From my own experience at Sim racing ... I think having a server option to force cockpit view is a good idea. Then the people running the server get to decide the level of realism. It's really just a realism option that equalizes another variable of racing. For example ... in real life you don't see one person sitting on the roof of their car (with steering controls), and another driving from the bumper of their car, and then at the same time see another driver controlling their car from a custom made position behind and above the back of the car (chase view). It is unrealistic in real life as it is in a Sim as well. If it's a server option, then people who enjoy realism can force this option on their server. People who are like minded will join that sever, and people who don't enjoy being forced into that view won't.
Knowing every other racer (in a server) is limited to a realistic view is constructive to Sim racing, because you know they are making decisions based on a similar perspective. In other words ... they are gathering data about their speed, distance, and their relation to other cars and track objects from a similar visual input method.
Yes, it does limit your field of view ... which it turn makes you rely on other ways of making driving decisions, but at the same time you gain an advantage in seeing the relation of car and track from a view which may allow for more precise driving.
I used to drive from chase view in a Nascar sim, but forced myself to try driving from cockpit view. It took some time to get used to, but I think it is a more realistic way of Sim racing. I also think there is an advantage in judging distance when the front of your car is close to the bumper of another car, and when approaching a corner. It does seem more realistic too, when you have to look quickly to your side view to see the car that was in your mirror as it passes … and that scary moment or two when it disappears in your blind spot.
It's my opinion that ... if you're not in cockpit view then you're missing some of the excitement of Sim Racing.
David