So the people that write the regulations
for the “Great Big F1 Rule Book” have finally made a change for the good.
Post race donuts are allowed!
In fact even better than that; the
rule now states:
An exception to Article 30.4 (which
states a driver cannot stop on track without a justifiable reason) and to the above will be made for the
winning driver who may perform an act of celebration before reaching parc
ferme, provided any such act;
-Is performed safely and does not endanger other drivers or officials.
-Does not call into question the legality of his car.
-Does not delay the podium ceremony.
 |
| Sebastien Vettel performs donuts to celebrate his race win. Brazilian Grand Prix, 2014. |
So as long as it doesn’t interrupt
the show, you can pretty much do anything! Great news..!
Talking of “the show”, the Winter Olympics have held me, and most of the paddock, transfixed
for the past few weeks. What an amazing array of disciplines, emotions and
sportsmanship. I’ve learnt about new sports, learnt new words and been blown
away by the different ways of slipping, sliding and falling over on ice.
The Olympics have provided 3 weeks of
addictive sporting viewing to an eager public that didn’t know the first thing
about Super G, Slopestyle or Moguls. But it works. It entertains us, all of us!
Isn’t that what sport is all about?
It’s the entertainment that we crave at weekends after a gruelling week in the
office?
The usual beginning of the season F1
rule change press releases normally mutter something along the lines of, “shaving a 1/1,000th of a
millimetre from the underhanging vortex of the upper support - rule 406, sub
section 9, paragraph 3.1 blah blah blah”,
none of which adds to the show....
But what they have done now however
will appeal to the fans, the tv audience, the broadcasters and the sponsors; it
will make the show better. It is also great to see an improvement that hasn’t
cost billions. In fact it has cost nothing. Zero...!
And although I am applauding them,
why stop there. Look at the examples and lessons we can learn from the
Olympics. Why don’t we throw in some wild card events around F1?
The F1 support race package at most
grands prix has been the same for donkey’s years. Does racing get any more boring
than Porsche Super Cup? Twenty rich, old blokes, driving around on a Sunday
afternoon; it’s the motorsport equivalent of curling..!
Should we not be showcasing new up
and coming events that may attract the younger “dudes” to our sport just as the
Winter Olympics has?
Let’s take a leaf out of the Winter
Olympics rule book.
Why go feet first, when you can go
head first.... why take off facing forwards when you can go backwards....why
wear safety equipment at 100kph, when a bit of lycra will do, and remember,
don’t walk down the stairs, ski down the hand rail.
F1 can learn a lot.
