All it is done, to make driver life more miserable and Races more interesting

Click to follow news.


Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt are on run to spice up things in Formula One to attract more crowd.

For that, they have introduced Movable Rear Wing, KERS and now they are talking about Artificial Rain (Sprinklers).

A lot of people have criticized F1 Boss, Bernie Ecclestone, idea of artificial rain though some have welcomed it also.

In fact, U.S. Grand Prix promoter Tavo Hellmund thought fake rain was “brilliant on several fronts.”

You see, with a trackside sprinkler system, promoters get all the benefits of unpredictable racing in the wet without the corresponding reduction in ticket sales due to a soggy grand prix. Plus, Hellmund insisted, it would spice up the action.

“True talent always shines in the wet,” said the promoter of the Austin race set to debut in 2012. “The smaller teams should rejoice as rain is the ultimate equalizer, eliminating size of budgets and allowing pure talent to shine.”

It’s no wonder Ecclestone suggested sprinklers to make things interesting. The simple fact is that F1 races for the past decade have been the same follow-the-leader yawners each and every weekend, unless there’s a dump of rain.

And before the sport’s defenders start gushing about the “exciting” 2010 season, let’s be clear that it was an optical illusion. While it’s true that last year’s five-driver battle for the world title was engrossing, the actual racing on the track was mostly an unremarkable and unbearably dull procession, except for the races where rain mixed things up.

The F1 concept allows a driver pursuing another to flatten the moveable rear wing on his car at a certain point near the end of a track’s main straight to gain as much as 15 kilometres per hour on a rival. The device would be activated by software when the follower is within one second of his prey in a designated area before the straight. It’s turned on using a button on the steering wheel and turns off when the brakes are applied.

The result will be the same. Rather than using a pit stop overtaking strategy, the drivers will simply wait until they can use their wing to pass another car, which will happen at exactly the same point on the circuit every time. Now, there's the definition of excitement.

If F1 is really serious about increasing fan interest by making overtaking a priority, Jean Todt, the president of the sport’s governing Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, must embark on a two-step reform process.

First, he should develop a set of ironclad rules that limit downforce, reduce aerodynamic efficiency, and diminish amount of extremely turbulent air the cars create in their wakes. It really shouldn’t be that novel a concept to use clear, well-planned regulations to eliminate the things that make it impossible for a driver to follow another closely enough to pass. And, achieving it shouldn’t be too difficult for a sport which loves to boast that it has the car design world’s most talented and inventive technical minds in its paddock.

In Step 2, the sport must convince Ecclestone to eliminate venues that race on tight courses like Hungary, Singapore, and Valencia where passing is virtually impossible. A big part of this is also changing Ecclestone’s preferred designer, Hermann Tilke, who has an uncanny ability to create layouts that make overtaking impossible at best. Yes, the illuminated grandstands in Abu Dhabi are really cool and look great on TV, but watching a parade of cars from a charming locale doesn’t make the race any less snore inducing.

Meanwhile, The governing body of world motor sport, the FIA, has promised to review all current Formula One circuits in an attempt to increase overtaking in the sport.

Measures have been taken in the aim of increasing the number of passes during a race, with the adjustable rear wing and the reintroduction of Kers (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) being effective this season. But many in the sport believe that the tracks themselves are flawed.

Many of the new circuits that have been designed by Hermann Tilke, notably the Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, have attracted criticism for making overtaking difficult. Furthermore, established venues such as Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya do not now offer much hope of a pass – Barcelona was subjected to a redesign a few years ago that included a chicane at the end of the back straight. The Williams technical director, Sam Michael, recently voiced his opposition to all chicanes, remarking that they should be banned.

The FIA announced that "the Circuit Design Group is examining grand prix circuits to identify the possibility of increasing the opportunities for overtaking".

This follows a recent comment from the FIA president, Jean Todt, who said that "we need to favour overtaking", adding that it had been "impossible" in last year's Abu Dhabi grand prix.