Flavio Briatore has said that he thinks Formula 1 needs re-designing.?

Question

What suggestions would you make to him?

Answer 1

the suggestions ppl above have given are d**n ****!!!..........i wont be happy seeing cars with no electronics.......its so raw!!! LOL...... my intuition says the points u have noted down(mostly) are just c**p(especially rosbif) and would just take f-1 to the 1980's or 90's when the situation was utter chaos.......more retirements(stupid  retirements)...drivers like ricardo rosset.....d**n....it is very entertaing for some(crashes) but f-1 is not about it....and crashing a car is not considered gr8 in f-1.....today although the situation i would say is more justified as the teams with better cars win not like 80's- 90's when even a jordan and minardi got an podium instead of having an inferior car....just due to carshes.......and drivers getting killed

First of all let me tell you-

1.we like f-1 due to not only fast cars but also due to the posh style of it.....due to its glamorous look.

2.Its the glamour the huge money spending....thats what makes f-1 what it is.........why then f1 races are not losing their TRP's to GP2 or other races....

3.for example- hollywood maintains its status as the best indiustry in making sci-fi and action movies but it also spends more than anyother film industry in the world and worlds most expensive films come out of it......and ppl like it......Bollywood makes a couple of cheap sci-fi's but its not in demand....not because they are cheap but they dont have the quality....and quality always come at  a cost.......

4.Cost Must be decreased but not so much that....it becomes cheap......

5.Electronics,....like engine mapping are really important part of the development process.....removing them would take f-1of 21st century to the 20th century f-1......going back is not really favorable.....

6.30-teams would be a big chaos......it may increase vacancy for drivers but its d**n too much..........if a crash happens or something (like an aerodynamic part....rearview mirror) falls on the track than clearing it would be impossible and d**n risky as we would have an car at every corner of the track(esp in the middle part of the race)....

5.i think almost the only thing that needs redesigning is the FiA formula 1 rule book........as it has some big flaws which was not only evident during the case hearing of BAR Honda in 2005 but also during the Ferrari-McLaren spying controversy- the case hearing(BAR HONDA) report and flaws in it-http://formularacin.blogspot.com/2008_05...

EDIT:

hi DEREK SMITH- let me tell you i stay closest to the biggest film industry in asia (in Mumbai or Bombay)and the 2nd biggest in the world.......and let me tell you story telling as you said may work for emotional and comedy films but for sci-fi and action films without special-effects (or even half SFX)it just doesnt and with high end special effects comes lot of money and bollywood doesnt belive in tht and doesnt wanna take risk in tht......cause they are happy selling emotions and comedy......and when bollywood have created any sci-fi movie they have invested big bucks in it cause they kno without it it soesnt work(check for ' koi mil gaya' and 'krissh' videos on youtube)...same goes for f-1 if they need to have the special effect they need to spend a  lot of money tooo........and during the time of  lotus they hardly had wind tunnels......and almost no electronics.....u guys are so impossible....!!!...u wanna take f-1 back to 1980's ..or 70's!!!......am with the competitiveness of 80's and 90's but surely not with bringing those cars back.....its  like .....LOL.........a big ......LOL!!!!!!!.........think of goin ahead not back.......comeon!!........

Answer 2

I agree with most of rosbif's points but there's one part where I have to disagree.

I'm talking about the point on eliminating the electronics sensors, not because it isn't cool, I think that it would be great if the drivers had to use their ability and sense the problems themselves but it would be harder for the mechanics to detect what causes a crash. We saw Glock's crash it was completely out of his control and the mechanics had to rely on the data of the electronics and telemetry to reconstruct the whole thing. They said that when the car is too badly damaged there is no other way.

That's why I think that, in order to keep the high standards of safety, the electronic sensors should stay at least in a form that can be analysed after the race, or only after an accident. That would force the driver to use his own ability to sense the problems during the race.

Now, I'm not an expert obviously so if it already works that way then cool.. But if it doesn't, it should!

That's it, I think his answer is still perfect because it does offer solutions that would make F1 more exciting and the question was not about safety.

Answer 3

1. Bring back slick tyres, and get rid of the compulsory use of two tyre compounds - let the teams decide which tyres to use, and when.

