As F1 becomes more and more dull..

[Slb89]

As F1 becomes more and more dull I look elsewhere these days for my motorsport fixes, I often find my self watching hours of hillclimb videos. As a sprinter and hillclimber myself of 5 years I can't help but be inspired by some of the hillclimbing vids of drivers on the absolute limits where any mistake is surely to land them selves in more bother than some of the circuit stuff, where huge drops and brick walls are frequent, I try and imagine whether I would have the same courage and commitment through some of the sections.

Watch this video for some serious commitment levels from a chap setting a new record at a hillclimb in Montenegro.

Jovan Acimic - ONBOARD RECORD Lovcen 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrDLuYcmXc

[stew-S160]

I went to Rockingham last Saturday for ThundersportGB. A full day of motorbike racing action, with great access, friendly racers who were happy to talk to spectators, didn't mind us snooping around their bikes.

Sure, bikes tend to produce some great racing regardless, but these guys, clubman level and progressing, were fighting tooth and nail for places like it was the final points decider of MotoGP...



I want to get along to some sportscar/WEC races this year too.


I'm hoping that 2017 will see a better F1, for spectators and racers alike.

[Conor D]

Fuel is the thing that's killing F1.

I've been watching more WEC which is more interesting to watch than the current F1 format where everyone races for one lap, then everyone sits back into a controlled race pace to save fuel.

Even the GP2 sprint races where it's racing from start to finish are much more enjoyable than the current F1 races.

[Alex Langheck]

There's loads of great motorsport out there. F1 doesn't deserve any loyalty from fans, etc

I wish the mainstream media would drop their coverage - and cover other better run, fan friendly series.....rather than Bernie's over bloated circus.

[Willhire89]

Very impressive - no idea how you learn that when it looks the same...

I did have a visions of the guy in the Osella doing all that and yet having Simon McKinley right behind flashing him to get past in his Mk2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwl40XFvpLE

RIP Simon

[coppice]

Motor sport is a broad church and far too many people think it's entirely F1(or Grand Prix racing as we old farts call it ). But it's not a binary thing - watching F1 doesn't confine you (or shouldn't do ) to this one specialised corner of the sport. F1 has ups and downs- it's not great at the moment and at various times in the past it's been dull as ditchwater too. But if F1 is treated it like an X Factor series which constantly has to reinvent itself to attract casual punters who know or care nothing about motor sport it devalues its essence and its heritage .

This year I have watched (ie from trackside) drag racing , rally cross, rallying, hillclimbs ,historic and modern racing - from small club events to internationals . It all has a different appeal but what it has in common is that ten minutes watching live sport is worth a season of dozing in front of the TV watching a director's idea of what you should see and a commentator's idea of what you should hear .

Loved the Euro hillclimb vid though .

[37chevy]

try drag racing for a change....insane amounts of power..couple of cool videos snap on did to compare it with other motorsport

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7m3xyW5hbE fast forward to 10.20 for the speed comparison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC7R_3FCFN8 Joey Laganos face when he realises its only 1/3 throttle :-D

[coppice]

Willhire89 said:

Very impressive - no idea how you learn that when it looks the same...

I did have a visions of the guy in the Osella doing all that and yet having Simon McKinley right behind flashing him to get past in his Mk2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwl40XFvpLE

RIP Simon

I wonder if one of the usual suspects will come along and tell us all that no four cylinder engine in the history of the internal combustion engine has ever sounded good...?

[37chevy]

coppice said:

I wonder if one of the usual suspects will come along and tell us all that no four cylinder engine in the history of the internal combustion engine has ever sounded good...?

which for the petrol heads amongst us know is complete rubbish...there are some gorgeous 4 cylinder engines out there....although a prefer a v8, v10, v12 or flat 12

[Blaster72]

Slb89 said:

As F1 becomes more and more dull I look elsewhere these days for my motorsport fixes, I often find my self watching hours of hillclimb videos. As a sprinter and hillclimber myself of 5 years I can't help but be inspired by some of the hillclimbing vids of drivers on the absolute limits where any mistake is surely to land them selves in more bother than some of the circuit stuff, where huge drops and brick walls are frequent, I try and imagine whether I would have the same courage and commitment through some of the sections.

