04/26/24
March 26, 2006
Is Max Mosley creating unrest in formula one?: The FIA president is making redical changes in F1 in the next two years. Are they the right changes? ----By Mark Gero
By the time 2008 comes around, the world body of formula one, the FIA, has proposed radical changes to the way the sport is set up. Mainly their idea is to cut costs so smaller and more likely, independent formula one teams, can join. But what the FIA is proposing have in times now, been falling on deaf ears. Last year, the organization tried three different items: Qualifying on two laps (one by warm up, the other by flying lap) the other by having the same rubber on the car all race weekend. The exception to the latter is if a driver or drivers have the thread too warn out, then it is allowed to be changed. The third and most devastating rule change is that the engines have to last two race weekends. If this is not achieved, then the driver has to be penalized ten grid positions. The idea had too many problems by the time the opening flag fell in March. The engines for one were too sensitive and a lot blew during the Friday practices, which made many racers get a grid position of tenth instead of their best time, which in the case of Kimi Raikkonen, was very devastating. Raikkonen also felt the effect of the tire rule at the Nurburgring, where the Finn flat spotted a tire and eventually the bad tire led to a suspension malfunction, which in turn, spun the McLaren driver into the barriers, and robbed him of a win. If he would have had to come in for a change, it could have lost him the race, but he was so far out in front, it could have been at least, some point’s finishes at the worse. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher also suffered by the tire rule. Their supplier, Bridgestone, could not compete with their rivals, Michelin, who had devised tires which were more in demand to the new rules. Even if Raikkonen shredded this kind of compound, the fact was at least it had a better design. Many could argue that only the high speed turn 13 at Indianapolis caused the French manufacture to withdraw from the race because the replacements could not be shipped in time. Overall, it was a lot of problems. The FIA changes some rules and permitted tire changes this year, and qualifying is now a shootout of the best drivers that can continue to run laps to get a second chance to improve their times on the grid. Considering that the tire problems are now secured, the problems with the qualifying are now being tweaked out, with more improvements to come. But the engines have also changed. Not by the rules, but by the styles. A 2.4 liter V-8 engine is now the normal function, and not withstanding, the V-10 downgraded Toro Rosso engine is the only change of the bunch. But what has been seen over the last two races could cause many drivers to be relegated to ten places again on the grid. The V-8 engine should have had more time to experiment with, and many feel that it came in too early without having a chance to be tested well enough to accommodate to the new regulations. Now, the FIA wants engine regs for 2008 to be frozen and decided by June of this year to include one kind of engine to be used from the start of that season. Also new teams must be pre entered by the same month, if they wish to want to send a participant in the world championship in two years time. Is Max Mosley going too quickly with these items? Must he look at safety more than he is looking for jobs and additional cutbacks? It must be pointed out that for the first time in ten years, the sport of formula one could be making very radical changes. The possible breakaway series the G.P.M.A. ( Grand Prix manu-factures Association) which includes Renault, BMW, and Mercedes, are the only hope that could change some of these rules to make things a lot more safer and more logical, without taking some of the fun out of the sport. Currently, Formula One Associating President Bernie Ecclestone hints that there could be an agreement soon between this G.P.M.A. and Mosley. But the FIA president continues to make more rule changes that upset a lot of teams. And if this keeps going, then only he can be blamed if there is still problems to be attended to.
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