Q: Why does F1 allow cars to change tires under red flag? They put so much effort into not altering the race with virtual safety cars and keeping the pits open under full safety car. They keep the cars in parc ferme during and after qualifying. And then they just give everyone free pit stops under red flag. It completely ruins the race strategy.
Why?
Kyle
CHRIS MEDLAND: I wish I knew! At times it seems like a good thing because it allows damaged cars to get a few running repairs and adds to the excitement of a race — keeping more cars running tends to be a positive — but on the whole it does ruin strategies. I’m with you, it shouldn’t be allowed, but I believe it’s to ensure drivers are restarting on tires they are happy with. If you’re on an old set of hard tires for a grid restart it could even prove a bit dangerous, but I’d rather see them not being allowed to change tires unless they return to the pits after the lap to the grid.
Q: Chris, I read your article about “getting the majority of the decisions correct” and I’d like to ask a question and offer an opinion. Did the Albon incident necessitate a barrier repair? That was never communicated on the broadcast, as far as I can tell. Fans were told the red flag was for gravel.
I actually don’t have a real issue with the second red flag, just the fact that it requires a standing restart. It doesn’t matter what track you’re on, having a standing restart inside of five laps to go is incentive for drivers to take big risks. Gaining four places on a restart/start isn’t unheard of. For a team that is struggling just to score points, gaining four spots could be the difference between 10th and eighth in the constructors title at the end of the year. Late race red flag restarts should be behind the safety car.
Ryan in West Michigan
CM: Yes, the Tecpro that Albon hit was dislodged. It might have only been a relatively quick fix to put it back in place (I’m not sure if it was so badly damaged that the section needed replacing, but that’s usually done quickly too), but it was part of the scene that needed marshals to do their work.
You’re right about late restarts and the incentive, but surely it’s still down to driver skill? Execute your start well and you can gain, or at least ensure you don’t lose out. As with any restart, there’s always going to be winners and losers; sometimes it’ll lead to a situation the majority of fans like, others the opposite, but I think it’s best to be consistent one way or another. Interestingly, after Kyle’s question above I think it’s better to trend towards grid restarts with new tires, but if drivers weren’t allowed to change them then maybe rolling starts are a smarter move (although getting everyone to agree on the cut-off would be tough!).
Q: I have a question about the last non-restarting restart of the Melbourne race. How was it decided that the last lap would just be a ceremonial parade than an actual restart?
Shawn, MD
CM: It was an actual restart, it’s just there weren’t any laps left to race on. So the lap out of the pits to the grid was the final lap of the race, meaning that as they crossed the line to resume racing, the race immediately ended. They could have said it was a grid start but that’s really taking it to the extremes to launch across the finish line from there, and at some tracks the finish line is before the grid anyway.
Q: It looks like many of the rule-making authorities are beginning to unravel. FIA, F1 and NASCAR have all had very public issues between themselves and teams. The latest debacle between NASCAR and Hendrick appears to be the worst. Having a ruling overturned, NASCAR has laid out a heavy-handed “play by our rules or don’t play at all” position, not to mention that they still want all the money.
Not sure that you can provide an answer to this, but how has motorsports allowed this level of discord to not only occur but grow? If calm, intelligent discussions can’t resolve internal conflicts, then the end is nearing for racing as we have known.
Craig
KELLY CRANDALL: The public issues between NASCAR and its teams aren’t really anything new. The teams and drivers have the loudest microphones (literally, by using the media), whereas NASCAR is consistent in keeping its cards close to its chest and not doing business in public.
However, the recent story of the teams not meeting with NASCAR got a little overblown when the word “boycott” was used by some. The teams had informed NASCAR the night before they were not going to attend the meeting because it didn’t seem the issue that they wanted to talk about was going to happen.
Regarding the appeal ruling, I wouldn’t say it’s that you have to play by their rules. If that were the case, NASCAR would hand down penalties like a dictatorship without an independent committee that can then overturn them. NASCAR doesn’t want that. The series is very angry that the points were given back to Hendrick. So, what it did, as it usually does after an appeal, is take a look at the rule book and find where it can tighten up the language. In this case, it wants to make sure that points are a part of the penalty and that the appeals panel can’t wipe those away.
Points are the deterrent, not fines. Those mean nothing to the bigger teams. Going forward, I wouldn’t worry too much about the level of discord. We’ve seen that everything gets worked out in the end — but feelings are going to get hurt in the process.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, April 9, 2014
Q: Back in the late ’70s and ’80s I used to go to Indy every first Saturday in May for Pole Day. I took a friend there and we saw Tom Sneva break the 200mph mark. That was great! I haven’t been back for qualifying since the split, but I’ve been thinking about going again. With the changes to qualifying this year, which day — Saturday or Sunday — would be the best day to attend?
Oh, and by the way, why have you softened so much in your email remarks? I miss the old Robin!
Barry, Fort Wayne, IN
ROBIN MILLER: I think Sunday because the Fast 9 is always entertaining and Saturday more or less just sets the preliminary grid unless Sunday gets washed out. Beating on the old IRL or Champ Car was like clubbing baby seals but IndyCar’s product (the racing and depth of the field) is much better, and while I don’t always agree with Derrick Walker, he’s doing a good job and is trying to right the ship. I’ll get meaner when the weather warms up.