Quote:
Originally posted by alfasud
* Reduce downforce - yes
* Widen chassis - will this create more passing.... or maybe less passing? It certainly won't slow them down.
* Return to slicks - I'd agree, but then again, I'm not so sure that the grooved tyres of late 2002 have much less grip that the slicks of several years ago.
* Remove driver aids - yes, as much as possible.
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Widening the chassis won't reduces speeds on it's own, but it's necessary if we're to take away downforce, to maintain cornering stability... The wider track will give the cars more mechanical grip in corners. I don't think slowing cars down really needs to, or should be, a goal in the rulemaking process. The FIA is still overreacting to a horrible weekend that happened 8 years ago at _one_track_.
On the slicks vs. grooves... The grooved tires today probably have as much grip under their optimum conditions as the last slicks in '97. But the range of conditions in which they're at their best are much narrower... There's much greater variation between brands... It used to be just a matter of designing the best sidewall and mixing the best compounds... Now there are all sorts of variables in tire construction. It's too damn complex, and we end up with a situation where a manufacturer gives up and just tailors their tire to one team's requirements.
We take away diffusers, limit the wing elements, give the cars more mechanical grip, and they'll be able to follow each other right thru the fast corners without having to back off the throttle due to losing downforce... The driver in back will be better able to "get a run" on the car in front, and then will be able to slingshot past, and pray that he's got the grip to get thru the next corner while holding the position.
And if we force the teams to use a spec, sealed engine control system, we can finally get rid of the driver aids. People who think the word "spec" has _no_ place in F1 are just going to have to get over it. F1 basically ran with a spec engine package for a decade, and it was one of the most competitive eras in the sport's history...