F1 Q&A: Racing in Max Verstappen and other series, Antonelli in Mercedes, V8 engines and the effect of driver height and weight

The question centered largely on the push by FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem to return Formula 1 to a set of engine regulations similar to those of the 2010-13 era.

We discussed this at length last week. Below is a link to that article.

Now, as to the specific question, yes, 2013 was pretty boring, or at least the second half of it was.

The season started relatively competitively – Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won four of the first 10 grands prix, but Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton all won during that period.

But after a series of blow-outs at the British Grand Prix, a change in tire specification saw Red Bull dominate and Vettel won nine races in a row to take his fourth consecutive world title.

The final years of the V8 era, once gasoline was banned at the end of 2009, were fiercely competitive and fluctuating.

The title fight in the 2010 and 2012 seasons was interesting. In 2010 there were five drivers in the race at the end, and four mathematically at the end.

That same year Ferrari dropped the ball in Abu Dhabi and threw away the title, allowing Red Bull and Vettel to win their first titles.

In 2012, there were seven different winners in the first seven races and the title battle between Vettel and Alonso again went down to the final race.

In 2011, as in 2013, Vettel and Red Bull dominated.

But there were more factors involved in this situation than just the engine. Tires, for one. Relative competitiveness of cars for others.

However, the naturally aspirated era – and especially from 1994-2009 when the fuel was supplied – was notorious for its lack of overtaking on the track.

This year has certainly increased with the new style of “yo-yo racing” brought about by the new hybrid engine.

There are many issues involved in this engine debate. Some of these people may look back to the past, which they felt was more interesting than what F1 is serving up today.

But there’s also the issue of cost, whether the essence of F1 has been corrupted, noise, the road-car market is changing and moving on.