ooh, it's only 2 days... Do they still practise on fridays...

The races are bit dull but I'll still probably watch every race. But that's just me. I watch everything if it says motorsports. May it be monster truck drifting competition highlights, nascar season updates or F1 practise hours

Yep - still practice on Fridays.

I love F1 too!! admitedly 2002-2004 were not the most exciting and dont get me started on Ferrari !!! but people have to stop comparing F1 to other motorsport disciplines!!! no two disciplines are the same and you cant compare them.... thats what makes them all good

for example motogp has some fantastic track action but it doesnt have all the tactical sides like F1 has... both very exciting in their own ways

also you cant expect every race you watch to be a 'classic'. if you're lucky you will see a couple of 'classic' races in a season but you simply arent going to get one at every race. A lot of people will watch only one race and then judge which is stupid illepall give the season time to develope and then you will see the action

and i dont know how anyone can call last year's F1 boring... it was one of the best for ages (excpet for the indy rubbish!!)! and anyone who thinks classic dont happen anymore should go watch the jap gp.... round the outside of schumi at 180 mph... boring??? i dont think so illepall

this year will be even better because there is so much unknown about the V8's... and they are going to show the best drivers because they will have less grunt to get them out of trouble this year. cant wait to see the ew qualy format it looks good!

lets hope San Marino grand prix has some overtaking... its quite enoying that F1 cars are so useless at overtaking due to turbulent air...... i agree this years v8 will bring something new to f1 but there are still a lot of tracks where overtaking is virtually impossible...... Monaco caugh caugh lol....

I don't think you NEED overtaking to have a good GP if you are a true fan. I think Monaco is one of the highlights of the year - they are literally INCHES away from a huge shunt (ask Brundle, Wendlinger, Fisichella).

If you have to have overtaking then there are plenty of other series that cater for you, some even with special passing gimmicks, or a certain tolerance to hitting the other driver out of the way. No class if you ask me...

u have a point tristan but!

well its not that i need overtaking.. its just last year when schumacher was flying around the track and was going for a win he got stuck behind alonso who was very slow but there was no way to overtake him.. it was partly to alonso's smart driving but also to the track and f1 aero dynamics.... i have been watching f1 since 1994 so i consider my self as a fan tho my interest in f1 has dropped especially last season tho i did manage to catch most of the races.... indy was a classic

yes there are other series where theres over taking but f1 is a motorsport and overtaking should be part of that.. when i watch some of the old f1 races from the 1994-95 season the amount of ovetaking then was just thrilling... spa 1995 especially!!!!

should be interesting to see how this season turns out.. looking forward to seeing the new qualy format and the difference the v8 makes...

mad

This year season will probably have more overtaking.
The tyres is different, theyre softer, so they won't waste so much power on downforce and use it on real grip instead. I think this will make it easier to pass, I hope so.

Different tracks are good for spectators and different for drivers. The Monaco race is for me quite boring, but for a driver it's one frightening experience. Spa on the other hand, good for spectator but I'd never want to drive there. Though the Eau Rouge might be something in F1

Will be interesting to see how many races it will take this year before they change the qualifying system....

Quote :

Will be interesting to see how many races it will take this year before they change the qualifying system....

lol... well certainly it sounds different.. not sure if it will suit f1 as its like a playoff for pole but saying that it may be more fun.... i am a fan of the 12 laps 1h session even tho sometimes that was booring.. but it just worked and the last dash before session ended was great .. i remember the pole changing 4 times in the last 20 seconds at the Brazilian Grand Prix few years back...i just couldnt watch it... so nerve racking!!!!!!!! :hidesbehi

think over the last few seasons the qualy format hasnt worked and all those changes just consfuesd and boored people to death.... now lets hope this new format will work.... more changes are unhealthy for f1!!!!! i mean schumacher leaving end of the year is the hardest change of all

mad

didnt the public vote on it? there was a big survey out by the FIA and apparently people voted for this strange new system!!

In the mid 90's people were complaining F1 had become boring.
In the mid 80's people were complaining F1 had become boring.
In the mid 70's people were complaining F1 had become boring.

Rose tinted spectacles make a huge difference, and I'll wager that ten years from now we'll look back and wish F1 was more like the mid 00's.

As for qually - not sure about it yet.

Regarding overtaking this year, I think they'll be less. The cars are easier to drive now, and braking distances will be shorter, so the time to do the passing move is less, qhich makes it harder. And returning to steel brakes isn't the answer as braking distances are actually about the same although brake management and cooling would become a priority but not on unovercomable by engineering.

