F1 is spreading, achiving more money, arising in that places that have good drivers and shrinking beyond the people wich simply love it because it was a way to unknown levels of things like: security, performance, state of art and.

Excellent point!

FOTA and FIA seem to agree basically on the road relevance, that is unfortunately for me less engineering in some racing specific fields.

As such, a future measure proposed for 2011 regs by the teams is the homologation (freeze) of their chassis for 3 years.

Some people want it to be the fastest cars driven by the best drivers. Some people want to see lots of on track action while others want to see strategy. Some want to see cutting edge technology with the boundaries being pushed every race while others want to see road car relevant technologies. Some want to see less cost and more teams. Still others want to see the environmental agenda being furthered.

Even the manfacturers/teams and sponsors have their own priorities. Assuming that the FIA is competent to do it, how do you expect it to draft a coherent set of regulations that would address all those interests? The reality is that there is no simple answer since all these aspects are inter-related.

Every major (popular) racing series has been facing the issue recently. For example, NASCAR in the US has already decided what they will focus on (entertainment) while IndyCar is getting ready to do the same. At some point, FIA and FOM will have to figure out what the primary focus of F-1 should be. Then the solutions to the overtaking problem will be more apparent.

In normal touring sprint car race, with low grip, the drivers common problem is to avoid to much over-driving, above the adhesion limit and ending with “hot tyres”.

In formula 1, with high grip, the driver common problem is to push to the grip limit, and if he don´t make it the tyres don´t achieve the right working temperature range.

Let add that and quote Keith (that´s easier then my English)
“F1 has been stuck with the same problem for years: the cars have become so dependent on their wings to generate downforce and grip they become hyper-sensitive to disturbed air from cars in front of them, and cannot get close enough to each other through corners”

And when the back driver by same chance finally comes close, to overtake, he needs necessarily to go “off line” in the ungrippy area. Unfair.

These is obvious, OK. Also these obvious things becomes worse until now. I agree with you that for the first time in 2009 f1 regulations are going a little bit to the right way.

Hopefully the new regs will address some of the overtaking issues- if not, a great deal of fans are going to be turned off from the sport.

And having slick tires next year would make up for some of the loss of grip.

the solutions of next year should make a step forward.
More is needed, but this is not as simple as “ban wings”.”

I appreciate the engineering side. It’s one of the main things that lifts it above other series like IRL and A1GP and GP2. However pure engineering alone is a bit like just having a starter for dinner. I don’t think banning wings is required, but I do think the cars have gotten TOO complicated. They have become a bit too specialised – built for the idealised, theoretical, textbook situation of being the only car on track.

Which is fine for quali, but can make race day a tad unspectacular. Sometimes (just sometimes) I catch highlights of the Formula BMW support series and wish the F1 cars were having as much fun.

I agree with you that you need challenge. Either the challenge of pushing to the limit, or the challenge of driving on this limit.

I think we can broke down this to this one and only requirement:

-Having locally and timely variations of grip between two drivers.

After that we have some sub requirements that we can tweak:

This variations should be from driver skill only/due to variations in exterior parameters?

A lot of people will jump onto the first and then start to blame KERS, moveable wings etc..Only to talk about the period were refuel was banned which made..variations in lap time due to fuel comsumption, mass repartition and tyre wear etc..

It is always to remember a race is never a driver only issue.

That’s why it makes the proposals for more overtaking difficult.

@Robert:

i understand your point, i have not the same view than you of F1. I’m more sensible to the actual engineering/driving part rather than the racecraft.
That said i’m frustrated when i see someone stuck behind someone for 20 laps.

the solutions of next year should make a step forward.
More is needed, but this is not as simple as “ban wings”.