2009 rules and their failure to produce better racing

[ioan]

We got another rather boring race today with no real fight for the top position once they all got through the first lap.

I was thinking that we didn't have such a dull season since 2004, with 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 keeping us on the edge of the seat until the end this season we may all just take a break from F1 2/3rds into the championship.

IMO this is mostly due to the development restrictions in place in the very first year after big technical rule changes.

It's obvious that if someone got it right straight away the others don't really have the possibility to catch up anymore under the new regulations regarding testing, wind tunnel usage and CFD usage.

What's your opinion?

[BDunnell]

I must confess that I would find Button winning the world championship very satisfactory, but, as stated in another thread, I wish somebody would put up a fight. I'm certain that the element of novelty of having Brawn and Button on top (full credit to them, naturally) while McLaren and others languish at the back is preventing quite a lot of people from coming to the realisation that the racing has generally not been of the highest standard. Nor am I a great fan of KERS as a means of generating overtaking. But I'm still enjoying it, and there is something about the cars that looks a bit more 'racy' than their predecessors. I find it hard to put my finger on it.

[71minus2]

i agree the racing isnt as it was advertised as being, ie more overtaking and closer racing. The main problem, as i see it, is that the reduction in downforce has been overcome and the cars can not follow each other as close as was hoped. This is due to the rear diffuser and something which i would like the FIA to look into again.

Secondly, KERS is useless and having a couple of cars runnig with it hardly makes for an improved race! Make it compulsory or ban it completely.

On a positive note, its good to have different teams up front. Ferrari are getting there too and i would expect them to have a couple of wins before the end of the season.

[woody2goody]

I don't agree with this opinion to be honest.

There has been a lot of overtaking this year which wouldn't have been possible last year. The racing is close, but when all said and done, we are talking about a GP distance and the cars aren't going to be close all the time.

Rubens did some passing (and some crashing), Piquet passed Hamilton, Glock must have passed some people to get to 8th, I think everyone's making too much of it tbh.

The regs have clearly worked, as I don't think you would have seen anyone follow closely through turn 8 in 2008.

[christophulus]

It's a start but I'm more optimistic about next year (provided F1 is still around then...)

No refuelling, so the fastest car will be on pole. Drivers will have to pass on the track. Saving tyres will be all important and I think we'll see some moves late on in the race when some drivers have ruined their tyres early on.

The regulation changes have had a limited effect but they've only decreased the distance at which a car hits the dirty air of the car infront. The turbulence off the cars needs to be eliminated as much as is practical, only then will we get some real overtaking moves!

[truefan72]

As I recall I started a thread a while back foretelling this predicament

2009 shades of 2004
http://www.motorsportforums.com/foru...d.php?t=133124

I was pretty much mocked for my opinion and labeled sour grapes due to me liking LH and mclaren.

As I said then and as I say now, my dissatisfaction with the 2009 season has little to do with the struggling macs and all to do with the whole reason why the regs and cars were so dramatically changed for 2009.

We were promised the following
1- less areo turbulence for following cars
2- more overtaking
3- more parity across the board
4- more clarity and simplified technical rules
5- a more standardized vehicle
6- closer races and a better WDC/WCC

FIA has failed on every one of these points

never mind that Bernie was pushing the stupid medals system as an obvious knee jerk reaction to Hamilton winning the WDC last year. (Which IMO showed more disrespect towards LH magnificent season and 2 years of thrilling down-to-the-wire championships)

and now we are left with this fine season.
and lets not forget that Brawn GP car, while deemed legal was still a mojor source of controversy, so much so that other teams were forced to spend millions redesigning their entire cars. Another gift from the FIA and their "cost cutting" trend; laughable

anyway 2009 is done and a strong possibility of either a two tiered championship for 2010 or 7-8 of the current teams not participating with budget style gp2 and F3 teams scurrying around to enter Max Mosley's dream (...nightmare) of F1.

both he and Bernie will go down as the fools who destroyed F1

[wedge]

When its dull it can be drowsy but when there's action there's been some top stuff.

I think its early for firm conclusions. Brundle thinks the new cars have made a slight difference to the wake and others still differ.

Credit to Button for the perfect performance but his nearest rivals are hurting the showing with effing up one way or another.

[yodasarmpit]

I have to agree, the loss of in season testing will hurt anyone who didn't produce the goods over the winter.
This is clearly evident with the plight of McLaren and Ferrari, however Ferrari at least appear to be dealing with things a little (quite a bit) better.

As for overtaking, we clearly saw Vettel in a faster lighter car get stuck behind Button, so the regs certainly haven't produced what was promised. Or possibly that was down to the double decker diffuser.

[K-Pu]

And imagine Button winning EVERYTHING this season... Yes, he´d be great, da man and everything but... a dull season indeed. And with the new regs you can´t improve your car fast enough (or if you prefer, this season) in order to fight for something.

The problem with this season is that it´s getting a bit boring, and we have also planty of political problems to keep things apart from the track. At least today we haven´t seen too much racong...

[call_me_andrew]

I thought the race was better than average today. Remember when Vettel was catching Button before the last pit stop?