is F1 on its knees
Discussion
Maybe I will sound crazy, but I actually enjoyed last race.
I am relatively young at 25, so I have to say I started watching f1 in the Schumi vs Hakkinen era, and I loved it. Stopped watching it in the Alonso-renault era (yes I'm spaniard, no I do not like him), slight return in the kimi/hamilton years, and then the joke season with brawn gp and all following red bull seasons did not make me any more interested. Last year I watched some races but it looked like another domination era, this time with mercedes. Nothing motivating. But this year, with alonso out of ferrari, what allows me to let out the tifossi inside me, I was willing to give f1 another opportunity as it seem it would be a little bit more contest.
I ended up watching last two thirds of bahrain gp, and I actually liked it. Ok, nobody worried hamilton the least, but the fight between raikkonen, vettel, button and botas was really amazing from my point of view. For the first time in years it looked slightly unpredictable, I could follow kimi's strategy and enjoy his duel with button, be surprised at how vettel was not able to overtake botas, everything.
It can be better? hell yes. DRS is a joke, too much aerodynamics and limited power makes the cars too easy to drive (although this seems to be changing) and I would much prefer the era when any engine could be used so I could see a v12 n/a fighting a v4 turbo. But it was decent, and enjoyable.
I've recently started watching motogp and it seems much more evolved in the entertainment part, but I do not enjoy it the same way as I don't know enough to follow it well.
tl;dr: it could be much better, but it is not that bad. Actually improving IMHO
I am relatively young at 25, so I have to say I started watching f1 in the Schumi vs Hakkinen era, and I loved it. Stopped watching it in the Alonso-renault era (yes I'm spaniard, no I do not like him), slight return in the kimi/hamilton years, and then the joke season with brawn gp and all following red bull seasons did not make me any more interested. Last year I watched some races but it looked like another domination era, this time with mercedes. Nothing motivating. But this year, with alonso out of ferrari, what allows me to let out the tifossi inside me, I was willing to give f1 another opportunity as it seem it would be a little bit more contest.
I ended up watching last two thirds of bahrain gp, and I actually liked it. Ok, nobody worried hamilton the least, but the fight between raikkonen, vettel, button and botas was really amazing from my point of view. For the first time in years it looked slightly unpredictable, I could follow kimi's strategy and enjoy his duel with button, be surprised at how vettel was not able to overtake botas, everything.
It can be better? hell yes. DRS is a joke, too much aerodynamics and limited power makes the cars too easy to drive (although this seems to be changing) and I would much prefer the era when any engine could be used so I could see a v12 n/a fighting a v4 turbo. But it was decent, and enjoyable.
I've recently started watching motogp and it seems much more evolved in the entertainment part, but I do not enjoy it the same way as I don't know enough to follow it well.
tl;dr: it could be much better, but it is not that bad. Actually improving IMHO
I struggle to maintain interest in it.
If I am honest, the only season I have really enjoyed was the first one I really engaged with: 1994. It had tragedy, a goodie, and baddie, drama, twists and turns, intrigue and some cracking ding dong racing. At least, that's how I remember it. Probably wasn't anything like that. After that some of the Hakkinen v MS racing was pretty good, although I found MH difficult to warm to.
Qualifying now is tedious. DRS: a s
t idea that belongs on a Scalectrix track. KERS and hybrids? Bending the knee to the Prius owning environmentalists. Making the engines more reliable? Crap idea, because it removes a big element of chance (being that of engine failure).
Crappy venues, half or less filled, scattered around the world in stty time zones. Pricing the BBC out of covering the full season: the beginning of the end for me, because I don't have and don't want Sky. Ditching refuelling was a mistake, not least because you actually had to engage your brain a bit to follow the race.
Every season that's been dominated, whether by MS, JB, SV or LH is dull, dull, dull. It is supposed to be a race, not a procession, and yes, I know there are exciting incidents scattered around the mid field, but when you can be pretty confident after the first lap who is going to win, the gripping battle for 6th place really doesn't matter.
If I am honest, the only season I have really enjoyed was the first one I really engaged with: 1994. It had tragedy, a goodie, and baddie, drama, twists and turns, intrigue and some cracking ding dong racing. At least, that's how I remember it. Probably wasn't anything like that. After that some of the Hakkinen v MS racing was pretty good, although I found MH difficult to warm to.
Qualifying now is tedious. DRS: a s
t idea that belongs on a Scalectrix track. KERS and hybrids? Bending the knee to the Prius owning environmentalists. Making the engines more reliable? Crap idea, because it removes a big element of chance (being that of engine failure). Crappy venues, half or less filled, scattered around the world in s
tty time zones. Pricing the BBC out of covering the full season: the beginning of the end for me, because I don't have and don't want Sky. Ditching refuelling was a mistake, not least because you actually had to engage your brain a bit to follow the race. Every season that's been dominated, whether by MS, JB, SV or LH is dull, dull, dull. It is supposed to be a race, not a procession, and yes, I know there are exciting incidents scattered around the mid field, but when you can be pretty confident after the first lap who is going to win, the gripping battle for 6th place really doesn't matter.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 21st April 18:51
Greg66 said:
the gripping battle for 6th place really doesn't matter.
