More cars?

[Crash Test]

Do we as the fas of F1 want more (or less) cars on the grid?
Would we want more big name car makers on the grid? I was just sitting there having a think the other day, names like Alfa Romeo, Brabham, Lotus etc etc aren't there any more. If you were the new Bernie, would you let them in?

Another thing, would you let lots of cars onto the track, but just make sure that they are within 107%, or would you just make it the fastest 22 or 24?

[Devlin]

Hey, CT, interesting questions. I think it's all down to Bernie's only God - the Almighty Dollar. Time has come in F1 that no team can even think about success without serious backing from a major car-manufacturer. So we already have FIAT, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, Honda, BMW, Renault are returning...Which leaves us with 5 teams which currently do not have a major manufacturer on their ship, which in turn makes them potential targets for buy-off. And that's exactly what Bernie E wants - F1 turned into a global "playground", where major car-makers battle it out for honours (and, of course, market stakes). He does not need any new colonis, pacifics, osellas, simteks or such, because they are useless to his cause. I'm not saying this is a bad plan, because the more manufacturers get involved, the more effort (read: cash) is going to be put into F1. But this surely represents the end of an era. Minardi are probably the last romantics in F1, and the place is certainly going to be that bit more dull once they've gone (and that day is nearing). And once all 12 (works) teams are in place (let's not forget Toyota, they're coming in with their own team) Bernie might start thinking about letting someone else in. Now, regarding Alfa and Lotus, I don't think they stand a chance. Alfa Romeo is owned by FIAT, and we all know where their money is. Lotus - what can I say, they need a new owner. Watch out for GM (Cadillac) though, as well as VW (God knows which brand - Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti). As that old song says - money makes the world go round...

[Minardi fan]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[slicktoast]

More cars...how about more RACING. Last weekend was better, but it rained! Jos goes racing and gets grief for it. It's an F1 race not an enduro waiting for cars to fall by the wayside.

[Jared]

Let me add my name to the list of fans who want more cars. I hate to see grids of only 22 cars and then look at or read about races from the early 1990's, when they had over 40 cars come to qualify.

[Mr.S]

Doesn't matter if there are ten cars on track, just make it better racing, by removing that damn dirty air device.

Although I would love to see a 30 car grid.

[EERO]

I would like to see more cars, though I think 26-28 would be optimum.
I actually thought that the days of 34 car fields and Friday morning Pre-Qualifying were pretty ghastly.
For every Lotus and Brabham, there were Rial, Coloni, Zakspeed and AGS-who misses them?

On the issue of major manufactures, Devlin, after GM and VW, who's left? VW have made it pretty clear that they don't won't to leap into F1, as Bugatti, nor Audi, nor SEAT.

Frankly. if we're going to see some of the current non-aligned teams survive, it will only be if a rule similar to CART"S requiring Engine Manufacturers to supply more than one team is adopted.

[marcus]

More cars ....YES...thats one of the things the sport needs ..this damm concord agreement that is in place only allowing 12 teams is stupid (allthough the teams wont say that because they get more money)...I to look back at 89-91 when we had pre qualifying...sure some very good cars missed out but it was reasurring to know that the sport was healthy...also meant more drivers got a chance at F1 ..which is good for the sport as up and coming drivers know with 30 or so seats there is a better chance of getting a drive than the current 22...if there was 30 cars ...would Junquiera, Montoya ,Dario have had an F1 drive by now...i think so..also countless others...i believe they should at least go back to the mandatory 26 starters that way we know we have a full grid each time we watch a race.

107% rule is an interesting one..i dont like it but it rarely comes into effect these days because most teams have improved their act and are well inside it which i guess was the intention of the FIA when they bought it in to get the bottom teams going a bit faster or they dont race at all...it is also up to the clerk of the course I believe to waive the rule if he feels that a particular car should start the race..this is good because there is still a chance that a car will not miss out out of a good natured official.

MORE CARS MORE CARS MORE CARS.

[DJ]

34 cars - 22 positions. Here's an idea.


SUPERPOLE!!!

Each driver has a warm up lap, a flying lap, and a warmdown lap. The fastest flying lap gets pole. The fastest 26 laps get the drivers get to race.

You clip the wall, you pray that enough people crash for a repechage. Each driver that crashed gets the chance to have another flying lap for the last spot or two on the grid.
Maybe on Saturday night in the T car?

[EERO]

I for one wouldn't mind seeing three car teams. I enjoyed it in the seventies when te bigger teams would prepare one-off drives for guest drivers-Schekter, Depaillier, Tambay, and Gilles all got their first F1 drives this way.

[Devlin]

EERO,

VW may SAY that they are not interested in F1, but what about that Audi Le Mans project? BMW and Toyota both came (well, almost) to F1 after having a crack at the Le Mans 24 recently. What could possibly be VW's next (logical) step? I'm sure Herr Piech wouldn't spend that kind of money just for fun, he's not that sort of a guy. Anyway, fact is that sportscar racing has been turned into testing grounds for F1 projects.

[EERO]

You have a point Devlin, but my bones tell me otherwise.

Of course the possibility of seeing Audi F1's with the four entined Auto Union Rings competing against the three pointed star is chilling-we'd have to get the British GP back to Donington.