I noticed that F2 is running on Saturdays in S9, which is nice because it might get some more people into F1 since there's no overlap.

I was just checking out that series to see what their numbers were like and their fields appear to do pretty well and I noticed that the max rank 5.0 but going up to 6.0 for S9. I was thinking that 6.0 seemed awfully high for a rank restricted series meant to be a stepping stone to F1 (in my view anyways). Perhaps if it was reduced somewhat it would serve as more of a novice series (as the name suggests) and bring the 4-6 ranked drivers who are probably very capable into F1.

Raising it to 6 might as well have no restrictions at all then.
Most rank 5-6 drivers have a few wins under their belt already, so raising it to 6 will make for a real cherry picker for these guys who most likely are already capable of winning in unrestricted events. Looking at the top 50 ranked drivers, every driver between 5 and 6 has at least 1 win and most have multiple wins, not necessarily in open wheel, but are winning capable drivers nonetheless.
Please reconsider returning it to 5 or you may as well make it an unrestricted series.
This series s/b for the lower rank drivers working their way up to F1 just like the real F2 was...

From Wikipedia
"While Formula One has generally been regarded as the pinnacle of open-wheeled auto racing, the high performance nature of the cars and the expense involved in the series has always meant a need for a path to reach this peak. For much of the history of Formula One, Formula Two represented the penultimate step on this road."

Dan

Agreed, i thought the 'Novice' series was for beginners/low rankers that were to inexperienced to compete in the top open wheel events. I dont think its fair if some new guy joins a novice race only to be mullered by half the field who are fast (5.9 ranks) and 6 laps ahead by the finish, that doesnt help anyone.

Personally i think it should be a max rank of 4. :)

I think this is great! It gives me a chance to defend my recent championship title. Lucky for me this is not real life and F2 is not just a stepping stone to F1.

Take a look at last season's pre-reace posts for F1 Grand Prix of Europe on page 1 and Scuderia Internazionale Grand Prix on page 3...pay attention to that nifty graphic that Jonty Couples created. My rank is 5.536, but my position in that graphic is 4th from the last. The average rank is 6.3. Where do you guys think these new F1 drivers can go? Fill up the last 2 spots behind me?

I think you guys are looking at the overall rank and not just the open wheel rank. There were several new entries in open wheel last season and most of them shot up past 6.0 right away...like Kent Welker and Roberto Massa. The point of the Novice events is to screen out the aliens who are running an entirely different race than the drivers who are still struggling. I'm very grateful for the increase...I was going to have only F1 to participate in season 9.

One important thing I've found is that knowing the track is a big part of going faster...and that takes time on the track. This gives us slower guys the chance for more practice on the tracks and with a very similar car. Part of the reason for my increased performance (9th place in the F1 championship is proof) is from knowing the track better by running the F2 races. I've learned that the setups can be copied over with just a little tweaking.

I think it will give drivers a chance to race without aliens on the track more than just 1 or 2 events. There were several drivers that drove in F2 just once or twice and ranked themselves out of it...it would benefit everyone if they could run an entire season on F2 before they are forced to run F1. Also, keep in mind that more drivers are joining and certainly more will be joining from Tim's advertising. F2 and F1 are series that is filling up at the start of the season then tapering off near the end. Actually a series with a title of , "Drivers That Have Given Up On The Championship In The Premier Series" might do better near the end of the season...and the rank limit of 6.0 seems about right so that the few of us in F1 can keep racing for glory in F2 when that glory is lost in F1.

I understand your point, Steve, but I can't agree. I think 6.0 is way too high a rank (OW rank, not career) for a novice series. You ask if the new up-and-comers should take up the spots behind you in F1? Sure. In F1 there is a vast range of driver abilities and it would just mean another pack of drivers able to compete for the bottom points at the very least, and as we saw in this F1 season, even some of the lowest ranked drivers in the series earned several points.

My very first official open wheel race was a win in Formula trainers which launched my rank too high to continue with that series, so I was forced to go up to the grown-up FTs instead. That's the way it ought to be.

I was totally useless in an F1 car leading up to the start of S8 but I put in my time before the series began and was able to drive competently through the season and looking at the people running in F2, I think the same could be said for several of those drivers if not half the field. It's not as daunting as it seems once you just make the move and do it.

I actually thought it was impossible to rank yourself out of novice events unless you're doing other non-novice events.

If max rank allowed is 6, isn't that the most rank you can get out of it even for a win?

Jonty: nope. Max rank for FT-A was 4.0, as I recall, and my win for my first OW race put me at like ~7.0 or something.

I just re-read what I posted and it came across as complete cack.

I'll reword it in an hour or so.

I say lower the F1 rank limit to 2 so we can get some Team Snail Trail guys mixed in with the wonderboys! haha
That way the fast boys can get plenty of experience driving an ever changing track with us moving chicanes messing up their lines.

Dan, I'd be happy to have some of you guys race in F1. Let me know if you need help entering the races, I will drop the rank if needed.

Jonty is correct, a rank 6 restricted race will only earn you a max of 6 rank for a win. Take pole and you get a little extra but only a fraction of a point. Unless you pole + win in multiple novice events (or start finishing very well in non-novice events), you do not rank out of them.

The reason it was raised to a 6 (from 5) is to allow more people to enter those events as they do not overlap other events as often, which would leave a lot of guys with nothing to race in a prime day and time. All you 5-rank guys have an edge over a 5.99-ranked drivers... you have a season's worth of experience in the cars, they do not... go get 'em