Have F1 fans ever been happy?
Discussion
2026 Regs, moan formula battery, moan clipping, moan my favourite corner isn't flat out anymore!
2022 Ground effect regs, moan Red Bull win everything and when they don't I hate Lando!
2021 Moan Hamilton, moan Verstappen
2014 onwards moan Mercedes win everything!
2010 onwards Moan Vettels finger!
2009 Moan double defuser cheat
2008 Moan Lewis isblack err I mean his fashion sense, err hair, err his bird, I can dislike him without being racist you know!
Obviously it goes back further, tyre wars, treaded tyres, no overtakes.
I only started watching F1 again in 2007, I gave up in the mid nineties after falling out of love with it post Imola 1994 but I can safely say I have enjoyed each and every season since including this one so far!
One thing I've never understood is the governing body continually paying lip service to all this moaning?
2022 Ground effect regs, moan Red Bull win everything and when they don't I hate Lando!
2021 Moan Hamilton, moan Verstappen
2014 onwards moan Mercedes win everything!
2010 onwards Moan Vettels finger!
2009 Moan double defuser cheat
2008 Moan Lewis is
Obviously it goes back further, tyre wars, treaded tyres, no overtakes.
I only started watching F1 again in 2007, I gave up in the mid nineties after falling out of love with it post Imola 1994 but I can safely say I have enjoyed each and every season since including this one so far!
One thing I've never understood is the governing body continually paying lip service to all this moaning?
I think it depends if your british or not, I'm british but I seem to always suport the "baddie". Michael, Massa, Seb, I dont mind Max and dont mind Lando. Its the same with other sports though as well, I seem to support the one that everybody hates.
I am a life long Ferrari fan as well. usually I have 1 or 2 drivers who I really get behind but not been able to do that with Ferrari's drivers since Seb left.
2000-2005 peak years for me, most brits hated that period
2008 - yeh lets not go there
2010-2014 I enjoyed
I am a life long Ferrari fan as well. usually I have 1 or 2 drivers who I really get behind but not been able to do that with Ferrari's drivers since Seb left.
2000-2005 peak years for me, most brits hated that period
2008 - yeh lets not go there
2010-2014 I enjoyed
Edited by the-norseman on Saturday 4th April 09:20
There have been complainers since I first took an interest, although the change from 1.5 litres to 3.0 had general support, apart from the fact that it was done to favour the manufacturers, particularly Ferrari, rather than the garagistas. However, once the DFV became available to all, it had general support.
The change to sponsors dictating the car colours. I liked it. When the JPS black and gold livery emerged, I loved it.
Turbocharging, although it wasn't a change to the regs of course, had a number of critics, but the noise was wonderful and everything since has been almost silence.
Balestre received a lot of criticisms but we got a great example of out of the frying pan with Mosley, whose tenure all but stopped me watching. Politics became more important than the cars it seemed. Todt, who seemed to me to be almost transparent in his presidency, was heavily criticised, as is Ben. Short memories?
Then came 'no' overtaking - something that was the one thing that has been a constant in my time - but that didn't stop the moans. Then we got DRS, and the moans became even worse.
Social media is the biggest change over recent years. Just because we get a lot of moans doesn't mean more people are dissatisfied than they were before Berners-Lee betrayed the sport.
I've been a fan of F1 for 60 years and there has always been room for improvement. I've come to the, albeit questionable, conclusion that the FIA doesn't care what I think and that they don't have a team surfing social media to come up with idea for positive change to keep the fans interested. (No other opinions are available.) I try, and sometimes fail, to just enjoy each race as much as I can. It seems pointless complaining. It's got to the stage where I tend to ignore the F1 thread between races much more than I used to. I'm very much like the FIA. I don't really care what the moaners say. I just want to get as much out of the sport as I can.
The change to sponsors dictating the car colours. I liked it. When the JPS black and gold livery emerged, I loved it.
Turbocharging, although it wasn't a change to the regs of course, had a number of critics, but the noise was wonderful and everything since has been almost silence.
Balestre received a lot of criticisms but we got a great example of out of the frying pan with Mosley, whose tenure all but stopped me watching. Politics became more important than the cars it seemed. Todt, who seemed to me to be almost transparent in his presidency, was heavily criticised, as is Ben. Short memories?
Then came 'no' overtaking - something that was the one thing that has been a constant in my time - but that didn't stop the moans. Then we got DRS, and the moans became even worse.
