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[myownalias]

I have been thinking recently; are all the recent 'artificial' enhancements a desperate attempt to improve the spectacle?

I feel that the KERS device; moveable rear wing and now the stupid idea of artificial wet races are a desperate attempt to keep fans happy and improve overtaking; I'm all for more overtaking but I don't want overtaking by means of artificial means; I want hard racing and better car design to allow slipstreaming for a good old fashioned overtakes.

What's everyone elses opinion?

[What's Burning?]

We are being deprived of true innovation in the sport twofold, one by making manufacturers afraid of trying radical ideas because of the limitation on testing and the time it would take to develop them, and two by punishing those that do find an innovative solution and we then change the rules to close those gaps.

I think good racing is a byproduct of good design and we're lacking both.

[stonemonkey]

I agree with that, maybe not quite so much with KERS but everything else. It's like they want to spice it up and make it like WWE but in most sports when it comes to the top flight it can seem (to casual viewer) drawn out without much action and is often a case of who can make fewest mistakes for the opponent to capitalise on.

[killem2]

Despite all of these things, I still think that, the drivers should be held some what accountable if all they do is choose to drive on rails.

This isn't to say I agree with the artificial that is happening with the sport, but from watching 2010, outside of qualifying very rarely did it seem like drivers were driving on the absolute limit.

I think the most exciting race period I saw in 2010 was Alonzo battling through the slow cars to climb ranks in Monaco. You kind of knew he was always to to pass pretty much all of them but it did show that overtaking is possible if you really really WANT to.

[myownalias]

I can agree that the drivers have to accept some of the blame; Kamui Kobayashi showed what can be achieved if your willing to put your car and race on the line; how many overtakes did the Japanese make last season? surely he must be well up there and all that in a mid field car; he was definitely punching above his weight!

<-- EDIT -->
Apparently Kobayashi only made 13 passes during the season which shocked me; it seemed to be more than that; maybe it's because of the way he performed the overtakes!

The top six are as follows; note: no Kobayashi or Hamilton!

1. Adrian Sutil [Force India] 40 passes
2. Felipe Massa [Ferrari] 37 passes
3. Fernando Alondo [Ferrari] 32 passes
= Jaime Alguersuari [Toro Rosso] 32 passes
5. Rubens Barrichello [Williams] 29 passes
= Vitantonio Liuzzi [Force India] 29 passes

[F1er]

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/03/ ... desperate/

''Formula One is the company that runs the sport of Formula 1 – and we should never forget that. The sole purpose of the Formula One group, based on recent experience, is to squeeze as much money as possible out of the sport before the teams start to rain on the parade. That will happen when the Concorde Agreement comes to an end and the Formula One group tries to renegotiate its 50 percent share of all revenues. That is a thing of the past.

The major teams are united and if they are smart they will remain that way. And they will team up with the FIA and tell the Formula One group to take a hike if 50 percent is the best offer on the table. The finance people have had their share of the pie and most of F1 will be happy to see the back of them – and to see the money that the sport generates being used primarily to reward those who take part and to invest in people and facilities so that the sport grows''

Pretty much sums it up!

[stonemonkey]

Despite all of these things, I still think that, the drivers should be held some what accountable if all they do is choose to drive on rails.

That brings me back to a thought I had before which was discussed a bit regarding the racing line, if a crash happens because someone made a move up the inside going into a corner and the guy in front stuck to the racing line everyone thinks the guy on the racing line had the right to stick to it, I believe that mentality is also affecting the racing.

[scotty]

I don't think it's a desperation move to keep us existing fans happy, it's a money grabbing move to get more people watching F1.

[F1er]

I can agree that the drivers have to accept some of the blame; Kamui Kobayashi showed what can be achieved if your willing to put your car and race on the line; how many overtakes did the Japanese make last season?

Big perception! When the reality is ..................................................
Here are the official AUTOSPORT - CASTROL numbers, which include all overtaking manoeuvres of this season...

01. Adrian Sutil 40
02. Felipe Massa 37
03. Jaime Alguersuari 31
04. Fernando Alonso 31
05. Rubens Barrichello 29
06. Vitantonio Liuzzi 29
07. Lewis Hamilton 26
08. Sebastian Vettel 20
09. Nico Rosberg 20
10. Mark Webber 18


2. Number of overtaking manoeuvres, but only those, which happened in TOP 10

01. Hamilton - 26
02. Webber - 18
03. Sutil - 18
04. Alonso - 15
05. Button - 11
06. Vettel - 10
07. Schumacher - 9
08. Rosberg - 8
09. Kubica - 7
10. Petrov - 7
11. Liuzzi - 7
12. Kobayashi - 7
13. De La Rosa - 6
14. Alguersuari - 6
15. Massa - 4
16. Barrichello - 4
17. Hulkenberg - 3
18. Buemi - 2

[scotty]

Pure numbers mean nothing without context. For example, when a driver starts from the back (Ferraris and Maccas in Malaysia, Alonso in Monaco) or has to pit early (Vettel at GB), is it really the same 'achievement' (for want of a better word) as say Kobayashi's moves in Suzuka or on Alonso at Valencia?

[myownalias]

I don't think it's a desperation move to keep us existing fans happy, it's a money grabbing move to get more people watching F1.

Isn't it one and the same thing? keeping the fans happy means they keep watching the races as well as attracting new fans!

[Jabberwocky]

The faux rain GPs will cause no end of grief, whenever someone did well out of the rain phase it would be classed as a piquet jr moment and the FIA or whoever decides when the rain will be called the biggest cheats in the world. I think it is just part of Bernies pre season build up he did the same last year IIRC about starting on about medals instead of points.

[killem2]

do those figures count pit lane over takes?

[scotty]

I don't think it's a desperation move to keep us existing fans happy, it's a money grabbing move to get more people watching F1.

Isn't it one and the same thing? keeping the fans happy means they keep watching the races as well as attracting new fans!

Well, put it this way, we all fell in love with F1 without all these artificial tricks, right? I personally don't think such things are necessary to keep my interest (it would do exactly the opposite for me), although i do appreciate that i am one of the hardcore, as most of us here are. I'm sure we've all met people (a lot in my case) who dismiss F1 as 'just a bunch of cars driving round and round' in those exact words more or less, and i think this is just a move to try and win those types over.

Personally i am adamant that driver nationality is a far bigger factor - especially if the driver is successful. A lot of people here suddenly started caring in 2007, for example... and look at the effect of Alonso and Schumacher's successes on their respective countries' fanbases. Best thing F1 can do for it's fanbase is to try and find a good American driver.

[F1er]

do those figures count pit lane over takes?

no. as well as first lap passes dont count as overtakes