Luca wants later race starts for Euro races.

[Ubique]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Wednesday night racing is something that, IMO, the WTCC and other series on that level could experiment with. Football fans get something mid-week, motorsport could run that one up the flagpole and see how it flies.

As much as I like this idea it's not practicle for a couple of reasons;

1, WTCC and BTCC are not merely races they are championship series with support races and held over 2 full days of a weekend so how are we supposed to cram that in to a Wednesday Evening?

2, Most circuits have curfews that would mean evening races would be impossible.

3, There would not be enough Marshals. Remember that Marshals are unpaid volunteers who have real jobs and that they travel long distances to do the race meetings which would not be possible during the working week and that without them there would be no motorsport!

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

It would annoy me. It annoys my American viewing.

Too much later would disturb primetime or peak hour viewing as well. It might force F1 off our screens in some cases or damage the coverage in others.

Is that all right with you? A 1PM start....

[Ubique]

Originally Posted by jab

I think Luca's right on this. Wouldn't bother me personally but there are big benefits from it

And I don't care for those that go to the races in this respect. It's their choice to go to the race so that is their problem. And traffic isn't that bad on the roads at 7. Plus a later start would mean you don't have to get there so early in the day - I wouldn't be able to go to the British GP partly because it would mean leaving at ridiculous o'clock am

What would be a more pertinent point is if less people would bother attending if it was later, but I can't see that being a problem for Bernie either

Your right traffic isn't that bad but lets think of who else has to be at the GP so that it can run... Yes thats right the Marshals and the army of other Unpaid volunteers without whom there couldn't be a GP. Most of these people give up Holidays from work so that the GP runs smoothly and in alot of cases have to travel long distances to get back home for work on the Monday morning. I'm lucky in that I can usually book the Monday off so that I can enjoy the GP after party but at every British Grand Prix I've worked there have been Marshals from all as far away as Knockhill (Scotland), Croft n Oulton (Ooop North), Anglesea (Wales), many of who have work the next day, and thats before we think about the Euro Marshals from Belgium and Holland who always come over.

I would imagine that the same is true of overseas GP's. Less than half of the total number of Marshals at the BGP are from the Silverstone Emergency Services Team with the rest of us being from other UK circuits (Donington Emergency Services Team in my case) and I can't see places like Germany, Spain, or Italy being ant different.

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by Ubique

Your right traffic isn't that bad but lets think of who else has to be at the GP so that it can run... Yes thats right the Marshals and the army of other Unpaid volunteers without whom there couldn't be a GP. Most of these people give up Holidays from work so that the GP runs smoothly and in alot of cases have to travel long distances to get back home for work on the Monday morning. I'm lucky in that I can usually book the Monday off so that I can enjoy the GP after party but at every British Grand Prix I've worked there have been Marshals from all as far away as Knockhill (Scotland), Croft n Oulton (Ooop North), Anglesea (Wales), many of who have work the next day, and thats before we think about the Euro Marshals from Belgium and Holland who always come over.

I would imagine that the same is true of overseas GP's. Less than half of the total number of Marshals at the BGP are from the Silverstone Emergency Services Team with the rest of us being from other UK circuits (Donington Emergency Services Team in my case) and I can't see places like Germany, Spain, or Italy being ant different.

The reason for changing the time would be to make more money. Some of that money SHOULD then go to making the meeting run more smoothly at the new time, i.e. paying marshals etc.

Can't see that happening when Bernie's pockets are feeling a bit empty at the moment.

Lots of money in F1, and it still needs volunteers to run the GP's. Am I the only one who finds that laughable?

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

A 10:00 AM race start (here) would be nice and might allow the US audience to build.

The only trouble with delaying the race by 3 hours is that that puts race start back to 4pm (which i personally wouldn't mind) but it does put it up against Sky Sports and the sunday football, yes i know it currently goes against the earlier sunday game, but the 4pm game is usually the biggest game of the week.

Would Bernie really want to go up against a Man Utd game? After all, the audience he is now targeting, the far east will all be tuning in to watch United, as thats where most of Utd's supporters come from

[JohnSSC]

I had left football (EPL, etc) out of my calculation, but that is a good point, V. I guess for the time being I will have to continue to watch F1 whilst enjoying my morning coffee!

PS - a 10 AM start only puts the race back 2 hours (usually starts at 8 AM local) - would that still run into the 4 PM game/pre-game?

[Super Hans]

At the moment I would like all races to clash with Liverpool games.

[Mr V]

I know what you mean Han's ha ha

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Would Bernie really want to go up against a Man Utd game? After all, the audience he is now targeting, the far east will all be tuning in to watch United, as thats where most of Utd's supporters come from

Well, they make everything else in China, why not a bunch on Man Utd clones.

[duke_toaster]

The football is a problem in several countries though, you can't schedule any sporting event on a weekend without clashing with something some people might want to watch. The not so bad times are going for an 8pm UK time start (if that could be sorted out for the US and Brazilian GP that would stick it right in prime time on Sunday night, and on Sunday afternoon in the US), or, in the UK, somewhat ironically 3pm on Saturday due to the football blackout ...

[Paradise City]

Luca is a bit cranky. He's had a bad winter afterall. So grumpy is coming out with these zany ideas thick and fast. Bernie started this trend. His trademark is making pot-stirring statements whenever he's grumpy or not getting his way.

[ASCII Man]

I quite like his V6 idea, though.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

I quite like his V6 idea, though.

