How was the 2015 Season for you?

How was the 2015 Season for you?

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Discussion

London424

12,826 posts

174 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
RYH64E said:
London424 said:
What many people's comments say to me is that they've changed as people and we all have much more choice in what we do with our time nowadays.

A lot of people appear to have changed around the same time, many after decades of following the sport, coincidence?

I've not enjoyed the last few seasons, and have made my feelings known on here, but it would appear that what started as a minority of disgruntled 'fans' is now becoming a very significant proportion.
I think it's just generally following the overall trend of tv viewing.

Back in the day you had 4 channels. Now you've got freeview/ Sky / virgin etc plus catch up services and computer games etc viewership for shows is massively changed in the last 10 years.

Back in the day if you missed the live showing and forgot to tape it that was it. Now there's multiple repeats, on demand stuff, message board forums etc

RYH64E

7,960 posts

243 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
London424 said:
RYH64E said:
London424 said:
What many people's comments say to me is that they've changed as people and we all have much more choice in what we do with our time nowadays.

A lot of people appear to have changed around the same time, many after decades of following the sport, coincidence?

I've not enjoyed the last few seasons, and have made my feelings known on here, but it would appear that what started as a minority of disgruntled 'fans' is now becoming a very significant proportion.
I think it's just generally following the overall trend of tv viewing.

Back in the day you had 4 channels. Now you've got freeview/ Sky / virgin etc plus catch up services and computer games etc viewership for shows is massively changed in the last 10 years.

Back in the day if you missed the live showing and forgot to tape it that was it. Now there's multiple repeats, on demand stuff, message board forums etc
How far back are you going? It's only been the last few years that F1 has gone massively downhill, not since channel 5 become the fifth tv channel nearly 20 years ago...

London424

12,826 posts

174 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
RYH64E said:
London424 said:
RYH64E said:
London424 said:
What many people's comments say to me is that they've changed as people and we all have much more choice in what we do with our time nowadays.

A lot of people appear to have changed around the same time, many after decades of following the sport, coincidence?

I've not enjoyed the last few seasons, and have made my feelings known on here, but it would appear that what started as a minority of disgruntled 'fans' is now becoming a very significant proportion.
I think it's just generally following the overall trend of tv viewing.

Back in the day you had 4 channels. Now you've got freeview/ Sky / virgin etc plus catch up services and computer games etc viewership for shows is massively changed in the last 10 years.

Back in the day if you missed the live showing and forgot to tape it that was it. Now there's multiple repeats, on demand stuff, message board forums etc
How far back are you going? It's only been the last few years that F1 has gone massively downhill, not since channel 5 become the fifth tv channel nearly 20 years ago...
The last few years it's gone downhill? So when was it great?

mollytherocker

Original Poster:

14,365 posts

208 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
London424 said:
The last few years it's gone downhill? So when was it great?
I loved it all prior to the new 'power units', yes EVEN the Red Bull dominance!

London424

12,826 posts

174 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
mollytherocker said:
London424 said:
The last few years it's gone downhill? So when was it great?
I loved it all prior to the new 'power units', yes EVEN the Red Bull dominance!
Interesting! Personally I don't notice any difference with power unit change. In fact I preferred these ones as the torque seemed to make it harder to drive.

RYH64E

7,960 posts

243 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
London424 said:
The last few years it's gone downhill? So when was it great?
Imo, the decline started with the comedy tyre lottery and has accelerated with the introduction of these soulless, over complicated, hybrid engines. When you hear instructions like, lift and coast, you're not racing him, switch to engine mode 7a and save fuel, maintain a 2 second gap and look after the tyres, etc you know that it's got way too artificial.

London424

12,826 posts

174 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
RYH64E said:
London424 said:
The last few years it's gone downhill? So when was it great?
Imo, the decline started with the comedy tyre lottery and has accelerated with the introduction of these soulless, over complicated, hybrid engines. When you hear instructions like, lift and coast, you're not racing him, switch to engine mode 7a and save fuel, maintain a 2 second gap and look after the tyres, etc you know that it's got way too artificial.
See this is where I think F1 shot itself in the foot. Broadcasting radio transmissions was the dumbest thing they've done.

Drivers have always fuel saved or nursed their tyres or been running different strategies, just now we hear about it.

Also, teams now know too much. Sensors all over the car they have the ability to alter how it runs or warn the driver. They used to not know this and we used to have lots more retirements due to it.

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
London424 said:
See this is where I think F1 shot itself in the foot. Broadcasting radio transmissions was the dumbest thing they've done.

Drivers have always fuel saved or nursed their tyres or been running different strategies, just now we hear about it.

Also, teams now know too much. Sensors all over the car they have the ability to alter how it runs or warn the driver. They used to not know this and we used to have lots more retirements due to it.
I've been saying this for a while. The technology is now too good. What we would really need to do is rewind the technological clock so the cars are essentially frozen in capability somewhere around 1967 (with modern safety features, of course).
The problem is that, on the one hand we want the sport to epitomise the latest and greatest car technology and we want the cars to be more advanced than other formulae and yet it is that advanced technology that helps neuter the "show".

So, squaring that circle is probably impossible.

stephen300o

15,464 posts

227 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
Oh come on! how hard is it to put the genie back in the bottle?

Far Cough

2,192 posts

167 months

Monday 30th November 2015
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If the last 2 races are anything to go by and a vision of what to expect next year , I`ll not bother. They were dull with a capital D. There are too many reasons to write about which causes this dullness. The sport needs a huge revamp to let the drivers drive. No one wants to watch a hour long motorway cruise where the only action is on the first on ramp and then the final off ramp.

I did quite enjoy all the bickering and tension between the two top guys but once that was neutralized it was all a bit boring

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
stephen300o said:
Oh come on! how hard is it to put the genie back in the bottle?

ivanhoew

974 posts

240 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
i found it generally interesting in a sort of ,traditionally getting excited about f1 weekend, sort of way ,then feeling disappointed 75 % of the time after the race .


i was particularly fed up this weekend with the manipulation and dishonesty of mercedes, creating the situation where ham could not directly attack rosberg . if i had been about to buy a big expensive merc i would have cancelled my order.



some things need to change ,

design changes to reduce the wake behind the cars, that affects the following car so much as to reduce its grip . if in the old pre aero days , someone had throw ball bearings out of his car , or squirted oil onto the track , it would have been seen as an awful outrage , what's the difference from a wake that affects the following car ? use ground effect or something to give them the grip ,with reduced wake .


engine modes .. just allow one mode , for all situations , qually , dry, wet, you name it.


allow unlimited engine development at any time within the specs. and forget the fuel consumption and the hybrid limit , let f1 do what it used to do . ,extreme development purely for speed and power .also mandate a cam that opens ex around 40 degrees earlier than now , instant loud exhaust .


these changes would bring back excitement ,and hence viewers , the manufacturer merc wont like it maybe , but their rigid dominance is killing the goose ,and in no time there won't be a golden egg .


i wonder if merc have done a unbiased study on whether they sell more cars by dominating f1 , or less cars by being so un co-operative to suggestions that would benefit f1 as a whole ,and creating a public opinion backlash against them .


unfortunately , until some of the cooks get sacked eg the manufacturers and the team bosses ,and the governing body takes a stand and sets rules for the increase of race appeal,not a lot will happen .

you continue with the ring of protagonists all pulling the f1 jumper apart until they are each left with a small bit of wool , and nothing to keep them warm as the f1 viewing winter sets in .


robert.






Allyc85

7,225 posts

185 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
I have been following F1 since 1992, and sadly I have to say this one has been the least interesting so far. The continued dominance of Mercedes is getting tedious and made worse by the fact the 2 cars can't even race each other due to the dirty air, and tyres that overheat far too easily. Also teams like McLaren and Red Bull underperforming hasn't helped the spectacle.

Also the lack of noise is starting to grate now. On some long shots the sound goes far too quiet until the car gets close to camera shot, where as with screaming V8/10s there was always an exciting noise going on. The cars also sound far too flat and dull on the onboards. Give them more fuel etc and get them revving higher.

You know something is wrong with a sport when 6 hour WEC races are flatout, while a sub 2 hour Gp is save this, save that blablabla...

On a positive note there has been some brilliant racing in the pack, and Verstappen's bravery has slightly made up for the lack of action at the very front. That move on Nasr at Spa was insane, especially after what happened in Gp2, at the same corner the day before!

The races in Britain, Hungary and the USA were bloody brilliant, and if Ferrari can find that last bit of extra pace I'm sure 2016 is going to be bloody brilliant. Lets face it we sat through much more boring racing during the Schumacher era wink

mollytherocker

Original Poster:

14,365 posts

208 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
London424 said:
Interesting! Personally I don't notice any difference with power unit change. In fact I preferred these ones as the torque seemed to make it harder to drive.
Proof that we are all different. I HATE the new units. They sound so feeble and low range high torque is for diesels not racing cars!

I nearly cried at Silverstone, I couldnt even hear them. Just a low raspy farty Vauxhall Corsa sound.

Oh my god, the V10's...... They rattled your rib cage! Pure screaming joy that put the hairs up on the back of your neck.

And the sound is only part of the ruination of F1.

24lemons

2,629 posts

184 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
Im finding it hard to disagree with most of what has been posted so far. I considered myself a die hard f1 fan, not missing a live race from 1997-2011. I never thought I'd find myself turned off by the sport I loved so much.

F1 doesn't know what it wants to be; entertainment, marketing platform, environmentally friendly, etc etc... We have a confused mess at the moment and it's quite clear that a significant proportion of the 'die hard fans', the people who defended the sport, who bought the merchandise and attended the races, and got up at stupid o clock to watch practice sessions from Japan, have had enough and can't be arsed anymore.

It's such a shame, I want to love the sport again but I feel a blank piece of paper is needed to get it back to what it should be, the pinnacle of motor racing.

glazbagun

14,258 posts

196 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
Largely dull.

I think the lack of gravel traps or drivers being punshed for mistakes played a part as in ye olde days even the best could just screw up their race with a corner and open it up. Entire races of drivers only able to get a few fast laps out of their tyres for fear of them going off.

The difference in car performance up & down the field made almost everything a procession. Down to tenth place the whole field looks like "which car is best". Only Verstappen, Grosjean (or possible Maldonado's underperformance) and Nasr seem to have shaken up the lower end of the table.

Meh. I really hope Nico wins next year or, dare I say it, Vettel. But I won't be getting up early to watch any thing that's for sure. I think this season I've been more interested in McLaren's woes than the performance of any other team.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
I ignored it. It's not racing any more. Dull, dull, dull.

interloper

2,747 posts

254 months

Monday 30th November 2015
quotequote all
I think this year was a step backwards from last year. I watched the races on Sky, I honestly think there are too many races per season.

Also as the cars have developed there seems to be less overtaking, especially towards the front of the grid. The Mercs seem particularly bad for this.

I strongly suspect if the FIA were to seriously restrict what you can do with a front wing, we might get some over taking back.

I think the high lights of the season will be some of Max Verstapens driving, Fernados pointy commnents and finding out what whiny winging b@@stards Red Bullste are.


wibble cb

3,586 posts

206 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
quotequote all
London424 said:
What many people's comments say to me is that they've changed as people and we all have much more choice in what we do with our time nowadays.

This wasn't a great season by any stretch but people suggesting this was worse than some of the 2000s seasons are clearly deluded.

I'm sure back in the day you planned your life around it, but that's when you had 4 channels and the Internet barely existed.

I think Gaz mentioned the classic races they show on Sky...I really think some of you need to watch them and see how awful the "classics" really were without the rose tinted specs on.
I still plan weekends around F1, much to my wifes annoyance, if it means getting up to watch qualifying or the race itself at silly o clock, I generally do it, I nearly missed the Abu Dhabi race as it wasn't being shown on a channel I get (though I could see NFL, EPL, CFL Grey cup, or Ice Hockey highlights, all of which still mean SFA to me even after 10 years in Toronto)....I eventually found it streamed on the net.
My big fear is when the Beeb quit altogether, as thats where TSN currently get their feed, Crazy Dave is getting to be quite informative and entertaining as a commentator, I thought I would miss Martin Brundle when SKY came in, but now not so much.I guess if thats the only feed left available it will have to do. I certainly don't miss David Hobbs, Steve Matchett, Bob Varsha from the now defunct speed channel, Hobbs was a bit handy back in the day (in sportscars at least), but trying to listen to an American commentate on F1 was painful.



BigBob

1,471 posts

224 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
quotequote all
mybrainhurts said:
I ignored it. It's not racing any more. Dull, dull, dull.
I think that's the problem. Us 'Diehards' still think of it as a sport - CVC/FOM/Bernie etc see it as an 'Entertainment Experience' and marketing excercise.


BB