2014... a season of change?
We've 52 days until the start of the 2014 F1 season and, like most fans, I can't wait.
2014 promises much as there's an entirely new power train and the rules have been changed to remove much of the performance advantage from clever use of the air coming from the car's exhaust. The cars will now use 1.6 litre V6 turbo engines instead of the 2.4 litre V8 normally aspirated units. The new engines and electrical energy recovery systems (now called ERS instead of KERS) are expected to deliver the same if not more power than the 2013 units. In addition the ERS has twice the capacity and can be used for up to 30 seconds per lap rather than just 6.7 seconds as was the case in 2013. It seems likely that we'll see more failures as the teams struggle to get the best out of these new power trains and hopefully a lot more unpredictability in the racing.
We can also expect the cars to look quite different this season. The nose has to be a lot lower and the wings smaller. Those of us that hope that the cars will resemble the beautiful machines we saw in the early 90s (like the Williams FW14B, McLaren MP4/6 or the Benetton-Ford B190) will be disappointed I'm afraid. The cars are a step in the right direction, when viewed from the side at least, but the nose will narrow sharply and, according to many, resembles an anteater.
One rule that won't, I expect, please many fans is the rule that awards double points for the last race of the season. The idea being that it sustains the interest in the championship. It's just my opinion as a fan but I see it as a gimmick and I don't like the idea. If one team tends to dominate then it's because the others aren't competing at the same level. My view is that it should be within the power of the governing body and the teams to create a 'playing field' where a close competition is expected rather than resorting to gimmicks.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that Reality F1 will be returning and with a few changes. In light of the player survey I ran at the end of the last season I plan to increase the number of free team changes to three. Given the unpredictability we expect this season I think this is the right thing to do. Also, in line with the real F1 championship, I'll also be introducing the double points rule for the last race... although I'll drop it if the real sport drops it.
I hope to launch the 2014 competition in mid-February. As usual, I'll notify all players who played in 2013 once the new competition has launched. If you want to be notified but haven't played before then let me know.
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