Future of Formula One
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The future of Formula One is a much-speculated area of interest in the world of motor sport. There is always uncertainty about the future of the sport, and disagreements about the direction in which Formula One should progress both in the general public and within the governing body itself.
Formula One went through a difficult time in the early 2000s. Television ratings dropped, and many fans simply switched off. This was largely attributed to Ferrari's dominance from 2000 to 2004, a period in which Michael Schumacher won the World Championship for five years in a row. The massive commercial interests of car companies and team sponsors are also at odds with the demand for an exciting spectator sport as the drivers are encouraged to reduce risk to satisfy the funders. Other factors include the use of driver aids supposedly taking the skill away from the driver and putting it in the hands of the mechanics. Furthermore, many of the smaller teams such as Minardi and Jordan found themselves subject to takeovers as they struggled to keep up with the high cost of the sport. For this reason many rule changes have been proposed for the future.
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[edit] The thinking behind rule changes
There are several key areas that determine changes to the rules of Formula One.
[edit] Safety
Following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, safety has been an important motive for rule changes. The FIA see limiting speeds as essential, and it is now common for there to be a radical overhaul of the rules every few years in an attempt to cut speeds. However, designers and engineers always manage to get speeds back up eventually.
[edit] Cost-cutting
The announcement at the end of the 2004 season that Ford (former owner of Jaguar Racing) would pull out of Formula One is seen as evidence of the need to cut the cost of running a Formula One team. However, many believe that, rather than reducing costs, rule changes may actually lead to an increase in costs, as the bigger teams pour huge amounts of money into research in order to get the most out of the new regulations. This leads the smaller teams being in an even worse position than before. Cutting the costs of the bigger teams is essentially a pointless task that could only be achieved by restricting the supply of funds. The real aim in many respects is to ensure that smaller teams can compete so as to ensure a full grid of teams. Allowing customer chassis (as will be the case from 2008) may achieve this but the effective result may actually be fewer teams with each team fielding four drivers.
[edit] Excitement for Fans
Many would also like to see drivers demonstrate more skill on the track. Some believe that it would be silly to have road cars that are more technically advanced than Formula One cars. However, most now agree that getting rid of electronic driver aids would be a good way to increase the excitement of Formula One. The format of the sport is also a hot topic, and there is always talk of changing the format of qualifying. Another area that is often discussed is the balance between ease of overtaking and the level of strategy that is required with many people arguing that the balance in recent years has been too much toward strategy.
[edit] Relevance to the Motor Industry
Recently, the focus of changes is moving towards making the research and development that goes into Formula One more relevant to the motor industry in general.[1] This is in response to the increased involvement of major car manufacturers in place of tobacco sponsored independent teams. Through the GPMA, the car manufacturers have been able to put pressure on the FIA to force the direction of changes to the sport.
[edit] Environment
Concern for the sport's image may also see changes to address the sport's environmentally unfriendly image. Use of technologies such as bio-fuel and regenerative braking would also allow the sport to maintain its reputation for being a high-technology sport that takes a leading role with respect to research.
[edit] Technical regulations
The desire to increase safety, improve the racing spectacle and reduce costs to help smaller teams mean that changes to the technical regulations are regularly proposed and implemented by the FIA. Unfortunately, there are often trade-offs to be made: for example reducing wings would make overtaking easier and potentially improve the racing but the wings provide a lot of space for sponsors to display their logos. Along these lines, one recent FIA proposal was to have a split rear wing.[2]
[edit] Qualifying
In recent years there have been a number of changes to qualifying, often designed to create a more mixed-up grid to make the race more exciting. The traditional format of a one hour qualifying session with each driver allowed twelve laps was exciting but suffered from the fact that the track was often empty for the first half of the session. The 'one lap' format (whereby each driver had one lap on an empty track to set his qualifying time with no refueling allowed between qualifying and the race) was criticized by both teams and broadcasters for being boring. However, the bosses of smaller teams liked the guaranteed television exposure for their sponsors. A revised format for 2005 using aggregate times from two qualifying sessions was also unpopular with teams, fans and broadcasters due to fans refusing to give away so much of their time on the weekend to Formula 1. The system of two sessions was abandoned mid-season at the 2005 European Grand Prix.