I've no doubt that Luca would also like more scantily clad grid girls as well!!!

Oh, wait!

If Luca could somehow market a V6 turbo as some sort of modern day Lancia Stratos, then he could be on to something.

We could all go out and buy one on Sunday afternoon, just before the race starts.

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by JamesH

The reason for changing the time would be to make more money. Some of that money SHOULD then go to making the meeting run more smoothly at the new time, i.e. paying marshals etc.

And we laughed, and laughed, and then laughed even more!!!!

[steve nielsen]

The America market is important for Ferrari, with a 14.00 race start in Europe it will be 5 AM in Beverly Hills.

[Mekola]

Bad idea for South Americans, it could clash with broadcast of national Touring Car series, and TV viewers would be forced to elect. And F1 hasn't got the upper hand against Turismo Carretera in Argentina, for example.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

I quite like his V6 idea, though.

I agree, it's a good idea...

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

I agree, it's a good idea...

It's a good idea from a 'show' perspective, but not a very good one from an 'efficiency' perspective. It's more efficient getting 650bhp from four cylinders than it is from 6 cylinders. If power and fuel were unlimited, then more cylinders would be better.

I think that if the regulations regarding the number and configuration of cylinders were changed and everything else remained the same, most teams would still choose an in-line engine of the shortest length (better packaging) and with the best possible vibration characteristics (so, not a 'triple' or a 'twin') to provide power.

It should also be noted that Yamaha use a flat plane crank in-line four engine in MotoGP because it doesn't wear out the tyres as much as either a five or six cylinder engine would. The longer duration between power pulses on a flat plane crank four cylinder engine give the tyre a chance to recover grip.

Note: In MotoGP you are allowed to use any engine configuration with a maximum number of 6 cylinders. You are allowed only 21 litres of fuel to complete a GP, sophisticated engine software controls how the engine uses this amount of fuel. There is also a minimum chassis/engine weight allowed for the number of cylinders used. There is no rev limit or bhp limit. Currently only in-line 4 or V4 engines are favoured.

[ASCII Man]

Please do not compare MotoGP with F1...
MotoGP is in it's worst state since the 80's, so I don't think its a good direction for F1 to be going.

[JeremySmith]

For me I much as I love technical innovation the constant change of rules regarding, wings, power plant, tyres, gets to be somewhat tiresome...

I have said for a while, and I am certain not to be the only one that F1 should have kept the V10 and turned it down, this would have cost far less money than the 30 Millions pounds it is going to take to design and build the engine spec for 2013...

F1 cars are never going to be that green are they! they are racing cars, they need to very loud, what are these four cylinder turbos going to sound like? I sure that the engineers will get the desired HP out of them, and I like the sound of a turbo engine, but 4 cylinders I am not so sure about this idea...

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

Please do not compare MotoGP with F1...
MotoGP is in it's worst state since the 80's, so I don't think its a good direction for F1 to be going.

Was it bad in the 80's?

It's in a bad state because it's getting too expensive to compete in. In 2012 more production based engines will be allowed to compete under different regulations to the current manufacturer teams (24 litres of fuel instead of 21 and 12 engines instead of 6 per season). A 2 tier championship!

F1, take note.

[ASCII Man]

Was it bad in the 80's?

Yes, but it was still a lot better compared to now.
Too many electronic gizmo's, traction control/launch control/abs/etc/etc.

You don't see riders like McCoy ripping up the asphalt anymore.
Now riders need to have a style that's all too clean, surgical, and also drab and boring.

I call that the worst bike racing I have seen in the very short time I've been watching MotoGP. (since '94/'95)

Also!

A 2 tier championship?
Didn't we try this in the 80's with turbo and non-turbo cars?
Why should F1 take note of that?

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

Yes, but it was still a lot better compared to now.
Too many electronic gizmo's, traction control/launch control/abs/etc/etc.

You don't see riders like McCoy ripping up the asphalt anymore.
Now riders need to have a style that's all too clean, surgical, and also drab and boring.

I call that the worst bike racing I have seen in the very short time I've been watching MotoGP. (since '94/'95)

Also!

A 2 tier championship?
Didn't we try this in the 80's with turbo and non-turbo cars?
Why should F1 take note of that?

The best era was the mid- late 80's and early 90's... Gardner, Rainey, Schwantz, etc. Like f1 it became too manufacturer dominated and too oriented toward advanced technological development under the manufacturer influence. That has pushed the technological cost into an area that is prohibitive for all but the most flush manufacturers....leaving the privateer teams, and even the well funded semi-professionals out of it.

Motorsport is sport with motors, not motors in a sporting context.
These days it seems to be about technology in an artificial sporting context and maybe that is also part of its narrowing public appeal.

[thunderbolt]

Originally Posted by chunder

To be honest what on earth is it anything to do with him!

He owns Ferrari not F1, Oh no hang on a minute...

Who is betting they get their way with the turbo 4 cylinder too!

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo
fiat owns 90 percent of Ferrari

[thunderbolt]

i think Luca is off his face
link down but this was first posted in Jun 10

i posted it at the motorsport forum
http://www.motorsportforums.com/foru...d.php?t=138672
Races should be shorter

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, never one to pass on an opportunity to make a controversial statement, believes F1 should make sweeping changes to make things more interesting.

2pm around the world when f1 is on


Ferrari tick off Red Bull

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...666046,00.html

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has said comments made by Red Bull's Helmut Marko regarding world champion Sebastian Vettel show a lack of respect for the Italian marque.