More power for F.1?

Sir,

We have read numerous correspondence and editorials criticising the present Formula One regulations as contributing to unspectacular and boring competition.

It is our contention that this lack of spectacle lies not in the regulations but in the development and design of engines, aerodynamics, suspension and tyres. These factors produce more compact machines which more than equal the performance of the much larger pre-war cars but demand more skill than brute force to drive.

Would the introduction of bigger engines change the present situation? Take, for example, the Lotus 29S built for Indianapolis this year, which incorporated a 4.2-litre engine in a virtually identical body to the present Formula One cars.

Is the present Formula really so unspectacular? The last British Grand Prix attracted 115,000, the largest crowd ever to attend a motor race in this country.

K.J. Needham.
John Templeton.
Oxford.