I voted no to an outright ban, however, like you, I prefer the limited communication presently permitted. I didn't like all the driver coaching over the radio before the communication restrictions came into effect. I thought the vote would overwhelming be a yes to go back to pit boards only. All the best, Andrew.
True. However, they also broke down & fell off pretty regularly. Guys got killed almost every race. With the telemetry now being streamed off the cars the engineers on the wall are there to assist their guy. Why not take advantage of that? Helps to make them quicker & more reliable. I don't think that's the case at all. The NFL at least is in radio contact with a few 'key' guys; I believe at least 3 guys on each team are wearing radios - Only 'one way', they can't talk back, but for sure the coaches are giving instructions on every play. In soccer, rugby and many others the coach/manager is constantly giving direction to his guys from the sideline; That's not really possible in Motorsport without a radio..... Cheers, Ian
If they want unpredictable races, bring back refueling and require 3 or more refuels to make the distance. Mixed with soft/super soft only and now you have plenty of unpredictability
Back in the day, they used what they had available: a steering wheel, three pedals and a stick. But if Fangio or Jim Clark had radio and telemetry data, they would have used it. Jim Clark didn´t need to adjust the engine timing manually or make the wheel changes himself like the drivers of the 20s. He also didn´t need to change engine mappings or ERS and differential settings like today´s drivers. That doesn´t mean that he was better or worse than them: different eras, different cars, different racing. Of course!! The coach interacts with the players during the game. When they can´t use radios, they ask for a time-out or just shout from the sidelines, something not very convenient at motorsport as you can guess. Don´t you think that if a football player can get some help through the radio to kick a ball, a grand prix driver should get some help too to control an ultra-electronic-hybrid-complex car and get information about what´s happening at other points (sometimes a few kilometers away from him) of the track?
If a driver needs input from an engineer, who is backed up by a data collection and analysis team hundreds or thousands of miles away, in order to get the most out of a car, then either the cars are too complex or the drivers are incompetent, or both. Put a driver in the car and leave him to his own talent to produce the best result he is capable of. Otherwise do away with the WDC.
"Needs"? Of course he doesn't "need" it, but if it helps him go quicker I'm all in favor. Sorry, I couldn't disagree more!..... The WDC has *always* been a team effort one way or another. We live in the 21st century, not the 1950's. I had a $1000 data logger/computer analysis program in my car; Certainly improved my pace. And I know many others (Procoach among them) who use such tools to make everyone quicker. F1 is the highest tech sport/embodiment of todays automotive technology. I absolutely fail to understand the argument that they should return to the dark ages, sorry! I *love* the technical aspects of the sport - A large part of its appeal, to me anyway. Was the racing "better" back then? Were they quicker? Were they more reliable? I don't think so. It's kinda the same argument that they're not "real drivers" because they don't have three pedals. Nor does my car! They're pushing the envelope, & that involves computers, telemetry & other modern approaches, as it should IMO. If you want to watch archaic racing, NASCAR seems to fit the bill - It's close and they've only recently introduced injection. Appeals to many folks, & that's great, but not for me. As always, just my 02c, Cheers, Ian [Dons flamesuit! ]
+1 Couldn't agree more! As noted above, it's a high tech sport, & IMO at least, that's great. Someone noted that radio's been around over a hundred years; why the devil shouldn't they use it? (Outside of driver coaching at least). If it wasn't for the cost implications I'd like to see them go "all out" - Active suspension, active aero and so on. But they've arrived at the current formula, about to be updated of course, and they remain (pretty much) as fast as they've ever been. With teeny motors and less go juice than ever. It's all good. Cheers, Ian
There's two-way telemetry and radios in amateur racing here. Surely the self-proclaimed "pinnacle of racing" should use both.
Two way telemetry? What are you doing? OK, we're just sitting in the peanut gallery here, but I think the 50/50 split illustrates the problem 'they' have with getting 'anything' done; Some are for it, and just as many are against. I'm pretty sure they have the same kind of 'issues' when meeting with Charlie - Some pro, some con. It ain't easy, that's for sure. Cheers, Ian
No radio ban and one way telemetry ok. But also bring back refuel to bring back race strategy complexity. Get other members of race "team" more involved during the race. Whether as a spectator or as a race engineer: the closer I was to the action, strategy, etc., the more I enjoyed the races. Radio and telemetry all added to towards enjoyment and appreciation for drivers and teams skills.
