Another bright idea by Bernie - artificially wet races

[gridwalker]

So, after proposing medals and shortcuts, I guess this was inevitable :

Bernie Ecclestone would like to see trackside sprinklers at Formula One circuits to artificially create the excitement of a wet circuit midway through grands prix.

The F1 CEO, who also sticks by his medal proposal, said it would be a sure-fire way to increase overtaking.

"Look at the races we have now," Ecclestone told Formula1.com. "Overtaking is almost impossible because in the dry there is only one line good for maximum speed because of the rubber on the track. You have a completely different picture when it is wet. We always had the most exciting races in the wet so let's think of making rain…

"There are race tracks that you can make artificially wet and it would be easy to have such systems at a number of tracks. Why not let it 'rain' in the middle of a race? For 20 minutes or the last ten laps? Maybe with a two-minute warning ahead of it. Suspense would be guaranteed and it would be the same for all."

This idea has been floated a few times, but I think this is the first time that Bernie has championed it openly in the press.

Personally, I think that the idea is retarded. Sure, I think wet races are more fun, but that is a matter of natural circumstances and force majeure : the moment you are able to predict the unpredictable, the entertainment value is significantly diminished.

If predicting rain was just a matter of waiting for someone to turn on a tap (with a 2 minute warning, no less) everyone's strategy would be mapped out and a lot of the unpredictability will be lost.

This is a fad too far IMHO and I think the senile old bugger should stop messing with the format before it turns into the motorsport equivalent of WWE.

Full article : http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/42110.html

[Pandamasque]

First of all I demand royalties.

Secondly that's no more artificial than the active rear wing rule of the 2011. If any of the purists are going to complain, it's too late. It's a circus.

[Just_a_fan]

Whilst I have, tongue in cheek, advocated just this over the years, the thought of teams / fans moaning about favoritism (because a certain driver benefitted from being at the right place on the track when the sprinklers were turned on) is quite scary.

If you're going to do it, make the track wet at the start of the race so everyone gets the same treatment. Then we'd have the whole "when to go to slicks" intrigue that we have now.

[Goran2812]

Bernie go home and lock yourself in the basement... -.-
That old fart is really starting to loose it.. XD

[Pandamasque]

I all seriousness, I think it's one of those times when Bernie says something silly on purpose to sit back and enjoy the reaction. In fact, he's an old troll.

[ringo]

Sounds feasible but it needs to be random.
I would suggest a wheel of fortune style selection process.
Spin the wheel which then determines when the rain falls.
It takes any bias from the race directors who have the responsibility for turning on the showers.

This sprinkler idea is pretty wacky, but it can work.
We have to think outside the box sometimes.

My positioned bias KERS idea is more natural though. And I still think it's the most fitting way to spice up the race without the sport looking like a circus.

[N12ck]

but this is too artificial, essentially it is deciding the outcome of a race, adjustable rear wings do not,
here is a scenario:
say alonso is in the lead its the last race but webber could win the championship if he gets ahead of alonso, the sprinklers come on and webber goes and wins because of the artificial sprinklers.....
thats not racing thats someone with a magic button deciding a race

[andrew]

Good idea but it could look too artificial. MrE's ideas are generally good. Whilst the short cuts was daft, the medal system and this make a good deal of sense.

[xpensive]

However said with tounge in cheek by the old f**t, it highlights the next to desperate need for F1 to improve the spectacle, unless the viewers soon will be counted within F1T's distinguished members. With the media competition of today's, F1 is in serious trouble. When I was young and handsome, which is a few years ago, everybody I knew watched the Sunday race. Not anymore.

MrE speaks from a certain amount of xperience here, as a team-owner for almost twenty years he knows that rain is indeed "the great equalizer", emphasizing driver's skills and courage. Except in case of Alain Prost perhaps.

[N12ck]

but i think there needs to be something else, i think its down to the breaking zones sir jackie stewart said because of the amount of downforce and the efficiency of the brakes the breaking zones have gone from 200m to 50m so thats less space to overtake, i thought last season was exciting enough and they have already took steps to improve overtaking with KERS and ARW so i think after 2011 there will be no more need for any more ideas to improve overtaking

[astracrazy]

what a load of crap

why can't he just accept that
a) the new circuits are crap
b) as jackie said, the breaking zones are so small now it makes it harder

[thestig84]

Fail for me. It can never work as it is not just the wet track that makes wet races exciting.

It is the reading of the weather that makes it interesting. China is a good example with Button and co staying out on slicks by reading the conditions and reacting well to the further rain later with help from team and looking up at the sky. None of this would happen in an instantly wet sprinkler system.

In my opinion soaking a track wont help. A full wet race can be as boring as a dry race. For me its all the uncertainty and decision making nature provides!

[gridwalker]

+1 TheStig84

Sprinklers are just another quick fix for a bigger problem ...

The problem with quick fixes is that they rarely work, so another quick fix is applied to rectify the flaws with the first, rinse, wash and repeat.

Eventually the cumulative flaws of all of the quick fixes becomes a bigger problem than the original issue (having wasted huge amounts of money in the process).

IMHO, F1 has been through too many quick fixes since the first wave of electronic driver aids were banned at the end of the 1993 season : everything since then has been a knee jerk reaction, to the detriment of the sport, the teams and the fans (though not for Bernie's bank balance).

[manchild]

Nah, for the real fun, they should sprinkle oil in the braking zones, drop pins at high speed corners, show green instead yellow flag, and allow spectators to have picnics in the excursion zone.

"More fun"

No wonder he still counts on Bahrain GP. How about giving each pitwall crew an AK47 to shoot opponent tyres?

"More fun"

Perhaps it would be fun to have podium celebration with Molotov cocktails instead non-alcoholic soda thrown at the team members?

"More fun"

Bernie has really lost it. For all the measures to make F1 safe over decades, he now invents counter-measures. It all started with movable front wing, now we have movable rear wing.

Mark my words, that will end up with tragedy in this season. Just wait till someone's rear wing stays jammed in horizontal position while he enters high speed corner without being aware of it.

[ESPImperium]

I think that Bernie has pointed out a quick fix, but all im gonna say is this;

We have sheduled night races now, why not a sheduled wet race???

But for me what happens in the wet is that the cars become overpowered to the aero they have, so what is needed is that cars become overpowered again for the downforce they generate.

I said it with the 2009 regs, the front wing from 2008 should have been carried over into the 2010 Formula, but with a few tweaks. The first thing id do is standardise the centre section of the diffuser, and then make KERS and the DRS/ARW rules diffrent, the DRS/ARW should only be used 10 times every race, and for 10 seconds a lap in Quali. As for KERS, id keep the boost to 80HP per activation, and homoginise the batteries each power train manufacturer has till 2013, but allow the ammount of KERS time to 10 Seconds a lap. Id also like to see the front wing being adjustable again, as of 2011 its banned, the teams used that as a good honing tool for the tires.

F1 needs to be re thought out and totally re branded, and left well alone for 3 years. If there is a loophole found, leave it till the end of the season, then close it. Dont re adjust the rules to compensate.

What is needed is a complete rehasing of the rules, even take them back a generation to advance if needed.