2. To reduce costs, ban all electronics such as variable engine mapping, radios, sensors and telemetry. If the car has a problem, let the driver find out on his own, and come and tell the mechanics...at the moment it's the wrong way around.

3. Bring back manual clutches and gearboxes, this would certainly lead to more driver errors and more retirements.

4. Ban refuelling, and set the maximum fuel tank size at a level which will encourage fuel efficiency. Coping with a changing fuel load, and the difficulty in setting up the car for this would make for different cars being fast at different points in the race.

5. Change the points system to encourage teams to go for the win rather than just racking up points: two wins need to be worth three second place finishes for the ratio to be correct.

6. Allow a limited reintroduction of ground effects; no skirts, but allow the floor to be raised from the midpoint between the rear of the cockpit and the rear axle line. At the same time reduce the size, height and depth of the front and rear wings - this means that airflow OVER the car is less important to grip, meaning that drivers can follow each other more closely in corners.

7. Increase the number of entrants allowed to 14 teams, with a maximum of 24 cars being allowed to start. Allow teams to enter a third car if they wish, not necessarily for the whole season, just when they want to.

8. Set up a rota system for all the "new" GPs on the calendar. There should be a fixed core of 10 "classic" races which appear every year, with six or seven other races being rotated between the dozen recent additions.

EDIT Ooooooooooooooooook utkarsh... if the glamour is so important to you (retching noises off camera) then go watch ice dancing...F1 is a little deeper than that. Do you actually understand any of my points or are you just someone who believes whatever idiots like Vijay Mallya tell you on TV?

EDIT 2 As to Ricardo Rosset being your definition of a rubbish driver...what about Karthikeyan or Ide, two of the most useless drivers EVER, let alone of the last 3 years? Rosset was a class above either of them. Also, I would love F1 to be as competitive and exciting as it was in the 1980s and 90s, today's racing is a pale imitation of those years, as are the circuits they are forced to race on these days.

EDIT 3  Jordan got their podiums and wins through producing a competitive car. Minardi's best ever finishes were a handful of fourth places...do your homework.

Also read what I wrote P R O P E R L Y before you criticise it...I don't want 30 cars in the race, I want 24, which is the same as is allowed now.

EDIT 4 And where do I mention accidents? Nowhere. I do believe that it is the job of the driver to keep his car on the track, but from there to WANTING them to crash is a huge leap. As to retirements, what I would like to see is a situation where weaker teams DO have their day in the sun when their car makes it to the finish when the faster cars don't. The balance between speed and reliability is vital to F1, and at the moment the cars are bullet-proof and it's boring when you know that almost all the cars will finish in almost exactly the order they started.

EDIT 5

Hi Cavallino; absolutely agree with a "black-box" sort of recorder, but it would have to be sealed and inaccessible during a race weekend, maybe it could only be accessed by the race stewards, so that the team couldn't use the technical information between races either. What I don't like is the engineers telling the driver to change up gears 500rpm early because the oil temperature is a little high...let him have an oil temperature gauge, and if that breaks or he forgets to look at it, then let the engine blow up...

The side-effect of not having all the telemetry would be to also have to remove the artificial requirement for engines and gearboxes to last a certain number of races; they would have to be allowed to inspect, maintain and repair or replace the unit if there was no other electronic way of determining the condition.

Answer 4

I need to give up work, all the good questions are answered before I get home, Christos and Rosbif have answered brilliantly, as usual.

I will add,

Like the 24-30 car rule, how about re intoducing the pre qualifying rule, bring the 8 slowest cars and let the 4 fastest race, something to watch on a Friday afternoon.

Allow V12, V10 and V8 engine configurations, hp limited but the torque and sound differences will add some spice.

And by my appointment, get Cosworth back!

Answer 5

i totally agree with rosbif on reducing wings, add to that dropping the ride heights to team preference and allowing a much wider wheel base, a fat low car doesn't require as much aero grip and will improve passing dramatically,

Ban carbon fiber, all body and suspension will need to be made of some metallic alloy, this will add weight strengthen suspension parts and cut costs big time,

i totally disagree with banning refueling, pit stops are where the team acts like a team also adds a variable into the race, and i think f1 needs more variables rather than less,

i think the points system needs to revert back to the old format or at the very least expand the gap between first and second

another idea is to let the fans rate a track after two years, maybe put it on f1.com for a week as a vote, ......oh and actually listen to the fans opinion and take action accordingly

new tracks aside from fia pit and hospitality standards mandate that any new track have at least 60ft (20 or so meters for those of you across the pond)  of elevation change,

Answer 6

Christos and Rosbif are on the money here in my opinion. Not that I'm against technology, but I'd like to see a reduction in proven "common" technology such as TC. (thankfully already gone)

If technology is to be implemented it should be new and have to be of benefit to the car industry in general which is where Rosbif's point about a fixed fuel tank comes into its own. If f1 cars could become more fuel efficient without a major loss of performance then the impact of that alone would be huge.

That's about all I have to add that hasn't already been said.

***edit***

I'd like to make a point if I may about the "Hollywood" metaphor someone above made. Hollywood might spend more on films than anyone else but that might just be seen as hedging their bets. Hollywood doesn't understand the concept of quality control so in effect for every 1 classic film made we have to endure about 1000 complete turkeys. In fact, Asian film studios spend a lot less because less is available so the core of the films becomes about good story telling. Check out any film from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and I guarantee that you won't be upset with your choice. This brings me back to F1. One of F1's true innovators wasn't one of the teams with a budget which could buy a third world country or two, it was Lotus, who had to rely on ingenuity and good solid engineering. Such was Colin Chapman's genius that any F1 car made today is literally the son of a Lotus.

Answer 7

There are some very good answers already. I think:

1 More F1 drivers meet the fans sessions. I hardly hear of these and it would do a lot to promote the sport

2 Flav suggested a driver salary cap years ago. It would help cut costs but some drivers may not be happy about this

3 12 F1 teams instead of the current 10. So that makes 24 cars on the grid.

4 For countries tht buy rights to telecast F1, make sure the races are aired live. (Might sound crazy but some people don't take their rights seriously)

5 Another crazy idea... but underperforming drivers should know when to retire. Some of them just don;t know when to leave.... However, this has to be the driver's decision, so....

6 Ensure that the commentators know their stuff. I've heard some really horrendous commentary which also included mispronounciation of drivers' names and at times, mistaken nationality

7 Revise pitting under safety car rules.

Answer 8

The first thing I want to see is more teams and drivers, a grid of 30 cars.

For that to happen major cost cutting is needed.

This however is not possible with the introduction of new technologies such as KERS.

The development of new technologies has always been one of F1s strongpoints and at the same time one of it's major weaknesses too.

It's how we got TC, active suspension,fully auto gearboxes etc, because people stupidly insisted that F1 cars could not be crude and F1 had to be on the edge of technology.

Of course one by one those gadgets having hurt the sport were abandoned.

F1 should not be forced to develop new technologies on behalf of the automotive industry.

"Green cars" sounds nice so if there's any "green" technology out there in the industry take it and use it otherwise wait till it shows up.

I want F1 cars to be fast and difficult and different and engaging for the drivers and fans.

That doesn't have to cost a lot.

If every disappointed big manufacturer that leaves because they can't promote their road cars through Formula one is replaced by two private teams I'm happy with that.

F1 may have a lot of appeal worldwide but it should not be about car maker fans, not people who are in it to cheer for BMW and Toyota, it should be about motor sport fans who love above all the racing and the drivers.

EDIT:Technology and development are synonymous with F1.

But back in the 70s the cost of free development was within reach of teams and technology had not reached a point where it took control of the car and off the driver's hands.

Now it has done so and has got out of reach because of astronomical costs it has to be kept in check.

Technologies that are outside the scope of racing and do the driver's job instead of him should be banned alltogether.

Development of technologies that increase performance within certain regulations should be allowed but in a much stricter way than in the past so as to contain costs.

I see no other way, what worked in the past will not necessarily work for a lifetime, had the powers that be of F1 not reacted to the new realities long time ago there would be no drivers in the cars anyway and F1 would be dead by now.

But we need more, that's what this Q is about, F1 is always on the edge of trying to stay true to it's tradition and stay alive at the same time, always at the top of motorsport.

Environmental concerns have created a sense of urgency but F1 is still very much alive and kicking and now is the best time to think of it's long term future.

There's something missing, everybody knows that, people in the paddock included.

