DRS, tires, etc in F1

[Aurora40]

While it seems a bit contrived, it sure is livening up the racing! DRS seems the most contrived, whereas the degrading tire scheme is fairly interesting. Though it makes pit strategy more critical, something they tried to remove from the equation when eliminating refueling.

There is definitely more of that "passing in the pits" happening again, due to the tire strategy, but it does keep the race interesting.

I don't get DRS, though. Or rather, I don't get the rules for it. If 5 cars in a train are within a second of each other, do 4 of them get to use DRS? Or just the last guy? Or none? The rules sound like 4 would get to, but I've yet to see more than one car hit DRS in a line of cars. It also seems sort of unfair to get steamrolled by a train of 4 cars, vs one that you can try to re-pass.

[DaveK]

Nobody understands DRS - not even the FIA

They're changing the rules by the race now lol As you say, completely contrived. More passing in the pits doesn't seem like racing to me. They should just let Bernie choose the winner each race

[tomtom72]

Hey now....there was a pass, on the track, for the win at the GP of China! When was the last time we saw that?

I just think that they, FIA, are trying too hard to do stuff to solve things that maybe don't exist. I was watching something on Speed a yr ago. It was old tapes of F1 from the era of Hill & Clark. Even back then it was hard to pass and it was just a follow the leader type thing. I had forgotten, I had thought there was more passing back then. There just wasn't, not then and maybe you have to go back to the front engine days to find it?

I suppose I'm not as big a fan as I thought I was because I think the rules are too much like school...I have to learn them to watch a race?

I honestly think the form of road racing that they have in the GT classes of Rolex and ALMS is way more entertaining to watch......heck even that VW series is fun to watch. JMHO.

[DaveK]

I seem to remember more passing, or at least attempts to pass from when I was younger. That would be in the Senna/Prost/Mansell era - maybe that is just the old 'rose-coloured spectacle' effect though. I seem to remember that with the turbos they could turn them up or down if needed to try and pass - but then they had to pay the price with increased chance of blow ups etc.

If it were me I'd take off the flappy wing and KERS and give them all a nitrous tank of pre-determined size.

I really dislike all the manipulations, especially DRS, that just seems so fake and takes away the driver's ability to decided where to pass (and completely removes the chance to defend).

[Aurora40]

I can't watch ALMS anymore. The "green" crap, and contrived diesel dominance, annoys the hell out of me. And the coverage is mostly the prototypes.

I tried watching some Grand-Am racing. Those prototype cars are ugly as sin. There's another World Challenge race on today, so far it has been ok. The races are short, though, and the TV coverage compresses them even more.

It does seem like the more stock the class, the more interesting the race. Unfortunately it also mostly means econo-cars. It's weird that real sports cars tend to only run in highly modified form (on TV anyway).

[tomtom72]

I agree with you Bob. The prototypes & the green thing & the diesels kind of bother me, but I guess I have become used to the diesels now.

I used to watch two series from Europe, DTM and another one that corvettes competed in on Bloomberg TV.....it was entertaining but Bloomberg stopped buying the tape & I can't seem to locate that stuff on my cable system now. The corvettes were in with the F-cars & lambos & the rest of them. The vetts did fairly well, or did do well.

I missed the Senna/Mansell/Prost era mostly, cable system didn't have speed back then! I came in on the tail end I think, I remember Senna's crash at San Moreno and Shueys start at Benaton(sp?) with the cosworth V8's. I still say the passing is a figment of my imagination in the professional ranks.

I hate to say this but I think the aero in F1 is the bane of the series. It was for a long time in NASCAR & made for boring racing. They dirtied up the aero & the cars are less aero dependent now & it turned out fairly well to watch. Maybe F1 needs to limit the front wing & all the side stuff and loose the new rear wing. Maybe come up with a cheap N/A motor formula & go back to SMG boxes with shifter handles??? I thought the FIA was trying to figure a way to cut expenses?

[XfireZ51]

With the new Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger, I wish they would bring back the old Trans Am and also the Can Am. That was racing. Also bring back real stock car racing not this NASCAR formula crap with decals.

[John Boothby]

I was reading this thread, and just started reminicing about the old days when I first started to get interested in racing (mid 1950's). Drivers drove in t-shirts and white jeans! No fire suits. The helmets wouldn't save you from a golf ball let alone a wreck! And most scary of all, no seatbelts!! The drivers where scared to death of getting trapped in a burning car, which was common back then. And, you could tell the cars from one another. Ferraris, Jags, Lotus, MG's all were unique in styling, and the factory colors. But, you still had dominating cars and drivers. The guys with the money still won.

Driving style was completely opposite as it is today. You stayed on the power and slid the car around corners, feathering the throttle to maintain control. The smell of rubber and exhaust was very strong. I don't know if it is the tire compound of today or the fact that the tires have so much grip, but the smell around the track just isn't like it was back in the day!

[Aurora40]

Well this weekend's race sure as hell was exciting! Not for the lead, but just behind and midpack, there was tons of passing. It would be nice to see someone challenging for the lead, but at least there is some great action happening somewhere...