Talking Shortcuts

Bernie Ecclestone has sent out shockwaves in the world of Formula One as he attempts to introduce new ideas that could improve the quality of racing and therefore entertainment. His latest idea was to introduce shortcuts into Formula One tracks, of which drivers could use five times a race. These suggestions have sparked many Formula One experts and insiders to voice their opinion on the matter. Personally I am against the idea.

I agree with the perception that we need to see more overtaking but it is my belief that shortcuts in race tracks are not the way forward. It defeats the whole object we are trying to improve on. The shortcuts would mean that drivers would overtake but it would not be the close wheel to wheel battles we see now which keep us on the edge of our seats. It’s what Formula One is all about and it is the thrill and excitement of it all that keeps us tuning in. Take Brazil 2009 for example, Jenson Button was on the verge of winning the title and he was back in the field but that didn’t stop him. He went on an amazing charge through the field, taking position after position. You could feel his hunger and his passion to win the title as well as the excitement he produced in some of the most amazing moves I have ever seen. Just watching him took my breath away and I kept expecting him or his rival go off the track and have an accident. Once again though, that is the thrill and rush that the sport brings and the reason why I love watching it.

Another reason why I am negative on the idea of shortcuts is because the drivers who have worked hard for their position could have it taken away by another driver who takes advantage of the shortcut. I used to play a Formula One game on the old Playstation and we always used to go on one race where we would mess around and take shortcuts. We would call that cheating. Ok we all know that the rules will be five times a race usage but it still wouldn’t seem right to skip half of the track.

Formula One has always been a team sport where strategies play a big part in where the drivers finish at the end of a race. The team work together all weekend to come up with a good set-up and pit stop arrangement in order to get the maximum out of the race. Shortcuts would also take this away from the sport when it has always been a part of racing and something that is special to the sport.

Formula One experts believe that Ecclestone is concerned that the ban on refueling may have a negative impact on overtaking but Eddie Irvine told the BBC that he thinks overtaking will improve: “Some cars will be better on full fuel, some will be better on low fuel, so you’ll have a greater difference. You’ll have drivers who are harder on their tyres than others, so there’ll be a greater difference. “The degradation of the cars will be higher because they’re carrying so much fuel – that will all help.”

Formula One fans have also voiced their opinions on the matter: “Shortcuts, really? I love to watch overtaking and this just basically eliminates it as an activity as most overtaking will be done by the shortcuts,” said one fan on BBC’s 606.

What are your thoughts on Bernie’s shortcut proposal for Formula One? You can join in the discussion on our message board or you can visit our Twitter and Facebook pages.