Where has the magic of F1 gone?
Discussion
This isn't a 'the good old days rant' but where has the magic of F1 gone. There is absolutely no charisma left in the sport. I believe the problem stems from the floods of corporate money that envelope the sport. A driver or team cannot say what they are thinking and often cannot act the way they want in public, out of fear of upsetting the money men.
We see it in the cringeworthy post race routine, driver jumps out of car after winning gp, driver instantly puts on baseball cap with sponsors logo, jacket covered in sponsors logos, wristwatch (sponsored), and occasionally accepts a phonecall on a (conveniently enough) vodafone phone.
Its not the sponsorship I object to, the teams need the money after all to go racing, but its the way the sponsors control everything thats said and done.
What happened to a time when a driver could publicly say his teammate was a git, if he screwed him over instead of media specualtion being the order of the day.
The fun is gone from formula 1 the last charismatic driver was Jean Alesi and the last Charismatic team was Jordan.
Our sport crumbling because of corporate control over every aspect of it. When we all switch off our TV's and stop watching these dull races, do you think the corporate boys will hang around, not likely, we need wheel to wheel racing we need real people driving the cars and we need fun, and we need it sooner rather than later or we'll just end up watching our sport die.
...Discuss
We see it in the cringeworthy post race routine, driver jumps out of car after winning gp, driver instantly puts on baseball cap with sponsors logo, jacket covered in sponsors logos, wristwatch (sponsored), and occasionally accepts a phonecall on a (conveniently enough) vodafone phone.
Its not the sponsorship I object to, the teams need the money after all to go racing, but its the way the sponsors control everything thats said and done.
What happened to a time when a driver could publicly say his teammate was a git, if he screwed him over instead of media specualtion being the order of the day.
The fun is gone from formula 1 the last charismatic driver was Jean Alesi and the last Charismatic team was Jordan.
Our sport crumbling because of corporate control over every aspect of it. When we all switch off our TV's and stop watching these dull races, do you think the corporate boys will hang around, not likely, we need wheel to wheel racing we need real people driving the cars and we need fun, and we need it sooner rather than later or we'll just end up watching our sport die.
...Discuss
Well, Alonso and Hamilton have been calling each other gits...
Personally I would say it is the rulemakers rather than the corporate culture that has taken the spirit out of F1.
To an extent the rules have been made to attract corporate money (making the sport "safe" and marketable), but the rules came first.
Technical rules about the cars and the race strategy mean that it is no longer about being the fastest man on the track, it is about having the biggest brains on the pit wall.
Personally I would say it is the rulemakers rather than the corporate culture that has taken the spirit out of F1.
To an extent the rules have been made to attract corporate money (making the sport "safe" and marketable), but the rules came first.
Technical rules about the cars and the race strategy mean that it is no longer about being the fastest man on the track, it is about having the biggest brains on the pit wall.
SuperKartRacer said:
It's gone to F3, watch and enjoy
Sam Bird said:
“Naturally I’m disappointed not to have gone further up the order” he said afterwards “but at least I was able to salvage some points and prove that overtaking in F3 is possible.
Sounds equally poor if he has to make a point about overtaking being possible.sosidge said:
Well, Alonso and Hamilton have been calling each other gits...
Only privately you can tell they both want to get this thing out in the open but the team won't let them and why won't the team let them, don't want to upset the sponsors.I accept your point about the rules, certainly don't help. Show me an F1 fan that wouldn't enjoy a wheel to wheel battle more than a split second pit stop battle.
Compulsory large fuel tanks which must be full at race start(even the biggest crashes now don't rupture fuel tanks). One set of (slick) tyres per race, punctures excepted. Reduce dependency on clean aerodynamics with some very simple rules and let the drivers race.
Edited by patmahe on Wednesday 15th August 12:03
The press conference in Hungary told me all I needed to know...the reports of the press conference at the McLaren motorhome were just as revealing. It's out there if you look for it and the last drivers that supposedly spoke his mind was Irvine and he was just irritating and towed the party line until he was chucked out of Ferrari.
In any case I reckon there will be a thread in 2017 asking why can't F1 be like it was 10 years ago...
In any case I reckon there will be a thread in 2017 asking why can't F1 be like it was 10 years ago...
FourWheelDrift said:
SuperKartRacer said:
It's gone to F3, watch and enjoy
Sam Bird said:
“Naturally I’m disappointed not to have gone further up the order” he said afterwards “but at least I was able to salvage some points and prove that overtaking in F3 is possible.
Sounds equally poor if he has to make a point about overtaking being possible.Is there any sport that has not been swamped by corporate money?
We live in a PC world (nothing to do with computer retailers) where you are not permitted to say anything that may offend the sponsors, the other drivers, the media or the public.
Look at how McLaren dealt with the FCUKING SWIVEL comment that came out of the media frenzy fallout after the Q3 chaos the other weekend. Endless PR to confirm no such word was used over the radio... so FECKING WHAT!!!
Am I going to be offended if that reported discussion actually happened word for word between Ron and Lewis, of course not. Those who are offended, switch off the TV, don't read the media and go live your sad lives elsewhere and allow the rest of us to enjoy live to the full, free of any PC crap
Oh and another few reasons why F1 has lost it's appeal...
...well actually just two reasons really:
Bernie and Max - enough said really!
We live in a PC world (nothing to do with computer retailers) where you are not permitted to say anything that may offend the sponsors, the other drivers, the media or the public.
Look at how McLaren dealt with the FCUKING SWIVEL comment that came out of the media frenzy fallout after the Q3 chaos the other weekend. Endless PR to confirm no such word was used over the radio... so FECKING WHAT!!!
Am I going to be offended if that reported discussion actually happened word for word between Ron and Lewis, of course not. Those who are offended, switch off the TV, don't read the media and go live your sad lives elsewhere and allow the rest of us to enjoy live to the full, free of any PC crap
Oh and another few reasons why F1 has lost it's appeal...
...well actually just two reasons really:
Bernie and Max - enough said really!
SuperKartRacer said:
FourWheelDrift said:
SuperKartRacer said:
It's gone to F3, watch and enjoy
Sam Bird said:
“Naturally I’m disappointed not to have gone further up the order” he said afterwards “but at least I was able to salvage some points and prove that overtaking in F3 is possible.
Sounds equally poor if he has to make a point about overtaking being possible.Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff