How can racing in Formula 1 be improved?

[wesley123]

now they have to put in quicker laps than the guy in front to get with in 1 second to get DRS, what the difference ?

The difference is that your outlap or inlap can make the difference. Now it is only catching up. The tactics and the driver putting in a good few laps when i matters make the difference.

other than now you can actually see the fight,

Haha yeah right! Stopped watching in 2011 since all it really was was waiting for the DRS zone and then cruising past on the straight. Hardly any fight when the other guy has a 20kph advantage.

it is not just a matter of guessing if the gap is bigger than a pitstop

And neither was that. It is a team effort, F1 has always been a team effort, and with that comes tactics, pushing to get the edge.

2. do you want fast grippy tires or slow long lasting tires?

Tires that last.

4. what KERS rules are really limiting them?

Energy storage, energy recovery, energy release, vendor,I believe even the location of the components is limited

5. I image the fights wouldn't be about who is fastest but rather who is first to give up with low fuel

Consuming more fuel i.e. using more power would also mean you are faster. However, it involves a bit more tactics

qualifiying would be unlimited power and dangerous

Where is the dangerous part?

[langwadt]

now they have to put in quicker laps than the guy in front to get with in 1 second to get DRS, what the difference ?

The difference is that your outlap or inlap can make the difference. Now it is only catching up. The tactics and the driver putting in a good few laps when i matters make the difference.

other than now you can actually see the fight,

Haha yeah right! Stopped watching in 2011 since all it really was was waiting for the DRS zone and then cruising past on the straight. Hardly any fight when the other guy has a 20kph advantage.

it is not just a matter of guessing if the gap is bigger than a pitstop

And neither was that. It is a team effort, F1 has always been a team effort, and with that comes tactics, pushing to get the edge.

2. do you want fast grippy tires or slow long lasting tires?

Tires that last.

4. what KERS rules are really limiting them?

Energy storage, energy recovery, energy release, vendor,I believe even the location of the components is limited

5. I image the fights wouldn't be about who is fastest but rather who is first to give up with low fuel

Consuming more fuel i.e. using more power would also mean you are faster. However, it involves a bit more tactics

qualifiying would be unlimited power and dangerous

Where is the dangerous part?

if you haven't watched since 2011 how do you know what it's like?

[wesley123]

There is this site called "YouTube" which is full of videos, and sometimes there is a highlight or something. Like this one for example;



And the half season I have watched in 2011 wasn't much better either.

[mep]

bring back refueling

[flyboy2160]

Short term:
Too much money has just been spent on the new engines to reasonably ask for or to expect a big change in the engine regulations right now. So, as a stopgap:
-Remove of the fuel rate restriction to allow short bursts of much higher horsepower and higher rpms.
-Remove of the homologation restrictions to allow better engine competition
-Remove of the number of engines restriction so that the engines can be run closer to engineering limits
-Don't implement further reductions in the amount of fuel used
-Don't implement the stupid announced restart rules and the even lower nose regulations. Raise the noses up somewhat so that they are the same height as some mid level side and rear impact structures

Longer term:
-Return to the earlier pure racing heritage of F1 and stop trying to save the planet/be PC road relevant/appease the Green tyrants
-Allow much greater design freedom for engines, similar to the WEC, but even more free. Allow what the engineers deem best: 4s, 6s,8s,10s,12s, turbos, superchargers, supercaps, batteries, flywheels, electric motors, etc.
-Don't restrict the engine rpm
-Return to allowing tire manufacturer competition
-Free up the chassis CG and engine location restrictions

After a few decades of having F1 as a my top motorsport enjoyment, I'm not sure that's true anymore because of the strangulating regulations that restrict design diversity and engineering competition. I enjoyed the latest Blancpain GT race more than the last F1 race. What in F1 now can match watching all those different designs and that hulking Bentley passing in the corners? If F1 continues on its current path, I'll abandon it for the first time since I was a child and watch other series as my top motorsport priority.

p.s. more stuff I forgot:
- get rid of the stupid requirement to use 2 tire compounds

[PlatinumZealot]

we need at least 1000 hp

[AnthonyG]

Short term:
Too much money has just been spent on the new engines to reasonably ask for or to expect a big change in the engine regulations right now. So, as a stopgap:
-Remove of the fuel rate restriction to allow short bursts of much higher horsepower and higher rpms.
-Remove of the homologation restrictions to allow better engine competition
-Remove of the number of engines restriction so that the engines can be run closer to engineering limits
-Don't implement further reductions in the amount of fuel used
-Don't implement the stupid announced restart rules and the even lower nose regulations. Raise the noses up somewhat so that they are the same height as some mid level side and rear impact structures

Longer term:
-Return to the earlier pure racing heritage of F1 and stop trying to save the planet/be PC road relevant/appease the Green tyrants
-Allow much greater design freedom for engines, similar to the WEC, but even more free. Allow what the engineers deem best: 4s, 6s,8s,10s,12s, turbos, superchargers, supercaps, batteries, flywheels, electric motors, etc.
-Don't restrict the engine rpm
-Return to allowing tire manufacturer competition
-Free up the chassis CG and engine location restrictions

After a few decades of having F1 as a my top motorsport enjoyment, I'm not sure that's true anymore because of the strangulating regulations that restrict design diversity and engineering competition. I enjoyed the latest Blancpain GT race more than the last F1 race. What in F1 now can match watching all those different designs and that hulking Bentley passing in the corners? If F1 continues on its current path, I'll abandon it for the first time since I was a child and watch other series as my top motorsport priority.

