Now that the F1 season is over I set to wondering: what would a F1 car be like if it there were no rules & it was bring what you got like the old Formula Libre? As a lifelong motor-racing fan I am somewhat unenthusiastic about current regs that make it like some kind of on-line video game. What do you think would be the optimum free-for-all race car? (OK driver safety and not ten feet wide with swords on the hubs like Bodacea's chariot, but full-on, no other rules)
seadubya,
Dec 1, 3:07pm
Group B was pretty loose. Great for spectators and undertakers alike.
geedubu,
Dec 1, 3:47pm
So answering my own question: I think it would be a wide angle V8 turbo approx 2.5 litres with about 1000hp capability, but the essence of a Formula Libre car these days would be maximum IT input to variable aerodynamics suspension variables and other functions by computer so it would be point squirt & hope by the driver.
m16d,
Dec 1, 3:51pm
There would be no drivers. the cars would be totally computer controlled by proximity sensors.
F1 would definitely have more appeal for the masses if the rules were opened up to encourage a bit of individuality in design and performance. 5L naturally aspirated with no on board IT and a limit of 12:1 compression. As many tyres as you want of your own choosing, unlimited fuel, it's a frigging race not an economy run.
gpg58,
Dec 1, 4:21pm
+1
and a lot more on-board driver view video.
bill-robinson,
Dec 1, 4:57pm
f1 should be safety features for the driver. a box the car fits in to check length, width, and height. no contact between the car, the driver and pits. races will be 200 miles and start at 14:00 hours end of regs this would promote all forms of automotive engineering.
serf407,
Dec 1, 5:01pm
Formula 1 with high profile drivers will be always have a rules framework. Sort of like the difference between MotoGP and Isle of Man TT. The car version of Isle of Man TT was the Giro d'Italia etc. European Hillclimb is probably fairly open. Ursanne - they wrote off a fairly expensive car or two here in recent years. 200 km/h + in the rain https://youtu.be/gKV4Qg_E01I
bill-robinson,
Dec 1, 5:12pm
the giro d'italia is a push bike race the italian version of tour de france i think you mean targa florio why does f1 need rules?
mggd,
Dec 1, 6:20pm
No power steer, manual gearshift on the stick, skinny tires, bring back real driving skill.
rob_man,
Dec 1, 6:25pm
Tyres would be self policing, too wide and they rob speed, too narrow and.
socram,
Dec 1, 6:30pm
Took the words right out of my keyboard!
Let's add front engined only and a 2.5 litre capacity limit, but also a rev limit of 8,000 so that we can actually hear the engines, not just an X-box scream and a maximum number of gears - six.
Maximum of 5 pit crew allowed on the apron.
However, that hardly puts F1 at the pinnacle of technology!
Oh, we had most of that before 1961.
tamarillo,
Dec 1, 6:34pm
Very cool, but wouldn't that create even less overtaking? Maybe go the other way with 800cc max and no other regs on engines. Regs to control outline of car and size, but nil else. Let's get some imagination, some wild ideas, different looking sounding and behaving cars.
bill-robinson,
Dec 1, 6:39pm
why ?
socram,
Dec 1, 8:31pm
Because the emphasis has shifted from the drivers to the engineers. The very fact that there are only thousandths of a second between team members merely emphasises it. How often have we seen 2 Mercs, followed by 2 Williams, 2 Ferraris etc.
The best driver in the world can't now overcome a poor car. Years ago, before the all driver aids, they often could. Team members could have a couple of seconds a lap between them in those days. Now it is all about parity because the rules are so tight, hence the OP's thread I presume!
r.g.nixon,
Dec 1, 8:47pm
Make them all drive IDENTICAL cars. Then may the best driver win. They could rotate the manufacturers. Mercs one year, Ferraris the next, and so on.
rodh,
Dec 1, 8:52pm
I quite like the idea of swords on the hubs
whqqsh,
Dec 2, 3:36am
with random pedestrians trying to cross the track
bill-robinson,
Dec 2, 5:04am
they have that in taxi racing, you know the BS tha aussies call motor racing
socram,
Dec 2, 7:10am
Put them in replica 250F Maseratis, P25 BRMs, Lancia Ferraris, Vanwalls, 1955 Mercedes, Dino Ferraris etc, (but with seat belts and a simple roll hoop).
Anything except identical looking and X-Box sounding cars. There are times when being an old fart means that you can clearly remember F1 racing almost since the World Championship first started in 1950.
rsr72,
Dec 2, 7:15am
F1 has been turned into an absolute dog by rapacious investment-money interests aided by the motor industry. It's dying.
rodh,
Dec 2, 7:24am
And oil slicks out the back with guns in the front like Bonds cars. Now that would be exciting
eagles9999,
Dec 2, 9:33am
And so are the rapacious investment- money interests. Ecclestone wont live forever
richardmayes,
Dec 2, 11:05am
Some of these ideas were tried with that A1GP racing. standardised cars, steel non-abs brakes to make it a bit harder to be fast. where are they now?
I tried watching a bit of F1 back when Mika Hakkinen was still in the running behind Schumacher - it was incredibly boring racing with little overtaking, little drama, the drivers all invariably followed the racing line like infallible little slot cars, and the "race" (Such as it was) was won or lost in the pits. If we were lucky a Honda engine would blow up, and there would be flames and smoke everywhere to liven things up briefly.
The OTHER problem with F1 (IMHO) is that the "cars" are futuristic alien space ships, and no matter how much the manufacturers insist that technology from their F1 experience carries over into their mass-produced cars, nobody really sees it. People who are actually interested in cars and fast driving seem to be more interested in Aussie V8s, WRC, drifting, WTAC etc etc. Racing where the cars resemble something you could conceivably build in your own garage given enough time and resources.
Formula 1 seems to be oriented at international sports heads and people who like expensive watches and expensive champagne, rather than petrolheads. ?
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