Dear Heretic:
Once again I find your thoughts challenging and supported by clear thinking
about human nature as well as technical constraints in the machinery.
As to the changes in qualifying: let's remember the point of qualifying: to
insure that the machine and the driver are both good enough to run at speed
with the rest --whose lives and fortunes are, of necessity, in the collective
hands of the field.
The most sensible rule hasn't been changed (the --I think it's 107%--rule). If
a car or a driver is significantly slower than the field, the risk to all is
unacceptable. Now, to those who complain that qualifying determines race
order, I think last season puts that to rest. I can remember one race Rubens
began in the tail and was contending for second or first after fewer than ten
laps! Hell, it may have been fewer than five!!
Put Kimi, MS and JPM in the back --even at Monte Carlo!-- and they'll not
finish in the back. Monte Carlo is, really, for obvious reasons, about the
only place where overtaking (we Americans prefer "passing") is
ALMOST impossible.
As to its being difficult; well, yes, when you're running with the best in the
world where winning, nine times out of ten comes down to making the fewest
mistakes, overtaking will be rare. But, like a goal in football, that just
makes it that much more exciting. We see overtaking all the time in NASCAR and
IRL / CART races; the only time it's REALLY thrilling is on the last
lap.
Testing? I defer to your superior experience and information. It certainly
doesn't look, to me, like an effort to "help make the racing
better."
Points: Yawn. Who (other than Ross Braun) cares? Would Michael (or Fangio or
Senna) be any less a driver if his score were 40 instead of 400 (or whatever
it is)? Racing isn't about points; it's about winning. Period. That said, you
have a point about eliminating those who would trade reliability for speed.
That, as you say, favors the rich. But it's also exciting. Every lap Kimi or
DC, Ralph or JPM led this year had us all with our hearts in our throats
waiting for a puff of smoke or the sudden loss of revs! --and it usually came
on cue.
On tyres: you're absolutely right on! It's going to be murder for the low
budget types; and they're already hurt in just about every area but driver
talent!
Team Orders: a joke.
As to your summary about worrying over speed because of the danger. Well, yes.
It will be more dangerous and, because of the money invested there will be no
[real] change in engine or car specs until someone has paid the ultimate
price. I hate it that money rules over safety, but people with money invested
won't stand by and see their investments turned into antiques overnight by
rule changes until there's such a public outcry that they can't avoid it. Then
there'll be much chest thumping about the need to sacrifice blah blah blah.
But, again, you can get hurt racing under the safest possible conditions. You
can get hurt on your way home from the market.
Looking forward to March already - Jim W - U.S.A (Reference Heretic
4-30 - FIA changes too little too late)
The Heretic replies:
Jim,
Great to hear from you again.
Thank you for reminding me that qualifying is primarily
to eliminate slow and therefore dangerous drivers and cars. It has been a long
time since I have been there.
Even so, I wonder if the changes that they have made will
improve things. I guess that they wanted to eliminate the many runs that were
baulked by another car and it is bound to be safer, but the two sessions seem
strange with little benefit other than getting another chance to get it
better.
I have just posted my thoughts on the latest changes made
by the FIA. None of those have addressed my concerns with the sport, which is
overtaking, and safety.
I understand your view on undertaking and share it to the
extent that two leading cars competing for the better position should rely on
getting it right and waiting for the opponent’s mistake. The time that it
gets to me is when, after a pit stop or spin, it is on some circuits
impossible to get to the lead again because an obviously slower car is in the
way.
Safety I relate to speed. I do not necessarily want to
inhibit the cars but when a formula is left pretty much the same for too many
years the only way to compete is to go faster. How fast is too fast? I think
we are there or very close to it.
The game is dangerous and always will be – that is
motor racing
