F1 Commission - Grabbing at straws

[Tazio]

I love this idea, but then again I'm drinking "Blonde" Newcastle Ale (a lot) at 4:30 am

[Koz]

Nothing is surprising after they decided double points for the last race.

Why aren't the teams objecting to all this crap?

[AndyL]

It does seem odd that we're effectively going back to the pre-Safety Car days, when a race would be stopped and fully restarted - only we're doing without the 30 minutes or however long it took to get everything done.

Well yes quite. It almost makes the safety car pointless. Why not just red-flag it and then restart. I'm sure that delay could be reduced: if the teams were told they would need to get the cars in and back out again in a short amount of time, then they would manage it. They already do so in qualifying after all.

[MacFeegle]

I see point of full restart if SC needed in number 1 lap but no other reason. If crash serious bad during race then stop race, bring pilots in and reform when all sorted otherwise just start with SC as now.

[edv]

Why not force cars to use the pit-lane speed limiters around accidents? Perhaps for the entire sector where the accident is, then let them race as normal for the other 2 sectors?
Pit lane speed limiters exist and work fine.
Sector timing loops exist and work fine.
Get rid of the SC altogether.
This should generate both the excitement and the controversy that F1 seems to crave.

[Mark]

Soooooo.....

Trundle around pointlessly behind the safety car, still burning fuel and putting the marshals in danger (because "slow" F1 cars are still doing motorway speeds). Then wait for a couple more laps while the back markers unlap themselves (why?). Then, after all that, everybody stops on the grid and restarts. Good lord what pointlessness. If you have to go down that route, why not just red flag the race, clear up the mess, then restart as usual?

It's more tinkering for the sake of "entertainment" from the people who brought you the genius of double points.

Exactly what I was thinking. Why have a safety car at all. At least if you red flag the race instead and go for restarts from the grid it removes a potential safety issue and will allow crashes to be cleared up more quickly.

[AndyL]

Graeme Lowdon was saying on Ted's Notebook that it's not automatic that there will be a grid restart, it will be at the discretion of the race director. Not really sure what would be the basis for making that choice.

[inimitablestoo]

Graeme Lowdon was saying on Ted's Notebook that it's not automatic that there will be a grid restart, it will be at the discretion of the race director. Not really sure what would be the basis for making that choice.

Perhaps during a Safety Car period us viewers will be able to text in and vote for which restart procedure we'd like Actually why am I even suggesting that...

[Doc Austin]

More grasping at straws. F1 is above such pitiful cries for attention, or at least it should be.

The fact they tested megaphones to generate fake noise and titanium skid blocks to generate fake sparks shows how far F1 will go in the name of "the show." The fake double points business also guarantees championship interest will go on longer, thus improving that "show" too. Manipulating competition by requiring multiple tire compounds another fake trick too.

The most fake thing F1 has ever done is the ridiculous DRS device, something that would make BT Barnum proud. Even Nascar has never done anything that fake.

It just goes on and on. It seems like every time you turn around that F1 has come up with another idea to improve the "show" at the expense of the competition being genuine.

Really, I'm more interested in racing and less interested in "show." Perhaps I am just being a purist, but for me the sport has always been the important.

So F1 is worried that people have lost interest? Gee, imagine that. Maybe the problem is that they are reaching out to the professional wrestling fans instead of motorsports enthusiasts.

[Doc Austin]

Exactly what I was thinking. Why have a safety car at all?

Exactly!!! Just let them keep racing. Make them pick their way through the wreckage and debris at racing speed. That would certainly improve the "show."