F1's electronic interactivity to new heights

[Dino IV]

From GrandPrix.com

Electronic rule changes in F1

THE FIA World Motor Sport Council has voted to allow radio signals to pass backwards and forwards from cars to pits in the course of races. This will open the way for all manner of telemetry which will allow teams to change the cars from the pits. However the FIA has said that there will be no systems allowed which is allow a car to detect the race start signal - although it will be interesting to see how the governing body is going to stop such a thing.

Ouch! What does this mean? A further simplification of the driver's engagement? No more interactivity from the buttons inside the cockpit but engineered monitoring and adjusting from the pits only?

What's your take on this?

[shazzman]

Hey, i reckon the way its goin, very soon they will have the chief mech's name and country on the car and the driver will be the guy that went along for the ride...lol
nahh but on a more serious note, its suppose to be the cutting edge technology that makes F1 what it is and i think it will be preety awsome if teams can actuallychange engine mapping, play around with traction control, etc all from the main frames at the back of the garage.

[rubinhothebest]

Hi everyone.
If this is actually true, I imagine that what Lauda said about an ape driving, won't be just a joke in next years....
I'm still surprised after a few years, about the amount of technology F1 contains. But this is gonna make them cross the line.. I agree with technological development, but it must have a limit, when it is referred to sport, to make it more attractive.
Don't you think so?

[GT fan]

This is not really what is needed in F1.

I am well aware of the technological genius that incorporates an F1 car, but this just adds to the list of driver aids that is killing the heart of the sport.

Now, I am 21 and by no means a dinosaur or stick in the mud, but such aids as traction-control, launch-control and automatic gearboxs are a farce as far as i am concerned and have no place being in a race car.

I am only one of a number of enthusiasts who believe exactly the same, as turn outs to such historic festivals as Coys and Goodwood proove. Isn't part of being a skilled worldclass driver being able to tame the 800+bhp that's being transmitted through the rear wheels?

I'm going to have to stop now before i start ranting! But the bottom line is i reckon this is bad.

Cheers

Andy

[DNQ]

what a load of rubbish...

[Inigo Montoya]

Originally posted by GT fan
This is not really what is needed in F1.

Now, I am 21 and by no means a dinosaur or stick in the mud, but such aids as traction-control, launch-control and automatic gearboxs are a farce as far as i am concerned and have no place being in a race car.

I understand what you are saying, but these devices often trickle down and make it into the cars you and I drive, and in turn, make them safer.

[Emfa]

Norbert Haug said:

"It is not correct to talk about remote-controlled drivers," he told German sports news agency SID. "This measure is aimed at improving safety and information."

The way I see it, the manufacturers will keep lobbying the FIA to allow new innovations until either a) the WDC is eliminated and there will only be a WCC, or b) somebody in the FIA will wake up and put a stop to the madness.

It's interesting that they promote this primarily as a safety issue. If you take that to it's logical conclusion, the safest car is one with no driver that can be injured/killed...

It was reported that Gerhard Berger is "skeptical!" Maybe he can see where this is going!?!

Will the question be "Will F1 become RC?" or "When will F1 be RC?"

[GT fan]

DNQ

Its a scarey idea "when will F1 become rc" but one that seems highly feasible. I read an article the other day by the head of aerodynamics at williams, that said if the regulations on aerodynamics were lifted, then they could design a car that would far outstrip the capabilities of the driver, being able to produce cornering forces in the region of 8g!

Whilst i am aware that the constant drive for safety is an admirable cause, it seems on recent occassion to have been used as a thin vail behind which unecessary driver aids have been implemented.

What chance does the sport have when the current president of the governing body openly admits that F1 is not in the business of overtaking?

[Champ69]

I can see both sides of the coin on this subject and I am unable to make up my mind on this issue. I just hope FIA make the right decisions and do not hurt the sport that I love.

I see no real change in the end result with the new regs, The best team will still win (driver, management, car ,support staff)

I just hope we do not see a repeat of 1994. In 1991 to 1993 the cars got more and more driver aids, in 1994 they pulled out all of the driver aids and the cars became undrivable and we know the end result.

[GT fan]

Hey champ69

Its interesting that you seem to attribute Sennas death with the withdrawl of driver aids in'94. I think that that is up for discussion, due to the fact that it was found that his crash was the product of a failed steering column. Perhaps you are referring to Ratzenbergers death?

Obviously the safety of the drivers, marshals and spectators is paramount, but this (in my view) should not come at the detriment to racing quality. We are all aware of the risks involved in motor racing, even your entry ticket will tell you as much. I think the FIA's motives are far from the interests of the sport, but there is no doubt that we are at their mercy.