Why? Perhaps, if I may adopt your same condescending tone, you need to "engage your brain a little bit" and realise that year on year these off-podium battles can have implications just as big as those at the pointy end.CrgT16 said:
I enjoyed the last race, in fact I am quite enjoying this season so far... There is a lot going on apart from the Mercedes.
Indeed. DanielSan said:
If you want to see V6 turbo fighting N/A V8 and V4 turbo try the WEC....
Your comment sent me to wikipedia, and I really want to try to watch this. Problem is I live in spain and coverage of motorsport endurance events is near zero AFAIK. Is there any way to watch WEC online?
zerovira said:
Your comment sent me to wikipedia, and I really want to try to watch this. Problem is I live in spain and coverage of motorsport endurance events is near zero AFAIK. Is there any way to watch WEC online?
I think, but don't know 100% that you can watch the races live on the WEC website. Lost soul said:
rdjohn said:
Unfortunately Bernie TV no longer seems to include Manor Racing. Their resurrection must have really upset him - having to hand over some cash and all!
I think I saw them once in the race !!! I am guessing the person responsible hasnt been sacked but it does imply there is a policy of not showing them.
Chrisgr31 said:
I was listening o last weeks Judge 13 podcast earlier, and they made a reference to this and said something along the lines of Manors cars were shown very briefly 3 times on the world feed from China, and the person responsible has been sacked.
I am guessing the person responsible hasnt been sacked but it does imply there is a policy of not showing them.
There was an interview on the BBC between EJ and Bernie and he was pretty clear that he believes that Manor should not be in the paddock.I am guessing the person responsible hasnt been sacked but it does imply there is a policy of not showing them.
Obviously the simple fact that they are due $30million from FOM for Marussia's efforts last year is beyond the pale. When you are in your 80's you need to hang on to every last penny.
In Bernie's view it is bad form. They have done nothing to earn the money. They have achieved nothing. They have contributed nothing. They have provided nothing.
Why should he view them in any charitable way? They are a bunch of nobodies akin to Fortek and other numpty mobs from the one race a season days back in the 90s.
Why should he view them in any charitable way? They are a bunch of nobodies akin to Fortek and other numpty mobs from the one race a season days back in the 90s.
DJRC said:
In Bernie's view it is bad form. They have done nothing to earn the money. They have achieved nothing. They have contributed nothing. They have provided nothing.
Why should he view them in any charitable way? They are a bunch of nobodies akin to Fortek and other numpty mobs from the one race a season days back in the 90s.
In that respect I don't think Bernie is wrong to be honest Why should he view them in any charitable way? They are a bunch of nobodies akin to Fortek and other numpty mobs from the one race a season days back in the 90s.
DJRC said:
In Bernie's view it is bad form. They have done nothing to earn the money. They have achieved nothing. They have contributed nothing. They have provided nothing.
Why should he view them in any charitable way? They are a bunch of nobodies akin to Fortek and other numpty mobs from the one race a season days back in the 90s.
everyone has to start somewhereWhy should he view them in any charitable way? They are a bunch of nobodies akin to Fortek and other numpty mobs from the one race a season days back in the 90s.
and the cost of competing in F1 these days is probably about 10 times that of the 90's
Bernie seems to be of the opinion that having 5 "worthy" teams on the grid is far better for the "show" than having 5 "worthy" teams plus maybe 6 less than worthy teams.
Fans, of course, tend to prefer to see more cars rather than less cars. There is nothing so disheartening than seeing a grid of less than (say) 16 cars. They aren't too concerned about what financial hoops and shenaninigans Bernie wants the teams to jump through and perform to meet his criteria of being "worthy".
Fans, of course, tend to prefer to see more cars rather than less cars. There is nothing so disheartening than seeing a grid of less than (say) 16 cars. They aren't too concerned about what financial hoops and shenaninigans Bernie wants the teams to jump through and perform to meet his criteria of being "worthy".
I was wondering - is it that we have lost the *illusion* that everyone is driving around as fast as they can whilst wringing 100% out of the cars at all time?
Going back to earlier seasons and decades, there was always this perception, either through woeful reliability and parts being operated at their very limit, through refueling making everyone appear to be sprinting at all times or through the tail happy sliding caused by unsophisticated aerodynamics, that the cars were being driven at 100% at all times even when they probably weren't and never have been. Not to mention drivers emerging from their cockpits looking shattered and sweaty from 1000 manual gear changes and not enough gym time.
Nowadays the cars just don't look to be going at 100%, the drivers emerge sprightly and ready to run a marathon and there's this *perception* that it's all too easy.
Going back to earlier seasons and decades, there was always this perception, either through woeful reliability and parts being operated at their very limit, through refueling making everyone appear to be sprinting at all times or through the tail happy sliding caused by unsophisticated aerodynamics, that the cars were being driven at 100% at all times even when they probably weren't and never have been. Not to mention drivers emerging from their cockpits looking shattered and sweaty from 1000 manual gear changes and not enough gym time.
Nowadays the cars just don't look to be going at 100%, the drivers emerge sprightly and ready to run a marathon and there's this *perception* that it's all too easy.
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff