Rob Kamphues passionately advocates for the return of a second tire supplier in Formula 1, believing it would lead to less predictability. A return to the tire war?
I sometimes get tired of those old guys who think you’re blaspheming if you say that Formula 1 is a bit boring at the moment. ‘That’s just part of it,’ they say, ‘it was no different in Schumacher’s time.’ Usually followed immediately by ‘And if you find it boring, you don’t understand it.’
Fine, then I don’t understand it. But when Schumi had become world champion three times in a row, I definitely started doing something else on Sundays, and so did a lot of other people. I bet the American owners of the sport wouldn’t want to risk that.
Moreover, I think those old guys don’t have their facts straight. In Schumacher’s time, the outcome was actually less predictable than now. Facts? Here they come: Schumacher was world champion five times in a row from 2000 to 2005, kind of like what we’re heading towards with Max. But of the 85 races that were run, he only won 48 during those years. That’s just over half. Max won 44 of the 66 races between 2021 and 2023, or two-thirds, and if it continues like this for another two years, he’ll reach an incredible win percentage of 75 percent. That’s definitely a lot more predictable.
Did Cars Fail More Often in the Past? Not Necessarily
Many might think that cars used to fail more often in the past. However, between the Grand Prix of Germany in 2001 and Brazil in 2003, Schumacher did not experience a single failure. Yet, during the intervening Grands Prix, McLaren, Williams, and Renault defeated him eleven times, and Fisichella managed to snatch a victory in a Jordan. How does this compare to the current Formula 1? In 2021, besides Red Bull, three other brands won, two more the following year, and last year only Ferrari managed to win a race.
‘Race Results Were Less Predictable in Schumi’s Time’
In 2003, no less than eight different drivers won a race in Formula 1. Eight! Try naming eight now without bursting into laughter! Besides Sainz, Pérez, and Leclerc, Norris and Piastri should all reach the top step of the podium at least once. And if Mercedes continues its current struggle, it will depend on Alonso and Lance Stroll whether we get eight different winners. Stroll winning a Grand Prix… How many downpours would have to occur in places where he just happens not to be racing?!
If the reliability of the cars was not the reason, what was the biggest difference between then and now? Quite simply: the tires! At the beginning of this century, half of the field drove on Bridgestones and the other half on Michelins. So, sometimes one half of the field had the advantage, and other times the other half. The result: there was always a duel in a championship!
So Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Firestone, Hankook, Continental, Toyo, Dunlop, Vredestein, Uniroyal, Yokohama, and Kuhmo, save us! Convince the FIA that we need at least two tire brands from 2026 onwards. And to the old-timers who want to keep everything the same: in the first official Formula 1 race, the cars were on five different tire brands.
Five!
