Grand Slam of F1??

[strad]

Another of Uncle Bernies crazy schemes....

Bernie Ecclestone’s latest proposal is that F1′s most important races become a tennis-like ‘Grand Slam’. Insisting that the calendar will probably not expand much beyond 20 races, the F1 chief executive also admitted that “circumstances change”.

If that’s the case, the most important races could be like international tennis’ Slams.

“Absolutely,” Ecclestone told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. “I’m working on it.

“And if it gets that far, then there would be more points for the Grand Slam races.”

source: forumula1.com

[mx_tifoso]

I think I mentioned a similar idea in another thread not too long ago, but I would like a special race akin to a "grand slam". Perhaps a longer one on a different type of circuit?

Potrero de los Fumes in Argentina sounds great, with a doubled race distance or something along those lines.

[Jeffsvilleusa]

This isn't too unlike how things were way back in the day when there were championship and non-championship races. I think it's pretty subjective though, what makes one race more important than another. I would guess Monaco, Silverstone, Monza, Spa and... Brazil? What is the criteria?

One thing is it might be able to leverage circuit negotiations, for instance Spa seems to be in trouble, maybe it would help solidify it? I don't know.

However it takes times like this when another of Bernie's crazy ideas surfaces to remind us to appreciate the many other crazy ideas of his that didn't materialize: like artificial wet races and the medal system.

[Websta]

The most difficult races would have to become the Grand Slams. Suzuka and Monaco are the two most difficult races for the drivers I believe (at least according to Mark Webber). I don't like the idea of doubling the race distance - the drivers are pretty exhausted after just 1.5 hours! A better idea would be holding two races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday, and then awarding extra points for the overall round winner, overall second place, etc. Although I really don't see what is wrong with the current format.

[ESPImperium]

Id split the callender into 400Km races, 300Km races and a couple 250Km races.

Id like to see Monaco as a double points race, with maybes 3 or 4 others the same, with Monza, Silverstone, Brazil, and one other race, maybes the German.

Callender:

01] Abu Dhabi - 300Km
02] Austrailia - 300Km
03] Malasia - 400Km
04] China - 300Km
05] Spain - 300Km
06] Monaco - 250Km
07] Canada - 400Km
08] American/New York - 300Km
09] British - 400Km
10] German - 300Km
11] Hungarian - 300Km
12] Belgum/France - 300Km * When the french round is on the callender, it would be round 09
13] Italy - 400Km
14] Singapore - 250Km
15] Japan/Korea - 300Km
16] India - 300Km
17] USA/Austin - 300Km
18] Mexico - 300Km
19] Agentina - 300Km
20] Brazil - 400Km

Whitch would give any driver that manages to complete every race lap 6,400Km of racing that year. The double points race last would give alot to the championship as well i think.

[Just_a_fan]

Making a race a Grand Slam even is just a way for Bernie to charge more for those races. Daft idea with no benefit to the sport.

[astracrazy]

apart from more confusion for the casual fan

It's crap, you don't get football changing the rules like this.
"I know matches at old trafford, the emirates, anfield etc. are now worth 5 points for the win because these the the grand slam stadiums of the premier league"

[NonNewtonic]

I think it's totally nonsense if they really try to do so there will be a huge conflict between them and race organisers.

[Websta]

I think double points would be very detrimental to a championship race - imagine if Belgium 2010 had awarded double points... Extending the race distances wouldn't add much to entertainment value either - the middle period of the races are typically the least exciting and this would just be extending that period. I would much rather have more races on the calendar than have extended races.

[Nando]

I´d rather see one endurance race instead to really test the cars to the max.

a 6 hour race at some racetrack they don´t run at today would be cool.

[Websta]

Then they would have to reintroduce refuelling and develop ultra-durable tyres for a 6 hour race. An endurance event isn't feasible. Having 400km races would also require increasing the capacity of the fuel tanks, which seems like a waste considering that it would compromise the cars for majority of the races that season. They would have to develop and build specific endurance-spec cars and Pirelli would need to develop super-hard compound tyres.

I don't see why watching a 6 hour race would be exciting either. You might as well just record an F1 race and set the playback at 1/3 speed. That's essentially what it would be like. Then again, I enjoy watching test cricket so I can't dismiss the preferences of others!

[machin]

How about at the end of the season they have a non-championship race with the grid being reverse championship results order??!!

[Nando]

Then they would have to reintroduce refuelling and develop ultra-durable tyres for a 6 hour race.

Not really. Just need a whole lot more pit stops.
refuelling could be done in a very safe manner like they do in NASCAR where gravity controls the refuelling speed.

I don't see why watching a 6 hour race would be exciting either.

Right because nobody ever watches Le Mans, ALMS etc. it´s because it´s sooo boring.

You might as well just record an F1 race and set the playback at 1/3 speed. That's essentially what it would be like.

Maybe in some parallel universe yes.

[Shrieker]

Leave it as it is... If some races award more points than others, teams will be inclined to design cars conforming with the layouts of those tracks to the detriment of the show in general. Machin's idea above isn't half bad -I for one would love to see such a race- but I doubt the teams and the sponsors will like the idea of a race with no points up for grabs.

[WhiteBlue]

F1 has other problems than another needless manipulation of the points system. We still have no sensible mechanism to control cost other than ever narrower spec rules. Everybody agrees that cost control is necessary but the "ring master" cracks his head over embroidery.