most points WCC.

This would allow for car teams of any size, 1,2,3 even 4 or more.

I think this approach would give general fans what they want. A chance to see their favourites competing on a much more level playing field, 2 chances to drive the Mercedes, 2 opportunities to show what class can do with a Manor.
The press would have much more to talk about.
The organisers and publicists should have more mini contests to highlight.
The fanboys would have a field day. "My driver would have won the WCC if they hadn't been lumbered with the Haas for Hungary"
The lower teams will get more publicity. Last year's world champion in their car.
The drivers will get more variety, more racing, and a chance to say " it's not just the car"
Broadcasters and pundits will be able to fill schedules with the draws for cars and endless how do you think driver X will do in car Y at circuit Z.

There would be many technical details to sort out, such as standardisation of cockpits and safety procedures. And the commercial aspects will be interesting. Who sponsors who, how is prize money divided etc. Not to mention how to choose which drivers get to take part.

But that's enough to introduce the concept.

Anybody think it's a good idea?

[Phil]

I've thought about your proposed idea a couple of times. In theory, I don't think it's bad. There is one major flaw in making each drive a different car by random depending on circuit: The circuits are not the same. And as such, a car might be dominant on one circuit, less on another. Further, a driver might be better at one circuit than another. The result being, the one to win the WDC would be the driver who strings the best result - and the best result may just be a result of sitting in the best car in the races and venues where that car deems to have a competitive advantage.

In the end, I pretty much threw the whole idea and thinking process out the window. I have since then accepted that F1 is not a sport to measure driver skill beyond a certain point. It's a team-sport. A sport where the driver together with the team either make a winning combination or they don't.

In todays era, this is perhaps a bit less relevant, because most drivers are closer in skill to one another than the cars are. Also, as a further point - the cars are easier to drive, so it's more difficult for a good driver to stand out with an exceptional performance. This is where the past has been better in making drivers like Senna seem god-like: They drove in eras where the cars were deadly unpredictable machines. And a driver - much like Rally today, had to decide how much risk he was willing to take to go for the win, or to outshine his competition. Hence why we saw seconds differentiating the best where as today we are talking about tenths, sometimes hundredths.

Want some of that back? Then the cars need to become harder to drive. More unpredictable. That also means less aero. But if progress is pointing in that direction - progress in being at the forefront of technology... how do you justify limiting the teams on that front just to have a more driver relevant competition?

[henry]

I've thought about your proposed idea a couple of times. In theory, I don't think it's bad. There is one major flaw in making each drive a different car by random depending on circuit: The circuits are not the same. And as such, a car might be dominant on one circuit, less on another. Further, a driver might be better at one circuit than another. The result being, the one to win the WDC would be the driver who strings the best result - and the best result may just be a result of sitting in the best car in the races and venues where that car deems to have a competitive advantage.
....

I agree that certain cars are better at some circuits than others. Perhaps, if the teams couldn't guarantee a win at their good circuits because they can't guarantee the best driver they might try to even out their performance. I still think it would be a better way to discriminate the best overall drivers. Right now 2 drivers have the best car at 90 % of the tracks.

You are right, it's a team sport. However I think what fans, and I include myself, want is an individual sport. "Driver x has demonstrated more driving skill than the rest."

You are also right about ease of driving. There is nothing to prevent the technical regs for championships along the lines I suggest making the cars more difficult as you describe. It might be good to see the best drivers wrestling with the worst of these more difficult to drive cars. Years ago I went to Silverstone to see Senna vs Prost. Very memorable, but I also remember the guys further back trying to keep up in cars that wanted to go anywhere other than where the driver did.

[PlatinumZealot]

Might as well use a spec series?

[henry]

Might as well use a spec series?

Actually I don't think that works. In most spec series you get dominant teams. and if you're one of their drivers then happy days. The important aspect of my proposal is to reduce the dominance of the car team in determining the most worthy driver.

[kptaylor]

And that's the rub. Should F1 be a spec series to even the playing field and promote closer racing, or should it continue to be the pinnacle of motorsport? If the latter, the regs need to be much more simpler and the costs will be much higher.

[henry]

And that's the rub. Should F1 be a spec series to even the playing field and promote closer racing, or should it continue to be the pinnacle of motorsport? If the latter, the regs need to be much more simpler and the costs will be much higher.

I think both spec series and no holds barred tech series would be improved by mixing up the drivers in the way I suggested. Whether closer or not we would get more interesting racing with many more varied contests to be observed through the season.

[Andres125sx]

I´ve also wondered about this some times, but then realiced about a problem wich makes it imposible... How would be driver´s salary/sponsors shared?

That´s a big problem, small teams need money that´s the reason they prefer pay drivers, while top teams invest vast amounts of money to hire top drivers, so you can´t divide their salaries or sponsorships equally, that´d kill small teams, and big teams will never pay $30 millions to any driver if he´ll drive for all the teams

[bhall II]

Max Mosley suggested this years ago, but the idea never gained any traction.