The current 'knock-out' system, which was first used for the 2006 season, sees a partial return to the traditional format but with six cars eliminated after each of two initial sessions leaving 10 cars to fight for pole in a final 10-minute shootout (as of 2008).[3]This system has generally been well received but there are a number of criticisms that may result in minor adjustments being made to the system.
- The system is overly complex, especially with the rules and tactics being essentially different for the final session.
- As lap times can not be carried forward from one session to another, the battle for pole occurs in the last minutes instead of being throughout the full session. It also makes it harder to see which drivers are at risk of elimination in the second session because the list shown by the television coverage typically consists of fast drivers that have yet to set a lap.
[edit] Politics
Often, politics takes precedent ahead of sport in Formula One. For many years teams have threatened to set up a breakaway series, known as Grand Prix World Championship (GPWC). In the immediate aftermath of the 2005 United States Grand Prix there appeared to be an almost irreconcilable split between teams and the FIA. Ferrari in particular appeared to be politically isolated, partly due to perceived close links with the FIA. There were many calls, particularly from Minardi boss Paul Stoddart, for FIA President Max Mosley to resign.
Ferrari became the first team to sign an extension of the Concorde Agreement to race in Formula One after 2007. Ferrari and the FIA had come up with proposed regulations for 2008 onwards. Meanwhile the other teams were threatening to set up GPWC in 2008. However, fledgling teams Red Bull Racing and Force India F1 (formerlyMidland F1 who were still known as Jordan Grand Prix at the time) joined with Ferrari by signing the Concorde Agreement soon afterwards.
Drivers, in the form of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association also had a run-in with the FIA. There was said to have been a split between Michael Schumacher and the rest of the GPDA. A meeting about safety between drivers and Max Mosley was called off after comments that David Coulthard allegedly made.
More recently the 2005 United States Grand Prix has been seen as a wake-up call for all sides, and there has apparently been increasing consensus between teams. There has been little mention of GPWC, with the manufacturers beginning to use more moderate language and referring to themselves as the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (GPMA). There is said to be a lot of common ground between the FIA's proposed regulations and the teams' proposals [1]. The meeting between the drivers and Max Mosley also went ahead and was said to be useful.
[edit] Future proposals
[edit] FIA proposals
Max Mosley, the head of the FIA has come up with ideas for reducing the cost, danger and technicality of the sport. New regulations and rules proposed for the future include:
- Reductions in testing time
- Standard parts such as brake discs
Team bosses and FIA President Max Mosley met in Monaco on May 4, 2004 to discuss the proposed changes; the bosses unanimously approved the plan, effective in 2008.
[edit] Teams' proposals
On the weekend of the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, team bosses met to discuss the future of Formula One. Nine out of the ten team bosses (that is all of them, except that of Scuderia Ferrari) agreed to take part in an eighteenth and nineteenth race (i.e. the French Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix) if cost-cutting measures were introduced. Normally, the teams would need to be compensated in order to compete in more than seventeen races per season. The teams called for:
- A reduction in testing to just ten days per season
- The elimination of tyre testing
The teams' plea for a reduction in testing to just ten days per season is significant as Ferrari, who have an advantage over other teams due to their owning their own private test circuits, are very much opposed to reductions in testing.
[edit] Fans' proposals
During the 2005 Formula One season the FIA, in partnership with AMD and F1 Racing, launched a survey on the internet in a bid to find out what the fans wanted from Formula One. The response was so huge that many fans had trouble submitting their views because the website had "collapsed under the sheer weight of users" [2].
The results of the survey showed that a massive 94% of fans would like to see more overtaking in Formula One, and only 15% thought that the sport "incorporate[d] the right balance of technology and driver skill."
To address the fans' concerns, the FIA adopted AMD as its "official technology partner" [3]. AMD will supply the FIA with a powerful computer that "could run a number of programs which would be equivalent to crews testing with two F1 cars" [4]. This will help the FIA to draw up new aerodynamic regulations for 2008, in the hope of producing closer racing.
