Can't finish a race anymore...

[P*Funk]

That's what I call ADHD, a group of fans dedicated for 30 years to F1 becoming disillusioned with the sport somewhere in the 28th-30th year. Definitely ADHD, definitely not the sport.

COTA sucks because it draws serious GT racing that ends up with the mandatory run off abuse and 4-wheels-off-curb-riding and the way using run off lets you keep your foot down when you screw up to ensure you can actually stay ahead or even contest the next corner when you should really be feeling lucky your car is in one piece.

I swear, run off has become so extreme it doesn't even make sense anymore. They have run off on both sides of COTA everywhere regardless of whether it makes any sense. Then t here's more run off for the run off. Its goofy.

 

[TomcatMF]

That's what I call ADHD, a group of fans dedicated for 30 years to F1 becoming disillusioned with the sport somewhere in the 28th-30th year. Definitely ADHD, definitely not the sport.

COTA sucks because it draws serious GT racing that ends up with the mandatory run off abuse and 4-wheels-off-curb-riding and the way using run off lets you keep your foot down when you screw up to ensure you can actually stay ahead or even contest the next corner when you should really be feeling lucky your car is in one piece.

I swear, run off has become so extreme it doesn't even make sense anymore. They have run off on both sides of COTA everywhere regardless of whether it makes any sense. Then t here's more run off for the run off. Its goofy.

Well they run more than just F1 races at CoTA. They also do HPDE track days, and I'm sure that those people who are driving their own cars that are anywhere from $50k- $1 million appreciate all that run off.
The first year I was there one of the cars lost their brakes during one of the Porsche cup support races, and he ended up using all the runoff plus the gravel to get his car stopped, and thankfully he didn't hit the wall, and I'm sure he appreciated the runoff too.
I very much want to take my Z06 Corvette on that track too because all that runoff makes it appealing to me too, since it minimizes the chances of me damaging or destroying my car that is also my daily driver.

Racing doesn't need to be dangerous to be interesting. In contrast I give you Monaco, which has almost no run off, and those races are the most boring of the F1 calendar year after year.

 

[P*Funk]

Racing doesn't need to be dangerous to be interesting.

But it needs to create consequences for mistakes and extreme run off creates extremely minimal consequences which harm the quality of racing and even creates baffling situations where cars can miss the corner, stay flat out, and drive aggressively rather than submit to their mistake in order to collect their vehicle. Whats more the question of where to have run off should depend on the nature of the corner but in the case of COTA its just as much run off as possible everywhere meaning there is no such thing as dipping a tire into the grass nevermind a need to ever really lift if you understeer off the corner.

In contrast I give you Monaco

In contrast you offer a strawman that is a street circuit with far less run off than most street circuits nevermind the ample room seen at permanent road circuits that are far from what COTA is in terms of run off, in order to make what point? Picking the most extreme opposite is not a sensible argument.

Besides, narrow street circuits offer some of the best racing NOT in F1. Plenty of examples from the history of Indy and CART where its anything but a parade.

Whats funny is that many many pro racers who spend their time in North America quite like the sensible track limits imposed by grass, many of them from Europe. Christina Nielson said as much in an interview at the great Road Atlanta this year. Its kind of a problem they're realizing in Europe with how far they've gone with over engineering the safety aspect of run off in many modern circuits. The endless debates about track limits are exhausting and if you watch closely many series do not impose track limits where the run off can be abused because its difficult to fairly steward it making the track limits anything but the white lines in many cases for many series that visit a place like COTA.

 

[Rodent]

F1 is going to go extinct unless something changes, if they keep trying to be the technological apex of racing they will find themselves being and or competing with Formula E in a few years. Going spec would be weird, but at reviled as it is by some, I'd say go for BoP. It would keep the costs down, allow for certain drives to still be the Monzamachines and at the same time we'd end up with a drivers championship that would involve more then 2 drivers for half a season.

Good to see more CART fans, caught my interest during Mansells stint though I didn't really follow it until Kenny Bräck started racing. Team Swe and all that.

 

[TobiasR]

I gotta be honest: I'm tired of all the "F1 isn't what it used to be" people. Racing and the times have evolved to the whole hate brigade I can only say "good riddance".

