Imminent F1 shakeup?

[Moxie]

Just like everybody else, Lauda has some good points and some bad points. It is important to remember though that driving race cars was significantly more dangerous decades ago than it is today. Furthermore, the drivers had fewer rules, and fewer sanctions for breaking those rules. Lauda, Hunt, Andretti...all the way down to the drivers that tended to finish last, the whole lot of them had great big balls. They knew that each time they strapped themselves into the car, that death was a distinct possibility. Lauda of course was a champion of driver safety before and after his legendary crash. That crash and his quick return exemplify the racers' attitude of staring death in the face and getting on with it. It is from this perspective from which he speaks. I do think his point is a good one, even if I am not so sure I agree with him on this.

I am not into watching people die, and I would prefer that drivers not get killed for my entertainment. Of course I do like tight very competitive racing, and don't mind seeing drivers DNF because they pushed too hard and put themselves into a wall. I wish that the FIA would increase the mass of the cars, and bolster the driver safety requirements as much as possible, then take the cuffs off of the driving rules. Perhaps eliminate a few runoff areas and put walls where walls used to be.

[Andres125sx]

I don´t think he was saying exactly ten years. I think he just was saying last F1 rules have no sense and they should re-think what direction do they want for F1.

Or the same we all are complaining about F1 lately

Or the same LdM was talking about

Or the same this thread goes about


All in all, lately we have heard/read complains about current F1 from all possible levels, fans, F1 CEOs, F1 leyends, F1 drivers....

This should mean something more than LdM is biased or Lauda is populist I think

[MOWOG]

I agree, Andres. But there has been a lot of bellyaching in the past, especially a few years back when some of the teams actually worked up the courage to investigate forming a new series outside the FIA. As I recall, they went so far as to contact the folks at MotoGP to see how that series managed its success.

But in the end, nothing came of it. I understand Bernie waved his magic wand and reminded everybody of precisely how much money would NOT be coming their way if they bolted and they caved like 4 year olds who are told there will be no Christmas unless they do exactly as they are told.

A craven lot, our vaunted Formula One principals......

I think Nikki Lauda makes some excellent proposals: Let's go back ten years, look at all the rules changes that have gone into effect since then and re-evaluate each and every one to see if it was really a smart move. If not, get rid of it! =D>

[Andres125sx]

Agree with everything


PS: Bellyaching... didn´t know that word, I like it, very convenient for many motorsport discussions

[Cam]

Lauda is actually suggesting a very rationale approach. There's nothing knee jerk about it. Let's look at all the rule changes, line by line, and see what can go. Even basic business teaches efficiencies, yet F1 seems to continually work against that. The result? Look at mess they have created for themselves.

The signs were there early too. Who's was it that said, ‘The organisers have prostituted the sport’?

[MOWOG]

That is a most extraordinary interview with Ferrari, Cam.Thanks for linking to that. =D>

[Cam]

I have my moments

Best quote in there:

A car maker need be neither an engineer nor a technician. He must be someone who loves his passion for cars and he must be someone who knows a lot about human beings.

How far F1 has fallen. Keep in mind, no one is suggesting that change cannot happen, just to consider what it was actually all about in the first place.

[Ultra]

That is a most extraordinary interview with Ferrari, Cam.Thanks for linking to that. =D>

I just read this earlier today at another site that likely purloined it from here. Very good read.

[Cam]

While they're 'shaking' things up - how about sorting out this consistency with safety? Let's have a look at the FiA logic:
• small piece of wing offline on race track = safety car
• car crashes, is offline, debris on track - driver gets out and is ok = red flag
• small dent in crash barrier = one hour delay to fix
• entire car in middle of track with marshals running across main straight = no safety car, no delay.

seriously. Me thinks any 'safety' calls by the FiA in future should simply be ignored and laughed at.

[SectorOne]

Elsewhere in Germany on Sunday, the Nurburgring hosted an event called the ‘Truck Grand Prix’.

Watching the unwieldy trucks from the grandstands were about 100,000 excited spectators — about twice the size of the crowd that gathered at Hockenheim for the 2014 German grand prix.

They blame the World Cup, Australian GP and the Olympic games.

http://thisisf1.com/2014/07/21/f1-left- ... eim-crowd/

[xpensive]

Still Truck-racing gathered a 100 000 crowd the same weekend? The 84 year old has squeezed the F1-fans a notch too much.

[Hail22]

I believe a fan out there would love to say this to Bernie E:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnFyB8abbKE[/youtube]

The fans are switching off, to suggest Germans are "tired" after the world cup is such a cop out. Europeans are known to be passionate at all times for sport, full stop Bernie cash bags Ecclestone.

[Andres125sx]

Elsewhere in Germany on Sunday, the Nurburgring hosted an event called the ‘Truck Grand Prix’.

Watching the unwieldy trucks from the grandstands were about 100,000 excited spectators — about twice the size of the crowd that gathered at Hockenheim for the 2014 German grand prix.

They blame the World Cup, Australian GP and the Olympic games.

http://thisisf1.com/2014/07/21/f1-left- ... eim-crowd/

He obviously lost perspective some seassons back, but you know, an 84 years old man is not prone to correct himself...

F1 will continue linked to MrE, when he was young F1 was young and exciting too, as he was getting old F1 was getting older too loosing some excitement, now that he´s an elder man F1 is the same, with no excitement at all and living from memories, and if nobody do anything, F1 will die with him too

Some people simply doesn´t know when to retire

[Carbon]

An old geezers perspective; in the beginning, I was introduced to motorsport through my Dad. I was fascinated by the complex mechanics, beautiful, sweeping aesthetics and the glorious sounds of a high strung engine doing its thing. My interest grew; I started to follow the battles on the race course, the colorful characters behind the wheel of each car and behind pit wall. Over the course of a few decades, each of the many traits that made me fall in love with F1 was peeled away.

Sure, the cars are nice to look at. They make nice noises, are incredibly fast, but I'm left wanting. I turned away from F1 2 years ago. I now follow other Series, but still watch F1, which, IMO is trying desperately to evolve and create a relevant identity, constantly chasing something better. Somehow, every change they make pushes me further and further away from the Series.

I wholeheartedly agree with Lauda, a significant change is needed before F1 losses all of its lustre.

[Vettel Maggot]

A great start would be to remove the 'Bernie says:' logos from the track both physically and the computer generated ones. Maybe with 'Bernie says: Give me all your money!'.