Barcelona 1996, Spa 1998, Silverstone 2008, Brazil 2016. So we could go on with F1 wet races that produced a spectacle. Unfortunately, that time seems to have passed. Today we begin to tremble with fear rather than excitement at the first raindrops on the lens. Perhaps the next idea can make you look forward to an F1 rain race again.
The wet races in Singapore and Japan showed that wet asphalt driving has changed. Teams and drivers are doing everything they can to full-wet and the race directors regularly do not dare to send the drivers onto the track. As a result of these two rain races, the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) met for deliberation.
Driver information rounds for the FIA
The chairman of this club, which includes Vettel, Hamilton and Russell, is former F1 driver Alexander Wurz. He believes in a concept he calls “information rounds,” he explains to Motorsport. ‘The race director could be given the option of information rounds. He could then say, if the teams agree to the procedure, that the cars can go on track as if they were doing their lap to the grid.’
“During this lap, the drivers can see for themselves what the conditions are like. We would then have twenty opinions of twenty drivers risking their lives. Then the FIA can also make a more informed decision. It’s also good for the Marshalls. They will then know if they can see the next Marshall post. If they can’t see those, you really shouldn’t be driving; we don’t want accidents in a white cloud of fog.’
Create a representative image for the public
In addition, Wurz thinks the public will better understand that the race will be postponed when the F1 cars go around instead of the safety car. “When you see the safety car driving alone, with a bit of spray, and that guy has fun and goes over the curbs and does a drift, it’s completely different than when you suddenly send twenty cars onto the track.”
The idea for the information rounds has only been discussed internally within the GPDA. That could just change if it is up to Wurz, although there are still some snags. “You have to find out about race distances and the fuel load, but I think we can find a solution because it would help a lot.”
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