Formula 1 Fans?

Rhy650

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Just curious if there are any F1 fans out there? With no race to watch this weekend I am left still ruminating on the season opener...

Myself, I am a fairly shameless Red Bull fanboy. Really hoping this is the year that they can start to pose a serious threat to Mercedes. Very excited to have Checo on the team and I thought his comeback drive last weekend was an excellent sign that his head is in the game. I really doubt he could ever challenge Verstappen, but who knows? Good riddance to Albon.

Also very excited to see that McLaren is continuing to show improvement. I think Norris and Ricciardo have the potential to dominate the mid-field. As an American I have to support Haas, but was not encouraged by Maze-spin or the car this year. On the other hand, Schumacher and Tsunoda look like some very promising new talent. Would love to see them tangle with Russel and Gasly on a regular basis.

I am not a big fan of Mercedes, or Aston Martin. I get this is one of the most competitive events in the world, but I think these teams often go too far with their interpretation of the rules. Hamilton exceeding track limits at turn four about sent me through the roof. Might as well throw Ferrari in that bunch, too. Also not a fan of Alpine. No good reason, I just don't like them, haha.

So... that's my two cents on it. Your thoughts? Agree or disagree? If anyone wants to debate I am always up for some friendly banter.
 
Been watching F1 for more years than I care to remember. Hunt, Prost, Senna, Mansell, the Schumacher years. People ask, don't you get sick of it, especially when the same few teams win all the time? But as you know, there's interest for the cognoscenti right though the field, it's not just about who wins.

As with many UK F1 aficionados, tend to view the whole spectacle 'in the round', not as a fan of one team or driver. That's different in some countries - if Alonso was in with a shout, Barcelona was a sell-out. If not, the Spanish fans stayed away in their thousands. Same with Checo in Mexico, etc.

Like you, encouraged by McLaren's showing this year.

So while not a Red Bull fan - they are an easy team to like though - I'm hopeful Max will put Lewis under pressure. On the psychological level, been interesting over the past few years to see how Hamilton broke Vettel. Or did he? Is it just a coincidence that Lewis has reached the top and shown new-found maturity at the same time Vettel moved to a slower car, lost confidence, made rookie mistakes as he desperately over-drove the Red car?

Gonna be fascinating to see if Lewis starts to wobble if Max gets a few results . . .
 
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#44 fan here. Glad to see orange fans have a shot at a winning season. Was hoping for more improvement at Williams but it's early days yet.
I go back to Phil Hill,, Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss etc.
 
Thanks for chiming in, guys! I'm sure this will get a harrumph from both of you, but I only really got into F1 three years ago.

there's interest for the cognoscenti right though the field
Well said, couldn't agree more. Many people don't understand that finishing in the points is considered a win for most teams. The way I see it, even sitting one's rear end into an F1 cockpit is a hell of an accomplishment.

Or did he?
Sure looks broken to me... Despite not being a big fan of the new Aston Martin, I would love to see Vettel make a comeback.

#44 fan here.
Good call on using the number, best not to speak such names out loud :laughing:.

Kidding of course, Lewis is an amazing driver and has earned every bit of success he has enjoyed. I am just tired of watching him win.

We will have to catch up after the next race!
 
That Russell drive was a very eye-opening moment for me. I could be wrong about this, but it really drove home the point that most, if not all, of these drivers are supremely talented. I would have loved to see what a rookie like Latifi could have done with the Silver Arrow. The car makes a BIG difference.

It also made me think about an alternative format for F1. One where the constructors produce their cars, but the drivers rotate through each constructor on a per race basis. Over 20 races each driver would drive each constructor's car twice. That would be the great equalizer for both the driver and constructor championships.
 
Agreed, the car makes a big difference. That's why the surest test of a driver's merit is beating his team mate. But not too sure about your suggestion - they have tried in other formulas like W Series to try to reduce the car effect. Not guaranteed to produce better racing.

Interest in F1 goes far wider than simple technical merit of each team's car - there's the subtle or sometimes not-so-subtle interplay of many other factors including but not limited to driver ability, money, relative abilities of teams to develop the car, rule changes, politics and so on.

You watch the drivers and hope the best gravitate towards the fastest teams. But fastest team changes year to year - McLaren was the fastest team when Lewis won his first championship. Many fans were surprised when he moved to Mercedes in 2012 but since then McLaren has been out in the cold and rebuilding from the back of the grid.

