Formula 1 season finale to be worth double points from 2014

[webberf1]

I have always maintained that F1 should seriously consider an unrestricted format – engine, chassis, tires, aero… whatever – but mandate a serious maximum limit of available fuel per team per race weekend; perhaps half of what is consumed today.

I've said the same thing many times: present the teams with a box into which their car must fit, and a set of rigorous crash tests and safety measures which they must pass. Give them a fixed amount of fuel (which would reduce by a few % each season), and which they can supplement with any means they see fit such as energy recovery, solar cells, turbochargers - hell, even mount a fan the size of a dustbin lid on the back of the car, or fit six wheels, you never know, it might catch on!

The problem is that the virtually unrestricted designs you describe would be literally beyond what drivers could physically endure over a grand prix distance. With fans, ground effect, sliding skirts, big tyres etc, modern cars would be pulling 7-8 g's in cornering and 8-9 g's under braking.

[anfield5]

Does this mean that the host of the final race has to pay 'Greedy Smurf' twice as much to host the race ?

[Mark]

Does this mean that the host of the final race has to pay 'Greedy Smurf' twice as much to host the race ?

They already pay a premium to be the final race.

[schmenke]

Does this mean that the host of the final race has to pay 'Greedy Smurf' twice as much to host the race ?

They already pay a premium to be the final race.

Well, that explains Abu Dhabi

[JasonPotato]

I'll just quote Kimi, 'The first few turns are quite good but the rest of it is sh**.'

[Mark]

Coming from Kimi that's almost a compliment.

[denkimi]

I have always maintained that F1 should seriously consider an unrestricted format – engine, chassis, tires, aero… whatever – but mandate a serious maximum limit of available fuel per team per race weekend; perhaps half of what is consumed today.

I've said the same thing many times: present the teams with a box into which their car must fit, and a set of rigorous crash tests and safety measures which they must pass. Give them a fixed amount of fuel (which would reduce by a few % each season), and which they can supplement with any means they see fit such as energy recovery, solar cells, turbochargers - hell, even mount a fan the size of a dustbin lid on the back of the car, or fit six wheels, you never know, it might catch on!

The problem is that the virtually unrestricted designs you describe would be literally beyond what drivers could physically endure over a grand prix distance. With fans, ground effect, sliding skirts, big tyres etc, modern cars would be pulling 7-8 g's in cornering and 8-9 g's under braking.

then just limit the width of the tyres. it's as simple as that.

[anfield5]

Someone may have mentioned this already, if so my apologies.

The teams have possibly brought this fiasco on themselves, if the teams (RBR excluded) had decided to race until the end of the championship, instead of giving up 2/3 of the way through the season, there would be no need to manufacture a grandstand finish to the season. Having said that 2013 has been the first season for a while that has been decided so early, so is this a knee-jerk reaction to a one-off blip in what has been a series of hotly contested championships

[Mark]

It does seem to be standard practice these days, ever since Brawn fluke win in 2009 because they sacked off 2008. That if half way through the season you've got no chance, stop development entirely, move onto next year.

[D-Type]

Why not go to the old European rally Championship system where each event carried a tariff (think diving's 'Degree of Difficulty'). eg any Tilke track counts 0.5, Spa counts 1.5 etc

Or have a secret agreement. Whoever is the points leader after 16 events is the champion. Then stage manage the last 5 races to get a grandstand finish.

Or follow NASCAR (again!). The champion is the driver with the highests points score, excluding those who have scored a race win. That would keep things open to the end of the season. Wouldn't drivers throwing away a race by spinning on the last lap etc make good theatre?

And has anybody thought about how to handle a situation where a team combine Suzuka 1990 and Singapore 2009 tactics.

F1 is coming even more of circus, which I suppose is inevitable since the animal rights brigade have got real circuses banned.