I think 27 odd years of following F1 has come to an end
Discussion
It just isn't racing to me anymore, and I grew up enjoying watching racing cars.
Watching the contrived show of people fitting ridiculous, unsuitable tyres and then everyone catching someone and pressing a button and driving right past them is throwing the baby out with the bathwater really. Complaints were they weren't overtaking often enough, but now they just aren't actually racing. They are, for the most part, just taking part in a 'who has the quickest car' session with other traffic on track.
I've preferred sportscar racing for years but have always still followed it but I think that I have finally had enough. I'd rather watch the best drivers in the world trying and failing to pass for a couple of laps at a time, ducking diving, feinting and defending, than what we have now.
Maybe if DRS was only allowed say 5 times in a race, and irrespective of whether you were 1 second behind another car, that might make things a lot more interesting?
Watching the contrived show of people fitting ridiculous, unsuitable tyres and then everyone catching someone and pressing a button and driving right past them is throwing the baby out with the bathwater really. Complaints were they weren't overtaking often enough, but now they just aren't actually racing. They are, for the most part, just taking part in a 'who has the quickest car' session with other traffic on track.
I've preferred sportscar racing for years but have always still followed it but I think that I have finally had enough. I'd rather watch the best drivers in the world trying and failing to pass for a couple of laps at a time, ducking diving, feinting and defending, than what we have now.
Maybe if DRS was only allowed say 5 times in a race, and irrespective of whether you were 1 second behind another car, that might make things a lot more interesting?
Ive thought it was boring for a while, BTCC for the win. More action in one race of BTCC than a whole season of F1. Didnt the FIA put the dampner on WTCC in the 90's as it was in danger of getting a bigger following than F1. I can sit through a hole race day on ITV4 of BTCC, but find one F1 race to long. I think that says something. If they did the whole 3 short races, reverse grid etc, with some interesting regs like manual gearbox, a set base engine and limited aero package; but with a unregulated tyre/suspension package, it could would be hoot.
Munter said:
denchy1 said:
Ive thought it was boring for a while, BTCC for the win. More action in one race of BTCC than a whole season of F1. Didnt the FIA put the dampner on WTCC in the 90's as it was in danger of getting a bigger following than F1. I can sit through a hole race day on ITV4 of BTCC, but find one F1 race to long. I think that says something. If they did the whole 3 short races, reverse grid etc, with some interesting regs like manual gearbox, a set base engine and limited aero package; but with a unregulated tyre/suspension package, it could would be hoot.
BTCC was great and my favourite series until 2000 but since then the driving standards have just been absymal and it has been more like bumper cars at times (and the cars are deathly dull). Again, not really racing if all you need to do is apply front bumper to inside of car as it turns in on you and knock them off. Plato in particular pretty much stopped me from watching that. ACO rules GT racing is where the real racing is for me at the moment, so maybe I should just accept that I have moved on, as I did with the BTCC. Just seems wrong somehow to stop following it!
zebedee said:
BTCC was great and my favourite series until 2000 but since then the driving standards have just been absymal and it has been more like bumper cars at times (and the cars are deathly dull). Again, not really racing if all you need to do is apply front bumper to inside of car as it turns in on you and knock them off. Plato in particular pretty much stopped me from watching that.
I agree with this to a point, but it keeps you on the edge of the seat. Like the end of the last lap of the first race at brands this year when they crashed on the last cornet and had a drag race out of the gravel to the line. Whether its great racing is debatable but its certainly entertaining.zebedee said:
It just isn't racing to me anymore, and I grew up enjoying watching racing cars.
Watching the contrived show of people fitting ridiculous, unsuitable tyres and then everyone catching someone and pressing a button and driving right past them is throwing the baby out with the bathwater really. Complaints were they weren't overtaking often enough, but now they just aren't actually racing. They are, for the most part, just taking part in a 'who has the quickest car' session with other traffic on track.
I've preferred sportscar racing for years but have always still followed it but I think that I have finally had enough. I'd rather watch the best drivers in the world trying and failing to pass for a couple of laps at a time, ducking diving, feinting and defending, than what we have now.
Maybe if DRS was only allowed say 5 times in a race, and irrespective of whether you were 1 second behind another car, that might make things a lot more interesting?
27 years! Get some in. When I was a kid there was a dispute as to which branch of the sport, sports cars or F1, was the pinnacle. in 1966 I saw my first GP and I began to move towards F1, almost at times to the exclusion of sports cars. There was a time when Le Mans lacked a lot.Watching the contrived show of people fitting ridiculous, unsuitable tyres and then everyone catching someone and pressing a button and driving right past them is throwing the baby out with the bathwater really. Complaints were they weren't overtaking often enough, but now they just aren't actually racing. They are, for the most part, just taking part in a 'who has the quickest car' session with other traffic on track.
