richard_leeds wrote:machin wrote:richard_leeds wrote: We want more pit stops, not less??
If we can sort out the formulae and improve overtaking (see other threads!) then we want LESS pitstops... have all the overtaking on the track and stop carting round hundreds of tyres to each grand prix.....
For me, the strategic and technical part of F1 is very important. No pit stops would mean no strategy once the lights go green. The entertainment value of a puit stop would also be greatly missed.
Put it another way, 20 cars doing 2 stops each results in 40 opportunities for breaking the procession. It also mixes the pack so we get faster cars mixed with slower cars.
You also allow for an ultra conservative stratrgy eliminating 'real' and 'meaningful' passes for position. All overtaking is done through the pits. You give the opportunity to basically turn the race into a time trial.
Everyone seems to be hung up on overtaking though, yes it's a problem but it's not the only thing that makes a race exciting. The build up to a good overtake is acutally more exciting than the actual event.
For example, many people laud the Mansell overtake on Piquet in 87 as one of the best ever. If you look at it the move itsself isn't that exciting or special in any way. What made it truly special was the way Mansell hunted him down at over a second a lap for something like 27 laps.
So the overtaking and strategy thing is not the regulations fault per se, but a product of the way the modern world works, everything is risk managed and minimalised.
Back in the 80's and early 90's the whole sport was more cavalier in it's attitude, you would have people that would just stick one up the inside. It's personally why I enjoyed watching people like Alesi, the man was quick and not afraid to just go for it. Granted, he ended up driving into people more often than not, but it was exciting to watch.
EDIT: To be on topic: I don't really care if they have 13" or 18" wheels. It really doesn't make a jot of difference from a spectators point of view.
