Behind the Curtain on the New Formula

Greetings Internet! I missed you. Did you miss me? I hope so. Anyway, here's the Friday update.

With no immanent IndyCar date (Long Beach is another week away), I have some space to fill. You may remember from my Barber recap that with access to lap charts, I can make some changes to my scoring formula. Here's a brief look at what ScoringIndy is cooking up:

The factors that are considered under the current formula are this:

1) Race Finish
2) Positions Gained/Lost
3) Laps Led
4) Laps Completed
5) Qualifying v. Starting Position

Under the current formula, Race Finish accounts for roughly half the scoring, whereas the other factors are cooked together to create some kind of "In-Race Performance" term that accounts for the other approximate half.

Now that we can add average running position to the mix, we have three terms to our mathematical jamboree:

1) Race Finish
2) Average Running Position
3) In-race Performance

So, the question that we ask ourselves is this: what is the relative weight of each of these terms? How much credit does each receive in the mathematical pressure-cooker that is our formula? We also need to ask ourselves if there is anything that can be done to enhance the In-Race Performance term using the smorgasbord of lap chart data.

Now, I'm not sure what the answers are to these questions. And, that is one of the reasons that I'm looking forward to Formula 1's visit to Shanghai this weekend. The smaller number of cars and laps will make data entry easier for me, and that will allow for more time spent tweaking numbers. At some point next week, I will be posting various scores for the weekend's F1 race using a variety of different formulae, and this will let us all take a look at what we may want to do for a Race Score Formula going forward. I'll also (in the privacy of the ScoringIndy lab) be adding the lap chart data to my IndyCar spreadsheets, and tinkering with formulae there.

Remember, a new formula will be in place for Indy.

I know this week was short. Don't worry, we'll have F1 New Formula Goodness soon!

-- Guido