[Jon Stratis]

Making the build season longer doesn't really change anything. Parts will still sell out the first weekend, and then take another 2-3 weeks (or more) to come in, and those teams that managed to get their order in early will still have an advantage over those who did not. In fact, their advantage would be even bigger, as they would have even longer with a completed robot to test and practice.

When we do things right, my team doesn't really even need the full 6 weeks to build - we spend the last week testing and practicing.

The fact that there are constrained component quantities means that teams need to innovate, not complain. Instead of looking at specific part shortages as problems, look for alternatives. Find a different way to tackle the challenge. Thats the best part about engineering - there is no one "right" solution to a challenge!