Watch this video for some serious commitment levels from a chap setting a new record at a hillclimb in Montenegro.

Jovan Acimic - ONBOARD RECORD Lovcen 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrDLuYcmXc

Whats the average speed there - about 60mph? Pretty impressive given the risks if he was to go off the road.

I can't help but feel that the buzzing sound of the engine and the camera angle exaggerate the feeling of speed though.

Any details on the car he's using?

[GravelBen]

I always though the Finnish Grand Prix was the best one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&amp...

[Ahonen]

Conor D said:

Fuel is the thing that's killing F1.

I've been watching more WEC which is more interesting to watch than the current F1 format where everyone races for one lap, then everyone sits back into a controlled race pace to save fuel.

There's hardly any fuel saving in F1 these days, trust me. In the first year of the current engines there was quite a bit, but the lift and coast only happens at the most extreme tracks these days - just like it always did, because the V8s were always short fuelled to save weight.

[RB Will]

Blaster72 said:

Slb89 said:

As F1 becomes more and more dull I look elsewhere these days for my motorsport fixes, I often find my self watching hours of hillclimb videos. As a sprinter and hillclimber myself of 5 years I can't help but be inspired by some of the hillclimbing vids of drivers on the absolute limits where any mistake is surely to land them selves in more bother than some of the circuit stuff, where huge drops and brick walls are frequent, I try and imagine whether I would have the same courage and commitment through some of the sections.

Watch this video for some serious commitment levels from a chap setting a new record at a hillclimb in Montenegro.

Jovan Acimic - ONBOARD RECORD Lovcen 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrDLuYcmXc

Whats the average speed there - about 60mph? Pretty impressive given the risks if he was to go off the road.

I can't help but feel that the buzzing sound of the engine and the camera angle exaggerate the feeling of speed though.

Any details on the car he's using?

Its a Global GT Light so would be Yamaha R1 or R6 powered so roughly 160 or 100bhp. They are like small Radicals. Not devastating in a straight line but immense handling. I had a few laps in the lower powered version at Castle Combe and was banging in 1.16 laps on wkered old tyres on a cool track.

[stephen300o]

Only really interested in vintageish rallying now, La Carrera, Peking to Paris, and a little classic 60s cars at Spa.
The new Tupperware trophies are quite tedious.

[Blaster72]

Thanks RB Will

[AreOut]

hehe the world is small, I know him quite well(prepared him for some IT tests while he was studying) and he is very very good driver(and a good guy), his father was also a successful racing driver in ex-Yugoslavia

[Edmundo2]

+1. I'm also on the hills/sprints, ( Jedi 1000 ), and agree completely. Can't wait for double header at Anglesey this weekend!

Great video and a cracking drive. The European hills are epic and it always amazes me how committed/confident the drivers remain throughout. Like a fastTarmac rally stage - but without pace notes!

Re good racing I think the historic stuff such as Goodwood revival etc offers some of the best action from a spectators perspective along with bikes. Most modern car racing just seems a bit flat due to excessive grip, lack of variety etc..

Slb89 said:

As F1 becomes more and more dull I look elsewhere these days for my motorsport fixes, I often find my self watching hours of hillclimb videos. As a sprinter and hillclimber myself of 5 years I can't help but be inspired by some of the hillclimbing vids of drivers on the absolute limits where any mistake is surely to land them selves in more bother than some of the circuit stuff, where huge drops and brick walls are frequent, I try and imagine whether I would have the same courage and commitment through some of the sections.

Watch this video for some serious commitment levels from a chap setting a new record at a hillclimb in Montenegro.

Jovan Acimic - ONBOARD RECORD Lovcen 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrDLuYcmXc