What's the worst F1 idea the FIA has ever had?

[GilesGuthrie]

This was inspired by something Snoopie said in another thread.

Your challenge is to come up with the worst idea the FIA ever had in their time.

It has to be related to F1, and you should provide detail - especially if it's really out-there.

Obviously, the driver-swapping has to be in there, as does giving Alex Yoong a superlicense.

Any more for any more?

 

[slip2rock]

Cutting grooves into tyres of massively overpowered cars as a safety measure.....

 

[-Fred-]

worst F1 idea?

accepting Tony George's offer to race at Indy? this has to be the most boring track a Formula 1 car put a wheel on in the last 10 years.

giving a superlicense to anyone who's name figures on this website

 

[f1king]

Weight restriction.

 

[Pupik]

Limiting the paddocks to 12 F1 teams (1999). Um, why?

Raising the car heights to insert a plank of wood underneath it...(1994)

Putting grooves in the tires (1998). Somehow, even with my limited knowledge of physics, I can't imagine less grip making things safer.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by pupik
Limiting the paddocks to 12 F1 teams (1999). Um, why?

$$$! It's so that each team gets a guaranteed share of the revenues, long-term.

Originally posted by pupik
Raising the car heights to insert a plank of wood underneath it...(1994)

Agreed. That was pretty braindead.

Originally posted by pupik
Putting grooves in the tires (1998). Somehow, even with my limited knowledge of physics, I can't imagine less grip making things safer.

The thinking revolves around the fact that F1 drivers will find the grip limit and then drive to that grip. Less grip doesn't mean less accidents, but then neither does more grip mean less accidents. Less grip means that, by and large, the accidents happen at a slower speed. Of course, it does also mean that there's less grip to scrub off speed, but there you go...

 

[vat_man]

Continuing to race at Hungary - yeah, we need yet ANOTHER track you can't pass at.

The reintroduction of refueling in '94 - after years of complaining about the lack of passing, let's take what little passing there is off the track.

The reintroduction of traction control - great, we can't be bothered policing it, so let's give up - and eliminate further opportunities for passing.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by vat_man
The reintroduction of traction control - great, we can't be bothered policing it, so let's give up - and eliminate further opportunities for passing.

I'd like to see a total ban on all forms of assistance in the gearbox, engine and diff. I think that if you banned the use of hydraulics or other motors in the gearbox and diff (yes, I know that means banning semi-auto boxes), and that if you enforced a cable link between accelerator and throttle, you would at a stroke change the show, even with allowing traction control. I used to love the old days where drivers could actually miss gears.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie


I'd like to see a total ban on all forms of assistance in the gearbox, engine and diff. I think that if you banned the use of hydraulics or other motors in the gearbox and diff (yes, I know that means banning semi-auto boxes), and that if you enforced a cable link between accelerator and throttle, you would at a stroke change the show, even with allowing traction control. I used to love the old days where drivers could actually miss gears.

I absolutely, totally, unconditionally agree.

 

[alex_gt]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie


I'd like to see a total ban on all forms of assistance in the gearbox, engine and diff. I think that if you banned the use of hydraulics or other motors in the gearbox and diff (yes, I know that means banning semi-auto boxes), and that if you enforced a cable link between accelerator and throttle, you would at a stroke change the show, even with allowing traction control. I used to love the old days where drivers could actually miss gears.

Well said, forward that one to Max Mosleys mailbox :teleport:

I like the idea of driver swapping just to show that MS isn't all he seems away from his precious :ferrari: though it will never happen and truely is unrealistic?

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by alexy2k


Well said, forward that one to Max Mosleys mailbox :teleport:

I like the idea of driver swapping just to show that MS isn't all he seems away from his precious :ferrari: though it will never happen and truely is unrealistic?

It's a nice idea in theory, but there are so many reasons why it couldn't happen. Each time I think about it, more pop into my head!

 

[Pupik]

I know this is old, but I saw an old article that stated a 10-cylinder restriction of F1 engines, as mandated by the F1 back in '98.

That is just...dumb, for lack of a better word.