Minimal

A lament for F1

Matt Prior of 4car say F1 is still rubbish and I’m inclined to agree. I missed the Canadian GP last weekend and I couldn’t care less. He offers a rather simplistic argument, mind, in comparing F1 to other motorsport. He also fails to offer answers, only presenting goals that everyone already shares. He may just, however, come to the right conclusion: walk away.

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At least, I’ve come to the same sorry conclusion. F1 seems to be the victim of its own success. That early success drew in crowds, which in turn drew in sponsorship that helped fund a competitive advantage via technology. For a while, things got quite exciting with cars like the FW14B, but, looking back, the business drive behind the sponsorhip had taken a short term view emphasising success and denying the possibility that people might get bored.

The stakes had been raised and more money came in for bigger sponsorship pay-offs that led to more sophisticated technology that inevitably — for grand prix tracks, at least — included aerodynamic improvements to help cars cling to the corners. Any motorsport in which the vehicles’ aerodynamics play such an important role that drivers can lose ground through corners and end up outside a leading car’s slipstream is doomed to endure an absence of overtaking.
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So, how can you solve the problem? A few options I can see:

1. change the tracks to ones where the benefit of downforce is massively reduced i.e. banked ovals
2. enforce strict, Draconian limits on the amount of downforce a car’s allowed to generate (none of this drives-on-the-ceiling stuff)
3. Develop aerodynamics that provide consistent downforce, even in the turbulent air of a leading car’s slipstream

Option 1 is unpalatable to the average F1 fan — you may as well watch Champ Cars or Indy Lights or whatever it is these days. Option 2 is unpalatable to the major manufacturers and teams in F1. And option 3 is probably just impossible.

Ultimately, if we want the sport to change, we may just have to walk away from it. With declining interest, perhaps the sponsors will walk away, funding will dwindle and the sport will be forced into action if it wants to regain its popularity. This exodus of fans may even be starting to happen, but the likes of Bernie Ecclestone continue to fight back — not with significant changes, but with spin. It’s easier to make out that things are actually still exciting, honest. I really don’t like that man.

For my money, you may as well just give up on F1 and watch motorcycling or rallying instead. They’re much more fun.