And it's never simple. A team which suits a driver can get the best of him. And a good driver can help a team develop the best car. Then there's the dynamics between the drivers in the team. And the team's tactical nouse. And lady Luck.

And after all that, you have two drivers crossing the line within a second apart after 200 miles of racing . . .
 
I try to watch F1 when I have the easy option to do so but don't go out of my way to see it. I really miss the V10 days, even the following V8 days didn't have the same sort of drama to them. The V10 were so volatile you never knew what was going to happen and when things went wrong it was spectacular, specifically remember a Takuma Sato Williams BMW disintegrating at Monaco many years back now. The first British race last year had that element of not knowing what would happen because of the tire issues.
 
The first British race last year had that element of not knowing what would happen because of the tire issues.
Definitely. Of the seasons I have watched I thought 2020 was the best, almost entirely due to the uncertainty around so many of the tracks. The races at Sakhir, Mugello, and Tuzla, which had never or had not seen an F1 race in quite some time, were some of my favorites of the season.
 
Long time F1 guy here. Been at it since the 50's, when my parents would take us to the Tasman series back in NZ. When I got old enough to go alone, would take the train out to the track, spend the day there and take the train back home after the race. Got to see some of the greats do their thing, and sometimes up close too. Over the years F1 has gone through good and bad. Unfortunately the last few have been not so good, in my opinion. Mercs dominance is ok, that's the way it goes, but for as long as it has, is not good for the sport. Other teams have dominated for years, but other teams have caught up and then the cycle moves to another team. Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Benetton, Brabham and Lotus have all been the team to beat at one time, but never 6 or 7 years like Merc is today. Hamilton will get his 8th championship because he is in the dominant car. Young George proved that last year. I just hope Red Bull and Max can mount a charge and get after them, at least put some pressure on Hamilton. I am lucky that my wife loves to watch F1 as well. That means I can watch it on the big screen instead of the little tv in the garage.
 
Not old enough to go back that far, there were some super dominant seasons in the 90s and 2000s though. The thing then was you had an expectation that whether it was Ferrari or McLaren that was down that year they would fight back and possibly turn the tables the next year. This run by Mercedes doesn't have the same feel in that it just seems like they aren't going to be tested, and haven't been, for a while.
 
This run by Mercedes doesn't have the same feel in that it just seems like they aren't going to be tested, and haven't been, for a while.

True, Mercedes has been dominant, perhaps too long? But from pre-season testing and qualifying, it really looks like Red Bull has the fastest car this year. As said earlier, let's see how Lewis and Mercedes handle the pressure.
 
it really looks like Red Bull has the fastest car this year.
I also remain cautiously optimistic about this. Really need a few more races to learn more. Having a three week hiatus after the season opener is a cruel trick...

Even if Mercedes remains dominant this year I have high hopes that they will be dethroned in 2022. This is when the next set of major regulations will be enacted. Of course they were supposed to be here for 2021 (hence the 2021 on this mock-up), but COVID put the kibosh on that:

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Even better, the FIA has banned aero development until the end of 2021. Undoubtedly the current Merc power unit is superior, but their aero is also a huge reason for their dominance. If it was just the engine then we would have seen Williams and Racing Point up in the top spots. By limiting aero development and budgets, hopefully the teams will be put on a more even field.

I have mixed feelings about the FIA limiting technological development, but at this point if it results in better racing I might come around to the idea...
 
What a great race! I don't get to watch until late Sunday, so I was afraid to login here and have it spoiled for me.

All races should be run in the wet.
Couldn't agree more. They are always more exciting. Perhaps the FIA could arrange to have a few of these helicopters to randomly dump water on the track... They could call it the Wet Race System (WRS). I can just hear Martin Brundle going on about it...
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Gonna be fascinating to see if Lewis starts to wobble if Max gets a few results . . .
I think we saw a little bit of that yesterday! That being said, Lewis' comeback drive was absolutely amazing, he obviously wasn't too shaken up... He even got around to grabbing the extra point to deny Max what was going to be his first time leading the world championship.
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Glad to see orange fans have a shot at a winning season.
They are off to a great start, what a performance from Norris. These young drivers are really bringing it to the table. Prior to Lewis' charge, that would have been the youngest podium in F1 history.


Can't wait for the next one, having four different teams in the top points position leaves me optimistic about having a good season:

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