Ferrari Mailing List: Re. F1

[Rick Lindsay (richardolindsay]

I agree with most everything posted. And I offer a few thoughts.

1. Double points is stupid. It effectively negates the results of a number of earlier races, at tracks with historical significance. It also enters a randomizing element into the championships. AND given that the stewards can take points away, impose grid penalties and impose drive-throughs/stop-n-goes, the 'show' can be stage managed just the way Bernie wants it: Championships decided on the last lap of the last race.

2. In-season testing ban is stupid.

3. Frozen engine development is stupid.

4. Penalties for racing incidents are stupid.

5. Claims of environmentally conscious racing are just greenwashing.

6. Rev-limits are stupid.

7. Banned movable aerodynamics, except for the double standard of where they are not banned, is stupid.

8. Banned traction control is stupid.

9. Banned anti-lock brakes is stupid.

10. Banned anti-dive hydraulics is stupid.

11. Banned continuous ratio gearboxes is stupid.

12. Banned launch control is stupid.

13. Regulated fuel burn rates and capacity limits are especially stupid since this is a self regulating issue. You want to burn more fuel? You have to carry more fuel (weight).

14. Brake by wire is stupid. What's next? Steer by wire? Soon we won't even need the precious little pretty-boy drivers at all!

What they have done is remove all the driver aids that we enjoy on our daily drivers and religated the high-tech gadgets to controlling the cars to converge them toward mediocrity. That was tried in the '80s with other sports; Lets give every player a trophy, independent of performance. What we got in exchange is the plethora entitled millennials that we now have to endure.

Yes, I'm disillusioned with the so-called sport. Its just turned into a spec series. And yes, I know its an entertainment industry, like all professional sport. And I would be just as disillusioned if Kimi and Fred were dueling at the sharp end.

I still watch all qualifying and all races and sometimes FP2 (since that's all we get), but I now watch only on DVR so I can actively avoid the sponsors. DirecTV's jump-ahead-15-seconds button is genius. I just hit that button until I see cars going round and round again.

Finally, some argue that with all the high-technology driver aids allowed, the series would turn into a parade with the top performers at the front. That may be BUT, shouldn't the top performers be at the front, instead of regulated so that everyone gets a trophy?!

My rant concludes.

-rick