Social media is the biggest change over recent years. Just because we get a lot of moans doesn't mean more people are dissatisfied than they were before Berners-Lee betrayed the sport.
I've been a fan of F1 for 60 years and there has always been room for improvement. I've come to the, albeit questionable, conclusion that the FIA doesn't care what I think and that they don't have a team surfing social media to come up with idea for positive change to keep the fans interested. (No other opinions are available.) I try, and sometimes fail, to just enjoy each race as much as I can. It seems pointless complaining. It's got to the stage where I tend to ignore the F1 thread between races much more than I used to. I'm very much like the FIA. I don't really care what the moaners say. I just want to get as much out of the sport as I can.
No, is the short answer.
I think that for any sport there's a sort of perverse joy to be had in moaning about it. I have some neighbours heavily into Bowls yet all they seem to do is moan about how the club imposes the rules and how the club is run.
A good way to visualise the level of discontent is to imagine that Pistonheads and similar were around at any point in the sport's history and think what the topics of conversation would have been on the matter of:
Wings appearing on cars.
Sponsorship being introduced.
James Hunt.
Ground effect (70s style)
Racing in South Africa during Apartheid.
Racing round Ceasar's Palace car park.
Brabham fan car and the Lotus 88
FISA / FOCA wars
McLaren's dominance in the early 90s
Active suspension
... and many more.
The issue is that the longer back something was, the better we perceive it to be because we tend to remember good stuff, not the bad. The sound of V10s is a good example. The sound of a single V10 powered F1 car full chat on a demo run is as intoxicating as it gets. But we forget that 22 of them racing for an hour and half was absolutely excruciating to the ears.
Another is that back in the day, you could see the drivers really working the car, a car that would move about and demonstrate the skill of one driver over another.... whilst forgetting that races then were so spread out the leader could pit, go to the loo, get back in and still be leading the race.
There's never been such a thing as the 'perfect formula' and I rather think life would be duller if there ever was.
I think that for any sport there's a sort of perverse joy to be had in moaning about it. I have some neighbours heavily into Bowls yet all they seem to do is moan about how the club imposes the rules and how the club is run.
A good way to visualise the level of discontent is to imagine that Pistonheads and similar were around at any point in the sport's history and think what the topics of conversation would have been on the matter of:
Wings appearing on cars.
Sponsorship being introduced.
James Hunt.
Ground effect (70s style)
Racing in South Africa during Apartheid.
Racing round Ceasar's Palace car park.
Brabham fan car and the Lotus 88
FISA / FOCA wars
McLaren's dominance in the early 90s
Active suspension
... and many more.
The issue is that the longer back something was, the better we perceive it to be because we tend to remember good stuff, not the bad. The sound of V10s is a good example. The sound of a single V10 powered F1 car full chat on a demo run is as intoxicating as it gets. But we forget that 22 of them racing for an hour and half was absolutely excruciating to the ears.
Another is that back in the day, you could see the drivers really working the car, a car that would move about and demonstrate the skill of one driver over another.... whilst forgetting that races then were so spread out the leader could pit, go to the loo, get back in and still be leading the race.
There's never been such a thing as the 'perfect formula' and I rather think life would be duller if there ever was.
I think the current moan on the battery/ice systems is legitimate. Making the cars run slower in places to charge the battery to be faster somewhere else, the when you are faster there's such a speed difference to another car that's going slow to charge that you either pass the car in front when you didn't want to (Lando lifted, the car still boosted) or spin off trying to get out of the way of the car ahead. At Monaco, both of those things aren't going to end well. The passing is artificial, it's the opposite of a DRS train, instead of being one stuck behind the next, it's everyone overtaking everyone else.
Previous moans about one team getting it right, whether it's Red Bull, Brawn, or Mercedes, are more one team crying because the other team stole their lunch money, when really it was all teams but one missed a trick in the rules.
2026, they're all in the same boat. Mercedes aren't Brawn level ahead of the rest, with McLaren and Ferrari there's a good chance of a 3 way fight this year. But it's a 3 way fight in crap cars they're all stuck with, because they had to be made that way.
Previous moans about one team getting it right, whether it's Red Bull, Brawn, or Mercedes, are more one team crying because the other team stole their lunch money, when really it was all teams but one missed a trick in the rules.
2026, they're all in the same boat. Mercedes aren't Brawn level ahead of the rest, with McLaren and Ferrari there's a good chance of a 3 way fight this year. But it's a 3 way fight in crap cars they're all stuck with, because they had to be made that way.
