UKTJ Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 (edited) Not sure how many races I'll bother to watch this year. The lack of excitment out front must be a massive problem for F1. Edited March 2 by UKTJ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludders Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Ignoring RB last year, the midfield racing was pretty good. This year, not so sure... With 4 engines allowed this year, I'm hoping they'll turn them up a bit, at the risk of unreliability creeping in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKTJ Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 On 03/03/2024 at 07:55, Ludders said: Ignoring RB last year, the midfield racing was pretty good. This year, not so sure... With 4 engines allowed this year, I'm hoping they'll turn them up a bit, at the risk of unreliability creeping in... Always nice to see some good overtaking down the field, I enjoyed the moves Sainz made. But ultimately, for me at least, the real interest is generated from competition over who will win a race and the championship. F1 has a tendency to through up dominant cars, but in the past even in that situation there was scope for another manufacturer to get it spot on at a particular type of circuit or for there to be some competition between the two drivers from the team with the dominant car (Hamilton vs Rosberg was in my view a fantastic battle, in some ays all the better for them being in the same team). That wasn't the case last year. On the C4 coverage they had a short piece with Brian Cox basically admitting last year was boring, I think he used a phrase that suggested it was as much fun as watching paint dry, but then went on to say it was going to be different this year. I doubt they'll be able to use that piece next week. It's not Verstappen's fault. It's not Red Bull's fault - maybe they could look for a more competitive team mate, but would Verstappen accept that and it's not like Perez is a bad driver. But I think it is a massive issue for F1. It's all very well staging races in new countries to generate additional interest and fans, but if it is just a procession with one guy driving off at the front every race I think it will result in people just losing interest. I'll may just record the races, then if I see Verstappen won by 30+ seconds I'll just delete it without bothering to watch. If I do take that approach, I fear I won't end up watching many races this year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member Raakhee Posted March 6 Platinum Member Share Posted March 6 This was one of the interests shared by my brother and I. I remember getting excited to wake up at ungodly hours to watch the live racing. Unfortunately I have lost interest since rules, regulations and technicalities spoiled the racing fun. The last time I properly watched a season was when Rossberg took the championship and then promptly retired (top move there ) There is some HooHa about the 24 race calendar with the drivers saying it does not give them much of a work/life balance. Got to say, it sounds gruelling seeing as the teams have to pack and unpack and travel around the continents. Can't believe Alonso is back. Is he the oldest driver there now? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member digger Posted March 6 Platinum Member Share Posted March 6 Hi Raakee, I still enjoy most motor sport including F1. However, in principle I agree with you. When I was young, GP was the whole world to me. Ok, it was stupidly unsafe but today, like many other sports it has become far too commercialised and complicated in my view. There has been a clear shift from , in concept, driving skill 70%, car 30% to today when it has become car 70% (ie £) driving skill 30%. IMO saddest of all the days of high skill = opportunity = get to the top have gone in pretty much everything in my experience. I believe we may have world champions, gold medallists etc in many fields but the persons with the best skills will likely never even start. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKTJ Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 Based on qualifying, doubt I will waste time watching tomorrow's race. Interested to see how Bearman does, but race result a foregone conclusion barring a mechanical issue. Maybe next season will be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member Tony Posted March 9 Platinum Member Share Posted March 9 Happens in most sports football swimming boxing snooker,down to the rest of the teams to catch up with red bull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member Surfer Posted March 9 Platinum Member Share Posted March 9 I used to watch F1 but lost interest quickly. I prefer to watch saloon car racing as you can associated better with a saloon car than any F1 car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member V Posted March 9 Platinum Member Share Posted March 9 7 hours ago, Surfer said: I used to watch F1 but lost interest quickly. I prefer to watch saloon car racing as you can associated better with a saloon car than any F1 car. Saloon car racing is also more accessible to watch in-person. The cars are slower so you see more of the action before they pass by your viewpoint. Ticket prices are lower too. I used to go to Rockingham Raceway often. It wasn't just European NASCAR, they had plenty of racing on the in-field circuit. The great thing was that you could see the entire race from your grandstand seat. It is a shame it has gone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member Surfer Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 11 hours ago, V said: Saloon car racing is also more accessible to watch in-person. The cars are slower so you see more of the action before they pass by your viewpoint. Ticket prices are lower too. I used to go to Rockingham Raceway often. It wasn't just European NASCAR, they had plenty of racing on the in-field circuit. The great thing was that you could see the entire race from your grandstand seat. It is a shame it has gone. Apparently at F1 ticket prices are £350 for standing and double to price if in the stand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member Raakhee Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Surfer said: Apparently at F1 ticket prices are £350 for standing and double to price if in the stand! Looked into the British Grand Prix at Silverstone tickets and got this That's about £595.40. That is the Friday to Sunday cost which is showing as the only option available Edited March 10 by Raakhee ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member digger Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 (edited) Its not often I defend huge companies but from a business point of view I can see that the overheads must be enormous and the income not guaranteed. Plus accountancy thinking says 'double the fee and it doesn't matter if only half the punters turn up!'' I think many people look back to the past and think of the much lower costs then. Just consider for example how much does it cost today to clear the litter from the vastness of Silverstone compared to clearing a few fields with volunteers, when littering was not such a problem as it is now, which is what happened in the 60s when I began my interest! Besides I am considering the Indy 500 and Le Mans , they are many times dearer and you have to get there! However ,this demonstrates what I said before, ''too commercialised and complicated'' all in the best interests of the organisation! Edited March 10 by digger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member jerryg Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 Prefer rallying myself. More exciting, not just going round and round in circles. Driver skills in a different environment. Usually free to watch, but if you volunteer to marshal you get right up close and personal to the action! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member Surfer Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 23 minutes ago, jerryg said: Prefer rallying myself. More exciting, not just going round and round in circles. Driver skills in a different environment. Usually free to watch, but if you volunteer to marshal you get right up close and personal to the action! Only problem with rallying is finding the correct viewing sopt and once they gone when will you see them again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member jerryg Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 50 minutes ago, Surfer said: Only problem with rallying is finding the correct viewing sopt and once they gone when will you see them again? As marshals we usually get to choose our spot and in multi-stage rallies or one venue events they come round more than once and up to 100 cars so plenty of action. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member digger Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 I do not belittle circuit racing but I've always thought the most skilful are loose surface drivers or those on the track who excel in the wet. Top of these must be rally drivers who don't even know where they are going. To sum up I always remember this quote from Hannu Mikola after wrecking his car and being asked by a reporter what happened '' It was deep forest, thick fog, heavy snow and ice, I couldn't see where I was going, I was doing 120mph! I went off the road!'' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Member jerryg Posted March 10 Platinum Member Share Posted March 10 You can't beat an Escort Mk1 or 2 sideways around a hairpin bend at who knows what mph with a tail wag as he/she comes out of it! IMO! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.