2003 F1 Rule changes

Author
Discussion

mattc

Original Poster:

266 posts

280 months

Monday 28th October 2002
quotequote all
Formula 1 qualifying will take the form of a single lap run in 2003 – the most radical decision taken following Monday's F1 meeting. A session on Friday will determine the order in which the cars take to the track.

Next season will also see a change to the F1 points scoring system with points awarded to the top eight in 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 order.


Team orders 'that affect overall race results' will be outlawed, although there has been no word yet on how this will be implemented.

An interesting restriction on testing has been announced, which allows teams who agree with the FIA to test for 10 days or less during the season being granted two additional hours of running on the Friday of a GP. This proposal will only take place if three or more teams sign up to the agreement.

As predicted, the tyre manufacturers – currently Michelin and Bridgestone – will be allowed to supply each team with two different compounds at each race, rather than two compounds for all their teams as is currently the case.

And finally, the Belgian GP has been stripped of its place on the 2003 calendar. No race will take its place, leaving just 16 rounds next year.
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Can't see how any of this will persuade me back (except the qualifying - I think that's quite neat).
Losing Spa is a nightmare,
and 'Team ORders' rules are completely unenforcable.

flasher

9,238 posts

289 months

Monday 28th October 2002
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Thats great IMO. No team orders!! Yipee!! You may think it's unenforceable but the penalties will be so draconian that none of them will dare risk it....

All the other things are a positive step so lets see how it works...

At the end of the day at least they are trying to improve the entertainment and that's all we can ask for.

The only rule they missed was a total ban on anyone with the words "Michael" and "Schumacher" in their name

mattjbatch

1,502 posts

276 months

Monday 28th October 2002
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Bit disappointing that there won't be a race at Spa next year. Like the qualifying change though. Now all they need to do is put them in 60s F1 cars. 400bhp, skinny tyres, no aero aids... That'd be fun.

AJLintern

4,233 posts

268 months

Monday 28th October 2002
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mattjbatch said:Now all they need to do is put them in 60s F1 cars. 400bhp, skinny tyres, no aero aids... That'd be fun.

A GPL fan I presume??

t1grm

4,656 posts

289 months

Monday 28th October 2002
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At least they didn't bring in that daft idea of rotating the drivers around different teams. I mean... how the hell was that ever going to work ?

I don't mean from a sporting perspective but from a logistics point of view i.e. seat and pedal fittings for every driver in every car ? And what about sponsor clashes between drivers and cars...

A non starter. Can't believe it was even on the table.

Big_M

5,602 posts

268 months

Monday 28th October 2002
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Think the changes will be a big improvement. No doubt I will still fall asleep after the third lap. Excellent way to sleep off the Sunday lunch. Funny how I always manage to wake up in time for the finish.

superlightr

12,899 posts

268 months

Monday 28th October 2002
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it get more boring each year. The starts are good and then I fall asleep or turn over.

Much sooner watch any other car racing. Even bike racing is better then F1. TVRs and Caterhams are wickedly close and fun.

The racing has got to be more competitve and closer. Is this the only car racing where getting in the slipstream is a bad thing?? Get rid of aerodynamic bits that make it a bad thing to slipstream, smaller tyres, weight penalties for winning etc. Cant be very constructive as dont know much about F1 cos its so boring.

williamp

19,482 posts

278 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Anyone remember the ITV F1 crew saying how good the camera angles are going to be from the US GP onwards, to make it more of a spectacle?


I only ask, because at the Japan GP they were back to the normal awful camera angles. Obviously they think we have the memory of a goldfish, and won't think its a cynical scam to try and get the US more interested.

Afterall, they have NASCAR, CART and IRL and we all know how boring they are to watch....

And can you imagine the moans at qualifying??? "So-and-so had a slightly better ambient temperature, so obviously we're not as fast"

And Spa. The bastards...

Points system is a good idea, though. But what I'd like to see (apart from the GT cars upgraded to F1 status!) is for them to keep the engines, keep the tyres but remove all aerodynamic downforce.

800bhp Formula Ford, anyone???

>> Edited by williamp on Tuesday 29th October 12:31

plotloss

67,280 posts

275 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Did they give a reason as to why Spa has been ditched from the calendar?

Its one of the best tracks on Earth so surely it should be in the calendar as a permanent fixture. San Marino would be a better loss.

Matt.

aww999

2,069 posts

266 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Downforce and air management will always have a place in racing cars, but F1 cars are so reliant on it that it's become impossible to *race* them.

The trouble is, if they remove all aero aids, or say halve the size of the front and rear wings, they'll be hitting 240+mph on some of the straights, which I think the F1 safety brigade will find unacceptable.

What if they went to underbody aero rather than wings? Big venturis under the sidepods etc. I don't know much about it, but I guess they'd be less reliant on running in clean air , so you'd get closer racing, but would they also limit the cars top speed?


Oh, and in the last three years the only GP I've matched was at Spa.

lotusfan

593 posts

271 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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[quoteAfterall, they have NASCAR, CART and IRL and we all know how boring they are to watch....




I find the CART series on the road and racetracks a great watch, only the ovals are tedious. At least its close racing, eventfull and well organised. nowhere near as boring as F1 processions are. Nascar sucks though.

oi_oi_savaloy

2,314 posts

265 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Spa has been lost due to Tobacco advertising issues. I think the Belgian govt wouldn't sanction a temporary lift of the advertising ban that's imposed acroos Belgium re: tobacco at the circuit for the race.

As tobacco plays such a huge part in F1 it was dumped.

Correct me if I'm wrong though.

Woodster

122 posts

268 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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It'll be interesting to see what's decided on the qualifying sequence. I think the fairest thing would be for it to be based on championship points (leader going first) because at least that would mean Schumacher had to run his hot lap on the worst track conditions. The only fair thing for the first race (until points had been scored) would be to draw lots.
That's probably fairest, but who would stay glued to the Tv on a Saturday afternoon to see if a Toyota could topple a Jaguar from 15th on the provisional grid.

It's great to see GPL still forges it's way into even the most current F1 conversation. Viva Papy.

raceboy

13,244 posts

285 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Well this would at least make the pit-stops more entertaining!

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/021028/230/dd9mw.html

JonRB

75,635 posts

277 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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They'll never ban wings and spoilers for two very good reasons
1) They're mobile advertising hordings, and advertising is money.
2) Your average man in the street expects to see a F1 car with wings and spoilers on it, and he reads the advertisements, and advertising is money.

mattc

Original Poster:

266 posts

280 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
quotequote all

JonRB said: They'll never ban wings and spoilers for two very good reasons
1) They're mobile advertising hordings, and advertising is money.
...



Jon you are clearly right about this, but I am sure there are ways to reduce downforce without reducing hoarding space. Number of elements in wings, limiting end-plates, etc...etc... The F1 people know more about this than I do - I'm SURE they could do something!

As for the problem with increasing top speeds to 240+... don't think this is a big safety problem. Surely cornering speeds are the dangerous bit, and Hockenheim (the OLD, GOOD circuit!) must have the highest speeds into the slowest chicanes, and wasn't a big safety problem.

bikerkeith

794 posts

269 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Letegraph report this morning said the aim is to make F1 more interesting since the Ferrari steamroller took effect. Er, its been boring for years. The re-introduction of traction control was a seriously retrograde step, all the driver has to do is mash his foot onto the throttle and let the TC do the rest.
And now they want to drop the best circuit in the calendar. I did go to the Spa GP one year, last year that was the only race I watched on TV, so now they want to drop it, I shall just spend more time watching bike racing.

robkola

1,589 posts

269 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Expansion of points scoring, one flying lap - all stealing ideas from CART etc . . no wonder there are rumours Bernie's trying to buy them!

Again - quite right - people watch Spa whther or not the season is settled - though I think if it ran for a few more years without a big "off" at Eau Rouge we'd start complaining . . .(stick in a cattle grid on the apex etc)!!

Podie

46,642 posts

280 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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Hmm... puzzles me... no one moaned when McLaren and Williams or Benetton had winning streaks... yet Ferrari get one and everyone starts moaning it's boring etc etc.

Best solution is to adopt big power, basic technology (make 'em change gear with a lever!), big sticky tyres and reduce aerodynamic grip.

... how about Can-Am style? Very few restrictions... LOTS of fun... mmm... Ferrari 512... Chaparal...

RichB

52,522 posts

289 months

Tuesday 29th October 2002
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So how does this one-flying-lap thing work then? Does this mean spectators turn up on Friday and Satuday for 30 mins' just to see Shuie or whoever do one lap? I don't think so! So what's the idea then, do they all go out as they please but have to nominate when they want a lap to be a timed one or what? Rich...