There is so much to write about on this subject that leads into money, power, politics and ultimately corruption. I don't think that we can underestimate the politics that go on in the F1 world, it is no longer a sport, but an industry that has been mutated by money, much the same as football has over the years.

Any further thoughts on this subject are welcome.

Cheers

Andy

[duckers]

GT fan, I think you will find that following a recent TV programme on Senna's death, it was proven that his car bottomed out, and due to the full flat bottom underneath his car, the airflow was interupted and he momentarily lost downforce, causing his car to understeer from the reduced grip levels. The steering column failed as a result of Senna's impact in the wall, and not the cause of him veering off the track.

Also I would like to note that a while ago Autosport had an article on the car's Adrian Newey designed, and he himself admitted that the FW16 was having problems with bottoming out due to the change from active suspension to a passive one.

Duckers

[GT fan]

Duckers

Thanks for putting me straight on that one. Unfortunately i missed the programme on Sennas death.

Cheers

Andy

[Champ69]

Duckers, i was going to comment on the bottoming out of Senna's car but you saved me. Thanks.

Anouther cause of the cars bottoming out was due to the fact that the cars had to follow the safety car on the warm up lap, meaning the cars lost tyre presure and where therefore lower to the ground. A bad idea when you add that to a car that was full of fuel and with cool tyres.

[martinmonisse]

I AM A BIG FAN IN TERMS OF F1 TECHNOLOGY. IT LEADS THE WAY IN TERMS OF ADVANCEMENTS TO THE MOTORINDUSTY. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF REALTIME TELEMETRY YOU WILL SEE TRACK/LAP AND SECTOR TIMES DECREASE RAPIDLY. TEAMS WILL LEARN TO ANALYSE COMPETITORS ADJUSTMENTS (REALTIME) AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO THEIR OWN IF NECESARY AS SOON AS THE NEXT LAP. REALTIME TELEMETRY WILL AID TO THE REDUCTION OF TYRE DEGREDAGATION DUE TO THE ADJUSTMENTS OF TRACTIONCONTROL DURING THE RACE. QUESTION: IF TEAMS ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUALLY TO CARRY OUT ADJUSTMENTS WHILST RACING WOULD THIS NOT BE CLASSED AS SOME SORT OF TESTING SESSION?

[Champ69]

please don't shout, I am standing right here.

[Dino IV]

Originally posted by GT fan
What chance does the sport have when the current president of the governing body openly admits that F1 is not in the business of overtaking?

No chance at all I guess.

Last year we read all kinds of statements from the non-racing guys in the sport who actually think of it as a sport who were 'sceptical' if not 'opposed' to the re-introduction of TC. From virtually all drivers we read neutral, cynical or negative statements, only just a few more 'corporate-inspired' ones bla-bla-ed after their teamboss.

The statement that made most sense to me was Patrick Head who said something like the re-introduction of TC 'being inevitable, but should only be considered an emergency solution for a very limited amount of time' and hoped it was 'banned again - no for good - for 2002 with new clear regulations'.

I hoped for that as well but the FIA has given no signal whatsoever in that direction. Instead of that they issue another far stretching measurement with allowing bi-directional data traffic again.

The reasons for free-ing up these regulations have always come from pressure of the teams to get more freedom and eventually getting it. The reason given for free-ing up the engine-management regulations was alledgedly to save costs because engines could be preserved better. Well that didn't work as it's contrary to the aim of F1 racing, blowing the thing to smithereens after 305 km .. if you're fortunate. The reason for free-ing up the driveline electronics was they couldn't regulate it well enough. Which is no surprise considering the liberties given in that respect. The reason for free-ing up the bi-directional data traffic are safety issues, like centralized slowing down of the cars in certain sectors. Which sounds very neatly compgame like but does diminish the driver-input even further which is also an aspect of the sport which could use some attention.

So why not go back to better proportions and use the knwoledge there should exist by now to regulate the driveline properly? Consider the engine an entity in itself and forbid the use of any signals which can regulate more than you want it to. And the same for gearbox and diff. Is that so hard? Or at least the (sporty) direction you want it to be heading instead of the opposite (rc) one?

[GT fan]

Dino IV

Interesting argument.

Im not sure that anything remotely in the interests of the sport, in terms of overtaking and excitement, are even on the horizon. Like i said, its an industry and is in the business of making money. As it stands the cars are, to put it brutally, highly sophisticated bill boards! This is why i have become so dissillusioned with the whole scene and am finding myself taking a greater interest in GT racing, where the cars DO actually look different AND overtake!

[Pist'n Broke]

Ban all external sensors in the wheels, suspension, crankshaft and throttle assembly. Without electronic inputs the driver aids cannot function and it will be the same level for all the teams.

Has it become so complex the obvious solution is ignored?