How Would You Change Formula 1?

[needmoretorque]

I run a blog in which I am going through the history of Formula 1, race by race. I've only covered the first 10 years of the sport so far, but I have a growing sense that modern F1--to a limited degree--has lost its way.

I feel like the sport used to be about bringing the baddest machinery to the toughest tracks. While this still happens to some degree, I cannot help but feel like F1 has been stripped and sterilized of some of what made it great in the past. Don't get me wrong, I have a deep passion for F1...but that doesn't mean the sport doesn't warrant some criticism. A quick search of recent posts suggests that I am not the only one that feels like their is a lack of creativity forced by the rules in the design of the cars. But, how could the sport be improved?

If you were FIA dictator for a season, and practical concerns (cost, team agreement...etc.) were not an issue, how would you change car design and/or the rule structure to reinvent the sport?

Thanks in advance for any {productive} outside of the box thoughts you may have...

[flynfrog]

5 rules total.

1: Spec safety cell for the driver.

2: Car must fit into a box of XxXxX size.

3: 4 Wheels

4: 3 inches of fuel line .25" with a pressure relief set at 80psi

5: Bladdered fuel cell

[strad]

ANd an internal combustion engine of X displacement..V..flat,,,,W...inline whatever you want.

[Shrieker]

Reintroduce ground effect so the damn cars could actually follow each other in fast corners. GP2 and Indycar can do that; it was a sad day when the planned ground effect changes for 2014 were scrapped.

edit: Oh my... My mind works only to fix what is broken

[bdr529]

1) smaller brakes
2) lose the paddle shift on the steering wheel
3) lose the high front nose go back to pre 1990

And for non performance changes I'd like to see
Ferrari's wearing # 27

Sparks

Sideburns/ Mutton chops

[zeph]

I think fuel restrictions would be the single most sensible thing to do in this day and age. Reduce to 150 liters per race in 2016. Reduce to 120 liters by 2018 and down to 90 liters by 2020.

Better yet, restrict the amount of fuel per car for the entire race weekend, I don't have a good read on that so I can't estimate numbers.

Of course, engine restrictions would have to be relaxed so the manufacturers can redevelop engines for the new fuel restrictions. Maybe even allow hybrid tech. Even crazier, allow fuel cells (hydrogen).

[strad]

[Pup]

I'm with zeph. Like it or not, F1 will be electric someday, and it needs a plan to get there.

As for the cars themselves, I'm sure no one is tired of me trotting out the old sigma concept, which long ago solved so many of the sport's problems...

[timbo]

Would not change a thing other than change distribution of a broadcast money in favor of a smaller teams. Everybody need to realize that a healthy backmakers and "middle-class" teams are essential for the sport.

[Tim.Wright]

1) smaller brakes

You see what happened to Kimi at spa when his brakes failed? That will happen to everyone if you mandate smaller brakes.

If you want to increase braking distances, they have nothin to do with the size of the brakes

[Lycoming]

A budget cap.

[bidong]

REMOVE PIT TO CAR RADIO! LET THE PITBOARD WORK... that's it...

[beelsebob]

It's amazing how many of these are "I want it to be exactly the same as it was in the particular year I started watching it".

[Websta]

I want the best of both worlds. I want great racing and I want cars that a jaw-dropping in terms of speed (like 7 seconds faster around Silverstone than they are now fast). I doubt that those two would ever be able to go hand-in-hand though.

[SiLo]

Smaller front and rear wings, same size diffusers, longer lasting tyres with less grip, refueling back for shorter cars and a better distribution of money for smaller teams.

as for the future, more hybrid power emphasis and a fuel rate limit. too much change and it wouldnt be F1 any more.