I suppose they could easily come up with a limit, but it would be unenforceable. How could they know how much money a team was spending.

I don't know that the expense of F1 is really a problem, but if it is, changing the rules every year plays into the hands of the teams with the most money to spend on developing new solutions to the new rules, not teams with lower budgets.

Personally, I'd like to see cars with less downforce - they would certainly be prettier to look at, and would probably place more emphasis on driver skill - but that would seem to be a safety hazard given the power the engines are developing.

 

Great point!

Bee:

They have been reducing downforce every year for the past 3 years I think. Personally I think that every time they do, thats when the cars start looking crazy. Example: http://www.formula-one.net/pics05/velke/06-03-6b.jpg (The pic is huge and I dont feel like resizing.) The 'viking' wing on the west mercedes mclaren.

Perhaps Im wrong. Perhaps this will be the best season weve seen to date. But...Ferrari is still going to spend hundreds of million more than most teams, they are still going to have Bridgestone designing tires specificaly for their car...unless you change THOSE rules...not much is going to change in F1.

 

Yeah, they have to make up for the smaller/repositioned wings by adding little winglets all over the place. Remember the good old days when there was a front wing and a rear wing and nothing but a cockpit and an engine cover between them?! It's been downhill ever since Tyrell introduced the anhedral (sp?) front wing back in, what, 1991?

This does have the makings of a good, competitive season - if the F2005 can run near the front. I don't think there is a feasible way to cut any team's spending (have you seen McLaren's new headquarters?!) without changing the nature of F1. Yes, an all-conquering Ferrari is bad for business, but red cars running in the middle of the pack is even worse!

 

I dont know if I would say that...

 

You know, back in the "heyday" of F1 (the '60s and '70s), they didn't change tires OR refuel the car. The teams had to set up the car in a compromise situation, and some of the cars were fast at the beginning of the race, some of the cars were faster at the end.

By only using one set of tires per race, they are advancing the tire technology. In a year or two, they'll have tires that have the same grip as the 'short stint' tires from last year, that run the entire race. I think the situation now, where the drivers have to take care of their tires, adds to the skill required.

And there were certainly enough tire failures last year to make me think that this can only be safer, not more dangerous.

Also, the tires are 'donuts' due to a limit on wheel size. However, the teams use that large sidewall as a suspension component. Watch the super slow motion replays while the cars go over the rumble strips. The sidewall flex is a large percentage of the total suspension travel!

On JV. It took Fisichella a good half of the year last year before he was outperforming Massa. I hope they give JV at least that long to prove himself. Right now, he looks bad.

 

And wheel size is limited to in turn limit the size of the brakes. Imagine how short the braking zones would be if they could run the same size brakes as the average performance street car!

 

Interesting opinions, but what else would I expect from this crowd. I personally would love to see the elimination of aerodynamic aids (wings, downforce enhancing body "extras", etc.) but as this is prime sponsor real estate, I don't think it'll happen. No more aero, but bring back all the mechanical grip you can muster: wide rims, racing slicks, active suspension. Get rid of re-fueling, let the teams decide if they want to be fast at the beginning or end of the race as the dynamics change through lightened fuel load, and the kicker, bring back the forced-induction option, say how about a 1.6 ltr. supercharged or turbocharged unit, that would have to last four race weekends rather than the two that naturally aspirated engines of today's formula do.

As to JV, he's a racer like his old man. Give him time to get back in the saddle and properly motivated. If Ferrari is now playing mid-pack, you can't expect much more from the Ferrari Jr. team: Sauber.

 

I agree with the above. Remove the wings completely, and go to a spec, wide, slick tire.


That would be fun to watch.

 

Just playing devil's advocate for a moment, but it seems what we really want is for all the drivers and teams to step into the Formula One junior series

Formula 3000 was the old name but I think it has a new look this year. I don't know all the details. You have control slick lower profile tyres, a pleasing aero package without winglets everywhere, a few spec cars to choose from, and a budget that is relatively low

But that would not be "Formula One"....so on with the bitchin

 

This year it is called GP2.


Also, there is an American, Scott Speed, who so far has been fastest in testing in the GP 2 cars.

He is part of the Red Bull program, and tested the Red Bull f1 car (actually last year's Jag, to be specific) earlier today.

 

All Renault powered and Bridgestone shod. http://81.20.128.9/en/website/gp2series/



Back to F1...no wings, all tires...not for me...you take the wings from these cars and the speed would be sooo slow, you might as well watch NASCAR on a road course.

I will be sitting back and letting it play out this season...so far so good, but we will see in Bahrain.

 

Looks like JPM will be sitting this one out.

Stupid tennis! I hope his trainer feels bad.

 

The sign guy is always the last to find out...

 

That's hilarious!

 

Breaking news

The Lirpa-1 team will be entering two cars in the next race and have been turning better times on the test tracks than Ferrari all season so far.

 

I saw that! Can't believe they got Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost to come out of retirement. They've been practicing on some private track for the past year to get up to speed with the latest F1 cars. I can't wait to see how they do.

 

Sounds like an April Fool's joke to me...:smile:

 

My precious, precious tix for the F-1 circus, Indianapolis edition, arrived today!

Another pit lane walkabout is scheduled for Thursday June 16th. (Note from the cognoscenti: This is the effin' best part of the whole week-end: In past years we've gotten autographs from Fernando Alonso, Jarno Trulli, Alan McNish, Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, and more.)

My MINI car corral pass for race day arrived too. Hope to see y'all there.

I'll be in Blubelle, sittin' pretty in Stand J and dressed as the Schumacher fanatic that I am.

Woo Hoo!!!

 

Red face, red hair or more like this?

 

Anyone watching the race?

 

Yup...breakfast in Bahrain.

 

Seems they’re using the track and then some this race.

 

My boy was doing great, up to 4th and then pits and dies. He should never have left the pit - just turn it off and get out.

 

Brakes are getting a workout...Alonzo looks outstanding!

 

Another excellent result...hat trick for Renault and Toyota quietly looking good too!

Bravo, bravo, bravo!