Formula One teams are considering a radical shake-up of the race weekend format as part of their plans to revitalize the sport. The new Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) is evaluating all aspects of Grand Prix racing, and autosport.com has learned that part of the discussions revolve around a total overhaul of the way weekends are structured. In particular, the focus is on ensuring that Fridays deliver more for fans - and one proposal being floated is for the current extended practice sessions being replaced with a special, shootout-like, timed session for a cash prize. McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh, who heads the sporting working group of FOTA, told autosport.com that discussions had already taken place about changing the structure of Fridays. "We are looking at the whole format of a race weekend," he explained. "At the moment we formulated a Friday testing format, but in reality no one is doing the normal disciplined testing. We are preparing for the race (instead). "If you give a race team the chance to go on the race track where they are going to race at on the Sunday on the Friday before, then we must have been nuts to think that we will be doing engineering testing. So we are all as bad as one another. "So we say, is this good value? Does it help the show? Or do you perhaps do something where you say, let's cut it down to 45 minutes only, maybe you give a completely different specification of tyres, a really hard tyre, and you create a mini competition where everyone tries to set the fastest time and you give a million dollars to the winning driver? "It means there would be something to write about and it introduces the weekend. It is separate from the race. So there are all those sort of ideas about. "The good thing is that people now realise that we do have to do something and I think (we are having) quite a creative open discussion. And I hope over Japan and Shanghai that we will reach some conclusions. "We then have to make recommendations to FOTA and that has to then go through the FIA, but hopefully we can do that."
I like the idea of a fastest lap competition. Let them set up the cars however they would like so it has no bearing on actual qualifying and the race. If they engine blows after ten laps or the tires are shredded the better the spectacle.
And this plays into the cost cutting agenda how?? Not being critical of the idea, I rather like, but when the heads of the sport are going to the lengths of trying to make F1 a spec series to cut costs, I just don't see this as an idea that would be possible. Personally, I say screw cost cutting and lets get back to teams really doing some hardcore, and different, engineering. For me, half the attraction of the sport (well it use to be when this still happened) is seeing who goes out on a limb and does something different. Mark
i always appreciated f1 for it's developing new technologies. the spec changes are diluting the sport. if you want a spec car watch champ/irl. f1 should be cutting edge. speed=$.
They should go back to the rules as they were back in the 70's.... and incorporate all the tech advances of today. I like the Friday competition thing.. they should give points to the drivers and teams ... 2 points to the team who completes the most laps within 85% of each laps time... and 1 point for fastest lap, and one point or fastest pit stop during the practice... they are timing all the time, so why not use the info. I think the spec crap of F-1 now is just crazy, I just dont understand it. I know safety has to be there, but saving money is just not part of F-1.. bernie has to give up some money so the teams can survive, but he only cares about bernie!!! I say make the cars as safe as possible, but open up all the aero, engines electronics etc... its time we go back to ground effects, and active suspensions etc...F-1 should have it all... that would make the cars so exotic the cars alone would be a draw... and it would bleen into road cars as well. ( over time)
my proposal : scrap the saturday qualifying. saturday should be used as a day where drivers and team interacts with the fans and public only. Sunday race : starting order should be done in reverse grid, with slots allocated based on finishing of the previous gp. winner of the last gp start last, the driver whom finished last in the prev. gp starts on pole in the current gp. case solved.
Every year they spin some idea to "improve it" for the fans and nothing really happens. I been to enough GP's to know all I want to see is an F1 car lapping the track for all 3days for more then 2hrs a day. I don't care about any of the support races. The price for the tickets you expect alot more F1 track time. No point changing the structure of the race weekend if the 2 race engine rule and the current lame qualifying format is still around. Qualifying needs to go back to fastest driver is on pole for starters, I don't mind this 3 session thing(tho the oldskool way of the 80's/90's is still the best) but the Top10 shouldn't be running around with raceday fuels levels. Now that engines can last 2 races, change it back to 1 race rule so then they can actually do alot more laps on any given weekend and have more practise sessions/day. Cash prize sessions work if you trying to attract 12yr olds to the sport. The best way of improving the sport is still removing Max Mosley, he did good things at the start(improve safety etc) but its time to move on. He just doesn't listen to the fans or the teams. FIA/FOM had a survey afew years back on formula1.com asking for ways to improve F1 the results came in and they did nothing with it...
