3 cars per team? F1 drivers in F3 cars.

[andicole0]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/138860/haas-threecar-teams-would-distort-f1

Haas don't like the idea but if only two nominated cars scored constructors points it would put more cars on the track and allow more young drivers to gain experience. Teas that couldn't afford a third car wouldn't lose out but we'd see more action.
I also think a special race with the F1 drivers in say F3 cars (all the same) would be fun to see how they stack up as drivers. Maybe this could replace quali to find the fastest driver?
Andi.

 

[The_Abyss]

If only two cars scored points then top teams could use the third car as a blocker or disrupt other teams.

 

[GravyMonster]

If only two cars scored points then top teams could use the third car as a blocker or disrupt other teams.

Exactly. This idea has been mooted several times over the last 20 years, and every time no one seems to want to address the obvious flaws with it.

It's an idea similar to DRS in that it's a band-aid solution which doesn't do anything to actually solve the underlying problem.

 

[The_Abyss]

There's the other elephant in the room too - Ferrari. This season especially they've often managed to demonstrate enormous strategic ineptitude with managing two cars. I think they'd just have a meltdown if a third were introduced.

 

[d_brennen]

If the rookie in car 3 spanks his scoring teammates it would make for an uncomfortable post race interview

 

[Bug One]

No need. If they're really keen on getting drivers in, give more financial assistance to the teams further down the grid, so they don't have to rely on poor drivers with money behind them.

 

[Bug One]

And no ones stopping them entering a 'B' team next year. It works for Red Bull.

 

[413x]

In some ways 3 cars per team would be great. But they'd have to score points or be rolling roadblocks, crash test dummies etc. Imagine the non scorer having an 'accident' with another car. If it was genuine, fingers would still be pointed.

But it doesn't get round the A and B formula. Just makes each more interesting. Not many teams could afford it

 

[PaulCa]

Remove the aero or make the aero less susceptible to dirty air. Infact ideally aero should be designed that the more you have the easier you are to follow making a strategic trade off. Potentially giving the driver steering wheel control over the front and rear aero could introduce some dynamic risk trade offs in the race.

Bigger stickier tyres, less aero, makes for less stable cars that can follow closer and for overtaking it again becomes a matter of who has the biggest balls. Make it so that driving the cars at 90% is fine, but at 100% they are a serious handful allowing for drivers to choose when and where they want to take the risk to make an overtake by "hammer time"'ing it for a lap.

Shorten the races a little. 90 minutes + 1 lap. This will remove the annoying "cruise mode" phases to save fuel.

 

[Quartz]

And no ones stopping them entering a 'B' team next year. It works for Red Bull.

It works for Ferrari too, with Haas. And isn't Williams becoming the Mercedes B team?

 

[Mr Jack]

If only two cars scored points then top teams could use the third car as a blocker or disrupt other teams.

Put the third car's points into a separate "junior" championship?

 

[GravyMonster]

We already have F2 for that.

 

[Mr Jack]

We already have F2 for that.

Not really the same thing. The third F1 driver would compete for driver's championship points, but their constructors points would be counted separately. That way you avoid both the problem of some teams getting three cars and some two, and of one of the cars not counting.

 

[The_Abyss]

Es, that’s just what F1 needs. Yet more complicated pointless (literally) tinkering that needs to be explained to the casual fan.

 

[ThestigGT999]

terrible idea imo

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

How about a third car sprint race on Sat and Sunday in a fixed spec last year car? Named main race drivers are not allowed to drive. Wing shapes, tyres and power output controlled by FIA. Some Superlicense points available to top 3 also.
It might also allow the FIA to experiment with concepts for following years.
You could strip the cars right back to basics to keep the costs down and level the field.

It would give young drivers a chance to join the show, qualify for superlicense, get experience in modern f1 machinery, and leave the main race alone.

 

[The_Abyss]

Too expensive for the teams IMO. F2 could be used for the same thing.

 

[Ninco!]

I could not think of anything worse - if the grid was 30 cars...?

If F1 adopted this method as of now, it would end up like FIA WEC!

F1 should be a field of 26 cars...

I miss the classic names Ligier, Minardi, Arrows, Lotus & Tyrell.

Mansell in his autobiography summed it up very well, driver careers are, when compared to before; simply too long (okay not in these blunt terms but you get the idea) as well as the cost for younger drivers to break into F1.

Then there is the exorbitant costs of creating & running teams...

 

[cuke2u]

Not sure if some venues have the garage space for three cars team, monaco for example. Plus the budgets would increase at a time when they're trying to cap them....