F1 Rules: Montoya Knows How to Make Racing More Exciting

The former F1 driver thinks that the drivers get too much information during races.

Juan Pablo Montoya, is still fascinated by the Formula One, and while he defended the current rules and the direction where F1 technology is heading now, he also had a few tips about F1 rules to make the racing more exciting right now. Many of those who bet on sports in the EU might agree with Montoya, who also revealed that the cars powered by the V10 engines, the favourites of many drivers and fans, were sometimes scary to drive.

The 39-year-old Colombian coming from the CART series, was known as a hot-headed and outspoken driver during that five and a half year that he spent in Formula One with Williams and McLaren. In that respect, he hasn’t changed after his eight seasons in NASCAR and he didn’t get slower either, leading the IndyCar currently in his second season after returning to the American open-wheel series.

F1 rules should restrict tyre sensors

Montoya, who won the Indy 500 this year, 15 years after his first success at the Brickyard, thinks that by restricting information from tyre sensors towards drivers would make racing more exciting in itself. These cars aren’t that hard to drive than their predecessors, and by knowing so much about tyre conditions make things even easier. The Colombian revealed his ideas at the first day of FIA’s Sport Conference in Mexico City.

Montoya said, “If you take away the tyre sensors, the temperature sensors, and just leave the pressures, the racing will get better by 10 per cent straight away. I’m certain of that, The driver is now lazy. There’s no feel. They see [the temperature] is too much they back off the pace. Look at the tyres, back off the pace, look at the brakes, back off the pace. If you take all that away it becomes a feel thing again. If you drive it too hard you’re going to wear the tyres off the car.”

He added, “The driver and the team just have too much information. It’s OK to have the information in practice, but that information shouldn’t be there in the race for the drivers. It’s got to be a feel thing. Also it will mean that you will start to see the talented people coming through.” Some people within the Formula One also share Montoya’s opinions and many of those too, who wager on the sport via mobile betting platforms.

F1 clampdown on radio rules

The Formula One Strategy Group also thought that the drivers have too much information, concentrating on radio traffic. The clampdown that would take effect from Belgium would not just include the new clutch rule, which states that the clutch bite point might not be adjusted after the car left the garage. It also discusses radio traffic for reconnaissance or formation laps, saying that the pitwall only can inform the driver about critical problems with the car or with a competitor’s car.

The driver can also be informed about pitting to retire or for fixing obviously. Communicating marshal warnings and information from race control would be also allowed, and the pitwall can warn the driver about wet track, oil or debris in certain parts of the track as well. Any violation of the rules would result in a penalty.

Lap times are no problem

Some punters playing at online sportsbooks in the EU are criticizing Formula One because of the slower cars. However, Montoya expressed that the problem with racing is not necessarily that F1 2015’s lap times are far from those were recorded ten years ago, when the Colombian was also in the business. He said, “It’s funny, those lap times haven’t been seen for 10 years and yet they only became a factor last year because the cars didn’t make any noise, so everyone said ‘oh the cars are slow’”.

• Montoya would tell less data to drivers
• Slower lap times aren’t necessarily F1’s problem
• F1 cars were scary ten years ago

He added, “They could be a little quicker, yes, but the cars are not slow. Do they have a little less grip? Yeah, you can see that. The thing is they just don’t have enough downforce. You have to be careful with wanting the cars to go faster because the faster you go the harder it is to pass and the bigger the hole you’re going to punch. You’ve got to figure out a way to helping out the drivers in the cars. There are two things: you’ve got to figure out how to generate enough downforce without sacrificing following other cars.”

Montoya also revealed for the online betting audience that after the winter break it was scary to drive again the V10 cars in his time. He said, “When you got back in the car, the first five laps were the scariest and most fun laps you would do in the whole year. It was the same car as the previous year, and the set up was right, the tyres were right, you knew the place you were driving at, but still your feet would come off the throttle in some of the fast place. It was so friggin’ fast!”