F1 rule changes for 2010 can return us to the golden age – provided the tinkerers don’t mess it up on Monday

The tinkerers are back. Next Monday Grand Prix racing’s movers and shakers from around the globe gather to discuss a rule change that will mean the top 10 drivers starting with the tyres they qualified on. It sounds like a subtle tweak but is a far more fundamental change than many recognise. It is being paraded as a nuance when in reality it may undermine much of what is sure to improve the show for 2010. The new rules agreed last year take the emphasis away from team strategising and returned control where it should always have been – with the driver. With three second pit stops, narrower front tyres and no refuelling, drivers will not be able to wait for the pit stops and team strategy to work their magic. They will have to grit their teeth and make their move – blast around the outside or dive down the inside. If they finish behind another driver it will simply be because the other guy was better. End of story. Or, put another way; if he DID overtake it was because he was better, faster, smoother or cleverer. The best man won. Not the best strategy, boffin or the best computer. No excuses. If there is a winner there’s a loser. That means tension, competition and, ultimately a sporting spectacle. The changes to be discussed on Monday by the F1 Commission present the spectre of teams indulging in strategic qualifying. Those in favour believe it gives teams of inferior performance the chance to beat their rivals through superior strategy. There is the danger, though, that the scheme could undermine both qualifying AND the race. Some drivers may not drive as fast as they could because they are preserving their rubber for the race, qualifying lower in the expectation that with tyres in a better condition they will then rip up through the field and win. In other words win thanks to a better strategy. Isn’t that what we’ve already got and are trying to change? It’s obvious to see why teams would vote for it. Firstly it brings the brain bank of tacticians back into play. And of course it means more passing. But that’s missing the point. One car driving past another on better rubber is vastly different to one car overtaking another. Fans don’t want a formula which gives the illusion of racing, they want racing. Sit…

Read Article @ Lewis Hamilton News

Posted by admin 27 January 2010

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