Future of Formula One
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Fans and those involved in the sport seem to spend as much time talking about the future of Formula One as they do talking about the present. There is always uncertainty about the future of the sport, and disagreements about the direction in which Formula One should progress.
Formula One went through a tough time in the early 2000s. Viewing figures dropped, and many fans simply switched off. This was largely attributed to Ferrari's dominance of the 2002 season, and 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 struggle 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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The thinking behind rule changes
There are three key areas which determine changes to the rules of Formula One: increased safety, lower costs and increased excitement for the spectator.
Safety
Since the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, safety has been the most important motive for rule changes. The FIA see cutting 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.
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 to be in an even worse position than before.
Excitement
Many would also like to see drivers demonstrate more skill on the track. Some believe that it would be silly to have road cars which are more technically advanced than Formula One cars. However, most now agree that getting rid of electronic driver aids would 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.
Technical regulations
Over the coming years, radical changes will be made to the rules.
Changes for 2005
The FIA decided on the following rule changes, effective at the start of the 2005 season:
- Each driver will be allowed just two sets of tyres per weekend - and just one set of tyres to last them for qualifying and the race.
- Engines must last for two race weekends.
- Changing tyres during pitstops will be banned, unless a tyre is damaged.
- Simultaneously refueling and changing tyres will be banned.
- The front wing will be raised by 50 millimetres to reduce downforce.
- The rear wing will be moved forward by 100 millimetres to reduce downforce.
- Rear diffusers will be reduced in size.
- There will be increased bodywork restrictions around the rear wheels.
There is also an unofficial agreement between the teams to restrict testing to 30 days per season. However, Ferrari ignore this agreement.
Since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, when the Renault F1 team experienced excessive tyre wear, and especially since the 2005 European Grand Prix when a badly worn tyre caused Kimi Räikkönen's suspension to break at high speed, there have been calls to scrap the rule banning tyre changes. It is argued by many that making tyres last a full race distance is causing tyres to end up at dangerously worn levels.
Changes for 2006
The FIA has decided on the following rule changes, effective at the start of the 2006 season:
- Engines will be 2.4 litre V8 engines, compared with the current 3.0 litre V10s (smaller teams would be allowed to use V10 engines, but other engine restrictions would be placed upon them).
Qualifying
There is always talk about changing the format of Qualifying. The 'one lap' format (whereby each driver has one lap on an empty track to set his qualifying time) is now seen as boring. However, the bosses of smaller teams want to be guaranteed television exposure for their sponsors.
Various formats have been proposed. Short 'sprint' races to be held on Saturday have been suggested, but these were rejected on the grounds of cost and safety. Reverting to a system similar to the traditional format of twelve laps per car, with cars going out at the same time, have also been suggested. However, this wouldn't guarantee the television exposure that smaller teams want.
For 2005, a revised version of the one lap format was used for the first six races. The first session took place on Saturday afternoon as it has done previously. A second session then took place on Sunday morning with cars carrying race fuel-loads, as they had done previously. The aggregate times of the two sessions were used to determine grid positions. However, this turned out to be unpopular with teams, fans and broadcasters who refused to give away so much of their Sunday schedules to Formula 1. Since the 2005 European Grand Prix, qualifying has been a single lap on Saturday carring race fuel-loads.
Future proposals
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.
- The introduction of standard electronic units (facilitating the scrapping of driver aids such as Traction Control).
- The return to a single tyre manufacturer.
- 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.
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 (ie. 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 use of a standardised tyre.
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 owning their own private test circuits, are very much opposed to reductions in testing. The teams' agreement is significant due to the fact that Sauber have signed it. Sauber usually go along with Ferrari in these situations, as Ferrari supply Sauber with engines, gearboxes and other technical assistance.
Unanimous agreement is required for these proposals to go ahead. Effectively, the nine non-Ferrari teams placed the future of the Grands Prix of France and Britain in Ferrari's hands. In the end, a separate agreement was reached to allow those Grands Prix to go ahead.
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. Firstly, by including numerous famous landmarks it makes the courses more visually stimulating. Secondly, 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.
Grands Prix
Bernie Ecclestone is keen to move Formula One into new markets to improve the sport's worldwide appeal. This means getting rid of races from Europe - especially as many European countries now adopt anti-tobacco advertising policies. Possible venues for future grands prix include:
- Mexico (the first Mexican Grand Prix at the new circuit will be in 2006)
- Turkey (the first Turkish Grand Prix will be held in 2005)
- Russia
- India
The future for many traditional grands prix is on the line. In the past, the British, San Marino, French and Canadian 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.
Propsed new teams
Two new teams are expected to join the grid in the coming seasons.
Midland F1
Midland F1 intends to run the first Russian driver in F1 history. The team is owned by the Midland Group. In 2005, Midland bought Jordan Grand Prix. The move was in order to avoid paying the large deposit required to enter Formula One, and Midland apparently still want to build their team from scratch. The team will continue to be known as Jordan in 2005, but the team will change name to Midland for 2006.
Team Dubai
Team Dubai were originally rumoured to be interested in buying Jordan Grand Prix, but they have now decided to set up their own team, with hopes of gaining technical assistance from McLaren and engines from Mercedes.
Breakaway groups
GPWC Holdings is a group of major car manufacturers involved in Formula One who are unhappy with current commercial arrangements in the sport. They are threatening to form a rival championship called Grand Prix World Championship from 2008 (teams are bound by the Concorde Agreement until the end of 2007).
GPWC Holdings is made up of:
- DaimlerChrysler / Mercedes (Team McLaren)
- BMW (WilliamsF1)
- Renault (Renault Sport)
- Honda (British American Racing)
- Toyota (Toyota F1)
Ford was also involved, but has now pulled out of GPWC as it has pulled out of Formula One (although Ford will continue to have input).
Fiat (Scuderia Ferrari) was also originally involved, but have now decided instead to sign an extension of the Concorde Agreement. This widens the perceived gap between Ferrari and the other Formula One teams, following Ferrari's refusal to sign an agreement to cut back on testing. However, Midland F1 appear to be lukewarm towards the idea of GPWC, and Red Bull Racing have forged strong links with Ferrari.
See also
- List of Formula One Grands Prix for complete Formula One results and season reviews
