Justin: Well, here I am again, pondering whether anyone is actually reading, given the fact the only other guy who regularly reads is on honeymoon. Ah well, on with the show.
A mate and I were discussing the new DRS system the other day. This stands for Drag Reduction System - it's essentially a moving rear wing that opens up like a letter box to reduce drag and downforce for a higher speed on a straight. The point came up that this represents a sort of manipulation of pure racing and thusly is the push towards needing to entertain the fans reducing the sport to a load of farcial rules that always benefit the guy behind in catching the guy ahead? The system didn't halt Vettel or help anyone behind him as he was 10 seconds down the road at the best of times.
Niki Lauda made a very good point on the BBC F1 forum after the race. He said the FIA was playing with results, telling drivers when they can and cannot use the DRS system. In his days they pressed the turbo button whenever they wanted to.
I said to my friend, it sort of reminds me of his old playstation game, Gran Turismo, where the car behind in a head to head race had a function enabled which just allowed it to slowly catch up so a proper race could be had. This is the side of the arguement I come down on, I'm not an instant fan of the DRS at all. Perhaps it may take a few races to tweak and so forth, but to have a specific "zone" where the car behind (being less than a second behind the car in front) can use the system, seems to me like bordering on favouring the people chasing. Obviously this is pursuing the formula one as entertainment route, which it is, but it's still a sport.
You don't see Usain Bolt being told to stop and wait for other runners to catch up when he is metres ahead in his 100m races do you?
The powers the be in F1 need to ask where is the line between pure f1 racing and entertainment? Personally I think DRS, not the technology as such, but the way it is deployed, straddles the grey area.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton has said his number one driver to beat will always be Fernando Alonso - still bitter about 2007 Lewis? :-)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/28/lewis-hamilton-ayrton-senna-alain-prost
That is all for now.
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Justin: This following remark was relayed to me by one Ian Dunstan, the mate I was having the DRS chat with earlier this week.
ReplyDeleteIan remarked:
I agree completely. With a regulator mandated 'speed' button and a restriction to only use it in certain places and only if you're close behind the person in front, it serves no purpose other than to force an overtaking opportunity where there was not one before.
While obviously the ability to overtake promotes chances, which mean drama/tension/excitement (these are all good things) it can't help but erode at genuine race excitement that should be present with differing setups, drivers, and cars.
If taken to extremes, you could almost say this would actually convince the driver behind to NOT attempt for an overtake at corners prior to the mandated 'speed area' because he knows that - provided he's close enough behind - he'll be able to get the advantage on the guy in front without having to take a chance, or push himself to do something extraordinary.
In short... it makes it a little bit more artificial.
Too far down that route leads to WWE storylines with Vettel and Button having a shouting match with scantily clad girlfriends bickering at each other in the background... then someone goes to get a chair to sort out their opponent before the race.
Or someone throws a brick onto the road as one of them rounds the corner to take out their opponent in a dramatic 'heel' turn of events on the last lap.
That's a bad place to go to :)
I would just like to confirm, that was indeed me.
ReplyDeleteSo there.
(Two comments in one day.... a record?...)