I've preferred sportscar racing for years but have always still followed it but I think that I have finally had enough. I'd rather watch the best drivers in the world trying and failing to pass for a couple of laps at a time, ducking diving, feinting and defending, than what we have now.
Maybe if DRS was only allowed say 5 times in a race, and irrespective of whether you were 1 second behind another car, that might make things a lot more interesting?
Once the bloke who used to run the FIA decided not to bother with sports cars (or any other motor sport really) and concentrate on F1 it seemed as if the die was caste. I went to an international GT race at Silverstone 8 years ago where the teams outnumbered the spectators. The reasons for the lack of support were many but there is little doubt that the team managers blamed the politics of the FIA.
Good racing though.
The best racing I've seen for car on car was a sports car race at Donington in the 80s with Astons, Jags and Merc were all bashing door handles for 90 mins. For the balance of the 6-hour race there was no doubt as to who would win but there was still lots of interest further down the field.
I like sports car racing but fell into F1 because it was the pinnacle.
But it not there as of right. If it moves still further towards Disney then I have to wonder whether I'll abandon it.
F1 has gone through periods where there have been few on the grid but the racing was good and it was interesting.
For me, a lot will depend on the new formula. It is a major change, bigger than any that have been inflicted on F1 in the past, and is in effect a totally new formula. A big risk.
As for this season, I've already made arrangement to be out and about on the 26th of this month. Monaco is often a challenge, even for the committed fan, and for this season I can't be bothered to dedicate a whole day on the off-chance of it being one of the better ones. I'll record it and watch it later.
I used to watch F1 with a large group of mates, whose house we went to being dictated by how many of us there were, but as the years have gone on the number has dropped to around an average of less than 4. Yesterday we started with 3 and one left, claiming he had to pick his wife up from somewhere, but I doubt it.
During the Ferrari domination of a doz\en or so years ago I struggled a bit then, the politics and corruption being a bit off-putting, but even then we had interest further down the field. At least they raced. Since then the sport has picked up no end and the last few years have been exciting but last season to an extent, and this to a greater one, is proving a step too far.
Next season is the cruncher. It had better be good.
Thanks Derek, not just me then! Good point about next season, maybe I should try and 'make it work somehow' this season (or just read about who pressed a button and drove past who in the paper)!
The noise and speed and spectacle of the cars in F1 is really quite something, don't get me wrong people, and if at the circuit, that is pretty much good enough in itself. But I am a fan of racing, literally sitting on the edge of my seat at times, fists clenched and F1 isn't delivering any of that, although from some of the flippant comments on here I guess some don't care, is that just "because it is Formula 1" though?
The noise and speed and spectacle of the cars in F1 is really quite something, don't get me wrong people, and if at the circuit, that is pretty much good enough in itself. But I am a fan of racing, literally sitting on the edge of my seat at times, fists clenched and F1 isn't delivering any of that, although from some of the flippant comments on here I guess some don't care, is that just "because it is Formula 1" though?
Know what you mean, I'm still watching, have an interest but nowhere as much as before.
I started getting irked a few years ago when all the pundits etc. continually used the phrase 'must improve the show' I'd be fuming at the TV. true fans enjoy racing & attempts to overtake I don't want yank style overtake for the sake of overtaking. Unfortunately modern commerce / expand market share, sell, sell, sell, mentality chases the casual market & alienates true fans. Just listen to the amount of & volume of incidental music pumped over information pieces to satisfy the attention deficit generation to make everything 'exciting'. Personally I think we need a few years of pain as in financial collapse in F1. Get the investment capitalists out of the sport, so real fans can start enjoying again.
I started getting irked a few years ago when all the pundits etc. continually used the phrase 'must improve the show' I'd be fuming at the TV. true fans enjoy racing & attempts to overtake I don't want yank style overtake for the sake of overtaking. Unfortunately modern commerce / expand market share, sell, sell, sell, mentality chases the casual market & alienates true fans. Just listen to the amount of & volume of incidental music pumped over information pieces to satisfy the attention deficit generation to make everything 'exciting'. Personally I think we need a few years of pain as in financial collapse in F1. Get the investment capitalists out of the sport, so real fans can start enjoying again.