The simple fact is that in F1 the quality of the drivers, even the duffers like Montoya or Sato, is so high, and the quality of the cars is so high AND the technology on the cars is so optimised that passing will never be prevailent in Formula One without artificial means. And I hope they never resort to that.

Who wants to join me on a crusade? To kill Herman Tilke who makes dull circuits (apart from one corner per track that he spends ages on) and James Allen, possibly the most annoying person in the world ever. He's so stupid, and not just about F1, that he doesn't deserve to spectate let along try and commentate. Let's join "Stop the C**k" (Sniffpetrol).

Sadly we need James Allen or an equivalent. Who are you going to put Brundle with, someone competent? How could he get in his quota of disdain and snideness then?

so the slower cars only qualify for 15mins and a top ten car will run for an hour?

I agree James Allen does talk some rubbish sometimes! He really hasn't got a clue whats going on often.

The new qualifying format will be good because all cars not in the top ten will be able to fuel before the race. Everyone else has to do the final quali session with race fuel. So after the first stint in the race, many slower cars will leapfrog the faster ones unless those fast cars have enough time to get far enough ahead to come out from the first stop in front. This will mean more overtaking and a wider variety of strategies. Cars will be fast and slow at different times - should make the race more interesting.

Also, to get pole you will have to set 2 pretty fast laps and 1 super fast so its quite possible that a top driver could qualify in the slowest 6 if they have a mishap or technical problems in the 1st session. Fast drivers making their way through the field in the race is always entertaining.

Quote :

Who wants to join me on a crusade? To kill Herman Tilke who makes dull circuits (apart from one corner per track that he spends ages on) and James Allen, possibly the most annoying person in the world ever. He's so stupid, and not just about F1, that he doesn't deserve to spectate let along try and commentate. Let's join "Stop the C**k" (Sniffpetrol).

I am with ya Tristan!!!! must agree Tilke does make some ermm strange tracks. I really dont like what he did with Hockenheim!!!! it could of been so much better!!! Do like the 4 apex corner at Turkey tho...

As for James Allen, well i dont find him that annoying tho sometimes his comments are silly... I thought Murray walker was ok tho towards the end he was getting mixed up and over excited which i am sure wasnt good at his age. Think Martin could commentate on this own, he seems to have good knowledge of the sport and gives some very usefull info... funny tho when i hear his voice it just brings back memories of F1 97 on the playstation the puppet cheat!!!! HAHA and how martins favoured words were .. " Ur right there Murray" hahaha...

ermm anyway!!

mad!

I <3 Murray Walker

F1 is always interesting for me because there are so many aspects that go into a race win. I've missed barely a race in over two decades. Overtaking or not, these cars are really racing each other. Hundredths of a second matter, every single one of them from green lights to chequered flag. I think many people don't understand how fast these cars accelerate and brake. While apparently not containing as much action as a BTCC race, F1 is just as fickle when it comes to winning races. I love every pit stop, every locked wheel, every risky overtake. I love the way teams try to out-smart each other and gain the smallest advantage in aerodynamics, handling, and race strategy.

The ragged edge of motor racing is much sharper than one may expect. These cars reach insane speeds in no time flat and slow down just as impressively. The driver is exposed to G-forces which test the limits of physical concentration and endurance. This is a motorsport in which the smallest error can ruin your team's entire weekend. Only a handful of drivers are afforded the opportunity to race in F1 each year.
The least-skilled driver in the slowest car on the track is still having the race of his life.

Pootling might be a bit strong m8

Remember that last year they weren't allowed to change tyres, this year they can. I think that was more the reason they were pushing less hard at some points in the race.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Well... Last season they were mostly racing until the pit stops were done with, and then turning the engines down and pootling around for the last 10-20 laps depending on how safe their positions were.

No they weren't.

Quote from Hyperactive :

Spa on the other hand, good for spectator but I'd never want to drive there. Though the Eau Rouge might be something in F1

No Spa this year tho Bernie is a greedy bastard.

While talking about A1GP, Jos Verstappen is screwed, he got a Drive-Thru, because he had overtaken somebody when there was a yellow flag...
Well, he was just driving, the guy that he had overtaken was in pit...?
The guy who made the decision is fired though.
But still, I don't know if Jos can make 3rd place anymore...
it was REALLY possible if he had points this race... :-(

Quote from tristancliffe :

I <3 Murray Walker

yeah it aint been the same since he left the commentary b0x..