Are you one of those racing fans who fiercely oppose change?
I'm asking you this because we've received a number of comments on our website as well as on our Facebook page and Twitter account – comments from people who clearly have a tough time swallowing the new and proposed changes to the sport.
The biggest controversy, of course, is the return of turbocharged engines combined with a hybrid system in Formula 1 cars for the 2013 season. And per the FIA's new set of rules, cars driving down pit lane will be required to be in electric mode only!
For many, this is completely absurd. Part of the excitement of watching a race comes from the engine noise, and they fear that eerily quiet pit stops will put a serious damper on the entertainment value.
The fact of the matter is that the world keeps evolving and so does auto racing. Whether you like it or not, changes happen. Fortunately, we as a group seem to (quickly) get used to the new reality. Here are a few examples:
In the late 1950s, people were outraged when they saw the first F1 Coopers equipped with a mid-mounted engine instead of a front-mounted one.
About a decade later, Colin Chapman added wings to his Lotus cars, which made some critics complain endlessly. ''Wings are for planes, not F1 cars,'' they said.
Then there was Renault, which came up with a tiny 1.5L turbo engine during the 1977 season. A couple of years later, turbos were being used by every single team.
More recently, in 1999, the FIA shocked and infuriated lots of folks by eliminating wide car tracks and slick tires. Yet, we forgot all about them just a few months later.
Human nature is quite fascinating, but so is the technological revolution about to take place in F1. Just take a look at the hybrid systems manufacturers are working on, such as Toyota with the TS030.
Let's face it: the future of the sport inevitably goes through these changes and innovations.
I'm asking you this because we've received a number of comments on our website as well as on our Facebook page and Twitter account – comments from people who clearly have a tough time swallowing the new and proposed changes to the sport.
The biggest controversy, of course, is the return of turbocharged engines combined with a hybrid system in Formula 1 cars for the 2013 season. And per the FIA's new set of rules, cars driving down pit lane will be required to be in electric mode only!
For many, this is completely absurd. Part of the excitement of watching a race comes from the engine noise, and they fear that eerily quiet pit stops will put a serious damper on the entertainment value.
The fact of the matter is that the world keeps evolving and so does auto racing. Whether you like it or not, changes happen. Fortunately, we as a group seem to (quickly) get used to the new reality. Here are a few examples:
In the late 1950s, people were outraged when they saw the first F1 Coopers equipped with a mid-mounted engine instead of a front-mounted one.
About a decade later, Colin Chapman added wings to his Lotus cars, which made some critics complain endlessly. ''Wings are for planes, not F1 cars,'' they said.
Then there was Renault, which came up with a tiny 1.5L turbo engine during the 1977 season. A couple of years later, turbos were being used by every single team.
More recently, in 1999, the FIA shocked and infuriated lots of folks by eliminating wide car tracks and slick tires. Yet, we forgot all about them just a few months later.
Human nature is quite fascinating, but so is the technological revolution about to take place in F1. Just take a look at the hybrid systems manufacturers are working on, such as Toyota with the TS030.
Let's face it: the future of the sport inevitably goes through these changes and innovations.