I hope some of the points i've made seem interesting and plausible.# Fixed amount of fuel to last the race.
- The precise amount can be dictated by calculating an approximate target efficiency, based on a reasonable expected gain over current F1 car efficiencies.
- Do not change the amount for varying length races: The best teams will be those that can get the most out of their car running at a range of efficiencies. Some races will be a test of power, others a test of preservation. Different teams may excel at different races, and those who find the best balance of speed and efficiency will win.
# Fixed difference in air distrubance.
- Quanitfy the disturbance of the air at a certain distance and within a certain cross-section behind the car (temp? turbulance? i'm not an aerodynamicist... but how about a grid of tell-tales behind the car, whose angles in the airflow most not exceed a certain value from the horizontal or vertical norm measured in front of the car).
- Set a maximum disturbance level that the car is not allowed to exceed, based on desired reductions from levels of current cars. Test that the car does not exceed this across a range of speeds in a controlled environment.
# Liberate remaining aspects of car design.
- Only tightly regulate those areas where safety is concerned, e.g. minimum floor-to-ground distance to prevent use of side-skirts, tyre manufacturers and dimensions.
- As speeds inevitably increse, simply reduce the amount of fuel available to the teams, forcing them to pursue more efficient, less speedy designs. No complicated rules specifying engine design or aerodynamic concepts, which are always open to creative interpretation.
- Alternatively, reduce the amount of allowed disturbance in the car's wake, reducing the effect of aerodynamics.
- Therefore, all other areas - engine spec, number of wheels, number of driven wheels, number of movable aerodynamic elements etc. etc. can be left open.
# If you wish to control costs.
- Have a market of materials and components suppliers who are registered with the governing body (but allow the registration process to be very open so there are plenty of suppliers in the market).
- Teams can only purchase from these suppliers, with transactions reported by the suppliers to the governing body.
- Limit updates to a schedule e.g. only every other race. If two very different circuits are next to each other in the calendar, teams will have to find an appropriate compromise.
- Teams cannot exceed a certain budget with these suppliers during the season, OR (trying something new here) teams set themselves a budget, and how much they spend adjusts how many points they earn. E.g: Standard budget level is £150m - Team chooses budget of £150m, wins race, 10pts. Team chooses budget of £200m, wins race, 8pts. Provide a fixed range of budget/point combination bundles. Therefore, the team that uses the least resources is rewarded more points for the win, again emphasising EFFICIENCY.
This is what i wrote in a reply to another thread:
"Frankly, i think F1 has peaked, and its formula is no longer viable when you have to introduce so many artificial limitations that weren't necessary previously. If the major teams can already make a car far faster than the driver can handle if the were the rules relaxed, then making a car within such obviously artificial restraints is a false challenge."
What i've written above is what i think would be necessary for F1 to revive - abandon the artificial restraints, and give the engineers a real challenge again. Provide the scope for genuine innovation, not just creative interpretation of the rulebook, and this time, apply constraints from a new perspective: Make the objective efficiency, and give F1 at least a tenuous connection to the real world.