In recent discussions I have had with colleagues and customers, the one thing that is being most hotly debated, and resented behind closed doors, is spec formulae and Balance of Performance. While not being able to officially speak about this, the almost universal view I’m hearing amongst colleagues involved in this is it represents the worst aspects of socialism and goes against the grain of what motor racing really should be about. This is a topic I therefore must return to because motor racing is at a crossroads, and right now is the time for these matters to be discussed openly and forthrightly.
I must therefore apologise to any readers who are expecting a barrage of formulae as I quantify the many aspects of vehicle dynamics. The reason I am writing this article is feel very strongly that motor racing is plunging headlong down a dead end road and action needs to be taken, otherwise it will devolve into club and rich guy racing and a handful of elite formulae perched on very shaky ground.
Firstly, then, it’s worth setting the scene for the situation we now find ourselves in.
Attention grabber
If we wind the clock back 30 or so years, motorsport commanded attention. As a teenager, I remember the media firestorm that descended on Adelaide in 1985 when the grand prix circus came to town.
Entire countries used to stop to watch events like the Bathurst 1000, the Daytona 500 and the
