What changes would you make?

[angst]

To make F1 better, what regs would you change.
Personally I would 1) ban wings (if you can dictate measurements then you can define what they are - if you can define them you can ban them. Or maybe make them so minimally small that they are of no use whatsoever).
2)Extend the flat bottom rule to the rear of the cars.
3)Return to slicks (I don't think the FIA will have much option on this anyway)
4)Ban refuelling
5)Ban carbon brakes and pushrods(the latter is more of a safety issue)

There (motion of clapping dust from hands) - that ought to do it.

[Sparky]

Angst, I would agree 100%...
Except I'd include a return to wider cars.

And they'd better sort it out soon. CART's on it's way to the UK. I suspect fans might see how green that grass really is...

[angst]

Yes, yes, of course - doh. Wider cars. There was another thing aswell. I would ban any telemetry/radio to and from the car during a race weekend. Oh- and a return to proper transmissions - real gear changing!

[Marshal]

OK, how about a bit more radical.

1. The car's ground clearance must half its tyre width.
2. Tyres are the same width front and back.
3. Any type of engine is permitted, but it can only use a given ammount of energy per second.
4. It must pass an approved crash test.
5. It must have 4 wheels.
6. There must be no traction control or ABS.

Any comments?

[Valve Bounce]

We are all talking about a return to the good old days when overtaking is possible. All that has to be done is to limit the projected frontal area of the rear wings. This will ensure that the rear wings will act as wings and not as deflectors. This will slow the cars down considerably in corners, but who cares. That will be where the action is, after slipstreaming is once again possible along the straights. You can improve the cornering speeds somewhat by re-introducing slicks, but the smaller rear wing will result in slower cornering speeds which will appease Max no end. (Give a little, guys). I don't think we can return to manual gear shifts, as that is one helluva retrograde step without any obvious benefit. Pit stops will never be banned simply because that is where a lot of the action is, and because strategies do revolve around these stops. What useful purpose will result from banning them anyway? Banning Pit to car contact?? What will that achieve? Now, at least cars can be warned of impending danger, lapping cars, oil on the track, and what good will it serve to ban this? I suggest we keep it simple - focus on just one item which will liven up the races. Get those rear deflectors back to behaving like wings.

[angst]

The reason for banning pi-stops is two fold. Firstly it is an unnecessary danger that hes been added to the sport. Secondly it is a false action. Surely better to have stops for tyres where the pit crews work is all the more important, rather than "oh- it's a 7 sec stop so they must've put ???? amount of fuel in". Without the fuel stops you would then see real strategies being used in a race, instead of the 2/3 sprints separated by pit-stops. And cars handling characteristics would change dramatically throughout a race, the whole race would be far more entertaining as gaps opened and closed and different set-ups payed dividends at different parts of the race. Real GRAND PRIX racing.
And the reason for stopping pit to car communication is to plug the huge loopholes regarding changing the programmes on the car during a race. Much in the same way that the 6cm ground clearance rule was a complete farce, so the alleged programming controls currently used are completely ineffectual.

[Crash Test]

Let them have Nitrous...that way they don't have to hide it and "cheat"

[Liz]

Same as I always say - BRING BACK THE 1980S! Turbos, wide slicks, big fat ground-hugging cars - and BRING BACK THE GUYS FROM THE 1980S TOO. Out with these PR driven robot fashion plates and back with the likes of Prost, Lafitte, Rosberg, Gilles Villeneuve, Schecter, Mario, Petersen, et al.!

Put real men in real cars and get out of their way.

Oh, and sell Bernie to the next Ufo you see. Take whatever they offer.

[EERO]

Front engines, tall skinny tires, drivers sitting up high....


No No No, scratch that.

Whatever it takes, smaller wings, no diffusers, wider cars and fat slicks. I really think manual shifts, despite being retro add another element of SKILL to the game and if you muff a shift-it lets the following car(s) through yet keeps the ham-handed driver in the hunt. All in the name of on-track competition.

And I hate pit stops for refueling.

[angst]

The whole reason I asked the question is to show that, generally the same changes are being advocated by most people - with a few obvious differences. Generally slicks, smaller wings/reducing aerodynamic efficiency and increasing the importance of mechanical grip. So if WE can see these very basic, logical steps to improve racing what sort of idiots must they have at the FIA making the rules?
As far as slicks go, I think the FIA are going to have to review their policy on this anyway as both Bridgestone and Michelin have asked for clarification as to whether the tyres must finish their life with grooves or not. If they do have to then there are going to be alot of close calls on drivers being disqualified (which could become farcical), and if they don't then I think you'll find those grooves don't last very long into a race. So Max et al are going to have to find another way of reducing cornering speeds......

P.S - EERO I couldn't agree more about the pit-stops for refuelling. Can't stand it. Dangerous and false.

[angst]

Also the gear change - anything that differentiates the drivers skills can't be a bad thing can it? Ban carbon brakes to open up overtaking possibilities and ban carbon pushrods because of the risk they pose.