Comments on: New safety car rules for French GP

By: artykuly jezdzieckie

artykuly jezdzieckie — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:24:06 +0000

Your internet site is awesome I assume you will need to translate it to other languages.

By: Nik

Nik — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:51:09 +0000

Pink Peril,

Some good points there, but I believe the following are unlikely:

- get rid of Max
Now that the FIA has voted in favor of him, and the teams seem to be settled after some sabre-rattling, we need to get used to the fact that he will be there and will probably remain a while longer.

- Better TV coverage negotiated. No ads. Prime time slots(where possible). Pre race & support categories included.
These guys spend a fortune on acquiring F1 television rights, and they need to make it back somehow. What you describe used to be available (and still is in some countries) but it costs anywhere from $10 to $30 per race. How the TV part works is mostly driven by audience and advertisers, not by the licensing contracts.

- option to view races/quali etc on the web
Again, this would come down to ITV – since when F1M did the broadcast deals they packaged web right in with that as well (a big mistake – but F1M don’t understand the web, a topic for another time)

- no more stupid regs like engine freeze
We have yet to see the impact of engine freeze, as it is supposed to reduce spending. With engines what they are, getting the last 1-2% of performance out of them was taking up 80% of engine budget – hence the freeze. You an get a lot more out of aero anyway (consider that the 1986 Lotus had 1,100hp and would lap Monaco 25 seconds slower than a 780hp 2004 Toyota)

- remove the Ferrari International Assistance members from the FIA
Ye thats a bit tough as well, since it is supposed to be a representative body

- add ‘protected’ status to some races ie Monaco, Montreal, Spa, Silverstone, Melbourne, Magny Cours etc so Bernie has to stop threatening them all the time?
Bernie threatening a circuit is usually a pretty good sign that he is either interested in buying it or has no intention of doing anything with it, but wants something changed. Bernie’s negotiating skills are almost entirely limited to reverse psychology, and we keep on falling for it!

- allow teams to experiment with alternative fuels etc
Its happen, albeit slowly. Also a bit harder because of the engine freeze. We also have KERS coming up

- if possible rescind on the 100 year deal with CVC and allow most of the revenue from races to remain with the teams, organisers, FIA. Anyone other than Bernie
I doubt it, CVC paid a lot for those right. The teams are getting a better deal atm with a 50% split, but other parts of the sports revenue (like trackside advertising) are Bernie domains and aren’t touched by Concorde.

- allow Michelin or other tyre suppliers back in
Possible, it seems they might not be interested in entering though, esp after Indy

By: the limit

the limit — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:03:48 +0000

Pink Peril.

Can you also have on your list the return of V10 engines, or even V12′s. There was no better sound to my ears than a Ferrari V12.
Give us that, and Max can stay, just so long as he ditches the gimp suit.

By: the limit

the limit — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:59:46 +0000

K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid.

By: Barret B

Barret B — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:26:09 +0000

I thought F1 was trying to put more emphasis on the driver by eliminating electronic aids. I know this is for safety, but the teams can radio their drivers to tell them what they need to know. And why not adopt the yellow flashing tail lights from Indy? If the Indycar drivers can slow down from 225 mph while inches apart surely the F1 drivers can as well. Seems like an overly-complicated solution.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:59:12 +0000

In an effort to uncomplicate matters, perhaps once a SC condition is declared, each driver has a time limit (say maximum of 3 seconds) to engage into SC mode. Each car to be monitored by an onboard computer for compliance.
The concept of brake lights is interesting,; why not have them deployed only in SC conditions.

By: DG

DG — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:21:45 +0000

@Chalky #37 – Yes, but that was the first time in about 3 races that Martin had been anywhere near Bernie. I was wondering if either FOM had said ‘no interviews until after the FIA vote’ or if ITV had been diplomatic for once (since they are never diplomatic with the teams)
I had the impression that Bernie hadnt been briefed about what had been done in turn 10, only that something had been done!
I still think that Bernie is waiting for the BDRC to give up fighting and sell Silverstone, to add it to his (or his wife’s) collection….

By: chunter

chunter — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:00:56 +0000

It’s a bit late of a reply, but I agree with the commenter that maybe it’s time to spell out exactly when a Safety Car ought to come out, because Sutil’s car came to a rest in a very vulnerable place, and a good 30 seconds went by before the safety car was deployed. All it would’ve taken was a single car to have understeered at the previous corner…

By: Pink Peril

Pink Peril — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:19:36 +0000

Keith – why don’t we write an open letter to the FIA with our list of what we want – you can post it on the site and everyone can add their signatures?

Then send the lot to Paris – asking for a response of course. See how far we get !

For starters our demands are :
- Better TV coverage negotiated. No ads. Prime time slots(where possible). Pre race & support categories included.
- get rid of Max
- option to view races/quali etc on the web
- reduce aero devices to encourage overtaking
- ban refueling
- no more stupid regs like engine freeze
- consistency in decision making ie penalties
- remove the Ferrari International Assistance members from the FIA
- get rid of Max
- add ‘protected’ status to some races ie Monaco, Montreal, Spa, Silverstone, Melbourne, Magny Cours etc so Bernie has to stop threatening them all the time
- get rid of Max
- allow teams to experiment with alternative fuels etc
- if possible rescind on the 100 year deal with CVC and allow most of the revenue from races to remain with the teams, organisers, FIA. Anyone other than Bernie
- allow Michelin or other tyre suppliers back in
- find a solution to the customer car problem
- get rid of Max

I could go on for a bit longer, but I’m sure you get the point

By: Peter Boyle

Peter Boyle — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:57:41 +0000

If the cars are speed limited by ECU’s during periods
of unsafe track conditions (the new proposal) who needs
a safety car any more?

Why not just have *no* safety car and only the speed
limiters and yellow flags?