For a long time, I was very proud that F1 was 'my' sport. I took various family members and friends to see F1 live over the years before the hybrids, and I knew with 100% certainty that they would be shellshocked and overawed by the experience. In 2014, that changed completely, and F1 became a totally different thing. From the point of view of being there live, it is a shell of what it once was, nothing special, really.
On TV, it's a bit different. I think a lot of the hybrid era has been pretty entertaining, from a racing point of view. A lot of the races in the 'good old days' were actually very boring.
This season, though, they have gone way, way too far with the technology silliness. Having cars coasting slowly around qualifying laps, plodding into previously classic corners, is humiliating for the sport, and it's remarkable that somehow they have been stupid enough to get themselves into this position.
On TV, it's a bit different. I think a lot of the hybrid era has been pretty entertaining, from a racing point of view. A lot of the races in the 'good old days' were actually very boring.
This season, though, they have gone way, way too far with the technology silliness. Having cars coasting slowly around qualifying laps, plodding into previously classic corners, is humiliating for the sport, and it's remarkable that somehow they have been stupid enough to get themselves into this position.
I started following Formula 1 from around the age of 10 in the 60s by reading my father’s Motor Sport magazine every month, I’ve always been fascinated by the racing, the cars and the people. But even back then, people complained-Denis Jenkinson always had a bit of a moan about something or someone. He really had no time for Jackie Stewart when Stewart started campaigning for safety measures such as guard rails and marshals having safety gear and fire extinguishers.
I absolutely loved the cars back then, but unlike Derek I never liked the changes from the traditional colour schemes to the cigarette packet sponsorship. I’ve never smoked and witnessed at first hand the damage it does to people, so was pleased to see the end of cigarette advertising.
Nowadays the sport is vastly more popular, thanks to o social media and Drive to Survive which have driven a sort of mad fan frenzy with lunatic comments about “goats” with declarations of love and hatred for one’s particular driver. I think it’s all a bit bonkers, but harmless apart from the nasty streak of racism that’s aimed at Sir Lewis.
I absolutely loved the cars back then, but unlike Derek I never liked the changes from the traditional colour schemes to the cigarette packet sponsorship. I’ve never smoked and witnessed at first hand the damage it does to people, so was pleased to see the end of cigarette advertising.
Nowadays the sport is vastly more popular, thanks to o social media and Drive to Survive which have driven a sort of mad fan frenzy with lunatic comments about “goats” with declarations of love and hatred for one’s particular driver. I think it’s all a bit bonkers, but harmless apart from the nasty streak of racism that’s aimed at Sir Lewis.
Paul Dishman said:
I started following Formula 1 from around the age of 10 in the 60s by reading my father s Motor Sport magazine every month, I ve always been fascinated by the racing, the cars and the people. But even back then, people complained-Denis Jenkinson always had a bit of a moan about something or someone. He really had no time for Jackie Stewart when Stewart started campaigning for safety measures such as guard rails and marshals having safety gear and fire extinguishers.
I absolutely loved the cars back then, but unlike Derek I never liked the changes from the traditional colour schemes to the cigarette packet sponsorship. I ve never smoked and witnessed at first hand the damage it does to people, so was pleased to see the end of cigarette advertising.
Nowadays the sport is vastly more popular, thanks to o social media and Drive to Survive which have driven a sort of mad fan frenzy with lunatic comments about goats with declarations of love and hatred for one s particular driver. I think it s all a bit bonkers, but harmless apart from the nasty streak of racism that s aimed at Sir Lewis.
Jenkinson's frequent rants against Stewart, and the more frequent editorial bits attacking him for nonsensical reasons orchestrated by the editor, Bill Boddy, ensured I did not renew my subscription to MS. That showed them. I started on Autosport instead. It seemed to go downhill for a while, but picked up a few years ago. The sustained attack on safety features, seat belts, proper training of marshals and lots of fire points, were surreal. I absolutely loved the cars back then, but unlike Derek I never liked the changes from the traditional colour schemes to the cigarette packet sponsorship. I ve never smoked and witnessed at first hand the damage it does to people, so was pleased to see the end of cigarette advertising.
Nowadays the sport is vastly more popular, thanks to o social media and Drive to Survive which have driven a sort of mad fan frenzy with lunatic comments about goats with declarations of love and hatred for one s particular driver. I think it s all a bit bonkers, but harmless apart from the nasty streak of racism that s aimed at Sir Lewis.