EDIT2:Sam A, since you seem to know better than everyone else what F1 is...

"what is the point of making manual gearboxes? slow the cars down? "

It's that what it's all about?

Speed?

Slowing the cars down with manual gearboxes is the equivalent of increasing power by 50bhp, or downforce by 1%, or tire width by a couple of milimeters.

The technology existed long time ago for F1 cars to exceed human limits of tolerance within a couple of corners, don't worry F1 cars can be as fast as they want to be.

They've been trying to slow them down for 30 years now, didn't you notice?

"do you guys have any idea why it's called formula one?

because all of the teams have to follow a specific formula in preparing their car, and that is the only restriction. this creates an environment where super high technology is utilized to win. which is cool."

That's deep.

Super high technology allows for an on board computer to correct oversteer in thousands of a second, much quicker than any human being ever could.

Is that F1?

Like I said, maybe a few decades back the quest for speed did not interfere much with the drivers work, the only concern arising from development was that of cost, that is no longer the case, technology cannot be allowed to be implemented freely in a racing car any more, F1 or not.

Yes, super high technology is cool.

It stops being cool when:

1)You can't afford it

2)Rather than fulfill it's purpose of serving you you end up serving it.

Special effects in a movie are a means to an end.

They exist to give a better representation of reality, they do not exist to steal the show.

Movies or computer games that are all effects and no substance are c**p.

Technology should serve F1, F1 does not exist to serve technology.

Answer 9

Rosbif and Christos seem to have covered all the technical bits so how about the drivers are made more accessible to their fans. I know a few of them come out and sign autographs on race weekends, but I think there should be more. They should ALL be made to do signing sessions because if nobody wanted to watch them there would be no racing in the first place:)

I would definately like to see more teams on the grid too.

Answer 10

I love it when someone takes on rosbif...blood on the carpet again...learn, 3utkarsh3, learn.

I don't have anything to add to what rosbif said, great points.

Answer 11

slick tires are coming back next season. and traction control is already gone.

but you guys are dumb if you think turning F1 into champ car will make it BETTER.

part of the allure of F1 is the super high technology.

what is the point of making manual gearboxes? slow the cars down?

bring back the optional engine sizes? v8? v12? no. bad idea.

do you guys have any idea why it's called formula one?

because all of the teams have to follow a specific formula in preparing their car, and that is the only restriction. this creates an environment where super high technology is utilized to win. which is cool.

why does F1 need to become affordable all of a sudden?

sponsors like renault, bmw, marlboro, mercedes, etc. CAN afford it. look what happens when you try to run on a low budget: you DNF or get 18th place every race (super aguri)

leave F1 as it is: the high tech pinnacle of road racing.

Answer 12

.

Er......, ut-oh.........., am I having a flashback to my teens or did I really just see Bollywood mentioned in the F1 section??

WOW....that's ok, it wasn't a LSD induced close encounter....You really got it smokin' in here today Tilly, well done!!

Some good answers too. I'm sorry, 3utkarsh but you may well love the driver aids, but I feel that most do not.

The points made by Christos and Rosbif are well thought out as usual and make a lot of sense.

Where is the sense of taking away the control of the driver?

Mind-numbing perfect laps is no spectacle and if that is where your entertainment is centred, then probably the glamour is a good thing too. I couldn't care less if champagne is present or whether a girl or a moose is holding the driver's umbrella.

For me, lairy racing angles, worn out driving gloves (caused by 2000 gear changes), close competition with unnaturally gifted drivers and sometimes wondering whether the technology will hold out to the end of the race is what i'm after.

Yes technology is great, but so is clarity of vision in it's utilisation. This year has been great so far without TC, let's see more of less.

Look to Rosbif and Christos for my suggestions also.

EDIT: and Cavalino...excellent....GREAT QUESTION, either of these 3 have well thought out points, but I still can't fathom where Bollywood fits in.

...Although on a Bollywood side note, I do quite like that song "Chal tei, chal tei, mill g*y a ta..." (the "walking, walking" song, but I guarantee I spelt it wrong)

.

Answer 13

for him to be happier and not such a miserable old git, that constantly complaining, no matter what is done he always comes up with moans and groans.

Answer 14

it dose you only have 5  drivers that can win