Would like to hear your thoughts on the up and coming F1 season.
It could be a close championship this year due to a few new variables. The main one being tyres. With McClaren now on Michelin there will be a major performance advantage/disadvantage at various circuits which should help them challenge Ferrari.
The other variable is experienced Montoya/Raikonnen in top teams. If williams can produce a reliable car but with similar performance advantage as last years car Montoya would be my choice for the championship.
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My prediction?
A red car and a German............
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Once again the F1 circus starts millions of people looking at cars that are restricted in speed ,power output watching F1 is like watching grass grow.At the new purpose built Luasnitz Indy race track they had corvettes lapping faster than GP motors the Indie cars were even faster . F1 has turned into a mobile advertising hoarding.In fact tickets for the German .San Marino and Italian GP were going begging last year and all the Indy race days were a sell out.If you want to see fast driving with all the excitement stand on a bridge over Autobahn 4 or 2 at weekends does not cost anything and is far more exciting.Plus you can join in if you want.
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Thanks Tomo!
Mr Schumacher (Snr) used to be an arrogant person when being interviewed and really put my back up. I think the back-biting with Damon Hill perhaps gave me the wrong impression.
Nowadays, the interviews Micheal gives are very interesting, the big-headedness has gone and he is quite a likeable person, on top of being part of a great team.
Long may he (& his brother!) be sucessfull
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I am afraid with the way F1 is going it should be de-classified as a sport - drivers giving way to their team mates, blocking, 'protecting their line', can you imagine horse racing or runners in an Olympic final getting away with any of that.
Drivers say, "oh but its a team sport". What a load of old toffee - if its a team sport, why not make it a team world championship and not an individual driver's championship.
Sorry but F1 is nothing more than high speed advertising.
I used to love it and would stay in and faithfully watch every race, but now, I'd rather do the ironing.
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...and the winner will be whoever B.E. has decided...
A very sceptical DVD.
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All,
Bernard E has evolved F1 into a well honed business machine probably more sophisticated than the machinery upon which it is based. Todays processional GP's are plain mediocre when compared to yesteryears, and I will be suprised if Joe Bloggs punter continues to be supportive of the event for much longer.
The underlying problem is complex but I raise the following issues that I believe are influential.
An over reaction and preoccupation with safety.
The uncapped financial backing of teams.
Excessive engineering secrecy.
A preoccupation with the commercial exploitation of the sport.
International commercial politics (GP venues)
Media deals and packages.
I cannot express how exiting GP's were in the 1960's and 70's, processions were rare and the outcome of the race would not often be known until the last lap or so.
Perhaps its time for boring and expensive F1 to die, Something of quality might just replace it - think on that!
Regards,
Julian
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What a negative response to a simple question !
While i would agree champ cars/indycar racing is a better spectator sport they are also subject to speed rstrictions (pop-off valves) and struggle to sell tickets at some circuits. Its very dissapointing to see the Michigan 500 has been drop from the Champ car schedule. This has been a highlight of the champ car championship for many years. The race between Andretti/Montoya being the most memorable .... banging wheels at 220 MPH as they crossed the finishing line.
Back to F1...
If Ferrari can maintain there advantage then your comments will stand, but if as i suggested the new variables tyres e.t.c level out the playing field it might be a good season.
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The earlier mention of the pre-occupation with safety is true, wasn't it last year that they started the race behind the safety car - why bother?
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Montoya is the one to watch this season. pity 4 wheel drive is not allowed would be much more interesting
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Under 21 year olds will be lapping at most of the GP circuits must faster than FI in GO Karts .Not really but but duel turbo corvettes certainy will along with the Le many series .We were at the New Nurnberg ring last year and the lap times of many different classes beat anything produced by GP cars,In fact a rumour in Germany says that the Schumacher brothers travel faster on the autobahn to Hochenhiem than when they race.
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I used to be a real big fan of F1, and still vaguely follow the ins & outs. But my interest has diminished over the past few years, the races are really very processional and there's hardly any overtaking during the race outside pitstops. Like others, I'm not too bothered if I miss a race thesedays, and I no longer get out of bed to see a race...
Murray is a big loss to the sport, his partnerships with Hunt and latterly Brundle have been excellent (Palmer was a bit of a wash out, IMHO), but I think James Allen, knowledgeable as he may be does not have the respect for the drivers that they deserve and comes over as some child trying to be the cleverest in the class. Who other than a prize idiot would attempt to tell Martin Brundle about what's happening in the race? Perhaps over time the rapport will develop, but by then we'll probably have stopped watching.
Anthony made some good points about teamwork, but I'd disagree with team tactics ruining the sport - Cycling is a much better sport for the use of team tactics. Much as I like Barrichello, I've not got much sympathy for him complaining about letting Baron Cobblers past. No-one forced him to sign the contract, he should get on with it. We've seen Schumi support Irvine in his title push, and at the end of last season, he was letting Rubens past.
The problem for me is that most motorsport is rubbish nowadays - the BTCC has become some strange Vauxhall marketing excercise, F1 is boring and the Rallying doesn't get enough coverage. Even LeMans isn't what it was, the pre-qualifying becoming something of a waste of time too. Things were better even 5/6 years ago with a (slightly) more interesting F1, loads of teams in the BTCC and the ITC series. We need more excitement, and dare I suggest even a little overtaking?
Better get out the Zamberlans, I'm rambling again....
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Well, I just love it on the box; wish I could get Indy, though. And where did I put my Auto-Union tape?
As to the question, one surely must go with David Lacey.
But what about a race at the end of the season with the drivers with most points in the cars with least, and vice versa? (I think that man would still be well up, mind you.)
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