No re-fueling please. Really it's not going to improve anything and we'll just go back to short sprints with teams overtaking in the pits. No, banning re-fueling and the new pirelli tyres are the best things to happen to F1 in years. Now there is a lot more tactics involved and drivers also need to be a lot smarter.
And overtaking in the pits during re-fueling was so much different, then drivers using the 'under-cut' now, exploiting the characteristics of the Pirelli tyres to get past their opponents? Not really. The only reason why we are seeing more "natural" overtakes now is because of DRS (which has nothing to do with the refueling-ban and IMO isn't really a 'natural' overtake) and because the tyres are so artificially sensitive, that drivers and teams are having trouble finding the perfect set-up and the tyre wear is a bit of a lottery. That the tyres reach a cliff and lose grip, helps to enhance this.
If we discount DRS and the artificially sensitive tyres - we had a lot more
real overtakes during the refueling period - because you always had some of the midfield teams (like e.g. Sauber) attempt long stints with heavier fuel loads. Drivers running on a more agressive strategy
always needed to rely on race-craft to get past these opponents to make their strategy work - pitting early due to one of these would always compromise their strategy. Even if we were to have refueling back - there's no reason to go back to bridgestone tyres or ban DRS (which is a result of the cars being so aero dependant now days).
The problem I see with artificial sensitive tyres like these are that you are effectively dumbing down the sport and enhancing the spectacle. Sure it's entertaining, but how "real" is it, if finding the right set-up for these tyres is down to a lot of luck, irrespective who has got the best driver or the best car on the grid? Why is it a lot of luck? Because the tyres are so narrow in their operating window that it is temperature, track, driver and car dependant. Temperature and track change with every event, so it's extremely difficult to find a setup that works - which is why we are now seeing races where a new team dominates (Mercedes, Sauber, Lotus, Williams) or falls.
The other issue I have with the re-fueling ban and the Pirellis is that hyper sensitive tyres and 160+ kg of weight at the start of a race don't mix well. By the time the cars become light enough for the drivers to really start pushing the cars and RACE - they are towards the end of the race, either already conserving tyres (to get to the finish line) and thus can't really drive too agressive in fear to break the tyres or the leader is effectively so far ahead that there is no race.
Even if teams get a handle of the tyres - you still are not going to change that it will remain a gamble of how agressive you can drive (to get past your opponents) but risk damaging your tyres - especially when you still have a lot of fuel and the loads on the tyres are more extreme.
With the current situation - IMO - we aren't all that far away from having races with artificial rain. Sure - it enhances the spectacle and will lead to more people watching the sport - and people that have kept watching the sport since 20 years and are interested in the technical aspects will find themselves in the minority wishing for more real racing.
IMO - the only way to make the sport more attractive and keep the spectacle is make them less aero dependant (no more DRS necessary), a real budget cap that works and gives a more level playing field for most teams, challenging tyres and rules that give both agressive and smooth drivers the opportunity to make their strategy work.
But now - how good and
real is the racing really, if it is not the best car/driver that dictates who is winning, but the tyre?
PS: No hard feelings by the way - but I do think this topic deserves a constructive discussion - and Schumachers criticism (irregardless of what his motivations are for voicing them - he is not the only driver to think that) highlights some of it what I think is wrong. Although I don't often agree with Niki Lauda - he too is very vocal about the current situation on RTL (and he does have a tendency to talk without thinking too much of consequences).