[edit] Circuit design
It has been suggested that more Grands Prix could be run on street circuits. In the week of the 2004 British Grand Prix, a Formula One demonstration was held on a short street circuit in central London. A proposed circuit for a London Grand Prix was published, with the starting grid on The Mall facing Buckingham Palace and a complex corner at Hyde Park Corner. Such a move would have two major effects. First, by including numerous famous landmarks it makes the courses more visually stimulating. Second, it would broaden the range of skills demanded of Formula One drivers, shaking the domination of drivers who have perfected the art of track driving.
Safety, of drivers and of historic landmarks on the circuits, remains a tricky issue. Therefore, circuits like those designed by Hermann Tilke, such as Shanghai International Circuit, remain in favour. Tilke's designs are said to encourage overtaking, due to their characteristic long straights followed by tight corners. The brand new Istanbul Racing Circuit, designed by Tilke, proved popular amongst drivers and spectators alike, and has already been compared to the great circuits. The circuit's Turn 8 (an incredible long, fast corner which has four apexes) in particular has been compared to other great corners such as Eau Rouge.[citation needed]
[edit] Grands Prix
Bernie Ecclestone is keen to move Formula One into new markets to improve the sport's worldwide appeal. Possible venues for future grands prix include:
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In order to make room for such new races, either the number of races needs to be increased or existing races in Europe need to be removed. In the 2008 regulations the maximum number of races per year has been lifted from 17 to 20.[24] The future for many traditional grands prix is still on the line, however. The first victim of this expansion of the calendar was the Austrian Grand Prix, last held in 2003. From 2007, the German will be held at alternating venues and San Marino races will be lost. The threat remains with several teams having expressed their preference for a shorter calendar[25]. In the recent past, the British, San Marino, French, Canadian, Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix have been placed under threat as attractive circuits in lucrative markets vie for a place in the Formula One calendar. This problem is accentuated by the fact that constructors need to be compensated to race in more than seventeen grands prix in one season. On February 3, 2007, Bernie Ecclestone announced a race in Abu Dhabi from 2009 [26]. Although Indianapolis is listed above, it is a returning event but the circuit map had partially changed. Reportedly, the speedway is likely to return. [27]
[edit] Contracted Races
The following Grands Prix have been confirmed for the following dates.
| Official Race Title | Grand Prix | Circuit | City / Location | Contracted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australian Grand Prix |
Australian GP | Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit | Melbourne | 2009–2010 .[4] |
 Singapore Grand Prix |
Singapore GP | Singapore Street Circuit | Singapore City | 2009–2012 .[5] |
 European Grand Prix |
European GP | Valencia Street Circuit | Valencia | 2009–2014 .[6] |
 Bahrain Grand Prix |
Bahrain GP | Bahrain International Circuit | Sakhir, Manama | 2009–2015 .[7] |
 Spanish Grand Prix |
Spanish GP | Circuit de Catalunya | Barcelona | 2009–2016 .[8] |
 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Abu Dhabi GP | Yas Island | Abu Dhabi | 2009–2015 .[9] |
 Indian Grand Prix |
Indian GP | Delhi | 2009 .[10] | |
 Korean Grand Prix |
Korean GP | Korean International Circuit | South Cholla | 2010–2021 .[11] |
.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small} Belgian Grand Prix |
Belgian GP | Spa-Francorchamps | Spa | 2009–2012 .[12] |
| Season | Contracted Races | Season | Contracted Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 16 | 2016 | 2 |
| 2010 | 15 | 2017 | 1 |
| 2011 | 13 | 2018 | 1 |
| 2012 | 7 | 2019 | 1 |
| 2013 | 5 | 2020 | 1 |
| 2014 | 5 | 2021 | 1 |
| 2015 | 5 | 2022 | 0 |
[edit] Constructors
Hyundai has indicated that it is interested in entering Formula One. [28]. There have also been rumours surrounding Nissan. However, as Nissan's sister marque Renault currently operate their own F1 team, it's unlikely to happen. [29]
Current agreements limit the number of teams to 12 so prospective new teams are largely limited to buying an existing team. The FIA allowed teams to apply for entry to the 2008 season in the final week of March 2006. There were 22 entries including all the current 11 (2006) teams. All the existing teams retained their places and Prodrive, a motorsport group run by Dave Richards, was announced as the 12th and final team for 2008 on 28 April 2006. Upon Richards' purchase of Aston Martin from Ford, Richards may brand the new Prodrive team Aston Martin Racing (or similar). It has been rumoured that if Prodrive enters that they would use one-year-old McLaren cars with Mercedes engines.[30][31] Uncertainty remains over the form the Prodrive team will take. They were hoping to buy a chassis from an existing team but that depends on changes to regulations. So the Prodrive entry may yet be sold on but Dave Richards would almost certainly try to ensure a role for his company in the new team. [32][33] It was later confirmed that Prodrive would not be competing in 2008, however it remains unclear whether they will ever emerge as an F1 team.
