F1 News
F1 sees tension rising: 'Lot of analysis to find out'
- GPblog.com
The new regulations have had a positive effect on the excitement in Formula 1. That is the opinion of Pat Symonds, who, as Formula 1's Chief Technical Officer, was able to witness the situation up close this calendar year. At the same time, he feels that the motorsport class can still make strides.
"We do a lot of analysis to find out," Symonds states in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport. "During the race, we measure how well the drivers can follow another car in a 200-metre area and see how likely it is to overtake. We divide that into different classes: a 25 per cent chance or a 75 per cent chance."
With the changes to the cars, which can follow each other more easily under the new rules, among other things, Symonds sees clear progress. Indeed, he says, it has become clear that for spectators there is more thrill to be seen on the track.
"It's not so much about the pure overtaking figures, which at some circuits were even lower than last year. It's about the phase before that. The duel is the battle that draws the spectator in. The overtaking is just the end of the battle."
Formula 1 survey of fans
Symonds is also conducting research with Formula 1 on fans by monitoring them on social media. When there are a lot of angry comments during the race weekend, it asks what the reason could be. It also applies this tactic when fans are positive.