FISO

Bernie's new suggestion on the table is to incorporate programable sprinklers around tracks and have them set to go off at random intervals - interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

Mark Webber is set against it and, according to Nicky Fry (Merc GP Boss) "The beauty of Formula 1 is that there is now huge variety. We have races in the evening and during the day and halfway between the two and I don't think anyone could say that last year was boring."

However, whilst the season wasnt boring as a whole, many tracks each year (Hungary etc) produce dull races - surely artifical rain would help live these up, especially from a fantasy perspective???

foreverengland wrote:Bernie's new suggestion on the table is to incorporate programable sprinklers around tracks and have them set to go off at random intervals - interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

Mark Webber is set against it and, according to Nicky Fry (Merc GP Boss) "The beauty of Formula 1 is that there is now huge variety. We have races in the evening and during the day and halfway between the two and I don't think anyone could say that last year was boring."

However, whilst the season wasnt boring as a whole, many tracks each year (Hungary etc) produce dull races - surely artifical rain would help live these up, especially from a fantasy perspective???

Or how about just not a) building circuits in the middle of deserts, and b) letting Herman Tilke design all the new tracks.

I suggested this years ago, maybe Bernie could quote the post, as he has obviously read it

I this ever happens I will give up watching. Forced pit stops are bad enough.

Murray Walker suggested this very idea years and years ago during commentary (could well have been Brazil 1990. It'll never happen for one of any number of reasons. Heres 2.

1. Ferrari would know when the random event would occur.
2. It would occur just as the lead Ferrari was one corner from the pits.

Aren't those reasons that it will happen?

Adding sprinklers to circuits will turn it into four-wheeled equivalent of wrestling.

Thing is £cclestone wants the sport in the papers after Bahrain got cancelled. Job done I'd say.

Mystery wrote:Adding sprinklers to circuits will turn it into four-wheeled equivalent of wrestling.

Thing is £cclestone wants the sport in the papers after Bahrain got cancelled. Job done I'd say.

Yep, and why I suggested it ages ago. No overtaking etc, only interesting when it rains etc.

Just make the tracks more suitable for over taking, or crashes (Monaco etc).

Can't see Health and safety bods allowing this or the Lawyers. Genuine rain is an 'act of God' and generally can be forecast pretty accurately - it would certainly be a variable that was monitored by all teams.

To produce artificial rain when it's not expected is a disaster waiting to happen. It's a death defying sport as it is, making it even more treacherous - it's a serious shunt waiting to happen, potentially resulting in the death or serious injury of a Driver.

The second paragraph, I would agree with a while ago - but it is so safe nowadays.............

First paragraph is an excellent point, if they can claim on an Insurance Policy for crashes, which I doubt.

blahblah wrote:The second paragraph, I would agree with a while ago - but it is so safe nowadays.............

First paragraph is an excellent point, if they can claim on an Insurance Policy for crashes, which I doubt.

Theoretically you could have a Driver refuse to 'work' in such circumstances and sue for Constructive dismissal. A family sueing after the death of a Driver etc..

Thing is the circuits and cars are so safe........

Trouble is the racing can be so dull, and it does make them more interesting.

Watering the track is hardly chucking a load of oil on one corner, and having no flags. Is it?

blahblah wrote:Thing is the circuits and cars are so safe........

Trouble is the racing can be so dull, and it does make them more interesting.

Watering the track is hardly chucking a load of oil on one corner, and having no flags. Is it?

To do it pre-race they could possibly get away with.

True, and keep it raining for a number of laps.....

Thing is teams do not know when real rain may start, stop, or it may just be on part of the track.

blahblah wrote:True, and keep it raining for a number of laps.....

Thing is teams do not know when real rain may start, stop, or it may just be on part of the track.

But they can make a pretty accurate assessment based on cloud cover in the vicinity and wind direction. IF it was introduced, would it be mandatory for every race ie if it was already raining at a track would they still have to turn the sprinklers on for x amount of time during the race.

It's just not going to happen is it ?

With Bernie, anyone knows.

Wet races are certainly more interesting. The trouble arises when certain teams have better cars\drivers in the wet, and some don't.

A dice could be rolled, to determine if the race may be wet. (Say numbers 1 and 4 mean a chance of rain)

The dice could then be rolled at the start (6 for rain).

Quarter distance (2 and 5 for rain.

Half distance (1, 3 and 4 for rain)

Three quarter distance (2, 5 and 6 for rain)

The dice could be rolled even if it was raining, and it turned off, if it was "raining", as well as to be turned off.

It is still a daft idea to liven up a dull "sport" imho. It is like someone with jaundice wearing loads of foundation

blahblah wrote:With Bernie, anyone knows.

Wet races are certainly more interesting. The trouble arises when certain teams have better cars\drivers in the wet, and some don't.

A dice could be rolled, to determine if the race may be wet. (Say numbers 1 and 4 mean a chance of rain)

The dice could then be rolled at the start (6 for rain).

Quarter distance (2 and 5 for rain.

Half distance (1, 3 and 4 for rain)

Three quarter distance (2, 5 and 6 for rain)

The dice could be rolled even if it was raining, and it turned off, if it was "raining", as well as to be turned off.

It is still a daft idea to liven up a dull "sport" imho. It is like someone with jaundice wearing loads of foundation

So you want to turn it into a board game ?

Well how else does he intend to decide if it is wet, or not?

blahblah wrote:Thing is the circuits and cars are so safe........

No they aren't.

Niki Lauda said something after Ratzenberger and Senna were killed at Imola along the lines of 'God took his hand off F1 this weekend'. In other words (to the atheist!) F1 had been riding its luck for years and it is again now.

Motor sport has come on leaps and bounds in recent years re safety but look what happened to Kubica - admittedly in a rally car - in a relatively minor crash, a piece of armco barrier came through the bodywork and nearly sliced his hand off. Not too dissimilar to the luck thet befell Senna (suspension) and Massa (flying spring) in F1 and John Surtees' son at brands (flying wheel).

I've seen too many of my heroes die so **** adding in fake rain.

At the end of the day this will never be introduced - largely because of the litigation issues if someone does suffer a terrible accident during a 'spinkler session' (even though most of the accidents and deaths in recent times have actually come in dry conditions).

Assuming this doesn't get off the drawing board, the fact remains that Bernie et al are looking for ways to enhance some of the more dull races. I agree not tying F1 up to long term deals on boring tracks would be one solution, but sadly money talks.

With all this in mind, does anyone have any other ideas for spicing things up a little???

They should have 2 Championships.

Qualifying

Each Driver gets a set amount of time/laps to set their quickest time - points are awarded for the fastest.

Race

Grid position would also be set from Qualifying but would be reversed ie Quickest qualifier starts last on the grid, Slowest qualifier gets pole position.

They should allow the rival teams to have hosepipes and aim them at the other teams' driver as they go past at certain points on the track. Is this actually a serious suggestion from Bernie?

Jonathan wrote:They should allow the rival teams to have hosepipes and aim them at the other teams' driver as they go past at certain points on the track. Is this actually a serious suggestion from Bernie?

Awesome Idea.

It's a Knock Out F1 style

blahblah wrote:The second paragraph, I would agree with a while ago - but it is so safe nowadays.............

Only a matter of time before a driver dies, Michael Schumacher was lucky not to have been decapitated by a force india last year.