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Glad the 107% rule still stands 

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Dear Heretic: 
Once again I find your thoughts challenging and supported by clear thinking about human nature as well as technical constraints in the machinery. 
As to the changes in qualifying: let's remember the point of qualifying: to insure that the machine and the driver are both good enough to run at speed with the rest --whose lives and fortunes are, of necessity, in the collective hands of the field. 
The most sensible rule hasn't been changed (the --I think it's 107%--rule). If a car or a driver is significantly slower than the field, the risk to all is unacceptable. Now, to those who complain that qualifying determines race order, I think last season puts that to rest. I can remember one race Rubens began in the tail and was contending for second or first after fewer than ten laps! Hell, it may have been fewer than five!! 
Put Kimi, MS and JPM in the back --even at Monte Carlo!-- and they'll not finish in the back. Monte Carlo is, really, for obvious reasons, about the only place where overtaking (we Americans prefer "passing") is ALMOST impossible. 
As to its being difficult; well, yes, when you're running with the best in the world where winning, nine times out of ten comes down to making the fewest mistakes, overtaking will be rare. But, like a goal in football, that just makes it that much more exciting. We see overtaking all the time in NASCAR and IRL / CART races; the only time it's REALLY thrilling is on the last lap. 
Testing? I defer to your superior experience and information. It certainly doesn't look, to me, like an effort to "help make the racing better." 
Points: Yawn. Who (other than Ross Braun) cares? Would Michael (or Fangio or Senna) be any less a driver if his score were 40 instead of 400 (or whatever it is)? Racing isn't about points; it's about winning. Period. That said, you have a point about eliminating those who would trade reliability for speed. That, as you say, favors the rich. But it's also exciting. Every lap Kimi or DC, Ralph or JPM led this year had us all with our hearts in our throats waiting for a puff of smoke or the sudden loss of revs! --and it usually came on cue.
On tyres: you're absolutely right on! It's going to be murder for the low budget types; and they're already hurt in just about every area but driver talent! 
Team Orders: a joke. 
As to your summary about worrying over speed because of the danger. Well, yes. It will be more dangerous and, because of the money invested there will be no [real] change in engine or car specs until someone has paid the ultimate price. I hate it that money rules over safety, but people with money invested won't stand by and see their investments turned into antiques overnight by rule changes until there's such a public outcry that they can't avoid it. Then there'll be much chest thumping about the need to sacrifice blah blah blah. But, again, you can get hurt racing under the safest possible conditions. You can get hurt on your way home from the market. 
Looking forward to March already - Jim W - U.S.A (Reference Heretic 4-30 - FIA changes too little too late)

The Heretic replies:

Jim,

Great to hear from you again.

Thank you for reminding me that qualifying is primarily to eliminate slow and therefore dangerous drivers and cars. It has been a long time since I have been there.

Even so, I wonder if the changes that they have made will improve things. I guess that they wanted to eliminate the many runs that were baulked by another car and it is bound to be safer, but the two sessions seem strange with little benefit other than getting another chance to get it better.

I have just posted my thoughts on the latest changes made by the FIA. None of those have addressed my concerns with the sport, which is overtaking, and safety.

I understand your view on undertaking and share it to the extent that two leading cars competing for the better position should rely on getting it right and waiting for the opponent’s mistake. The time that it gets to me is when, after a pit stop or spin, it is on some circuits impossible to get to the lead again because an obviously slower car is in the way.

Safety I relate to speed. I do not necessarily want to inhibit the cars but when a formula is left pretty much the same for too many years the only way to compete is to go faster. How fast is too fast? I think we are there or very close to it.

The game is dangerous and always will be – that is motor racing

The Heretic

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