F1 okays ‘Driver of Day’ prize
FORMULA ONE is to introduce a “Driver of the Day” award with fans voting online during the race, the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said yesterday in a statement detailing changes for 2016 and 2017.
It also confirmed that a new qualifying format had been unanimously accepted by teams and other stakeholders and was set to be introduced from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 20.
The FIA said the driver award was aimed at increasing fan engagement.
The equivalent of soccer’s “Man of the Match” will be announced straight after the race during the broadcast proceedings from the podium, with the driver presented with a prize.
The governing body also said it intended to introduce some form of cockpit protection from 2017, with a “halo” concept around the driver’s head the preferred choice.
Other options, such as transparent cockpit protection, would continue to be evaluated.
Formula One teams met in Geneva on Tuesday, while their new cars were on track in testing in Barcelona, to agree changes to make the sport more exciting.
With television coverage switching from free-to-air to pay channels in some countries, including Spain, there has been some concern within the sport about dwindling audience figures.
The FIA said a meeting of the core Strategy Group, which includes the governing body, six top teams and commercial rights holders, agreed to postpone the deadline for the finalisation of 2017 sporting and technical regulations from March 1 to April 30.
It said that was to allow all stakeholders “the best opportunity to complete all relevant work”.
New bodywork regulations for 2017 aimed at creating faster and more aggressive cars were adopted, however.
The FIA said it would continue discussions with teams and tyre supplier Pirelli over the best way to test the new tyres required to handle the demands of the regulation changes.
Pirelli are limited on how much testing they can do, with the regulations also restricting their use of current cars, and the Italian company has expressed concern about the situation.
The governing body reported further progress with the four manufacturers about providing cheaper power units to those who want them, making the engines noisier and reducing performance advantages.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25 2016
A working group aims to reach an agreement by April 30.
Meanwhile F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, pictured, has said the sport faces a brighter future.
Speaking to Reuters two days after he said current F1 was the worst it had ever been and he would not buy tickets for his family to watch races, the 85-year-old sounded a much more positive note.
“I think now I’d be a bit more confident that we are going to see some good racing,” he said in a telephone interview. “Then I’ll be happy.”
Ecclestone said teams, who agreed the new qualifying format on Tuesday, had finally woken up and taken a step in the right direction with more change to come.
Some changes aimed at making cars faster, louder, harder to handle and more aggressive for the 2017 season still need to be ratified.
The new qualifying format was passed unanimously, meaning it can be introduced in Australia.
Under the new procedure, the slowest drivers will be eliminated as the session progresses rather than at the end of each phase. The final shootout for pole will be between two drivers rather than 10.
“The idea really is that it will be the same as qualifying in wet conditions. Maybe one or two of the hotshoes aren’t going to make it. So we won’t see the obvious on the front of the grid,” Ecclestone said.
“My idea was to leave qualifying just as it is, don’t touch it.
“And then penalise people if you want from pole position downwards depending on their result in the previous race,” Ecclestone explained.
He explained that would have allowed a driver’s pole to be entered in the record books for posterity, even if he did not start from the front of the grid because of the ensuing demotion. – Reuters