I watched prototypes diving for the inside at Paddock during a 6-hour race at Brands a few years ago. We were following one of the GT cars a friend, or acquaintance in my case, was driving. It got third in class, or rather last finisher, but there was excitement all through the field. The two Mercs had collided at Clearways early on and this robbed the battle for the lead of some of its interest, but that didn't matter.
One GT car, a Ferrari I think, had a bit of a problem early on and had to make its way back up through the field. Edge of the seat stuff.
I was at Spa one year for a sports car race and I could wander around the paddock. It was a dreadful day for the make I supported, one car, the fastest, being taken out at the Bus-stop, and another expiring on the penultimate lap, but for spectators, including me, it was thrilling.
One GT car, a Ferrari I think, had a bit of a problem early on and had to make its way back up through the field. Edge of the seat stuff.
I was at Spa one year for a sports car race and I could wander around the paddock. It was a dreadful day for the make I supported, one car, the fastest, being taken out at the Bus-stop, and another expiring on the penultimate lap, but for spectators, including me, it was thrilling.
Used to love the BOAC races at Brands , With the Works Ferrari P3 Chris Amon , porker 910s Rindt and Jim Halls thundering Winged Chaparel . Fantastic days racing not to be bettered, But then i was there when a little Mexican in a Blue and Orange 917 blew every on else away and my mind with them, Fantastic!
I agree that Formula 1 is not ideal at the moment as you are not driving the car to its limits but to the tyre limits but it is the same for everyone.Barcelona is probably the hardest circuit on tyres with four stops but think that the tyres should last a bit longer and produce two or three stops.
I hope Pirelli do not make the tyres a lot harder so last longer as then you would have Red Bull/Vettle dominating and winning every race.We would soon moan about that as in the Schumacher days.
I hope Pirelli do not make the tyres a lot harder so last longer as then you would have Red Bull/Vettle dominating and winning every race.We would soon moan about that as in the Schumacher days.
TheHeretic said:
Oh well.
Sadly, this is the reaction one would get from the powers running F1. The following was recently posted on another, more focused, forum:"When the racing was usually non-existent, we moaned and now when the racing is usually nonsensical we are still moaning. It's a perfectly consistent moan in the other words.
In short we are moaning that we fans are being by-passed. Firstly the sport was sleep walking, then they woke up not to the fans but to the masses and so turned the sport into a circus to amuse them."
Just about sums it up, really.
denchy1 said:
Ive thought it was boring for a while, BTCC for the win. More action in one race of BTCC than a whole season of F1. Didnt the FIA put the dampner on WTCC in the 90's as it was in danger of getting a bigger following than F1. I can sit through a hole race day on ITV4 of BTCC, but find one F1 race to long. I think that says something. If they did the whole 3 short races, reverse grid etc, with some interesting regs like manual gearbox, a set base engine and limited aero package; but with a unregulated tyre/suspension package, it could would be hoot.
BTCC is dull, sorry, but there it is. To be honest most people only follow it for the crashes and subsequent handbags. I was at Thruxton the other weekend and there was little overtaking, the field quickly split into several groups, it wsa pretty boring in all honesty.WTCC is never and will never be anywhere near as big as F1.
OP: Did you stop watching when Schumacher won everything ? When all bar 6 cars pulled out at Indy ? When the turbo cars and "push to pass" ?
Yes they screwed up with the tyres this weekend - And when I say "they" I mean the FIA and (to some extent) Pirelli.
They'll fix it, worry not.
Having watched F1 for a few more years than the OP I understand what he is saying but there are always good and bad races/seasons and rose tinted glasses don't help.
For me though, once F1 goes totally pay per view and then i'm out. Paying to watch races like yesterdays would be hardly worth while.
For me though, once F1 goes totally pay per view and then i'm out. Paying to watch races like yesterdays would be hardly worth while.
Ozone said:
Having watched F1 for a few more years than the OP I understand what he is saying but there are always good and bad races/seasons and rose tinted glasses don't help.
For me though, once F1 goes totally pay per view and then i'm out. Paying to watch races like yesterdays would be hardly worth while.
This. It is the first 'crap' race thus far this season, IMHO. One race does not ruin a season, so I shan't be getting the hump over it. I remember far more boring processional races in the past. For me though, once F1 goes totally pay per view and then i'm out. Paying to watch races like yesterdays would be hardly worth while.
I can see where the OP is coming from. Time was I'd never miss a race on TV and would follow the battles intently, but ever since the Sky split, I find myself watching races if they're on, but not noticing when they're not. Got to the point where if I miss a live race, I seldom watch highlights. Not a case of losing interest in motorsport, as I go out of my way to watch the various NASCAR series and especially Indycar, so it has to be something about F1 that has lost me.
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