I remember reading Jenkinson's article on the 1955 Mille Miglia and it convincing me I wanted to be a writer.
Boddy and Jenkinson's attitude to Stewart had something to do with his hair style and dressing 'modern'. Jackie was the Hamilton of his time in more ways than one.
My brother worked for the publishers of MS and found Boddy difficult to cope with as he wanted micro control and demanded changes at late stages, costing the publication a fortune over the years. Fair enough, he made MS into what it was, but what it was was fusty, old fashioned and reactionary. It seemed to drain the fun out of most motor sports.
I've just checked. He was E-i-C for 55 years, so there's an excuse for his conceit. When he was kicked out of his post, and made editor of just the veteran, Edwardian and vintage pages, he took it very badly.
People have such short memories. ‘52 they had to use F2 engines.
Now there’s a thought. Might drop Stefano a quick note….
I’ve loved the sport all my life. Didn't have much choice really. No complaints. Lots of opinions though.
Dad was a good friend of Gregor Grant amongst many others. Simpler times perhaps, but If you knew the characters, no less competitive.
It became tinged with something else after May ‘82 for me. Didn’t stop me watching though. However I began to understand what my father and so many others dealt with when so many close to them were lost doing what they loved.
Now there’s a thought. Might drop Stefano a quick note….
I’ve loved the sport all my life. Didn't have much choice really. No complaints. Lots of opinions though.
Dad was a good friend of Gregor Grant amongst many others. Simpler times perhaps, but If you knew the characters, no less competitive.
It became tinged with something else after May ‘82 for me. Didn’t stop me watching though. However I began to understand what my father and so many others dealt with when so many close to them were lost doing what they loved.
Derek Smith said:
Paul Dishman said:
I started following Formula 1 from around the age of 10 in the 60s by reading my father s Motor Sport magazine every month, I ve always been fascinated by the racing, the cars and the people. But even back then, people complained-Denis Jenkinson always had a bit of a moan about something or someone. He really had no time for Jackie Stewart when Stewart started campaigning for safety measures such as guard rails and marshals having safety gear and fire extinguishers.
I absolutely loved the cars back then, but unlike Derek I never liked the changes from the traditional colour schemes to the cigarette packet sponsorship. I ve never smoked and witnessed at first hand the damage it does to people, so was pleased to see the end of cigarette advertising.
Nowadays the sport is vastly more popular, thanks to o social media and Drive to Survive which have driven a sort of mad fan frenzy with lunatic comments about goats with declarations of love and hatred for one s particular driver. I think it s all a bit bonkers, but harmless apart from the nasty streak of racism that s aimed at Sir Lewis.
Jenkinson's frequent rants against Stewart, and the more frequent editorial bits attacking him for nonsensical reasons orchestrated by the editor, Bill Boddy, ensured I did not renew my subscription to MS. That showed them. I started on Autosport instead. It seemed to go downhill for a while, but picked up a few years ago. The sustained attack on safety features, seat belts, proper training of marshals and lots of fire points, were surreal. I absolutely loved the cars back then, but unlike Derek I never liked the changes from the traditional colour schemes to the cigarette packet sponsorship. I ve never smoked and witnessed at first hand the damage it does to people, so was pleased to see the end of cigarette advertising.
Nowadays the sport is vastly more popular, thanks to o social media and Drive to Survive which have driven a sort of mad fan frenzy with lunatic comments about goats with declarations of love and hatred for one s particular driver. I think it s all a bit bonkers, but harmless apart from the nasty streak of racism that s aimed at Sir Lewis.
I remember reading Jenkinson's article on the 1955 Mille Miglia and it convincing me I wanted to be a writer.
Boddy and Jenkinson's attitude to Stewart had something to do with his hair style and dressing 'modern'. Jackie was the Hamilton of his time in more ways than one.
My brother worked for the publishers of MS and found Boddy difficult to cope with as he wanted micro control and demanded changes at late stages, costing the publication a fortune over the years. Fair enough, he made MS into what it was, but what it was was fusty, old fashioned and reactionary. It seemed to drain the fun out of most motor sports.
I've just checked. He was E-i-C for 55 years, so there's an excuse for his conceit. When he was kicked out of his post, and made editor of just the veteran, Edwardian and vintage pages, he took it very badly.
I read Autosport from when my brother in law started racing in ‘88, continued when I was racing then gave it up after said bro in law sold Britcar on.
