I got into F1 back in the early 2000's during Schumacher's hey day. Ferrari's budget was astronomical, qualifying was an hour where any number of laps was permitted. There were two tire manufacturers to choose from. Cars weren't filled with gas for the entire race, so there was more strategy around fuel weight vs number of pit stops. If memory serves, there weren't limits on engine changes, gear box changes, or off season testing.
Ferrari dominated so much and the fans got bored so F1 decided to through in a bunch of arbitrary rule changes. Qualifying divided in to three segments so the top guys have to run at least three times. All the DRS and KERS. Now cars are fuelled for the entire race and they have to use a certain number of tire compounds all from one manufacturer. Changing too many components has punitive damages now. And even after all of this, one team and driver has dominated winning 7 championships.
Was it all for naught? Maybe. F1 is maybe cheaper to participate in, but what's the point of having Haas in the series? They have no chance of really adding to spectacle other than getting in shouting matching on the Netflix series.
I guess I'm not a fan of rule changes solely for the sake of trying to make the racing more interesting. The NBA didn't change a bunch of rules when the Bulls were crushing everyone. The NFL hasn't followed suit with the Patriots' domination. And the NHL didn't do anything when the Red Wings were the definition of consistency. As far as I know, rugby didn't make any changes to try and hamper the All Blacks.
F1 engineers are so good that they can optimize right up to the rule right after it's been changed. Just look at BAR winning with Jenson Button. That's maybe the real issue: there's a very finite supply of very talented engineers and not every time has access. At this point F1 is quickly closing in on becoming a stock car league with fewer options around engines and chassis putting the onus on the driver's talent. Maybe it's a good thing, maybe not.
No comments:
Post a Comment