McLaren: the art of racing

[Marbot]

A budget cap would only work if the regulations were still fairly tight. This would prevent teams with the more 'off-the-shelf' resources from making it a mockery.

[Paradise City]

You'd need to allocate to each team a small team of crack accountants to properly police a budget cap. A team that'll spot an accountancy trick at fifty paces. I don't know if the will is there for that and there would be legal problems as accountancy 'tricks' are often technically quite legal even if conducted in bad faith.

As for the law of diminishing returns, that'll happen when the IT revolution takes a few more turns and having a Starfleet HQ won't be beyond the means for even the most disorganised of Jed Clampett outfits.

[Dutton]

The teams are always going to raise as much money as they possibly can, and then they are going to spend it trying to go as fast as they can.

Have any of the cost-cutting plans ever worked? It seems to me teams spend less only when they have less available to them to spend (i.e. losing sponsorship). Perhaps if you ban sponsorship on cars then spending would be cut.

It strikes me cost-cutting plans in the presence of available large budgets are as effective as gun control.

I think attempting a budget cap would cause more headaches than it would be worth. There would be constant accusations/suspicions of cheating.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

The mobile version is twenty quid. Used to be free but not now. It is free on the lappy or pooter.

Is there not still two versions? When I had an iPhone there was the twenty quid version, but there was an almost identical free version too. Not sure what the differences were and certainly was not going to pay that much money to find out! Ludicrous price.

[Peter Mallett]

Not as far as I can see on the F1.com website.

[Knowlesy]

Gah, that sucks.

[Peter Mallett]

Yup.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by luke g28

Diminishing returns is larger costs for smaller gains.

I know, I wasn't disputing that

[Marbot]

What's really need is smaller costs for larger gains, but you'd better be very quick with development from one race to the next!

[Adam43]

That would lead to a less competitive grid with bigger gaps between teams. Diminishing returns actually means a closer field.

If you changed the rules dramatically every year and didn't announce it until late in the game... Nah, no one liked that idea!

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Adam43

That would lead to a less competitive grid with bigger gaps between teams. Diminishing returns actually means a closer field.

Yes indeedy, but that point takes some getting across to some people.

Originally Posted by Adam43

If you changed the rules dramatically every year and didn't announce it until late in the game... Nah, no one liked that idea!

December 1st 2012; FIA regulations for 2013 season:

1.1: Technical regulations: > 2 wheels*, a chassis, and power-train; 100 litres/kgs of whatever potent concoction that you can come up with in a laboratory.

1.1 (a): Sporting regulations: To be made up as we go along, as usual.

I think that we would probably get more entertainment from the eternal bickering that went on.

*Does anyone think that particular regulation to be on the restrictive side of things?