Things you miss from days gone by.

[Mark]

Yes, and we would have been treated to Minardi finally winning a race!

[V12]

Speaking of Minardi - another small thing I've missed since the end of 1992 is their black and yellow colour scheme (bar a brief resurgence in 1997, but Mild Seven logos and too much white space kind of got in the way of that).

I'm not going to argue that the 1991 Jordan was the best looking car of that year, but for me personally the Minardi was a close second.

[V12]

Just thought of another one!

Winter testing - I mean the proper stuff where teams would run their own programs, all winter long, giving news and lap times to discuss during the off season.

The current heavily restricted and ultra regimented "official test" format is just so dull in comparison.

In fact add in season testing to that. The only time I've (been able to afford to) see contemporary F1 cars in the flesh at full speed on an actual Grand Prix track was a test session at Silverstone about 10 years ago (we were down there for a Touring Car or Historic meet IIRC)

Suppose it could be summed up in the general theme of teams being their own free independent entities that did what they wanted away from the track, then all convened every other weekend to battle together on the track. Modern F1 just seems too much like the teams are all departments, subjects or franchises of one more powerful entity (F1) which controls and monitors their every move even away from the track - 1984 style.

Outside regulating the racing at an event and scrutineering the cars that turn up to said event, the FIA should have bugger-all say in what the teams get up to.

[JackSparrow]

I miss the days in which the race was more exciting than quali!

Oh and Juan Pablo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-7cZJokYzI

[race aficionado]

I miss the Juan Pablo Montoya & Michael Schumacher duels/rivalry.

Those were epic times when this forum would lighten up with excitement and heated discussions.

. . . and our dear Andri/Andrea was around . . . . .

I sure miss that . . . . .


mokin:

[Bruce D]

I think in modern times a duel between Montoya and Hamilton would be something to watch. Certainly I miss JPM...

[maximilian]

I miss Super Aguri. My suggestion to Tony Fernandes was to bring back Super Aguri in case he loses the "Lotus" case.

I also miss Toleman. The name lived only too brief in F1 before being bought out, but Derek Warwick in the Toleman was one of the major reasons I started following F1.

I miss French drivers. Some of the "best names" of GP drivers are Francophone. I used to imagine my own fantasy F1 when I was a kid, and many of the names I made up were French-ish.

I, like many of you, miss large fields with pre-qualifying, including 1-car teams, and teams able to show up and give it a shot with pure engineering genius (or not) and a set of balls, and not having to pay a billion dollars before they're even allowed to THINK about entering (only to be denied a spot later, for undisclosed reasons). I see no reason why a new team shouldn't be able to buy someone else's chassis from LAST season, update it to regulations, and take a stab at racing. It's always been like that, and many eventually established teams got their start that way, buying an old March/Shadow/Arrows/Whatever as their first car, and hitting the ground running.

[Mia 01]

I think in modern times a duel between Montoya and Hamilton would be something to watch. Certainly I miss JPM...

As long as Hammy knows that RED lights means stop.

Yes I miss Monty in F1.

[V12]

I miss French drivers. Some of the "best names" of GP drivers are Francophone. I used to imagine my own fantasy F1 when I was a kid, and many of the names I made up were French-ish.

I, like many of you, miss large fields with pre-qualifying, including 1-car teams, and teams able to show up and give it a shot with pure engineering genius (or not) and a set of balls, and not having to pay a billion dollars before they're even allowed to THINK about entering (only to be denied a spot later, for undisclosed reasons). I see no reason why a new team shouldn't be able to buy someone else's chassis from LAST season, update it to regulations, and take a stab at racing. It's always been like that, and many eventually established teams got their start that way, buying an old March/Shadow/Arrows/Whatever as their first car, and hitting the ground running.

I was and am the same actually but with Italians rather than French (names, not necessarily nationality - e.g Regazzoni), and they are getting a bit thin on the ground too. I'm working on a computer program as a hobby that simulates a GP race and season and I've put together a fake set of teams and drivers (some based on real drivers, some entirely made up) and there's a strong Latin-bias of driver names in the entry list.

I do also miss customer cars, but the problem with allowing them in this cynical age is it would give the likes of Ferrari and McLaren a back door to run three or four car teams by proxy, and could even be the start of a slippery slope to a DTM-style situation where you only have 2 or 3 makes of car competing.

[Josti]

I miss French drivers. Some of the "best names" of GP drivers are Francophone. I used to imagine my own fantasy F1 when I was a kid, and many of the names I made up were French-ish.

I agree, where are the Jean-Pierre's and Jacques' of this world!

I have to admit I have a soft spot for French names too, and Italian ones for that matter. Not sure why, but they do roll of the tongue easily. There used to be so many in F1, especially in the 80's and early 90's, but sadly almost extinct nowadays.

Hope to see Bianchi and Vergne in future F1, but not sure what Italy has in stock.