The quest to improve overtaking in F1 (and elsewhere)

UPDATE Another Great article! Comprehensive and thought provoking. While all the points discussed have merit and are feasible in the long term I believe the author has focused on one issue that could be enacted immediately and to great effect.

Pit to car communications.

This always overlooked issue has taken so much control out of the drivers hands and brain. Just watch the broadcasts to see the army of engineers and strategists pouring over the most minute details in an effort to give the driver an upper hand. This is not motor racing as I understand it or believe it should be. It should be up to the pilot to determine what conditions are and the best way in which to deal with them. I think if we returned to pit boards only we would see a dramatic change in both running order and driver abilities.

This one item would in my opinion return F1 to the unpredictable sport it should be. All talk of phony pit stops and stupid tire choices would be completely unnecessary. This is the way to shake things up and deal each driver a joker in his hand.

While I agree that cars and tracks need to be redesigned to increase overtaking, removing all pit to car communications would mix things up in the most surprising and entertaining way with absolutely no money or effort being spent.

In fact it would save each team hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment and personnel. Amid all the knee jerk cries for a return to refueling, extra pit stops and the like it is amazing that no one other than the author has come up with this simple and elegant solution. Simply brilliant! Ray Masters Hawaii

03/23/10 A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, With regard to your recent article titled "The quest to improve overtaking in F1" This has to be the best single article I have read on the subject of overtaking in F1 (and elsewhere for that matter)!

What a comprehensive piece of writing! GOOD JOB! And I hope some F1 people with the power to do something about it will listen! Randy Buck