Race Lengths

[Adam43]

All races are 190 something miles, but why?

This thought was prompted by the thought that today's Monza race is only going to be about 1h15m today. Which is a bit weedy isn't it?

Why do we have to have the same race length for each race, anyway?

There is the car reliability, but maybe with the new rules that should make the cars more reliable next year could be the year to introduce longer races at some places. Monaco is alreayd differenent at the moment too.

I don't think a race length that is a time would be good, I like the current distance format. However we can have some more variety, making it different and more challenging.

[twig]

They are over too quickly now days. And coming of watching the 500 Km V8 race today, sure, it was a corker, it rained, and went for a few hours, i think we need longer races.

They are just over to quickly, and never get a chance to climax. The speed remains the same, it's blistering pace - pit - blistering pace - pit - blistering pace - pit - blistering pace - cross line - wave - talk.

There needs to be different stratagies of pacing themselves, different stages of a race and such.

[jase]

Adam, the races must be a max of 200 miles or 2hours, all for glorious TV schedules.

[Jay]

Good call - the Cart races are over 2 hours on average now. I think F1 should be at least that. The distances were obviously calculated a while ago - and it means Monaco is almost another race longer than Monza... I'm going to have far too mcuh time not watching racing this afternoon.

[twig]

Geez, this really is disappointing, JPM and MS look like they are about to have a stellar battle, the same with KR and Rubens. This is only lap 38 mind you, and it says, 15 laps remaining. This is way too damn short!

[twig]

Well, due to the race distance, i would say that the race was rather boring. Nothing really ever happened there. KR and Rb looked to have a battle, but the race want long enough, same situation with JPM and MS, that was looking to be good.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by jasongore
Adam, the races must be a max of 200 miles or 2hours, all for glorious TV schedules.

Yep, but youcould have nearly 300miles at Monza and still be less than 2 hours (Saftey Cars/Weather not withstanding).

[Jay]

yeah, this race could have been 30 laps longer and still be well within the 2 hours.

[Adam43]

I bet we wouldn't have seen any more overtaking!

[esorniloc]

I think Monaco is actually less than 190 miles, itsn't it more like 160?

[Sodemo]

I would like to see longer races, maybe 105 minutes long?

[kdr]

Originally posted by Jay
yeah, this race could have been 30 laps longer and still be well within the 2 hours.

please don't threaten us like that..

[Adam43]

What distances could we have. We have the shorter Monaco race, which tracks would you have the longer races on. The quick ones, so the race stays a normal time length or some other criteria?

If each race was a differnet length we may see more variety in what people try during a race.

[BootsOntheSide]

Monaco is about 160 miles, and it still goes over 2 hours when weather has an effect.

I'd lvoe to see 10 laps added to the total at MOnza, even if it does push it over 200 miles. 1 1/4 horus is too short for a grand prix in my view.

[ElScOrChO]

IMO, it's not enough for the people who bought a ticket to
see the race live

[DriverT]

Maybe they could restrict it to a 2-hour limit and finish just the lap when the 2-hour mark occurs?

[Wally (Evo.1)]

Does anyone know why the CSI went from 500 km. to 300 km. races for the 1958 season? Any info would be helpful.

It seems to me that a "Grand Prix" that lasts only 75 or 80 minutes isn't that grand. Apparently, the only concern of the F1 hierarchy is television audience figures, and keeping the "little people" awake and watching is part of that. NASCAR has done the same over the past few years, changing the 500 mile races to 400 miles for television.

I'm not advocating a return to 10-hour Grands Prix (like 1931), but I think Grands Prix should be 500 kilometers in length (with Monaco at 300 kilometers). If a contemporary Grand Prix at less than 300 km. takes an hour and a half, a 500 km. Grand Prix would take approximately two and a half hours.

This would transform Formula One racing from flat-out sprints between fuel stops to longer runs and greater uses of pit strategy. Also, if they had to sacrifice some power for reliability, that would slow the cars slightly, which is one of the major aims of the FIA.

Of course, with the current state of F1's "racing" and the overgrown karting circuits they compete on, a two and a half hour Grand Prix would render most people comatose. That, and would any cars be able to finish a 500 km. race, especially after the one-engine rule comes into effect?

[Phoenix1]

Doas at Le Man, teams can guess the fuel they need and take the luck of the draw of a safety car late or a splash and dash late on. Say have a 1hr 45min race at say Monza or at least a minimum race time.

[bcobbus]

The distance of each race should be determined by the average speed that the track has. Obviously with Monza the cars will average a much greater pace then say Monaco or any other tight track.

However the most important factor the condition of the drivers. This day in age they seem to have to be super men to doo a hard race at the current levels, let alone and even longer race!

[GTV27]

I'd be happy with a time duration race, say 2 hours (should suit the TV schedules too), but I don't think it would do anything for the racing as such.

Maybe they could take a leaf out of the touring/sports car manual and run a variety of different lengths (2, 3 and 4), culminating in a 6 hour race at the end of the year with a compulsory driver change.