Deliberately Vague Regulations

[KC]

Similar to what happened with the turning brake issue, a 4 million pound transmission project McLaren is working on is now threatened with sanctions from F1. First the FIA Technical Delegates inform McLaren upon their application that the transmission design meets the rules and now after spending an estimated 4 million pounds on the project the FIA is making noises to ban the design stillborn. Why all the indecision? Why does the FIA continue to behave like a group of adolescent girls? This is legal, that is not. On and on it goes. The same occurred at Suzuka. The FIA made the decision that questionable driving tactics would not be tolerated. When questioned on questionable driving tactics they were told it "questionable". That is not a decision. When deliberately asked if blocking tactics are employed by a backmarker as in the past are considered questionable, they conceded the point that it was. So that was why we saw the backmarkers all but leave the track to allow the leaders to go through. No one wanted a three race ban.

In all of this, I cannot understand why the rules are so vague. I can understand if certain rules are vague to allow the engineers and designers some room to be creative in finding solutions, but there should be no vagaries in driving tactics. Technically McLaren's driver operated turning brakes completely met the rules on driver's aids but were subsequently outlawed by someone other than the FIA Technical Delegates. How is it possible that a multi billion pound operation like F1 can seemingly be run by someone not in the hire of the FIA? Why do the teams put up with the whims of some official with their operations?

Is this done so that F1 can generate some excitement other than the lackluster performances on the track? Is this their only means of perpetrating conflict? Personally I'd rather they fought on the track with cars that can race side by side and in slipstreams.

[Jo]

Call me cynical, but the results seem to be left wide open to interpretation so that they can be enforced depending on which team is being questionable. Maybe it means if you drive a Ferrari you can get away with it! I'm sure some of these rules would only come into play if it affected those teams competing for the championship, where other teams still want points and to finish as well as they can in the season and to them its unfair when only the top teams get this sort of attention.

As for changing the rules when something's already been improved - surely part of the point of formula 1 is that engineering is used to build the best car under a set of constraints. If the FIA keep ruling out new technology before it even makes it to the race track there is a danger that the sport will die, leaving a load of pretty much identical cars, with no-one prepared to take the risk of trying anything out. Much of the research and development that goes into racing cars filters down into the automotive industry, providing ideas and inspiration to car manufacturers, which can only serve to benefit us all in the long run.

Maybe some of you would like to see a more even playing field for the drivers, but I for one find that its the design and development of the cars that makes formula 1 the sport it is. Of course it is important to have guidelines, but let the teams be creative as well.

[angst]

Here, here KC. This vagueness is in danger of making F1 into a laughing stock. I agree there has to be a certain amount of leaway in technical regulations, otherwise you might as well make it a one car series, but there is NO need for those regulations to be vague. If it is as you say then aren't Mclaren in a position to take legal action against the FIA for changing their stance on the gearbox? Or is that why they use someone from outside the (direct) control of the FIA?
Who was it that actually outlawed the driver controlled turning brakes?
No wonder Ron and Frank wanted Max out. What a shambles.