FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[thechainrule]

I just don't see the point in spending a billion dollars in a technology based racing series to then stick a chunk of led in it. Kind of pissing money away. I'm more in support of allowing additional test dates to the bottom third of constructors.

Hell, I think they should even be allowed that test day on the monday following the next future race. IE bottom third in Valencia get the monday after the British GP to test at Silverstone. Crew and equipment are already there.

[vindicator86]

I just don't see the point in spending a billion dollars in a technology based racing series to then stick a chunk of led in it. Kind of pissing money away. I'm more in support of allowing additional test dates to the bottom third of constructors.

Hell, I think they should even be allowed that test day on the monday following the next future race. IE bottom third in Valencia get the monday after the British GP to test at Silverstone. Crew and equipment are already there.

What about the thursday before each race? Might generate more interest as part of the buildup to a race and BBC could cover it on the red button like they do the friday sessions.

[f1ea]

Problem with ballast is:
we have seen these cars are very good on certain tracks... and behave different on others. If they ballast say the Mclaren for how they performed in Turkey.. they would have been terrible in Monaco.

if they use some practice times to determine ballast... Red Bull will never wear ballast.

They spend lots of money getting developments. It should be made so lower teams catch up the fronts... not the other way around. Thats why i didnt mind customer teams and am definitely pro- allowing lots of testing for new teams and back markers. I dont think some extra kms of testing during GP weekends will drive up their costs, on the contrary.

[EwanM]

Well Alonso used the word manipulation on Sunday, and I think it would be appropriate to use it in this case.

Formula One is about achieving and striving to be the best. Although it may be perceived as boring, manipulating results is the wrong way to go. It is against the very ethos of the series.

I recently read Andy Priaulx autobiography and he openly speaks about his distaste for success ballast.

He has a point, in the later years of the ETCC and up to the present WTCC the FIA basically used to to ensure an even playing field. However is that really right when drivers and teams are stifled for simply doing the best job or being the fastest?

[FIAarri]

Well Alonso used the word manipulation on Sunday, and I think it would be appropriate to use it in this case.

Formula One is about achieving and striving to be the best. Although it may be perceived as boring, manipulating results is the wrong way to go. It is against the very ethos of the series.

I recently read Andy Priaulx autobiography and he openly speaks about his distaste for success ballast.

He has a point, in the later years of the ETCC and up to the present WTCC the FIA basically used to to ensure an even playing field. However is that really right when drivers and teams are stifled for simply doing the best job or being the fastest?

In an ideal world I agree. However F1 in it's purest sense would be even more boring than it has become now. Given a free reign in design and limited regs on car design we would be back to the days of aero packages that do not allow close racing. The current regs might not be ideal but at least they appear to have closed up the cars on track and with the douBle diffuser going next year they might get even closer.

I really don't give a monkeys about the pureness of the racing created, just that it's fun to watch

[EwanM]

I do, but each to their own.

[pater001]

Maybe it could work if you give compensation to those cars that get extra ballast (a point perhaps), but that will only provide grounds for cheating (as if this never happens in F1 already).

[f1ea]

Formula One is about achieving and striving to be the best. Although it may be perceived as boring, manipulating results is the wrong way to go. It is against the very ethos of the series.

I recently read Andy Priaulx autobiography and he openly speaks about his distaste for success ballast.

He has a point, in the later years of the ETCC and up to the present WTCC the FIA basically used to to ensure an even playing field. However is that really right when drivers and teams are stifled for simply doing the best job or being the fastest?

Yup. Success ballast goes against what F1 and racing is about, plus its difficult to enforce. I can think of many other ways to make things more appealing to people who dont care to or dont understand F1, without having to penalise faster cars.

I really don't give a monkeys about the pureness of the racing created, just that it's fun to watch

Hmmm fun to watch is very variable...
I'd much rather watch pure racing, than an artificial make up of what an entretaining race should be.

[What's Burning?]

I really don't give a monkeys about the pureness of the racing created, just that it's fun to watch

Based on this comment, if you had to choose between Greco-Roman wrestling, and WWE could we guess which you'd choose?

[Hammer278]

I think it's an interesting idea but not THROUGHOUT the weekend.

Why not ballast just in qualifying? The winner of the previous race carries 2kg more than the 2nd placed guy, and so on and so on. But the ballast is only in qualifying to get the fastest car struggling to make the pole.

In race trim, the ballast can be removed to exploit the full potential of the machinery. This is more geared towards racing/mixed grid and not penalising success, which I agree is unfair.

[racechick]

I think it's an interesting idea but not THROUGHOUT the weekend.

Why not ballast just in qualifying? The winner of the previous race carries 2kg more than the 2nd placed guy, and so on and so on. But the ballast is only in qualifying to get the fastest car struggling to make the pole.

In race trim, the ballast can be removed to exploit the full potential of the machinery. This is more geared towards racing/mixed grid and not penalising success, which I agree is unfair.

You'd get drivers penalised that way rather than cars. So the guy who drives above his car and maybe grabs a win is penalised above his team mate next race. Also you'd be depriving us of the pole shoot out by the fastes guys on low fuel. I know its a little predictable now with red bull getting that extra performance in quali, but they found that extra, rather that than penalise fast driving.

[silverco]

just move the downforce back to the floor again, during the ground effects days guys were passing all the time GE would get rid of the dirty air problem and viola close racing

as for ballast.... nope, just not suited to the sport. where would it be put for a start. the teams would just use it to redress any balance issues they may have in the car at certain tracks

[FIAarri]

I really don't give a monkeys about the pureness of the racing created, just that it's fun to watch

Based on this comment, if you had to choose between Greco-Roman wrestling, and WWE could we guess which you'd choose?

Neither ta very much

Womens beach volleyball perhaps....but I get your point

[What's Burning?]

Womens beach volleyball perhaps....

And I get your point.

[stonemonkey]

Teams spend time and money in development to gain a couple of tenths and then have it taken off them by added ballast, if F1 goes that route they'd be as well having standard cars.