F1 Changes Course, or So It Seems

F1 power brokers met in Monaco yesterday to discuss F1 president Max Mosley's radical ideas for how to reform the series. The result, according to Mosley, is agreement on most of his proposals, meaning they will kick in by 2006 rather than 2008. Those changes include smaller more durable engines, one tire manufacturer in the series, and a return to real manual gearboxes (with clutches!). At least one "senior F1 insider" case some doubt on Mosley's comments, noting that an agreement had been reached in principle but that, as always with F1, the "devil is in the detail."

It seems to me that F1 is at a turning point in its existence. It has existed for most of its history as both the pinnacle of driving talent and engineering prowess. F1 cars have always been among the most advanced in the world. In the modern age, however, the push for higher technology has been slowly taking control of the car out of the hands of the drivers and into the hands of computers and automated systems. The problem, of course, is that this mirrors the rise of this technology in the rest of the motoring world. Traction control is a great demon in F1 (and other series), but it's becoming commonplace on street cars. The F1 paddle-style mostly-automatic gearbox is in line technologically behind radical new CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) units that are debuting in high-end luxury cars. Street driven sports cars now possess electronic suspension control.

My point is this: F1 can no longer have it both ways. The technology is moving to slowly replace the driver. If the series wants to remain the highest level of driving competition, it must cut back in certain areas to keep the drivers involved in the driving of their cars. Does that mean live rear axles, carburetors, and 4-speed gearboxes? No. But it means a letting go of the idea that F1 must be the engineering peak of the automotive world.