If you re-read the first couple lines, basically they're saying "pay us to run more laps under the guise of a shoot-out". If they want a shoot-out, how about this: Form a reversed grid based on the Drivers' Championship standings. Run a 20-lap race where every lap the slowest driver is black flagged, setting the race grid from the bottom up. That will take place on Friday, and Saturday will be a practice/media day. Race setups can be changed, and there won't be any of this fuel-load, 2-race engine nonsense.
BANGKOK, Thailand AP Formula One teams are considering introducing a US$1 million prize for the fastest car on Fridays in order to liven up grand prix race weekends. McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh thinks offering a Friday prize could liven up a grand prix weekend. The newly formed Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) will have further discussion at the upcoming races in Japan and China in the hope of bringing in a new competition for Fridays. "At the moment we formulated a Friday testing format, but in reality no one is doing the normal disciplined testing. We are preparing for the race," McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh was quoted as saying in Autosport magazine. "So we say, is this good value? Does it help the show? Or do you perhaps do something where you say, let's cut it down to 45 minutes only, maybe you give a completely different specification of tires, a really hard tire, and you create a mini-competition where everyone tries to set the fastest time and you give a million dollars to the winning driver?" Currently the only F1 action on tracks on Fridays is two practice sessions in which teams tweak the set-ups and tire choices for Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race. "It means there would be something to write about and it introduces the weekend," Whitmarsh said. "It is separate from the race. So there are all those sort of ideas about. "The good thing is that people now realize that we do have to do something and have quite a creative open discussion. And I hope over Japan and Shanghai that we will reach some conclusions. "We then have to make recommendations to FOTA and that has to then go through the FIA, but hopefully we can do that." FOTA was formed only in July, representing all 10 teams. It is designed to provide a united voice to the FIA, the sport's governing body, about the future of F1.
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Formula One teams are considering introducing a $1 million prize for the fastest car on Fridays in order to liven up grand prix race weekends. Formula One's stars could soon be racing for real in Friday practice sessions. The newly formed Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) will have further discussion at the upcoming races in Japan and China in the hope of bringing in a new competition for Fridays. "At the moment we formulated a Friday testing format, but in reality no one is doing the normal disciplined testing. We are preparing for the race," McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh was quoted as saying in Autosport magazine. "So we say, is this good value? Does it help the show? Or do you perhaps do something where you say, let's cut it down to 45 minutes only, maybe you give a completely different specification of tires, a really hard tire, and you create a mini-competition where everyone tries to set the fastest time and you give a million dollars to the winning driver?" Currently the only F1 action on tracks on Fridays is two practice sessions in which teams tweak the setups and tire choices for Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race. It is of more interest to team engineers than spectators and receives almost no television coverage. "It means there would be something to write about and it introduces the weekend," Whitmarsh said. "It is separate from the race. So there are all those sort of ideas about. "The good thing is that people now realize that we do have to do something and have quite a creative open discussion. And I hope over Japan and Shanghai that we will reach some conclusions. "We then have to make recommendations to FOTA and that has to then go through the FIA, but hopefully we can do that." FOTA was formed only in July, representing all 10 teams. It is designed to provide a united voice to the FIA, the sport's governing body, about the future of F1.
I think the drivers should mount bicycles and joust on Fridays. Perhaps something motorized in keeping with the flavor. This can be done on the main straight with the biggest stands. Grid position based on results. At the end of the year The First Knight ( highest cumulative qualifier ) gets to battle the Dragon; Bernie and Max in one of those Two man Chinese Dragon costumes. In this final event real lances can be used. Dragon defends with a Bic lighter. Who said chivalry is dead ?
