It's quite insane to think how much faster F1 could be, especially on older regulations without development and budget limitations.
Regulations have been trying to limit the speed of the cars for decades, with only partial success.
Regulations have been trying to limit the speed of the cars for decades, with only partial success.
And don't get me started on the tire regulations.
F1, from the cars to the drivers, is peak manufactured drama.
F1 certainly has its issues though, the cars are just too big. Monaco has been a joke of a race for a while, the "race" is won in qualifying. 2026 might be better as the cars are getting smaller again.
That's largely true. There is at least one, wonderful, reward from all the rule-fiddling, though it might be orthogonal to the issues you've highlighted, but driver deaths and severe injuries are much less common than they used to be.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_fatalities
A cynic would say that, if the arena no longer offers us the ever-present possibility of death, then the drama needs to be enhanced in other ways, even if they are artificial.
It looks like the nose got longer as well, I assume this is for crashworthiness.
There's something about the way the car twitches like it could go faster if you let it, and the sound!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqaJKTRs-Kg
But that 1985 car control is insane!
Before DRS there was even less overtaking.
Teams running 3 different engines during a weekend between qualification/race while others only had money for 1 engine every few races. Teams that could outspend other teams by a factor of 10 sometimes, quite ridiculous.
I wish cars to get smaller, these behemoths really crowd narrow historical tracks such as Suzuka, the 2026 regs seem to be taming the size of the cars and I hope it's a direction they continue for the next formula changes.
I would say Ferrari, in their post-2000 domination, were the first team to make reliability not a factor, for the most part.
M Schumacher still holds the record for most consecutive podium finishes, 19 (!), across the 2001-2002 seasons:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_driver_rec...
Ironically, one reliability mishap arguably cost them the 2006 season.
Firstly some tracks have a lot of overtaking. Some are harder, Monaco has none.
The need for DRS is primarily because the aerodynamics of the following car are affected by the dirty air caused by the car in front. DRS is an aero assistance to overcome aero penalties.
Regulations, spending caps, wind tunnel limitations etc are indeed designed yo keep car performance as close as possible. Frankly without that racing is terminally boring. Without it the pack would simply spread out in predictable formation based on car speed. By keeping the cars closer together in performance the driver matters more, and there is more opportunity for actual racing.
I'll also point out that all sports, including all motor sports, are manufactured to create a contest. From the NFL draft system, to baseball cost caps, to endless rule tweaks, the goal of sport is to provide for more unpredictable outcomes. Thats kinda the point.
We've had some of the highest overtakes per season in recent years. Tracks like Monaco have always made for low overtakes, but DRS has been a great addition. Overtaking in F1 is difficult because of the dirty air from the car ahead, which has only gotten worse with improved aero, not because the cars are wider. Yes, DRS only reduces drag, but it's a necessary counterbalance to the turbulence. I believe it results in a true slipstream effect, which is exactly what you would have without the dirty air.
Editing to provide some data: https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/nf4jkq/f1_overtak...
It even feels like you have to wait a few days post race for the FIA to decide who actually won.
Whenever I watch WEC or Rally I'm reminded of what real racing is, the comparatively light touch the FIA have with those series has led to much more exciting sports.