Q: After the completely unnecessary and expensive chaos caused by the red flags in Melbourne, surely the FIA need to stop using Netflix as a guide to writing their rules?
The red flag is meant to be used as a safety measure, not for manipulation of a race to manufacture entertainment. If the incident is serious enough, then fair enough. But both of those red flags needn’t have happened because debris can be cleared behind the safety car.
Nothing good came of this, and it needs to be sorted out.
Jordan, UK
CM: You’re not alone with your viewpoint, but I totally disagree about the second one, and the Netflix part. The amount of debris for that late red flag meant cars shouldn’t be running through it and risking punctures and further damage. A little bit of that flicking up even at relatively low speed could still find its way though a driver’s visor.
The first red flag was borderline, but the barrier did need repairing too. The bigger issue there was waiting too long to make that decision, meaning some drivers had made pit stops under safety car that then became red flag. I would certainly not say that was manipulating a race to manufacture entertainment as it screwed race leader George Russell and made life much easier for Max Verstappen.
To address the problems with the first red flag, I say either don’t allow car changes under red flag conditions, or call it immediately.
The other thing to note is teams say they don’t want to end under safety car (like Monza last year – they asked for red flags after that) or the rules to be played with like Abu Dhabi in 2021, so it’s a simple, clear approach that it will be red-flagged if there’s a level of doubt that the clear-up can happen in time. There’s no perfect scenario, but at least everyone knows what they’re dealing with, and I’d rather see top level drivers tested under pressure on the rare occasions this happens, rather than the race essentially called off at that point and everyone just rolling over the line after a number of safety car laps.
Even with just a two-lap shootout, you’re asking drivers to use their skill, handle the situation, perform when there’s both loads to gain and loads to lose. It does massively increase the chances of something going wrong — and you’re right in saying that needs to be balanced — but to me, that’s still a sporting challenge that should separate the best from the rest more often than not.
Q: Do you think that after F1’s attempt at a NASCAR-inspired green/white checker in Melbourne that maybe they should take a page from IndyCar and employ a full-time and permanent race control that travels to every single race? No more part-time and rotating steward groups? I think this would help with consistency with officiating races, as well as, giving the drivers a little more confidence that the right calls are being made. Right now, the current model that F1 uses is a bit of clown show. In American racing, we say “cautions breed cautions.” In F1, at least in Melbourne, we can say, “Red flags breed red flags!” I find it ironic also that Michael Masi was in town for this race.
Paul Oehling, Mansfield, OH
CM: F1 does employ a full-time and permanent race control that travels to every single race. Niels Wittich is the race director and he is assisted by Herbie Blash as the permanent senior advisor. The only thing that changes in the way you mean is the stewards (although that’s from a select pool, including a small number of former F1 drivers to provide that perspective).
It’s race control that make the decisions about safety cars and red flags — the running of the race — and the stewards who then are asked to review incidents and hand out penalties. That’s the bit that can get frustrating about rotating stewards is a lack of consistency in penalties, but then in so many other sports there are multiple referees who change for each team so I don’t think there’s a perfect solution on that front.
Q: With the F1 teams incorporating a significant percentage of black (bare carbon) in their car liveries to save weight, have you heard any discussion in the paddock regarding the FIA/F1 mandating a minimum painted surfaces coverage of car body panels and wings in the coming seasons? I’m afraid it won’t be long until all the cars on the grid will be black liveries with touches of color here and there to distinguish them as unique all in the name of saving on weight. If the choice is truly a black livery, then it shall be painted black.
Andy R., Brighton, MI
CM: This was an idea that cropped up pre-season but I don’t think it has been discussed as a mandate yet, mainly because the cars are all still easily identifiable out on track. The belief is also that teams will find further weight-saving gains as time goes on with these regulations, and that will reduce the pressure on liveries. Then it comes down to how much they value the income from the sponsorship that defines the livery — and the performance that money could lead to down the line — over the small weight-saving gain.
There are also advancements in paint technology that will likely lead to lighter solutions further down the line. I’d say at this point it’s all just being monitored in case it reaches a point the FIA feels it needs to take action.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, 8 April, 2015
Q: I don’t understand how you do it. You read so many complaints about the sport you love each and everyday. It just makes no sense why everybody puts down the sport. They say they want more fans but yet they openly complain and say everything they think is wrong or they don’t agree with. That is very hypocritical.
I stopped reading the Mailbag because I couldn’t take it anymore. You want to help IndyCar? Let’s do an experiment. Go out and bring a friend to an IndyCar race or bring them over to watch the race and be sure to tell him all the horrible things or what you think is wrong with the sport. Don’t forget to mention how ugly the new cars are (I’m guessing you think they are ugly). I personally think they are freaking awesome, but hey, I’m a short-attention-spanned teenager, so what the heck do I know? Tell me how that goes and if they want to come back for the next race.
Now for part two, do the same thing except let what you say involve all the cool technologies even if it’s been around for a while (they don’t know that). I told someone about how they raise the car with the air hose and how the car has four pegs that come down and raise the car up into the air and were they amazed. Go ahead and mention the cool intricate parts of the cars and add that the drivers have NO POWER STEERING unlike their road car. They soon might think drivers are actually athletes or maybe be less convinced to say they aren’t. Go ahead and say they lose 6lbs on average every race. Tell me how that goes and if they want to come back for the next race.
Hunter Smith, 19
ROBIN MILLER: It’s not all negative and some good ideas are derived through anger on occasion. Like an earlier reader said, it’s easier to bitch than compliment (or at least, it’s more popular) but I don’t know how anybody that enjoys racing could have watched the past three IndyCar seasons and not been entertained. I admire your passion and it’s good to know there are young fans out there that feel the same way. Are you sure you don’t want a job in IndyCar PR?