Interesting idea, but everyone who does well will be penalized, so a 'middle-of-the-pack' driver will become WDC.
Actually I like going to practice on Fridays and watching the drivers develop their lines and braking points. Its easier to take pictures and to get around the track on Fridays because the stands are less than half full. That's fine with me. The question is; how much more will the tickets be once FOTA settles on what the new "show" will be on Fridays?
All of this sounds like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic... There is plenty of money in F1, the only problem is that Berine has most of it.. If he were to pay more and keep less, there wouldn't be a problem with costs. They need to face it, the problem is the racing is boring since you can't pass. You can't pass because the ground effects are so huge and the aero drag is so huge so you can't slipstream and get past anybody. They need to reduce the downforce and you would see cars sliding around you could actuall see who was the better driver. If there was passing, the better drivers and cars could get around the slower cars and things would get interesting again. The problem is that they (read Bernie and Max) believe that in order to be called the "pinnicle" of the sport the cars have to be the fastest closed circuit road racing cars around. If they are going to be the fastest then they need big bunches of downforce and you end up with a 70 lap parade. A long time ago F1 cars were a lot slower than most sports cars and people still came to the races. The racing was to a formula, but not necessarily the "fastest" formula, just a common one. There were often faster forumulas, F5000 and some other classes were faster than F1, but F1 was still the pinnicle of the sport. With the advent of technology, the sport has, unfortunately, gotten boring, they need something to refresh and increase interest in it, but dinking around the edges of the format isn't going to bring any more interest in the sport.
What we want and need is exciting racing, not a parade of a bunch of spoiled whiners... I've always subscribed to the theory that exciting racing is the result of having cars that not everybody can handle, then the driver comes into play a lot more and things get a lot more interesting. Soooooooo..... Take off all the wings and enforce a four inch ride height, and limit bodywork width to that of the inside of the rear tires. That will effectively eliminate most downforce. Leave the engines alone and make sure there are no traction control or driver aids. YEEEEE HAAAAA. Think about light cars with big power and no wings. Fast a a bullet on the straights, and slow enough in the corners to require a lot of skill, as well as having to actually control wheelspin off the corners with thier right foot.... Long braking zones are required because you have to get rid of all that speed, so there will be lots of passing, and the cars would be more of a handful because they could spin the rear tires for most of the straight if they really tried. Big power increases aren't going to be worth a lot, so the costs won't be as high. Quick, somebody call Max and let's have a wingless F1!
they are gonna start giving away a million bucks every race but they can't race in america cause tony george won't give them enough money? WTF? If they did that, they should donate the mil to the drivers choice charity. could you imagine giving a charity 1m almost every week? that would grab some headlines.
So every Friday the FIA would give $1MM to either Ferrari or McLaren? Yeah, that would surely liven things up. Just imagine the fallout when one of them decides at a race that the money isn't worth the risk/wear and tear.
Am I the only one to think that giving out loads of money to the winning driver is a stupid idea? Or do they think that the $$ would motivate drivers to go especially fast when they normally don't... Kimi?
Every time the do this sort of cr@p the sport side suffers even more. I suggest we completely replace the racing with a TV series where each race is scripted and as exciting as they want it to be. Costs will go down massively as no car development is actually required, or driver fees (replaced by hopefully cheaper actors). Much lower safety issues because the cars do not need to be actually going fast, they can simply speed up the film. No transportation costs as they can film in the same place and do what films do to make it look like we are actually somewhere else. No spectators to worry about hurting, etc. ... 100% satisfaction for Bernies TV audience. I'd say in all seriousness that we are about 80% of the way there already, just need to stop the racing part ... our current drivers are already actors in a scripted series! As I have said until I'm blue in the face: F1 died when Jean-Marie Balestre retired. Leave the sport alone, infact return to it's core roots like football does and it WILL get better. Tarting it up will continue the downward spiral. Pete
And in 15 years the producer's daughter will videotape him wasted on the floor of his hotel room, molesting a Jack-in-the-Box triple.
