New tire rule for '10 should prove interesting

interesting idea to add to the show......wonder what's next? ? ?

Carol

autosport


Formula 1 teams have agreed to introduce an extra strategic element to races this season by forcing leading drivers to start races on the same tyres that they qualified on, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

With the ban on refuelling for 2010 already forcing a big change in tactics compared to how grands prix have run in recent years, the new rule looks set to have an impact on how teams approach qualifying as well.

Although the tweak has not yet been committed to the regulations, sources have revealed that last week's meeting of the Sporting Working Group agreed to the change as a way of improving the show.

 

Pointless manipulation & complication IMO.

 

Looks to me as if they maybe worried about procession races.

 

+1, I'm trying to figure out the point of this change and I'm hitting a blank.
How would tire warmers work on already used tires?

 

i think that tire warmers are also banned next season

 

Does that mean that effectively all teams will be on the same strategy, as the soft tires are the quicker ones at most races and thus everyone will qualify and start on them? Great idea

 

Defined "qualified on". The set they are using when they run their last qualifying lap?

 

+2

 

This is the way it has been in USA road racing for years.

If they are going to really do Parc Ferme after qualifying, maybe they should not get to touch the car at all.

I think its BS. After qualifying as long as they keep the same engine and transmission and maybe tires, they should be able to do whatever is necessary to the car for performance, reliability and safety.

Currently they can bleed brakes, change tires, and minor wing adjustments up front only.

Lets say you had a really bad qualifying session after you made a bunch of changes...seems you should let the team go back and make changes in the sake of putting on a good show.

 

+1, very good question.

 

Have they forgotten that it sometimes rains?

If you ran Q3 on rain tires, you have to run to the pits on lap 1 if the race is dry?

Sounds like the micro-management didn't change with the change of FIA leadership.

 

Go read your rules.

In all racing that has Parc ferme including F1 in regards to tires, if the weather changes dramatically from qualifying i.e. rains when qualifying was dry, the teams are permitted to run on rains by the officials declaring it to be a Wet Race. It also works in reverse if they qualified on rains and race day shows up to be a Dry Race.

 

Seems like a ridiculous idea. Here's a good one: Everybody drives as fast as they can without being bothered by silly little tweeks like this, and the first one over the line wins.

 

Na, they used to do that a long time ago. ;

 

F1 teams agree on new tire rule for 2010
January 26, 2010



Formula 1 teams have agreed to introduce an extra strategic element to races this season by forcing leading drivers to start races on the same tires that they qualified on, AUTOSPORT reports.
With the ban on refueling for 2010 already forcing a big change in tactics compared to how grands prix have run in recent years, the new rule looks set to have an impact on how teams approach qualifying as well. Although the tweak has not yet been committed to the regulations, sources have revealed that last week's meeting of the Sporting Working Group agreed to the change as a way of improving the show.

It is understood that the majority of teams present voted in favor of a rule that will require the top 10 cars that make it through to the final session of qualifying to start the race on the same tires that they set their fastest Q3 time on. This will open up the possibility of teams gambling on sacrificing the best possible time in Q3 by running a more consistent, but less quick tire so as to have a better chance in the race. Alternatively, teams may choose a tire that is better over a single lap to secure a good grid position, even if it runs the risk of compromising race performance.

The teams hope that the rule tweak will serve to mix up the tactics throughout the grid and therefore lead to more exciting races. The change still needs to be voted on by the Formula 1 Commission and the World Motor Sport Council next week before passing into the regulations, but this is likely to be a formality.

The refueling ban this season has brought about mixed opinions about whether it will improve the racing – with some suggesting that the difficulties in passing for position will result in races becoming even more processional. McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said on Monday that he hoped the ban would prove a positive for F1.

"Inevitably, when you make a change, there are pros and cons," he said. "Regarding the pros, it arguably makes qualifying purer because the fastest car/driver combination will be setting the fastest times, and the public can understand that. Secondly, in the race itself, overtaking was often being planned and implemented to occur as a consequence of strategy, and therefore happening in the pit lane and not the circuit.

"In the absence of that effect, drivers will have a greater incentive to overtake. There have been occasions in the past where a driver hasn't had that incentive because he knows he will be running longer and can get past the car ahead strategically through the pit stops.

"Additionally, the fact that drivers will qualify on low fuel, and then the next time they drive the car in anger into the first corner will be after a standing start with cold tires and cold brakes and 160kg of fuel. That will be very challenging for them, not just in terms of getting 'round that first corner, but in terms of how they look after their tires and how the balance of the car will alter as a consequence of that. And there will be drivers who are able to deal with those changes better than others.

"Those are all the positives. On the negative side, it's possible that if all of the above is managed equally well by every driver, then we'll have lost one of the strategic campaign interests that the more avid fans enjoyed in the sport. Hopefully the former points will outweigh the latter

 

+1 I'm getting tired of all this strategy coming into play. I just want to see a good race with a winner at the end (preferably in a Ferrari). I wish I could watch races from the '60s, '70s and '80s.

 

Stupid move, IMO. Common..qualifying is supposed to be about the quickest car, not some strategy thing for the next day.

 

exactly!

 

and that was so great !

i miss old times..

 

Sure: in the event of weather messing up the running order of the cars, the rules don't need to.

All of which is to keep viewers from getting bored by having the fastest cars and drivers always winning.

 

i hate any rule changes that slow the cars down

 

So with tire warmers banned and used tires at the start, that first corner should be VERY interesting.

 

Indeed, there was a distinct lack of first corner carnage last year. Looks like the powers to be have set about to change that for this year.

 

That would be competition, FIA is interested in a television show where all the lower downs can pretend to be at the highest level.

 

There's a reason historics is the fastest growing form of motorsport.

Jack.