I've allready explained this on this forum once, you can not/shouldn't include the costs you've allready spent (sunk costs) on the current engines when considering a revert or new engine formula.
There's even a wikipedia article on the subject
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_costs

[Cam]

we need at least 1000 hp

Why? Can I ask why that number is required?

As a 'purist, I would be happy with half that, as long as the development was open. It wouldn't bother me at all to see a 300hp hydrogen/electric hybrid, up against a 1300hp NA petrol v12 - if both teams thought that was the fastest way to complete 300kms.

Suggesting only one type of HP is just another restriction - something the majority of fans appear to want to change.

[PlatinumZealot]

we need at least 1000 hp

Why? Can I ask why that number is required?

As a 'purist, I would be happy with half that, as long as the development was open. It wouldn't bother me at all to see a 300hp hydrogen/electric hybrid, up against a 1300hp NA petrol v12 - if both teams thought that was the fastest way to complete 300kms.

Suggesting only one type of HP is just another restriction - something the majority of fans appear to want to change.

Because at least 1000 horsepower is what we need to cause more driver errors with these sorts of downforce levels. We need big meatball tyres t go allobg with that too. You know what, those big tyres might cancel out the 1000hp. I think 1500 hp is what we need. And no fuel flow limits! Just raw loud balls to the armco racing!

[Cam]

Perhaps, to know which way to go , it helps to know from where you came.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YExRktlV5Kk[/youtube]
What I see is a bunch of really brave men, controlling with immense skill, a tub with 4 wheels and a whopping great motor, going flat out. No $300M budgets here - and look at the show they put on.

Today, a modern F1 car is great, as a track car. Sure it can corner well, stop well, take off well - so to set lap times, it's perfect. As a race car? Terrible. Too complex, driver has no (little) input, can't overtake, can't follow a car through a corner, can't get close, then can breeze past with one button, computer controlled, auto this, adjustable that.

The 'formula' can be anything they want. So do we want a 'track' car or a 'race' car?

The 'formula' needs to ensure both driver and car are championed - not questioned.

I think first and foremost we need to have a formula that rewards drivers who push that bit harder, brake that bit later, corner that much deeper. Cars that can follow nose to tail through a corner. Cars that need to be 'controlled' by the driver. Maybe aero get's arsed altogether. Simplify. Constructors that do more with less, that need a great driver to bring a car alive, not a pay driver to be ballast.

Audiences want to witness a herculean effort through force and violence - the fine edge between control and out-of-control - man against machine - gladiators - the noise, the sight, the very rumble that rocks your core when the beasts scream by. You don't just see it, you feel it. That stays with you.

We now have silent slot cars, remote controlled (almost), running single line with a button determining who passes who and new rules to randomise the winner. Maybe everyone needs to look back a bit, to know which way to keep going?

[Harsha]

FIA only need specify what kind of engine to use and leave the Development open with out any restrictions and see how racing will be
Racing competition must be natural instead of artificial and tricks

[bidong]

Just remove the pit to car radio. car to pit can remain

put back analog fuel gauges and temp gauges in the car.

let the driver do his work without...

"Lewis please set to B5 and hold overtake button."

i think that would improve F1 and the box box box box message should just be a light on a steering wheel if the team wants him in.

and PLEASEEEE UNFREEZE THE ENGINE!!! id rather have F1 spend their millions on engines rather than aero...

[Mui]

The FIA needs to relax its rules for in season development. How many years has it been that the best team at the beginning of the season ends up winning the WCC and WDC?

The rules and regulations restrict in season development so much so that there's almost no way for teams to catch up with the best team at the beginning of the season progresses. I don't mind Mercedes or Red Bull or anyone else for that matter being a second faster than everybody else at the beginning of the season but at least relaxing rules and regulations for in season development will give a chance for everyone else to make big gains throughout the season to catch up.

I think that's all we want to be honest. The breathing down your neck sensation of the front leading team. The pursuers gaining on the pursued. Multiple teams having the best car at different points during the season. Sounds like 2012 and despite the ugly noses it was a pretty exciting season. Nowadays everybody prays for rain to 'level' out the playing field. Now that I mention it wasn't the 2012 season the rainiest of them all??

[Vettel Maggot]

Increasing the braking distances might help promote more overtaking? I watched the latest NASCAR road race and the braking distances on those big heavy things are bordering on horrific, yet at Sonoma, a tight and twisty track there was a lot of overtaking, in particular cars coming from miles back under braking.

[Moxie]

I went to see winged sprints on a paved oval short track last night, and enjoyed some damned fine racing. For our non American members, I am speaking of normally aspirated 410 cubic inch displacement ~1000 hp, direct drive, tube frame, and aero is limited to a huge wing on top of the car, and a smaller wing on the nose. I'm not suggesting that F1 should race sprint cars on road courses. However, a recurring daydream is that F1 turn the clock back to 1966, unleash the engine development, but limit the aero we may once again enjoy watching drivers race.