Former Mercedes CEO Nick Fry has suggested radical changes to pit stops in order to make Formula 1 more interesting for fans.
Fry described the “homogeneity” of Formula One as unhealthy for the sport and commented on the reported decline in viewing figures following Max Verstappen's dominance.
As for how Fry will fix that, he'll take a look at pit stops and refueling.
Mercedes chief suggests alternative to stoppage in Formula 1's future
Refueling in Formula 1 was common until it was banned in 2010 after a number of unsafe incidents in the pit lane.
As a result, the cars became heavier but Fry believes they also got rid of some of the unpredictability.
“The teams are almost too good at what they do,” he told OLBG. “When I started, you could almost count on the fact that 20% of the field was going to be cut off by a crash or breakdown. Nobody does that anymore. It's unusual to see cars parked on the side of the track.”
“Refueling is dangerous for the people involved, but it adds another element of unpredictability.
“Formula 1 has done fantastically over the last few years and Netflix has helped hugely with that. However, I think the sport needs to come up with more off-site variations. Viewing numbers are undoubtedly declining, especially in the US, and they need to Find ways to get it back.
“People are hoping that someone can challenge Red Bull and Max Verstappen. It would be great for the sport if someone could, but if not, they will have to find other ways to make it interesting.
“Formula 1 is trying to compete for the public's time on a Sunday afternoon, and they have a lot of other things to do, especially in the summer.
Another option Frey suggested would be to change the bylaw to provide a “leveler playing field.”
“There are two avenues Formula 1 could explore if they are serious about making the sport more unpredictable,” he said. “One is to maneuver technical regulations to provide a smoother playing field, but history shows that such strategies rarely work.
“This has been tried many times, the truth is that a good big team will always beat a good small team, and the teams with the most or best resources find the optimal solution first.
“My view is that Formula One has to do it through the sporting regulations. That means the format of the race, the number of pit stops, the way you use your tires, etc. I don’t know what the answer is, but I think it’s in that area.
“The solutions have to be fairly radical. Think back to some of the interesting steps that have been taken, such as the qualifying system. This was already developed by the teams during the threatened break-up in 2009.
“We were thinking of going our own way from the FIA. A lot of teams took credit for the qualifying process, but it was actually Red Bull's idea! It was the brainchild of the Red Bull marketing team and someone from the Honda team.
“I think Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore took credit for it, but it wasn't them at all! It came from people at a business level! I would say F1 should implement similar ideas, but they should activate them during the races, not just in Playoffs.
But he indicated that something must be done to break the existing system for Verstappen, Red Bull or other fans who are starting to get upset.
“I must unfortunately admit that the homogeneity of Formula 1 racing is unhealthy for the sport as a whole. I think it is a major issue.
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“Football is the most successful sport because matches can change in a matter of seconds. That's why people watch matches until the end. It doesn't matter if your team is 2-1 down going into extra time, you still have a chance to win. That's what keeps viewers on edge.” Their seats.
“The teams, from top to bottom, are so good at what they do that it's hard to see unexpected situations happen, except when it rains, when it throws a curveball that can lead to unexpected conditions.
“Formula 1 has struggled constantly with this problem. I can't begin to count the number of meetings I've sat in where we've been asked how we can deliver the kind of randomness you get with wet weather! Excitement can't be faked, so it's very difficult to find mechanisms to bring competition into this the field.
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