Sprintraces are coming

Looking more and more realistic for this season in Montreal and Monza. They will replace Saturday qualifying.

Could be very interesting, especially if combined with some reversed-grid rule. Fingers crossed.

 

I hope they do it. I'm hoping for some kind of reverse grid also, they do it in F2 so no reason they couldn't in F1. How would they grid for the sprint race? Off of practice times? Or a shortened quali saturday morning?

 

Still not loving the sprint race qualifying idea. Unless they've made the cars significantly more amenable to passing this year. Which I somehow doubt....

Kevin

 

At a stretch I could tolerate a Saturday sprint race as qualifying for the "proper" Sunday GP.

But reverse grids are a no-no as far as I am concerned, since it's penalising success.

Handicaping is not what F1 is about.

I accept it is some lower series, but not in F1.

 

I have to admit that the reverse-grid my own addition was. Not sure that's even discussed. I believe the sprint race is only there instead of qualifying.

 

Dunno. We'll have to see.

What's interesting is, that Domenicali is pushing this and apparently the teams are ok with it as a test for something like 3 GPs this year.

 

Sprint race for grid positions?
Great, put them all in Lotus Cortinas or Alfa GTAs or M1 Pro Cars and see who comes out top?
Good idea.
Oh, that’s not what they mean is it ?
I guess they worried that nobody would bother watching on Sunday.

 

This + damage / cost etc. Not impressed with the idea.

 

Racing is better than a just a demonstration. I say "go for it". And anything that breaks up the grid is a good thing.

 

Yup.
'Never have been myself. Pi**ed me off about the Rolex 24.

We'll never get the chance to see them at their absolute quickest as they'll still be race setups.......

 

Serious question. How will this break up the grid more than a regular qualifying day? The races themselves don't break up the top 4. The remainder of the field seems to break itself up rather nicely during a regular qualifying day. Isn't this a case of answering a question that nobody asked?

Kevin

 

R

Completely. Another 'idea' to enhance the show. Better competition during the actual race will do that nicely. Now if other teams would challenge Mercedes, we might have some success with a better show. A big NO to this 'idea'.

 

Do the make you use the same Power Unit for all the sprint races ?

 

Easy. A race is not a qualifier. These guys sit in their garages and do nothing for 4 or 5 minutes. Then they go out, do 2 laps and come back in for 3 or 4. Now the entire time they must RACE, not just the last lap. This will mix up the grid.

 

Oh of course. Do you think this has been thought out in any detail? This is a farce.

Just ban all practice and testing. Arrive Saturday, toss up the garage. Race for 20 laps on Sunday, no tire change. Sprint F1. Haas can barely afford the series now. Shorter weekend, fewer laps less cost. That should be the new rules lol

Cost of PU use
Cost of damage
Less coverage for the sponsors - when car is alone or on a track with fewer cars during qualy the sponsors get more air time. Period. 3 sessions for many. Slow outlap, slow in lap and multiple qualy laps. Sorry but I would not be favor of this as a sponsor at all.

Sprint race will not focus on the slower runners lol! Those who need a sponsor to begin with.

 

So qualifying is to be had on Friday? Or based on championship positions. If the former, great. Latter, that's just plain stupid.

I'm ok with it as a test. GP/F2 last few years not been that entertaining however....too much aero and lazy DRS overtaking. For that reason alone, I view this entire sprintrace idea as a gimmick and not a fix. I think next years rule changes are a huge leap forward (minus the fact they keep DRS), so why change too many things? They'll **** with the core of what F1 is all about.

 

Reverse Grid is absurd and gives F2 Sunday winner only by grid position.
Lots of crash coming and tv show but not what F1 is all about.

 

May I suggest some more absurd ideas? Why not have a lottery to determine grid positions? Or let drivers play Russian roulette to find the WDC?
F1 started as a racing series where teams have to build their own single seater and drivers race them to determine the best car + driver combination over a full season. Throw is some basic rules to make the cars safe to race and set an equal starting point for all teams. This should be all there is. The last few years every new gimmick of the FIA to improve viewer interest has worsened the situation considerably.

 

The stupid regs since 2014 have led to this.

 

What is worrying is that people in position of authority at the FIA and Liberty seem to entertain the idea hat F1 is a Funfair above everything else.

 

I've been saying it for 5 years now here (first signed on to FC) and other boards. All I've gotten has been static.
It's not just F1 either.
All of auto racing is going down the drain because it is not the sport and proving ground that it used to be.
It is now a show to entertain the uninformed and bring their eyes to the sponsors of this show. 'Like any other entertainment.

I know it's an unpopular notion but I could care less if it was no longer live unless attending in person if it brought back the REAL thing.

That's all folks..... (for now)

 

Hammer meets nail

 

Pot marries Kettle.

 

Here is the problem: Formula One calls its self; entertainment ( business ) vs. a sport ( competition ). once you become entertainment, that is what it becomes about... providing audient entertainment and fun... vs. an actual competition. that's why the huge focus on cost and normalizing the cars.

I know I'm getting older and F-1 is starting to pass by my demographic ( 53 here ) they want to attract the young with all the show and app content so they can milk them for every penny they can. I get it it's a business. regardless of all the talk from "team Principals" - whatever that means. They are running a business and that is not inherently interesting to watch either live or on TV.

I'm not going to say that "in my day" it was better, but I think the nexus of sport and entertainment was from 1984 - 1995. Before and after those years F-1 was a fringe sport - deadly one at that, and now it's a full-fledged conglomerate business that is attached to cars, but also product placement andTV & social media content production in a PC acceptable format... the actually on-track experience is not important. The drivers may feel it's uber important but they are just squirrels on treadmills, filling content - and earning money, for their own shareholders. Those of us that really love racing and cars, technology etc. can still get a kick out of F-1 but its nowhere as huge as it once was. I do count myself fortunate to have seen a real F-1 car in anger driven by the very best. I think it's sad that kids today ( based on current regs ) will not see their likes again.

Here is what I'm talking about:
Cars with high wings - like in the late 60's early 70's
V-12 engines from Ferrari, Matra, BRM, Honda etc..
Ground effect cars
twin-turbo monsters shooting flames from under the diffusers
Turbos that had 1500bhp banzai laps
cars with 6 wheels...
the ability to walk an entire track - Watkins Glen, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Imola, Monza and see the cars from each vantage point
see and meet drivers up close without having to spend thousands of dollars ...
Mean looking cars like in the 1990's - wide, and powerful looking
the ability to buy souvenirs that were not all sanitized and licensed by the teams.... you used to be able to go to each track and get something unique from the race, today its the same crap the world over.
the smell of exotic fuels that were used over the years. when an F-1 car passed you in 1990... you heard it, felt it and smelled it ... not saying it was healthy, but my god it was great!

Finally, a real rarity that not many have experienced:
seeing a Pit stop in 83 - 94 where there were no speed limits, and you had to refuel as well as change tires..... when you see and hear an F-1 car at full chat literally just 1 foot from you going 100mph... its breathtaking...

 

Fingers crossed they won't..it's just another useless stupid idea...