How relevant is Formula One to today’s cars?
Red Bull win both the Constructor and Driver title for 2010 (courtesy of www.f1-site.com)
Today’s finale was everything the organisers would have wanted. Four possible winners, three led the championship on the day – Before the best car/fastest driver came through from third to win. But how relevant is F1 to today’s cars?
Formula One plays on being at the cutting edge of design and development – one way to justify the huge costs involved. But the sport does have some perennial conundrums – such as: is it sport or entertainment?
Every year there are rule changes to increase competition by reigning in the previous years winners. Organisers are willing to tap the ‘entertainment factor’ and global audience of 600 million, accepting new money from the middle and far-east for yet more races and teams – at the same time team-orders detract from the sport as a spectacle.
Another question is – how much is driver and how much car? It is said the difference between the best and worst driver is around half a second a lap, and best and worst car two seconds. So changing the rules every year stops this larger gap growing.
To make it more exciting tyre and fuel changes have been introduced, dropped then re-introduced. But most cars have the same tyres – and fuel is regulated. So this just adds strategy to the equation – as Ferrari showed by getting it so spectacularly wrong.
Innovations such as turbochargers, ABS, flappy paddle (clutchless) gear change and active suspension have all come through F1 to production cars. Last season’s revelation was KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) – which helped Jenson Button on his way to No.1. But as soon as they work they’re banned! Leaving F1 as an entertainment industry trying to juggle cutting-edge technology, with limiting development costs in an attempt to increase competivity - and entertainment.
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