Editor’s Note: Periodically we offer an editorial from one of our readers in a series we call Marbles. It’s a chance for our readers to share their thoughts on F1. This installment is from our reader, Tim Covington (aka Mustang Guy), and we hope you enjoy the post.
We are seven races into this current season and I’ve about had enough. I’m not talking about the dominance of Mercedes. They did their homework and created a fantastic car and engine (oops . . . power unit). The rest of the field just needs to find a way to catch-up. Sure, it’s not going to be easy, but Ferrari is certainly headed in the right direction. So, it can be done.
No, what I’m talking about are some of the rules that have been implemented over the last two seasons. I certainly understand the need for a comprehensive rules package that teams can work within. Without rules there would be chaos. But there are some specific rules that I just don’t get.
For example, I don’t understand why there is a need to limit the amount of fuel being used during a race. I am tired of hearing the pit wall tell a driver you have to conserve fuel to make it to the end of the race. If we had re-fueling and the team didn’t get the car full of fuel then bad on them. But this is different. Give these guys enough fuel to go racing. Lifting 50 meters or 100 meters to conserve fuel . . . that’s not racing. Fill those cars up, remove that fuel flow meter, and let these guys have at it. If you want to show what these power units are really capable of, then turn them loose. In the real world, your definitely want the best fuel mileage you can get from your car. But I highly doubt anyone is setting at the fuel station running calculations to see how fast and how far they can go on a specific amount of fuel (or at least I’m not). I want to see these drivers get after each other and limiting the fuel consumption is not going to allow that to happen.
Also, I’m tired of hearing about driver coaching. I doesn’t matter to me what the pit wall tells a driver. If it makes for better/closer racing, have at it. In other forms of motorsport, such as NASCAR and Indycar, you are always hearing the driver and spotter discussing the best possible line around the track to get the best lap time. You hear “try running this line. That what X driver is doing.” If we didn’t hear much about it during the broadcast, no one would even be thinking about driver coaching.
And, what about this helmet rule. This one I really don’t get. When I started watching F1, it wasn’t a driver’s helmet that let me know who was driving what car. If you watch F1 for any length of time, I think you will be able to figure out what driver is driving what car. This rule just limits a driver’s personality. Wouldn’t it be cool to see something really neat on a driver’s helmet and then have the broadcast team interview him to get the story behind the paint scheme. We might actually learn something interesting about that driver. Don’t we want these drivers to be more human and approachable?
And, what about the DRS rule. Just find a podcast with Paul, Todd and Mark discussing DRS. Maybe the famous “rantcast” from a while back. They said it all, there’s nothing else I can add to it.
As previously stated . . . I’ve about had enough. In the comments section, lists the rules that drive you crazy and why. I’m interested to see what things drive others “up-the-wall”.
There are a lot of seemingly frivolous rules, not to mention confusing to me at least. F1 isn’t the only one. Still freeing up the cars and drivers to make it more fun for the fans would be a welcome change.
Unlapping after a period behind the safety car… they got lapped for a reason. Just drop them to the back of the field and get on with it, or leave them where they are…
And not on the rules front – but seeing the start replayed 50 times from every possible angle… unless there was a crash, a stall or someone slow I was watching it and don’t need to see it over and over again
Good points Dr T.
On the TV coverage, I’d add the ‘cut to team/significant other’ when there is an incident on track, and the ‘cut from racing to the leading car for the last lap’. Picture in picture has been around for a long time and could easily be used if these things need to be covered.
Removing the fuel limit will not prevent the lift and coast, because a team will just add enough fuel to win at the slowest speed possible. To really get them to race flat out you have to impose a minimum fuel losd.
Hamilton’s race time in Canada 2015 was sixteen seconds faster than Vettel’s race winning time in 2013. Using a third less fuel and with a heavier car. If the teams had the option of going back to the cars of 2013 I don’t think that they would, as the current generation are faster.
Hi MIE,
That’s pretty amazing, not just heavier but also smaller wings.
So if the 2015 winning car completed the Canadian GP faster than the 2013 winner, and Canada is a high speed circuit, where are the circuits where people have been saying the 2015 cars are “6 sec a lap slower than the 2013 era cars, and barely faster than GP2 cars”?
Only three of the races held so far this year have been unaffected by Safety cars, and these were also unaffected by safety cars in 2013. Those races are Bahrain, Spain and Canada. In Bahrain and Canada the 2015 race was faster than in 2013, while in Spain the race in 2015 was slower not only than 2013 but 2014 as well. In Bahrain the winning time for 57 laps was 1:36’00.498 in 2013 and 1:35’05.809 in 2015, which works out as 0.956 seconds a lap faster on average. In Spain the winning time for 66 laps was 1:39’16.596 in… Read more »
Thanks MIE, you’re an F1 analytical machine!
Hi Tim, good on you for putting that out there and getting it off your chest. I don’t agree with all your peeves, but three out of four ain’t bad. The helmet rule seems nuts; driver coaching – why not? its a team sport and if it lets the teams get the most out of the cars, I’m all for it; DRS grrrrrr, just take it away. On the limited fuel, I’m fine with that (and am almost unique amongst F1B fans that I think these new power units are brilliant – kinetic and thrrmal energy recovery, torque filling, electronic… Read more »