Bernie Supports Murderers!

[Mr. Rick]

The problem is, that F1 design and understanding has moved on so significantly, that without these "gimmicks", to which I assume you are referring to DRS and KERS, there would literally be no overtaking at all.

The cars which raced in the 70's and 80's, and were overtaking all over the place, were not doing so because they were glorious designs - they were doing so because they were primitive designs, and there was a fundamental lack of understanding of downforce and aerodynamics at the time.  These days, designers not only know how to make their cars aerodynamically efficient, but they know how to cause all sorts of issues to the cars chasing - thus effectively defending the car from the rear. 

DRS and KERS take away that aerodynamic advantage - and to my eyes, over the last couple of years, have improved the quality of entertainment in Formula 1 tenfold. 

A Balestre was a self important, egotistical idiot, who believed that F1 should be ruled by dictatorship, and that those who drove in races were simply puppets in HIS show. 

I know all that really, I'd just woken up with my rose-jointed spectacles on.

And can I just say that I've never read such a serious post from you Brad!

Sadly, I believe that the muppets who run the puppets are all egotistical, it seems to be part of the job.

[Brad Zarse]

The problem is, that F1 design and understanding has moved on so significantly, that without these "gimmicks", to which I assume you are referring to DRS and KERS, there would literally be no overtaking at all.

The cars which raced in the 70's and 80's, and were overtaking all over the place, were not doing so because they were glorious designs - they were doing so because they were primitive designs, and there was a fundamental lack of understanding of downforce and aerodynamics at the time.  These days, designers not only know how to make their cars aerodynamically efficient, but they know how to cause all sorts of issues to the cars chasing - thus effectively defending the car from the rear. 

DRS and KERS take away that aerodynamic advantage - and to my eyes, over the last couple of years, have improved the quality of entertainment in Formula 1 tenfold. 

A Balestre was a self important, egotistical idiot, who believed that F1 should be ruled by dictatorship, and that those who drove in races were simply puppets in HIS show. 

I know all that really, I'd just woken up with my rose-jointed spectacles on.

And can I just say that I've never read such a serious post from you Brad!

Sadly, I believe that the muppets who run the puppets are all egotistical, it seems to be part of the job.

Believe it or not, whilst I do enjoy the party element of the Le-Mans/F1/motorsports scene....I actually really enjoy and even have some degree of understanding about the actual cars and the racing......  Obviously many of you never see that because normally I'm too drunk.....but it is there

[Boorish Grobian]

One could argue Brad, that the reason overtaking is so difficult is because F1 has for all intents & purposes become a spec formula.  The tech regs are so suffocating that coming up with something really clever and innovative is almost impossible.  I had the good forune to have dinner a few years ago, with the technical director of a top team, and he bascially said as much.  Things have gotten worse since then, this was before rev-limited engines.  There are few areas of the car that the engineers can play with, its amazing how much of the design is FIA mandated, or as the commentators like to say "no-go".
Agree with Rick, stuff like KERS and DRS is gimmicky, reminds me of Indycar and that dumbass "push to pass"
F1 should be the pinnacle of the sport, not dumbed down to make it more entertaining.
Fax

[Brad Zarse]

I partially agree about DRS and KERS being a bit gimmicky, on one hand....however, these technologies are finding their way in the real world as well - Porsche are out there developing road going KERS type systems - and many automotive manufacturers are thinking about how to reduce drag at high speed. 

The thing is, there are hundreds of critics of the way F1 is run, but can any of them come up with an alternative? 
Letting teams do what they want, would likely lead to cars achieving speeds of 300mph + within a couple of years - the tracks struggle to keep driver and spectator safe at 200mph.  Aerodynamically, the designers know how to make it impossible for following cars to make it past - so you can't release those rules as we'd go back to the days of processional F1.  Not having a spec set of rules, means that cars hit the front and never look back - Ala Williams in 92, McLaren in 89, etc - that's not progressive for the sport, and the only skill a driver then needs in that formula, is the nouse to negotiate a contract with the best team.

So whilst DRS and KERS do seem a little gimmicky, they are signficantly better than the alternative.

[Rhino]

 That's the problem you have hundreds of people spending millions of pounds to gain fractions of a second. Unless you change rules every year the cars will always look similar.
And with road cars getting movable aero and kers f1 needed to bring something in. At least mosley went as he wanted spec everything.