Following are some of the other (rumoured) entries:
[edit] BCN Competicion
Backed by Enrique Scalabroni
[edit] Carlin Motorsport
Backed by Trevor Carlin
[edit] Direxiv
Direxiv is a Japanese investment company which was in "advanced negotiations" to set up a McLaren 'B' team for the 2007 Formula One season. Direxiv would use year-old McLaren chassis and customer Mercedes engines. Direxiv is already involved in the GP2 Series. [34] [35]
According to former McLaren test-driver Alexander Wurz, he doesn't see the potential team competing for at least 2 years from that time, which would be the 2008 season. [36] Wurz subsequently left McLaren a race drive for Williams for 2007.
Although highly developed and considered a serious possibility, this bid lost out to David Richards' Prodrive outfit in the bid to launch F1's '12th team' (something which Richards now seems unable to achieve, following him pulling out of the 2008 world championship the previous year).
[edit] Team Eddie Irvine
Having spent a considerable amount of time around grands prix during the 2006 season, former F1 driver Eddie Irvine is said to be considering a return to the sport. Initially, Irvine and his Russian financial backer Rustam Tariko placed interest in the purchase of either the Jordan or Minardi teams. However, with the Midland Group and Red Bull Racing having completed their respective purchases of these teams, Irvine is said to be exploring the possibility of creating a brand new team. [37]
[edit] Racing Engineering
Backed by Alfonso Orlean-Borbon. This bid now seems to have been abandoned due to it being underdeveloped in order to be competitive in F1.
[edit] Team Schumacher Audi/Volkswagen F1
Strong rumors appeared during 2006 that Michael Schumacher may be working with Ross Brawn to either develop his own F1 team or possible take over another F1 team, which was believed to be Renault (if they decide to leave) with the engines badged either as Volkswagen or Audi. [38]. Speculation on this decreased considerably during 2007 and early 2008 for two reasons. Firstly, Renault announced that they were to remain in Formula One, assisted by major new title sponsor ING. Also, Ross Brawn joined Honda in January 2008 as team principal, meaning that he is unlikely to leave in order to establish another team.
[edit] European Minardi F1 Team Limited
Paul Stoddart who formerly owned Minardi and sold the team to Red Bull in 2005, lodged an entry application for the 2008 Formula One Season FIA Formula One World Championship.[39]. The place was ultimately awarded to David Richards' 'Prodrive' organisation, who, unfortunately for the rival bidders, was unable to compete in 2008 because of an appeal by Williams and Spyker F1 (now Force India).
[edit] See also
- List of Formula One Grands Prix for complete Formula One results and season reviews
- 2008 Formula One season
- 2009 Formula One season
[edit] References
- ^ "Future Rules Proposed in Monaco", UpdateF1.com, 2006-12-09. Retrieved on 2006-12-11.
- ^ Bloomberg.com news UK "F-1 Plans to Reshape Cars, Have Knockout Qualifying". Retrieved on 23 March 2007.
- ^ News on crash.net Retrieved on 23 March 2007
- ^ Melbourne. F1 (2007-06-18). Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ Singapore City. F1 (2007-05-27). Retrieved on 2007-05-27.
- ^ Valencia. Update F1 (2007-06-03). Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
- ^ Manama. www.grandprix.com (2007-06-18). Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ Barcelona. F1 (2007-06-18). Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
- ^ Abu Dhabi GP to be held in October 2009. F1-live.com (2008-04-12). Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Delhi. planet-f1 (2007-06-14). Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
- ^ South Cholla. www.grandprix.com (2006-10-02). Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ Spa extends Grand Prix contract to 2012. www.grandprix.com (2006-06-06). Retrieved on 2006-06-07.
