I prefer absorbing weapons to restore energy over the old pitlane system. Asayyeah's suggestion would make it necessary to put pitlanes back in. it reads to me like a new way of doing hyperthrust
and personally I never liked hyperthrust.

I voted yes, as I like barrel rolls. The timing aspect of them as well as the necessity of finding suitable locations to use them (every opportunity is not always the best idea) both makes them useful and requires enough skill to make it satisfying when I pull it off (rather than slamming my side into the track). The risk/reward balance makes it work for me.
The ONLY time when BRs annoy me is when I have enough energy and I do all the dpad movements correctly and it still doesn't roll.