107% Grid Rule Enforcement

Interesting news from the Official Formula One website on behalf of the FIA.

There have been quite a few new rules and regulations put into play for the 2011 season. Some, of course, make sense, and some don't.  The one that interests me the most is the implementation of the 107% Grid. It's not a new rule, it just has not been imposed since 2002. The 107% rule was introduced to F1 1997 and breached immediately. Season opening race in Australia. And since the rule was introduced into the sport, my research shows that there have been 37 cases in which it has been broken.  Out of those 37 cases, 13 drivers were  allowed to start the relevant race due to "exceptional circumstances" determined by the stewards. The rule affected 23 out of the 116 Grand Prix in which it applied.  We have seen no further DNQ in Formula One since 2002. Yet it is set to change next year. 

"From 2011, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107% of the fastest Q1 qualifying time will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances, however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race. Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, the grid order will be determined by the stewards."

So from this rule's implementation, you may only going to see rich teams come out the other side of it.   If all the slow cars are given a DNQ, then only the head of the pack is on track and the race. I am just afraid though, that if the slower teams are knocked out, we will then see teams orders being over implemented without hesitation next. Just doing a quick calculation here though, if the top car does a lap of 1.14, the bottom car cannot be any slower than 1.19.  It doesn't seem like much when you look at it. 5 seconds in Formula One is a long time. I can understand the thought behind the idea but I also can see the it from Lotus' Tony Fernandes and Virgin's Richard Branson call to remove the blue flags totally from F1.

"Drivers are paid to overtake, whether they are back markers or at the front," Fernandes was quoted back in May. "I think it would be good for the sport to get rid of blue flags. In the days of Ken Tyrrell, he would never let any car pass.

"If it's really hard for a world champion to get past a backmarker then I think it's a sad day for racing. I think racing is all about getting past people and overtaking and adding a little bit of 'je ne sais quoi'.

"You've got a driver saying it's ridiculous that he's lapping someone four times, so why should he be complaining about overtaking a guy that he's lapping four times?"

Formula One is about racing.  By supporting the 107% rule implementation, we will see a much more fast paced race.  There would be more excitement in the Title races but we would lose the groundwork for any future teams that wanted to enter the sport.  They only way that there could be a new team, would be to fundamentally buy an existing team.  There would be no way for them to build up a their team without the capacity to race.

If we support the 'no blue flags', there would be a lot of excitement in the race still but of a different sort.  There would still be the separation in the field but we would see new team and watch them grow.  I just look back at Red Bull Racing when they came to launch in 2005.  They were the underdog and comparable to a lot of the new teams in the current 2010 season.  Without the DNQ rule being implemented by the FIA, Red Bull has been able to develop and flourish within the grid and is now in a formidable fight for both Driver's and constructor's Titles. It only took Red Bull 6 years to achieve the dream.

I am just afraid with the FIA's 107% grid rule, that as fans and the sport alike, we will miss out on a lot of potential. Not just driver's potential but team's potential as well. The sport may never produce another team like Red Bull again. That would be a major blow to the sport and to fans alike.

At least with the new Grid Rule, you can see the ripple affect already. Lotus has opted for the Renault engine for 2011 and also Red Bull gearbox and hydraulics technology.  I can only imagine how much this has cost the team within such a short time.

Even after writing this blog, and sleeping on the issue, I am still somewhat on the fence.  I can see the validity of both sides of the argument.  With the 107% grid implemented, the race will only get faster, without it, the race will evolve into something new.  Removing the blue flags altogether and Formula One will be completely new.  I understand that things need to change but which way is the best?  My thoughts keep coming back to Red Bull Racing, 2005 till present...