Q: I’ve been following F1 since the mid-‘60s. I’m not a fan of the direction that things have been going, so I have a suggestion that I think will improve the racing: eliminate front and rear wings on the cars. Here are my reasons:
Eliminate DRS. First of all, let’s face it, DRS is a kluge. It is an artificial way to make it easier for a following car to pass despite the effect of dirty air from the leading car. Without wings there will be less impact of dirty air on the following car.
Closer following: Since a car’s front end won’t wash out from lack of downforce when following, drivers will be able to follow more closely while trying to pass. This will make for more exciting viewing and more drama.
Sticking the nose in: With no front wing, drivers will be able to stick the nose of their car in to create an opening without worrying about damaging the front wing.
No changing damaged wings: Today, if a driver has to pit due to front wing damage, he may as well park the car. He will have no realistic chance of placing well in the race, let alone winning it.
Driver skill on display: Without the gobs of downforce created by wings, drivers will be forced to rely on mechanical grip. A driver with the skill to cope in low grip conditions will be rewarded.
Slower corner speeds: The lack of downforce will necessitate slower cornering speeds. This is actually a safety feature since most incidents occur at corners. But the fans will be rewarded with closer racing. The absolute lap speed achieved during a race is not really an issue if the race is exciting.
Straight-line speed: Decreased drag due to no wings may result in higher straight-line speeds. This is not assured since the corner exit speeds will be slower. And drivers may have to brake sooner for the next corner.
Shorter nose: Without the need to push a front wing out into clean air the cars won’t need such a long nose piece.
Less carbon fiber litter: How many times have the officials had to slow the race to clean the track of carbon fiber pieces from damaged front wings? No wings = fewer shards.
Improved sight lines: Rear wings in particular make it almost impossible to see past the car in front or to see the car(s) behind. No rear wing, better vision all around.
Aero between the wheels: F1 teams have spent huge sums of money on research facilities like wind tunnels. Eliminating front and rear wings will never eliminate the need for those. It’s simply that aero work will be confined to between the front and rear wheels.
Bob Mason, Winston Salem, NC
CM: It’s a novel idea Bob but I always point to the fact that IndyCar has Push to Pass to help with overtaking too, so I don’t get why DRS gets such a bad rap sometimes. My main question back to you though is, do you not think F1 would then be heavily diluted by not having the level of performance that currently makes it the fastest single-seater category (superspeedways aside) on the planet?
As much as I loved the cars of the era, it feels like a step back to the ’60s in terms of performance, as cars have always had front and rear wings since then. Given the fact that IndyCar would then be quicker, and very likely F2 and even F3, surely it would have a big impact on motorsport in general?
Q: The F1 steward review process seems to be a joke. What is allowed one race is not the next. A car is knocked out of a race and the car that took it out is allowed to continue with a few seconds of penalty. Why not really make it a penalty for the best drivers in the world and say, “you caused an incident that knocked out a car, so you will finish behind that car.” The drama and other politics of the series are taking away the enjoyment of it. Thoughts?
Craig Nelson
CM: I agree with you that it can be really frustrating when different stewards make different decisions on similar incidents, although I would point out most sports have to use different officials for different games, etc., based on availability and schedules.
I think because fights are rarely personal, it’s generally better not to do the direct penalizing versus a rival approach, as it can lead to a much bigger penalty for a driver. That would then discourage hard racing, and I think everyone wants to see it encouraged.
There’s never going to be a perfect solution as everyone always has a time when they feel the need to complain about officiating in sport — partly based on their outlook or allegiance — but I actually think we’d have less racing to enjoy if you make the penalties that harsh.
There are bits I agree with, though. I think a race control penalty should be “Car X, drop two positions” or similar, when the stewards feel there’s a clear need for a driver to be behind a specific car based on an incident.
Q: It seems like the Andretti team can’t get in the front door of Formula 1. They have GM backing, and they’re a winning professional organization. They’re investing in infrastructure and hiring when they don’t even have a place in Formula 1. I applaud their business decisions. If they have to go down to the minor leagues to prove they’re worthy of Formula 1, so be it… But now Formula 2 and Formula 3 are denying them admission? Why the freeze-out? It seems personal.
Peter
CM: That’s not the case, Peter. All F2 and F3 stated was that Andretti hasn’t informed them that it wants to join either series, and even so it has a limit on how many cars it can handle so might have to help it take over an entry (or grant it one and remove one from someone else).
As far as I’m aware, Andretti only intends on entering the lower categories if it gets into F1 as it will be part of its wider program to prepare drivers for F1, but it certainly hasn’t been denied admission.
Q: Is it crazy to think that if Adrian Newey was truly looking for a real, new “challenge,” he could find that at Andretti?
Wiscowerner
CM: Not crazy that he could find it there, and that Andretti would love to have him — Mario Andretti was actually seen talking to Adrian in Miami — but I don’t think that’s a project he would commit to at his age without there being a confirmed entry.
Don’t forget Newey is 65 and there are some iconic teams he has yet to work for, with Ferrari very much the favorite to get him as he could help it win its first drivers’ championship since 2007. That is also a huge challenge!
I’d love to see Andretti get a spot on the grid and attract Newey to be part of the team’s management though, it would be some story given his history working in IMSA and IndyCar, including a stint with Mario back in the ’80s.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, May 9, 2018
Q: Who are the two drivers of past Indy 500 with the worst luck in terms of having the potential winning/best car?
JR, Northlake, IL
ROBIN MILLER: That’s a huge list. In 1952 Vuky was long gone and his steering failed with nine laps left, Parnelli Jones and the turbine in 1967, Mario with a two-lap lead in 1987, and Michael Andretti with a two-lap lead in 1992 are the four that immediately come to mind. They could all but see the checkered flag.