I thought it would be a landslide win for the pro-radio crowd but what prompted me to instigate the thread was the coded messages for drivers to short shift to save fuel. I think it is indeterminably unfair for some git in front of a PC to tell the team manager to slow a driver so he will get to the end of a race, I'm sure Kimi has been told before in an earlier race as Hamilton was this race (seriously, water pressure loss ) I prefer the unpredictability of knowing if a car will finish due to the driver pushing hard to catch or stay ahead of a rival. Seeing cars splutter to a halt by running out of fuel or their oil pressure dropping or some other issue was all part of the game, now they get told to short shift, brake earlier, etc to get the car to the end. I don't want the engineers determining the result, we don't need radio , it's 2 hours maximum without intervention from the pits as far as I'm concerned. The drama of unscheduled/unheralded pit stops is great for the excitement of the race
If a driver doesn't need an engineer telling him about the functions on his car during a race, why are they in radio communication then? Why can a driver just check his dashboard dials, or watch the warning lights? Also, if he needs him, the engineer should receive credit and be on the podium with him!
Well, I have never heard that improved reliability and safety were the result on introducing radio communication. That's a new one on me !!! Relablility improved because of better engineering, progress in metallurgy and lubrification. Safety improved thanks to better construction, different material, and on-track improvements. I don't see the radio having any role in them.
Modern day radio communications have allowed drivers to be made aware of cars stranded on track, of serious accidents that have blocked the road, of dangerous pieces of debris being on track, of lunatic spectators strolling around on track, of punctures developing before the driver notices even notices it, of serious structural damage to their cars that they cannot see that could cause a serious accident, and of marshals working in very precarious positions of danger during a race. Perhaps if there'd been radio communication "back in the day", then drivers could have been made aware to slow down a lot sooner when coming up on incidents, or to drive down a certain side of the track away from any danger, helping to avoid situations that ended up with drivers/marshals being severely injured or killed. Take a look at some of the footage of fatal F1 accidents from the past and tell Me that at least some of them could not have been prevented had there been radio communications at the time! (BE AWARE THAT SOME OF THE FOOTAGE AVAILABLE IS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC! - DO NOT WATCH IT IF YOU ARE EASILY UPSET!)
Simple solution...the FIA or race control can use radios to warn of any condition on track that might be dangerous. It could be set up in much the way that marshall's flags are set up now. However, I suspect that the radio equivalent of the blue flag might get a bit annoying.
+1 I have already suggested that the only radio communication should be between race control and the drivers.
One-way radio com between Charlie Whitting and drivers to warn them of danger, or to give them penalties, or just a b******ing would be OK, but NOT with the team!!
"Your brakes are getting too hot." "Engine temp is critical." "Move oil from the reserve tank." There's more examples, but I know I've heard these basic ones more than a few times. Track conditions ("safety") could indeed be made "Charlie only", but the team has the telemetry from their car. They know the status of the thing & can hence help the jockey make it to the end. They're also quick at giving their guy a "heads up" on any debris on the track and so on. Seems to me that would aid his safety too. Cheers, Ian
And he is: someone of the winning team is always on the podium to get a trophy. Note that the constructors trophy is awarded to the team that won the race not the one who got more constructors points, for a good reason. When there is a debate like this I always think the same: the concept of a World Drivers Championship is as silly as a Goalkeepers League at soccer. The driver is just one of the players in the team, and actually not the most important.
Strange that a F1 driver used to assess himself the state of his car and check the dials for these functions, but now has to be told what to do. Really, Ian, you couldn't make it up ...
Leaving the teams communicate by radio with the driver is leaving the back door to coaching through codes, etc... That's why I think it should be banned. But I accept that for safety reason, race control should be able to give information on the one-way radio, dish out the penalties, warn of off-track abuses, etc... also issue stopping orders instead of black flag, even give blue flag warning to let a car by, etc... But coaching, and information about tactics, the state of the opposition, the tyre degradation, etc... is a definite NO-NO in my book.
