GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Calman on January 12, 2019, 03:14:12 AM
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Hard to believe it's only 9 Weeks this Sunday, until lights out in Melbourne for the 2019 season opener. I think most of us would agree that the last few races of 2018 were pedestrian, seeing us simply go through the motions. However, let's hope that 2019 gives us more to cheer about, more overtaking, more inter-team battles and more edge of the seat thrills and spills.
2017/18 was mainly about the changes to the cars, but 2019 sees several experienced drivers changing teams and brings a handful of newcomers to the grid!
Will it be a season to remember? ... and end to Mercedes dominance?? ... or more competition, other than that familiar term "The Top 3".
Either way, bring it on!!!
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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With RBR going to Honda, it will probably be The Top Two. ;)
Seriously, it will be very interesting to see how the driver scramble shakes out. I wonder if we won't see even move driver changes by the European races.
I hope the aero changes do increase overtaking but I'm sure that the designers have already found a way around them.
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I wonder if we won't see even move driver changes by the European races.
Well, the man under the most pressure even before the Green Light in Melbourne, has to be Bottas. Lot's of headline rumours flying around the web right now, when Bottas, Max and Ocon float to the top. Bottas under pressure to perform, while being expected to support Lewis (eh?) ... and Formula E angry that Max carried out his "Community Service" at their venue (as if Formula E is a form of punishment). Then you have Ocon threaten to Quit, should he not get Bottas's seat in 2020 ... OR SOONER!!!
Spicy!!! ... and we are not even close to pre-season testing yet!!! :DD
I'm patiently waiting on a solid report regarding Racing Point's new name/badge ... apparently, the car will remain Pink!
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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I'm struggling to get excited about 2019. The only thing that I will be paying any attention to is whether Leclerc can beat Vettel. I really hope that he can and that Vettel will finally be shown up for what I have always believed he is, an average to good driver, rather than someone who deserved to be four times world champion.
As for the rest, there's nothing that is going to get me excited. The same old tyres, fuel consumption rules, sanitised circuits, DRS overtakes, bullet proof cars, computer game graphics and sounds from Liberty, and most of the grid effectively being run by three teams. This is not Formula 1 and something drastic needs to be done to resolve all of these issues.
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I'm struggling to get excited about 2019...there's nothing that is going to get me excited. The same old tyres, fuel consumption rules, sanitised circuits, DRS overtakes, bullet proof cars, computer game graphics and sounds from Liberty, and most of the grid effectively being run by three teams. This is not Formula 1 and something drastic needs to be done to resolve all of these issues.
I sort of agree with you, but you cannot 'create' interesting: it has to come from the competitors themselves. If there are some daring designs, things could be interesting. If there are some daring strategies, things could be interesting. And if there are some daring drivers, things could be interesting.
We won't know until the lights go out.
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I feel that "excited" may be too strong an emotion, but I sincerely hope that 2019 "puts on a better show" with drivers like Danny Ric and Kimi fighting through the grid with their vast experience. Along with the mix of "newcomers" ... surely, that alone will make for an interesting spectacle (without the mention of tyres/fuel saving/following distance in dirty air etc.)
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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I get more and more excited as the weeks progress. Next week we will see some cars launched, so that will crank up my anticipation levels a few notches. Then testing builds it. I am borderline hyper by the Australian Grand Prix weekend. Then by the time I've finished the race, I crash back to 'here we go again' mode.
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I always liked Martin Brundle's quote from a few years back. I think it was one of those Australian GP's that injected mayhem on the opening lap, where Martin said something like "it's like boys on their first day back at school" .... CLASSIC.
So, on that note, I am not looking for mayhem, but hope after the chequered flag, we don't all sit and think "Now, was there anything memorable in the last 2 hours???".
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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Ooooo it's getting closer I am so excited it's like Christmas all over again hehe
Speaking of which I think Cadbury's are missing out, they should do an advent calendar counting down to the start of the new season...I can see it now , little car doors with little car chocolates hehe....although I did see Lego advent calendars for Christmas, that would be even cooler. Every day a new brick till on the eve of qualifying you attach your last wheel ready to qualify the next day hehe. So if you are reading this Cadbury or Lego...get in on it, I will buy one hehe
I mean chocolate, Lego and F1 what's not to love??😍🤗
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I mean chocolate, Lego and F1 what's not to love??
So, a wee lego-lookalike race car, make out of Cadburys best milk chocolate, doing laps on a Scalextric track ... and you are in Heaven? ... does Fernando have a say in this?? :DD
6 Weeks this coming Sunday!!! :yahoo:
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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Baby cakes does as he is told...well most of the time hehe
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Baby cakes does as he is told...well most of the time hehe
Ahhh!! ... it's that kind of relationship, say no more!!! :stop:
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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Absolutely :yahoo: :DD
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I'm waiting for Leclerc at Ferrari (not expecting immediate fireworks, but there's a development path I'm enjoying following), to see how much help the Strolls can be to Strollin' Rollin''s ambitions and also whether F1 is going to survive the 2020s (this year will probably give us a good clue).
I'm not excited about the start of the season yet because my brain's not really got past wondering about the next 10 days (apart from trying to see if I can get the Hungarian Grand Prix on the TV for the Corporate Games karting weekend Dad and I are doing). Launch week is exciting enough for the present!
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...and also whether F1 is going to survive the 2020s
Why? .... is it going somewhere??
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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...and also whether F1 is going to survive the 2020s
Why? .... is it going somewhere??
Best Regards,
Cal :)
Could be it's going to the dogs. :D
It's probably the only way to get an inner city race in GB anyways. ;)
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...and also whether F1 is going to survive the 2020s
Why? .... is it going somewhere??
Best Regards,
Cal :)
Could be it's going to the dogs. :D
This is exactly what I am getting at. Especially if Calman's belief that Liberty is genuinely getting cold feet is true. I don't think much of the sort of companies that appear to have the inclination as well as the money to purchase it from Liberty. Therefore, if it isn't profitable to look after F1 properly for a financially-minded company (recall this is the second time it's happened to F1), it's unlikely to find itself among the sort of people who "get" how to make F1 interesting to a sufficiently broad audience, and the series will fade out. Probably in favour of a couple of dozen other activities, rather than one specific series or activity taking the mantle.
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I can't help feel that Liberty are a business with pots of gold, pots of cahoneys and pots of white teeth (all metaphorically speaking of course), who decided to scoop up F1 and pay with it for a while. Then soon realised that they are out of their depth, discovered that the fans found out in due course, that they know nothing about running F1 ... and now want to back out before Mr Bad Press knocks on their door. It may already be a little too late for that, but in all seriousness, does F1 have a better option at this venture, that's the concerning part!!!
Best Regards,
Cal :)
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I sort of agree with you, but you cannot 'create' interesting: it has to come from the competitors themselves. If there are some daring designs, things could be interesting. If there are some daring strategies, things could be interesting. And if there are some daring drivers, things could be interesting.
The rules for designing the cars and the poor quality of the tyres don't allow the competitors to do any of this. Drivers are hamstrung by the penalty system and have no incentive to try adventurous passes with DRS to help them.
We won't know until the lights go out.
I wish that I still believed that. Every year since 2015 has been very poor from start to finish, and 2009-2013 was not a great period either. 2014 was a bit better, but only because of poor reliability from the turbos during their first year for some of the teams.