Comment by 1_player | Hacker News Reader

Comment by 1_player | Hacker News Reader

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Regulations always change and what was legal today might be banned tomorrow and be legal again (like Williams active suspensions from the Mansell era)

It doesn't make sense to make all data public when there might be something the FIA or other teams didn't know about and might be useful in the future.

F1 is all about living on the edge of what's allowed by the rules, and more often than not crossing that line and hoping not to get caught by the FIA. There's a fantastic interview with Ecclestone, Withing and Piquet (1) where they reminisce the olden days and have a laugh admitting their Brabham car was so illegal they would have been disqualified by the FIA had they knew that. 2019 Ferrari had an amazing engine and then they got caught doing tricks with the fuel sensors.

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMsaUgXf3v4

It makes sense to release all data. Not for the teams, but for FIA. They could require teams to release it after some time, so that teams with smaller budgets can learn from the work done by teams with larger ones/better engineers.

That would level the playing field a bit and, I guess, limit the amount of bending the rules (even if the FIA would give amnesty on any infringements found, which it probably should do)

Maybe, but the IP holders are never going to agree to this. You have not only the entrants themselves, but also engine manufacturers and so on. I really believe the manufacturers would leave the sport first; many of them are on a hair trigger anyways given the shift in consumer R&D to electric.

Yes, but then you'd find that the FIA cut deals with teams in the past to wipe various infringements off the books so they wouldn't be embarrassed. Take for instance the way Ferrari performed after changing 'absolutely nothing' from one day to the next they were in the midfield or even at the tail. If they released everything it might show how Ferrari might have to hand in all of their points in 2020, and quite possibly 2019 as well. And/or be disqualified.

F1 is a media circus, not a sport and 'fair' and 'level playing field' are things that are not on the books unless they happen to drive up the bottom line.

>> F1 is a media circus, not a sport

I actually posted earlier that F1 is a "circus"... I agree. It is however a Very Real Sport insofar as the drivers are World Class Elite Athletes... especially the few who can run at the front.

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