I don't want it unsafe, but bring back the sand traps. There should be a penalty for being unable to stay on the racing surface. Alternatively, make any exit off the defined racing surface a pass-through penalty each time, regardless of reason.
It can never be too safe. When I talk about a cost for going off track I mean a time penalty. Not an artificial drive through deal but a configuration that would make excursions difficult to recover pace from.
Yes, it can definitely be too safe. If they dumb down the tracks to a point where there is so much runoff that mistakes don't matter I think that damages the sport/spectacle. Obviously I don't want drivers getting hurt but the runoff areas are HUGE and there is little consequence for driving off the track. Ask Kimi at Spa '09 There's a reason the "old school" tracks are fan favorites. They take bigger balls to race on and it's more entertaining.
Why?, only morons would relate a F1 tyre to a road car tyre. Plus when the tyres are newish they are very fast ... Bridgestone tyres were no good also when worn out. Pete
Speaking of safety in F1 there was a great BBC documentary called "F1: The Killing Years." It is absolutely shocking at how dangerous it was for drivers and spectators alike. I highly recommend finding it. It's online at Icefilms.info
I wonder if off track surface type is the key here?? I reckon the sand traps aren't used in the newer tracks because no one wants a car to be beached and to have a SC period. But I agree, something else to ensure that chicanes are adhered to and that corners are taken properly. Of course, one could make the argument that the performance of an F1 car means that any "off line" mistake would be penalized by the pace of the car ahead. A few mistakes made under braking in Malaysia come to mind.
Have you seen any TV ads in the last ten years? Advertisers all assume that the consumer is a total idiot. Pirelli is in the sport for positive exposure. Product placement in sports is all about image association. Tires that go off suddenly and "ruin" a fan's favorite driver's race do not make for a happy consumer.
For every one ruined they pick up a fan who won on them.. IMO You do have to be a nut job, to think the F1 tyres are the same as the ones that go on your road car. And of course we are talking about them..there is no such thing as bad publi blah blah The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about...
Not all publicity is optimal My point, (and I'll type slowly so you'll understand ), is that the tires are seen as a detriment to good racing not an enhancement. When the casual fan watches the race every comment they hear about the Pirellis is how fast they fall apart and how they are dictating race strategy. Not positive exposure no matter how you spin (pun intended) it.
I'm still on the fence when it comes to DRS, KERS and tires. Tires and KERS not so much because it's the same for all teams. They all need to try and have the tires and KERS work for them, so there's skill and technology involved. The DRS however is purely artificial and as we've seen not immune for bugs. I hope these bugs get fixed soon. But rendering someone defenseless at the FIA's whim (each circuit different) does not seem very fair to me. For example Renault (Lotus) have made a car that's very quick in a straight line. That hard work all goes to waste when the following car just uses its DRS to fly by.
Tell that to BP,... or TEPCO... or Tylenol in the 80's (?) The only reason Pirelli should be in F1 is to show how good they are. I am not getting that message. Nothing about Pirelli in F1 makes me want Pirelli on my cars... I am not getting the message "Pirelli's are the best".
That gives me an idea. Instead of drive through penalties that can be ignored or timed the FIA should be able to increase the drag on individual cars for set periods of time to punish offenders. It could be a way to put a price on off track excursions as well.
Yes. My suggestion was not intended to be taken (entirely) seriously (where did I put that irony font).
Sorry I can't type any slower. Would a larger font help? Let's try it this way. If a fictional furniture store supplied wicker chairs for a TV show and those chairs burst into flames periodically would the store be happy for the exposure?
The same uproar was emitted when Hecklestone suggested a sprinkler system, the tyres are just the same only a bit more subtle. I like the fact the drivers have to look after them, I also like the fact the teams have to really think about what is the best way to win 2 stop 3 stopping ect. The down side is marbles and one racing line only. End of the day Pirelli were instructed to make a tyre like this and they did a good job, perhaps too good of a job.
Note to self. Shop elsewhere or buy asbestos pants Yer just pizzed cause an entire nation is celebrating kicking yer red-coated azzes out.
F1 stopped being about being the best many years ago, except maybe the drivers. It is nothing more than a show now and the tyres going off HAS improved the show to most watchers of F1. That last race was fantastic and that was ALL thanks to Pirelli. And what I also watched, which means everybody also watched, was that Mark when he was on the unwornout Pirellis was by most the fastest, thus the message I got (and everybody else should also get) is that the other DRIVERS and TEAMS wore out their tyres too soon and were on the wrong strategy. At no time did I even remotely think that the Pirelli tyres were not durable enough. Nobody expects a racing tyre to last for ever, just like nobody expects their family car tyre to last forever ... but we all expect them to be good when newish, AND the Pirelli tyres are fantastic when new. So I don't agree with you and Vizsla. Pirelli tyres are a big success story for F1 at the moment. Infact they are so successful they are making DRS look completely unnecessary (ie. Pirelli tyres make for good racing, where as DRS makes for no racing ... they just drive past with no drama ... yawn). Pete
Just to be straight my comments were about how Pirelli's on track performance would effect its image with the casual fan. Their wear characteristics certainly make for more interesting (and so better?) racing.
