Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

Fernandofan08 · 12-07-2013, 06:09 PM

(12-07-2013 05:32 PM)OllieWestwood Wrote: It's well documented that I don't like the F1 racing, it's predictable, too tactical and 90% of the time just a parade of cars rather than any racecraft.

That doesn't mean I don't have my finger on the pulse of whats happening, it's hard to avoid reading Autosport, pistonheads, Motorsport news, the chequered flag and various social media links almost on a daily basis!

As a Motorsport fan I get frustrated with the hype surrounding it, I know it's money that drives it but I've been to struggling club meetings where 18-25 saxos/midgets/2cvs/golfs have provided more entertainment in 12 laps of Mallory than a whole f1 season, and these are struggling because the f1 fan is generally an armchair fan who is oblivious to other forms of the sport, a football fan tends to watch any football on, but especially their team, I doubt many f1 watchers will seek out coverage of the WEC, BTCC or WTCC all well televised let alone the VAG trophy or caterhams that have races broadcast.

Again, money is the driving force, sponsorship advertising and coverage etc etc

The penalties are hideous, I agree with the above, Pirelli get slagged for shit tyre despite the design brief to 'make it interesting' then get punished for testing a compromise. Mercedes have the same, so F1 banish the young upcoming talent from an opportunity to get spotted or develop in bext weeks young driver test.

It needs to go back to basics, hopefully the 2014 turbo cars will do this, currently the technology in F1 is overshadowed by WEC in almost all aspects and whenever a team develop a innovative solution in F1 it either gets banned in a rule update or the idea published so all 20+ cars on the grid then have a form of it.

It takes the driver skill out of the equation when the cars & teams are under such close regs all designed to make close racing when in fact, it's doin the total opposite!

Formula 1 lost road relevance at the late 90's. Many cars nowdays dont use KERS, its still a fresh concept on roadcars in BMW's and Audi's. Theres just no relevance to the road with that.

Car design and development now is all about asmuch power out of a small, economical engine. To me, thats not Formula 1. F1 should be the screaming V10's changing gear at 20,000rpm. Aerodynamic dependance, the ground effect dependence has become king and has been since the late 90's.

Pirelli's tyres were made softer so they could entice tyre wear and improve overtaking. its abit of a fallacy really, I mean I believe in tyre conservation; Alain Prost was the greatest driver to do this; he could eek a tyres performance over a long period of time without destroying the life of it. Fernando Alonso can do the same. Drivers like those two are extremely adaptable and can mould themself to any situation.

On the flipside of that, you dont have all out-and-out racing which people idolise Senna with, when infact, that was a complete fallacy too. Very rarely did you ever get an F1 race which was pushing 100%; cars, engines, gearboxes, tyres or turbo's never allowed that in the history of Formula 1; its one of those rose-tinted viewpoints.

The thing with F1 is, they STILL use 13inch rims because they refuse to use 16-18inch which Michelin wanted the team to adopt. This is because of the massive overhaul and suspension design. F1 refuses to change which is its problem, but then the other problem is they just cant enforce rules.

Whether it was Redbulls flexible wings, engine maps, exhaust blowing, flexible floor, holes in the floor, illegal brake ducts; they were never punished yet Sauber had 1mm out on the rear wing and were DSQ immediately.

Its technical rules are also in a rock and a hard place. Sauber, Lotus, Marussia, Williams, Toro Rosso, Force India and Caterham are all close to folding; Williams cant afford to improve the car, Sauber cant pay Hulkenberg and have missed many deadlines with suppliers to the point that they cant develop their car for the rest of the year. Marussia cant afford to not get 10th just like Caterham otherwise they get no money for competing; both teams failed to agree a merger at the start of the season and both of them are close to folding. STR is obsolete as RBR will sign Kimi making STR a £100+ failure for Mateschitz. Vijay Mallya is under corruption investigation after kingfisher airlines went bust; Sahara have a large percentage but they cant afford to run the team. Genii Capital/Gerrard Lopez cant afford Raikkonen for next year, they have no title sponsor and are close to folding too.

So when you look at that, how can you drastically change rules without losing teams? The new engines next year will cost;

Ferrari turbo; £14million per team per year
Mercedes turbo; £16million per year per team
Renault Turbo; £19million per year per team

Current regulation engines are just £4million per year per team! To change rules costs so much money, to compete costs so much money. Its always been about money in F1, but now its more pivitol than ever. Since banning tobacco (Mild Seven Renault, JPS Lotus, Marlboro Scuderia and Marlboro Mclaren), big money has gone. Alcohol is practically banned as well. They were two of THE biggest sponsorship areas in the past 30 years.

Restrictive rules are there so that costs dont spiral out of control, but if you think RBR has a budget more than any team at £240million, plus £100 million for STR plus they are using their aerolab subsidary off the books to develop the car, theyre spenting half a billion a year on F1. Caterham have £40million. Thats it.

F1 will kill itself eventually, and to be blunt, theres bugger all motorsports out there which will take up its mantle;

WTCC; Terrible.
DTM; Terrible
BTCC; Doesnt have any recognition outside the UK
Indycar; laughed at outside the US
Nascar; same as indycar
WRC; an utter joke without the legend that is Loeb
Moto GP; criticised for playstation bikes; processional
WSB; purer racing but not as marketable
Le Mans; Brilliant design and philosophies but its too long for an average person to sit and watch; endurance racing isn't as attention grabbing as sprint races ala F1, its also not as openly available nor as globally appealing.

This is the whole problem. Costs have spiralled in Le Mans with Toyota all but pulling out due to not having funds for repair parts. Peugeot left aswell. Its just a one horse race. GT categories are fun but again they dont appeal to global audiences.

F1 is just too expensive. £25 for a weekend at BTCC and you get 3 races, up close with the drivers and they are entertaining to watch. Even with stupid civic turbo advantages. You can take a family of 4 for £50. F1? You cant do that for under £1000 if you want grandstand seats!