the day F1 crashed

[Dare]

When are powers to be gonna wise up?After the
barn doors are closed


http://www.roadandtrack.com/racing/the-day-the-f1-pyramid-scheme-crashed-a-rant

[Scott]

He sums it up pretty well. 

[cosworth151]

All true. The sad thing is, F1 has even more problems than he lists.

[Wizzo]

I agree with everything in that article - F1 is in trouble.

I forgot myself then and went into a long rant - *deleted*

Wiz

[Irisado]

Yes, I agree with nearly everything that he has said too.  Formula 1 is in a mess, and if we don't get a proper grid, and more sensible rules soon, I may give up on it.  I never thought I'd type that.

The Russian Grand Prix is, in particular, the prime example of everything that is wrong with Formula 1.  I still feel as though it was like watching a Bond film.  It was surreal, and so utterly lifeless.  Formula 1 has no business there.  Ecclestone's pockets are the only thing which benefits from racing at Sochi.

[John S]

The Russian Grand Prix is, in particular, the prime example of everything that is wrong with Formula 1.  I still feel as though it was like watching a Bond film.  It was surreal, and so utterly lifeless.  Formula 1 has no business there.  Ecclestone's pockets are the only thing which benefits from racing at Sochi.

Of all the points made in the Road and Track article I find the assertion that the Russian GP is so wrong quite distasteful, they appear to just be pandering to their US base audience with such a view rather than being objective.

To my mind the lifeless feel to the Sochi race was down to a combination of the ultra safe tyre choice and the fuel/engine save strategy from a large number of the teams at this point in the season, rather than an inherently bad track.

The new spec long-life engine regs are really starting to bite, most teams have given up on even trying for a race win and are settling for minor place points to steady their championship position.

Where oh where are the push to the limit team principals now; Colin or Enzo would be ashamed of the current crop.
I still cannot believe that this year the great Williams team appear happy whilst they admit targeting 3rd place in most races this year.   

   

[lkjohnson1950]

Colin was infamous for short fueling the cars to save weight. He preferred to run out of gas while leading rather than be second.

[Scott]

Of all the points made in the Road and Track article I find the assertion that the Russian GP is so wrong quite distasteful, they appear to just be pandering to their US base audience with such a view rather than being objective.

To my mind the lifeless feel to the Sochi race was down to a combination of the ultra safe tyre choice and the fuel/engine save strategy from a large number of the teams at this point in the season, rather than an inherently bad track.

All he said about the track was that it was pointless.  If you think the propaganda comment was to pander to the American audience, then you weren't watching the same broadcast I was, because starting with the pre-race 'stand at attention' to the multiple shots of Putin, to the podium ceremony with Boris 'you like it here, no?  Ees a ferry beautiful place, no?' whatshisname, it was simply an exercise in propaganda.   I can't think of another F1 race where they spend any time DURING THE RACE showing any kind of dignitary from the host country...maybe if Putin had shown up on time instead of 15 laps into the race they could have shown him doing the pit lane or something.  Really, that is not pandering to Americans, or British (who quite frankly are at least as anti-Russian as Americans), but simply telling it like it is.

The race was crap...call it because of the fuel, the track, the  tires, doesn't matter why.

[cosworth151]

Where oh where are the push to the limit team principals now; Colin or Enzo would be ashamed of the current crop.

Almost every push-the-limits innovations that teams have tried for the past decade or so has been immediately banned by the FIA.

they appear to just be pandering to their US base audience with such a view rather than being objective.

The odd thing about that is that, while I was watching the Sochi race, there was one good thing I could say about it: At least it isn't COTA! 

[Irisado]

I'm very sensitive to pro-US bias John (I'm neither a fan of the US nor Russia), and like Scott, I didn't see any of that there.  Had the circuit been good, had Ecclestone not been paid 31 million by Putin to stage the event, and had the race been remotely interesting, he would probably not have said all those things.  None of that is the case though.