F1 wants to revisit the inverted starting grid

[Bardahl77]

Since Monza was so exciting they're thinking inverting the grid sometimes would spice things up. Haven't seen that since my dirt track days. And then usually for the Australian Pursuit Race. If anyone isn't aware of that, the pursuit race has the fast cars in back, and if you get passed you're out. Last car running wins. I won one of those one time after my car had fuel feed problems in qualifying. Of course, I got the "sandbagger" label. But F1 should have a handle on that, right?

[Rick Kirchner]

VARA used to do an Australian pursuit at Willow Springs. it was based on your qualifying times. 10 laps, cars released from the S/F in the pit lane. It was designed so that all the cars ended up on the front straight at roughly the same time IF you drove 10 of your best laps.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Maybe that's what Ferrari has been doing all season! Sandbagging for that 1 race they might reverse the grid!

[scorp997]

Maybe they should just impose actual drive through penalties more often, rather than seconds added to a finish. That is what made this race exciting.

I did NOT feel bad for Lewis, even if he was ‘commited’ To the pit entrance - rules are rules

[chrisw52]

I don't know... reverse grids sounds like another gimmick..
I would rather see them clamp down further on the engine modes than what is available currently. Without their party modes, looks like mercedes has a problem with overheating in traffic.

Monza demonstrated how overly optimized the cars are these days, they have settings for everything that can be tweaked during the race. The more the FIA clamp down on those types of activities, I think we will see more exciting racing.

Got to put the racing back in the hands of the driver and not in the engineers

[Jim Garry]

The proposal is not to reverse the starting grid for the main race. It's to have a qualifying race with *its* starting grid based on reverse season standings.

A good idea if used just on some selected weekends.

[Jerry Kehoe]

Regardless of the circumstances the F1 race was certainly more interesting this time!

[mmi16]

Maybe they should just impose actual drive through penalties more often, rather than seconds added to a finish. That is what made this race exciting.

I did NOT feel bad for Lewis, even if he was ‘commited’ To the pit entrance - rules are rules

Does F1 follow the NASCAR precedent of if you enter pit lane when the Pits are Closed - but drive through without stopping you are not hit with the 'pitting when pits closed' penalty?

Placing the pit closed lights to the Outside of the Parabolica is placing them outside of the drivers field of focus for that turn - a additional 'Pits Closed' light at the start of the pit/track divider wall should be installed at all tracks where it is possible/necessary to close the pits for whatever reason.

[Jerry Kehoe]

I agree it makes no sense to have the pit closed sign on the left and at least have it on both sides

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Isn't there an indicator on their dash? Thought I heard that mentioned.

Also, the crew should have known and made a radio call. I've seen people get called to box seconds before pit entry and make it.
They could have called it off.

Either way, it was a more entertaining race.

[Jerry Kehoe]

The steering wheel looks like Christmas tree now!

[Skip Weld]

It is not necessary to resort to American circus promotion stunts to equalize the field although the race was very entertaining.
For a start simply move a great deal of the various prize and tv monies further down the finishing order.
The top teams seem to have enough money and the bottom teams are struggling. Why keep feeding the teams that already have enough money and sponsors? If more teams can run at the front they will draw more sponsors into the sports which will benefit everyone.
Maybe they will get the 2 last teams to fill out the field which at one time I think was supposed to be 12 teams of 2 cars.
Skip Weld

[Purple Frog]

Maybe just start the Mercedes cars from another time zone.

[Jim Garry]

for a start simply move a great deal of the various prize and tv monies further down the finishing order.

This!

[Jerry Kehoe]

Since the F1 championship started out as a "drivers" championship not a manufacturers marketing championship and since the cars are such a big part of it for the most part it is really hard to judge which driver is really the best or is it simply a very good driver in the best car? While I agree that Hamilton is currently the best would he still win in a Williams right now? Just think if Hamilton was stuck in their current car now for years would anyone even know who he is? It is a never ending question without a concrete answer. What if's are never ending!

[Bardahl77]

Since the F1 championship started out as a "drivers" championship not a manufacturers marketing championship and since the cars are such a big part of it for the most part it is really hard to judge which driver is really the best or is it simply a very good driver in the best car? While I agree that Hamilton is currently the best would he still win in a Williams right now? Just think if Hamilton was stuck in their current car now for years would anyone even know who he is? It is a never ending question without a concrete answer. What if's are never ending!

I have a theory that most driver in F1 are capable of putting in laps at the maximum of the cars ability. This is why you often see the two Mercedes together on the grid, the two Red Bulls together, the Williams, the Haas, etc. One driver is a smidge better maybe (especially since we're talking tenths of a second in most cases). So I doubt Hamilton would be 2 seconds faster in the Williams than the current drivers. Maybe 3 or 4 tenths, but a car goes as fast as a car goes at that level.

Could Roman Grosjean compete with Bottas in Mercedes? I think so.

[Peter Olivola]

The car vs driver argument has been with us since the first two cars met and a challenge was issued. What's also been with us is the recognition that one of the skills required to be a world champion is being able to find your way into a seat in the best car. I sometimes think those who want to argue the point aren't so much car vs driver, but car vs car or driver vs driver partisans.

[Jerry Kehoe]

Thank God there will never be enough Scotch or wine available to solve the issue, and thanks again for the issue as an excuse to drink the Scotch and the wine!

[Bardahl77]

Thank God there will never be enough Scotch or wine available to solve the issue, and thanks again for the issue as an excuse to drink the Scotch and the wine!

I'll take a wee dram of Laphroig if you're pouring, laddie

[Offcamber1]

Could Roman Grosjean compete with Bottas in Mercedes? I think so.

Roman would crash every other race and Botox would muff the start on 2 out of 3, so Hamilton would win 3 out of 4 races anyway.