Opinions about removing drivers aids from cars

Here's Massa's opinion

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16112007/23/massa-new-regs-cause-accidents.html

What do you think? Is this a step backwards for the sport from a technological POV? Or will this seperate the men from the boys?

I think it'll show who is really a driver and who isn't. I don't think it's as big a step backwards as say freezing engine development for umpteen years.

 

Removing 'driver aids' will make the driver a more important part of the package > more relevance to the 'World Driving Championship' > more interest by fans (at least me)

As has been said before/recently(Mosley?), there's little point in a technological masterpiece when the secrecy involved means that few know anything about this wonderful creation that we call an F1 car.

 

...I LOVE IT...

Although the start of the race is gonna be nuts...trying not to stall or overrev those cars that are just 600 kilos, with 900hp...god-knows-how-much-torque...

all this is gonna make that really tricky...Michael use to say something like this back in those NO TC days..."dont hate me for blowing up a lot of smoke and spin the tires so much and loosing places at the start, it´s so dificult to judge, you cant hear your engine, or feel the grip on the steering, only keep the engine in the rev light that it should, release the clutch and hope for the best"...

that was just before the introduction of the launch and traction control...race starts are going to be another story...polesitter will be the most nervous of all drivers...

not to mention the rest of the race, qualifying on a green track, or even rain race and qualifying... LOTS OF FUN!

 

I said it before and I say it again:

Remove all driver aids. Bring back manual stick shifters. No ABS, no TC. And no aeros either.

 

I endorse this proposal.

 

+1 Agreed. Do this and then see who is skilled. They all seem pretty good in the fly by wire cars. Give em a manual car and watch the shakeup!

 

+1000000

Let's see who the real race drivers are, once and for all.

 

No Aero would seriously **** up lap times.

 

Of course its a step backwards in technology.

But its a step forward, maybe two, in better competition and understanding who really is a race driver. Exactly what F1 needs at this time.

 

+1

 

I am all about competition but not allowing technology to advance will also hinder what you see produced for the street.

Trying to serve both of those masters is the challenge. Usually there is not a happy medium.

 

So what?

It will bring back passing.

 

+++ what he said. Except he said it better than I can.

 

Apology for my igorance, but what do you mean by "aeros"? What parts or functions will this affect? You're not talking about the bits and parts that keep the vehicle stick better to the ground, or are you?

 

Ban aeros meaning:

1) Ban front and rear wings and underbody flow.
2) Limit the overall downforce to a certain number with a given speed (to be verified in wind tunnel testing or CFD).

This will have several positive effects:
- Slower lap times, less speed in corners, more safety margin
- No more dirty air disturbing following cars, hence more chances for passing
- Radically new rules create new engineering opportunities
- Less downforce will increase driver input
- Prettier cars Actually I'm imagining a 1966 car with huge slicks, but with all the modern safety engineered into it (carbon fibre tub, survival cell, fuel safety devices etc).

 

Massa is just crying but apparently he has come to grip's with no TC as the Barcelona testing ended with him at the top of the timesheet's. I also agree with 'tifosi12', bring back the time's when the driver the most important factor of a race's outcome.

 

+1

I couldn't have said it any better.

 

Of any F1 technology that can be used on street cars, virtually nothing aerodynamic they use is really of any significance. Probably cars like the F-40 and Enzo offer more to the world of day to day motorcars than an F1 car in that regard. The things we can use are more efficient gearboxes and engines, better brakes, etc. Removing all driver aids wont effect anything in the real world other than seperating the men from the boys. I wouldnt even mind seeing them get rid of rev limiters so the idiots out there take themselves out with the first mis-shift. No telemetry, no radio contact, no fly by wire, no aero, just and engine and a chassis and a guy who knows how to drive. Freezing engine developement is by far the most backwards proposal I have ever heard. I would rank it about the same as the FIA mandating drum brakes, tube tires or leaf springs. Maybe they should go back to flathead engine technology while theyre at it?

 

Actually I'm all for radio contact, but it should be unencrypted so it can be broadcast live on TV. Would make the sport more interesting for the fans.

 

I am looking forward to no TC. Finally the drivers can earn their millions of dollar salary. The 2007 car showed that a brand new rookie could come and do well. Yes he was exceptional and in a good car but the V8 cars were easy to drive.

Reading the link in post #1, I am laughing at Massa cowering at facing wet conditions w/o tc. If he can't shape up he better ship out!

 

I disagree. Any radio contact would be used to gain advantage, plus you have the added factor of teams using code words, etc. leader boards at the pits should be the only means of communication to the driver. Keep the drivers in the dark and let them use thier brain to figure it out. IMHO its so controlled today they could just as well have radio controlled cars. Well, maybe they already do.

 

Senna and Schumacher did OK their rookie seasons too, no? Those cars didn't have electronic aids.

 

IMO it could be a safety issue. The Carrera GT crash in CA where two guy's died and Porsche were sued was for a claimed lack of TC in the car. I'm not sure how it will affect F1 cars exactly buy I would think it puts drivers at greater risk. Even if you have a good driver there could be a screw up with a driver that is used to TC and now doesn't have it.

 

These are the best drivers on the planet. If they can't drive without TC, they don't belong in the sport.

 

I have an idea - perhaps Maxwell could legislate that all the cars have only an electric motor, and that they are guided by a 1 foot wide and deep slot through the fast line of the track. They would pick up power from conductive strips on either side of the slot. The drivers could then sit in luxury boxes at the top of the grandstand and control their respective cars with a hand-held plunger.

If this became too much of an environmental hazard, the entire track and the cars could be reduced in scale - say by a factor of one to thirty two or thereabouts?