Agreed 100%.
Actually, not only do barrel rolls need to go, I think that the impact of weapons should also be toned down considerably. Weapons should serve as a small bonus advantage in a head-to-head race, but they should NEVER have the power to turn a race around completely. Things like the infamous blue shell from Mario Kart are an offence to people who take racing a perfect line seriously. No weapon should have an effective range further than line of sight.

One thing I have theorized about since wipEout pure is the option to eliminate boosts as a pickup from the game altogether and instead give players the option to convert every weapon pickup into a small boost, therefor eliminating the need for gimmicks like the barrel roll. So if I pick up a rocket, I can shoot it with button A, convert it to shield energy with button B, or convert it into a small boost with button C. This way, weapon pickup pads become an asset to a fast racing line as well and you can leave them turned on for time trials and speed laps, just disabling the fire button A.

Oh and one more thing: I know it's flashy and you can put pictures of it on boxes and ads and even Mario Kart does it now, but PLEASE: mag strips? loopings? driving upside down? Adds absolutely NOTHING to the enjoyment of a track and is highly unrealistic and goofy even for an AG racing game. Just leave it be.
My two cents.
Formula Fusion is going to be great, I believe in you!