 

[Louizf]

I enjoy nowadays F1 more than I had in like 10 years. I think the last time I enjoyed so much was 98-01 years.

I think part of what people keep waiting from F1 comes from nostalgia.
They think that the old times were full of overtakes, but they don't remember that the highlights from the whole seasons has like 10-15 min of good battles tops.

In other hand, I also like Porshe Supercup, WEC... but if you keep comparing F1 to different categories, you will never enjoy it.

IMO of course.

 

[fortyfivekev]

It isn't necessary to compare F1 to the "old days" to see some of the problems with the current formula. I think the biggest issue is the total lack of unpredictability:

- Cars are too reliable. Engine rules need to be opened up and engine/gearbox reliability rules done away with (this is not endurance racing) so engines are more on the limit.

- Cars that are way too easy to drive so drivers finish races without looking tired.
Drivers need to be physically on the limit as tired drivers make mistakes.

- No consequence for driving errors. Tracks need to be safe but running wide needs to have some impact on the results.

- Discouraging overtakes by having an "investigation" and punishing drivers whenever cars go wheel-to-wheel and it doesn't work out.

- Tyres that need to be "saved" for most of the race (see Mexico).

- A bad pitstop now is 3 seconds so has very little impact on results. They should reduce the number of people involved so they are more likely to make some mistakes.

- No need to have any skills to deal with backmarkers anymore due to the stupid blue flag rules.

If you guys vote for me as president then I will definitely sort this out. Make F1 great again!

 

[Stefan Woudenberg]

Are they racing yet in Brasil? Only I have seen is red flags and safety cars....
P. ssies....

 

[Deleted member 130869]

Singapore will likely not be renewing after the 2017 race, and likewise for Malaysia after 2018 . Hopefully F1 loses more of those tracks. It looks like Hockenheim may no be around in 2017, but it wasn't special.

 

[kedy89]

Singapore will likely not be renewing after the 2017 race, and likewise for Malaysia after 2018 . Hopefully F1 loses more of those tracks. It looks like Hockenheim may no be around in 2017, but it wasn't special.

Yeah, read that too this afternoon. Will actually miss Malaysia a bit, was the only Tilke track I liked. Certainly won't miss Singapore and Hockenheim though, latter has been dull ever since 2002.

 

[Deleted member 130869]

I'd love for the races not to be replaced and instead, the total be dropped to 18. We'll never get back to 14-16 races when Formula 1 was more relevant, and it didn't take a young driver 3 seasons in the best car to break all sorts of records. Now to look when contracts run out with the middle eastern and eastern european nations, and hope they've reached their goals or that their $ loss is too significant.

 

[kedy89]

Same, 21 is way too much imo. Bad things is though that Liberty wants even more than 21 races http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tmt-conference-libertymedia-idUSKBN13B2Q6

 

[Erwin Greven]

Get back the San Marino GP and the French GP.

 

[MustangSVT]

I enjoy nowadays F1 more than I had in like 10 years. I think the last time I enjoyed so much was 98-01 years.

I think part of what people keep waiting from F1 comes from nostalgia.
They think that the old times were full of overtakes, but they don't remember that the highlights from the whole seasons has like 10-15 min of good battles tops.

In other hand, I also like Porshe Supercup, WEC... but if you keep comparing F1 to different categories, you will never enjoy it.

IMO of course.

I agree with you. I think if you stop and actually look at full races from say.. 20-25 years ago, the races are not that exciting. A lot of the races from I want to say.. 1992 to around 1998/1999, it was very rare to see a battle on the track for one of the top 5 spots, certainly not as exciting as people make it out to be. If you're comparing a full F1 race from today to highlights from years past, then yeah sure, the highlights seem more exciting. Same goes for Schumi era of early 2000s.

I miss the old days as well, but it's incredible to hear that the sport in "recent years" isn't how it used to be. People look back and mention Senna vs Prost in 88. This year I would say is quite similar to Senna vs Prost and that made it very exciting for me. Not to mention I strongly feel the 2012 season is one of very best of all time in F1.