Leithen said:
People have such short memories. 52 they had to use F2 engines.
Now there s a thought. Might drop Stefano a quick note .
I ve loved the sport all my life. Didn't have much choice really. No complaints. Lots of opinions though.
Dad was a good friend of Gregor Grant amongst many others. Simpler times perhaps, but If you knew the characters, no less competitive.
It became tinged with something else after May 82 for me. Didn t stop me watching though. However I began to understand what my father and so many others dealt with when so many close to them were lost doing what they loved.
Absolutely. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news on the afternoon of April 7th 1968. Now there s a thought. Might drop Stefano a quick note .
I ve loved the sport all my life. Didn't have much choice really. No complaints. Lots of opinions though.
Dad was a good friend of Gregor Grant amongst many others. Simpler times perhaps, but If you knew the characters, no less competitive.
It became tinged with something else after May 82 for me. Didn t stop me watching though. However I began to understand what my father and so many others dealt with when so many close to them were lost doing what they loved.
Paul Dishman said:
Leithen said:
People have such short memories. 52 they had to use F2 engines.
Now there s a thought. Might drop Stefano a quick note .
I ve loved the sport all my life. Didn't have much choice really. No complaints. Lots of opinions though.
Dad was a good friend of Gregor Grant amongst many others. Simpler times perhaps, but If you knew the characters, no less competitive.
It became tinged with something else after May 82 for me. Didn t stop me watching though. However I began to understand what my father and so many others dealt with when so many close to them were lost doing what they loved.
Absolutely. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news on the afternoon of April 7th 1968. Now there s a thought. Might drop Stefano a quick note .
I ve loved the sport all my life. Didn't have much choice really. No complaints. Lots of opinions though.
Dad was a good friend of Gregor Grant amongst many others. Simpler times perhaps, but If you knew the characters, no less competitive.
It became tinged with something else after May 82 for me. Didn t stop me watching though. However I began to understand what my father and so many others dealt with when so many close to them were lost doing what they loved.
PRO5T said:
2026 Regs, moan formula battery, moan clipping, moan my favourite corner isn't flat out anymore!
2022 Ground effect regs, moan Red Bull win everything and when they don't I hate Lando!
2021 Moan Hamilton, moan Verstappen
2014 onwards moan Mercedes win everything!
2010 onwards Moan Vettels finger!
2009 Moan double defuser cheat
2008 Moan Lewis isblack err I mean his fashion sense, err hair, err his bird, I can dislike him without being racist you know!
Obviously it goes back further, tyre wars, treaded tyres, no overtakes.
I only started watching F1 again in 2007, I gave up in the mid nineties after falling out of love with it post Imola 1994 but I can safely say I have enjoyed each and every season since including this one so far!
One thing I've never understood is the governing body continually paying lip service to all this moaning?
I didn't realise Lewis was black. But now you come to mention it... 2022 Ground effect regs, moan Red Bull win everything and when they don't I hate Lando!
2021 Moan Hamilton, moan Verstappen
2014 onwards moan Mercedes win everything!
2010 onwards Moan Vettels finger!
2009 Moan double defuser cheat
2008 Moan Lewis is
Obviously it goes back further, tyre wars, treaded tyres, no overtakes.
I only started watching F1 again in 2007, I gave up in the mid nineties after falling out of love with it post Imola 1994 but I can safely say I have enjoyed each and every season since including this one so far!
One thing I've never understood is the governing body continually paying lip service to all this moaning?
Had anyone else noticed?
Paul Dishman said:
Absolutely. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news on the afternoon of April 7th 1968.
I was at Brands, standing at Clearways, when the announcement came that he'd been injured in a German F2 race. The consensus was he'd be fine, and the racing went on. Then we were told it was serious, although the extent of the injuries were unknown. There was a degree of concern, but it was more 'I hope he'll be able to race at the next GP'.When it was announced, between races, he'd died it seemed as if it had gone quiet at the circuit. It was just that everyone on the bank stopped talking. My friend and I wandered back to the car and we decided to go home. There was a queue at the exit, this before the end of the racing.
He seemed untouchable. It was impossible he'd died, but when I got home, it was the main news.
Paul Dishman said:
Derek Smith said:
I remember reading Jenkinson's article on the 1955 Mille Miglia and it convincing me I wanted to be a writer.
A classic piece of writing. I had my copy signed. 
Not to compare to your treasure, but the full article is here: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...
Well worth a read even today.
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