Imagine Michael Schumacher driving a Minardi. Or Takuma Sato racing in a Ferrari.

It could happen under a radical plan being offered for rejuvenating Formula One.

Max Mosley, president of world governing body FIA, has put forward a proposal that would see each F1 driver racing once in every car next season.

"There is an argument for each driver driving each car once," Mosley said Wednesday in The Daily Telegraph. "This has an advantage because then we would see who are the best drivers and teams.

"If there are means to make it more interesting for the public, then we have to talk about them."

[...]

An easier way to somewhat isolate the Drivers' Championship from the Constructors' Championship is to normalize WDC points by dropping each driver's two highest and lowest scores. That would reduce the impact of force majeure on the Championship in two ways: it removes from the equation instances in which a particular car-track pairing is so dominant that a garden gnome could win with it, and it partially mitigates the effects of poor reliability (and Pastor Maldonado). Because those aspects of performance are indicative of the relative capabilities of each car, the Constructors' tally would remain the same.

[Fulcrum]

I'm a fan. The argument of "it isn't fair because cars are more dominant on some circuits, etc..." doesn't wash with me. Winners in winning cars every race seems a lot more skewed than this proposal. Design of experiment could normalise some of these factors to increase the 'fairness', but it seems unnecessary. Oh shame, you got the Mercedes in Singapore. I don't think Roberto Mehri would complain too much tbh.

As for the money issues.

Drivers are contracted to and paid by Bernie/CVC/TheDevil.

Drivers and teams earn cash per result; say $10 million per victory to the team, and $1 million for the driver. All finishing positions to be paid, with the minimum payout being $100k/$10k

Personal sponsors are allowed, and encouraged. Supplement your income as much as you like!

[henry]

I´ve also wondered about this some times, but then realiced about a problem wich makes it imposible... How would be driver´s salary/sponsors shared?

That´s a big problem, small teams need money that´s the reason they prefer pay drivers, while top teams invest vast amounts of money to hire top drivers, so you can´t divide their salaries or sponsorships equally, that´d kill small teams, and big teams will never pay $30 millions to any driver if he´ll drive for all the teams

I think the drivers would be self funding, through prize money and sponsorship. I don't know how the lower teams would be financed. They might get more sponsorship for those races where famous drivers use their cars. Of course it would also be in the power of the commercial rights holder to make sure that participation fees and prize money is sufficient to ensure enough cars on the grid.

[henry]

Max Mosley suggested this years ago, but the idea never gained any traction.

.....

An easier way to somewhat isolate the Drivers' Championship from the Constructors' Championship is to normalize WDC points by dropping each driver's two highest and lowest scores. That would reduce the impact of force majeure on the Championship in two ways: it removes from the equation instances in which a particular car-track pairing is so dominant that a garden gnome could win with it, and it partially mitigates the effects of poor reliability (and Pastor Maldonado). Because those aspects of performance are indicative of the relative capabilities of each car, the Constructors' tally would remain the same.

Well I never. I'm not sure if being in tune with Max will help my self esteem.

I think I like your isolation idea although it might lead to drivers not bothering if they draw a weak car in one of the last races. Ideally we want drivers to finish as high as possible with this self-interest leading to the best possible placing for the teams.

[henry]

I'm a fan. The argument of "it isn't fair because cars are more dominant on some circuits, etc..." doesn't wash with me. Winners in winning cars every race seems a lot more skewed than this proposal. Design of experiment could normalise some of these factors to increase the 'fairness', but it seems unnecessary. Oh shame, you got the Mercedes in Singapore. I don't think Roberto Mehri would complain too much tbh.

As for the money issues.

Drivers are contracted to and paid by Bernie/CVC/TheDevil.

Drivers and teams earn cash per result; say $10 million per victory to the team, and $1 million for the driver. All finishing positions to be paid, with the minimum payout being $100k/$10k

Personal sponsors are allowed, and encouraged. Supplement your income as much as you like!

Yes that sort of funding would probably work ok.

The drivers would probably need to be able to fund some of the things teams pay for now. Physical trainers, dieticians, race engineers, strategists, administration, etc.

[bhall II]

Well I never. I'm not sure if being in tune with Max will help my self esteem.

I think I like your isolation idea although it might lead to drivers not bothering if they draw a weak car in one of the last races. Ideally we want drivers to finish as high as possible with this self-interest leading to the best possible placing for the teams.

I mentioned normalizing WDC points as an alternative to the driver merry-go-round. Neither scenario is likely to happen. But selective scoring in F1 is not without precedent.

[Fulcrum]

How about a selective scoring system whereby the driver nominates 5 races at the start of the year that count double/treble for him personally; team points awarded as per normal.

It would create a sense of strategy. E.g. front load your allocations and defend a lead, or catch up by allocating later, or simply allocate optimally relative to your ability or your team's perceived ability. It would also place emphasis on the driver, in terms of actual outcome and with respect to the way coverage is given (team vs. driver) over each weekend.