Will you watch F1 in 2016?

[Tazio]

I remember I indeed did switch F1 off due to boredom during the 2004 Hungarian Grand Prix. IIRC there was another sporting event going on at that moment too though.

I actually didn't even bother turning this race on. That is something I have not done in many years. However I will be watching next year, although F1 has dropped interest wise below other sports that I follow.

[steveaki13]

Bezza you are not around much, but you have come online and its almost as though I have your brain.....

I will still watch... its a habit! But...

Mercedes have been so far ahead they manufacture a 1-2 as much as possible, trying to keep both drivers happy. We want to see them unhappy!! We want to see Hamilton undercutting Rosberg and upsetting him. We want to see them fighting. And vice versa. We don't want to see endless Mercedes 1-2's were they have not allowed their drivers to race. Considering how far they are ahead in performance, I cannot see how they haven't allowed this. It would be great TV.
.

I agree totally. Mercedes are ruining F1. I know they have the right to collect 1-2s but although they claim
"letting the race" Its only a partial situation. Its almost like Ferrari early 2000s this season only Rosberg can challenge Hamlton and beat him occasionally.

I also find it convenient how Williams get a Mercedes engine but never attempt to beat Mercedes when they get a chance to - see Austria 2014, Abu Dhabi 2014, Britain 2015.

Mercedes for me are manipulating the whole of F1. It was clear in Abu Dhabi that Hamilton was made an example of to make a point to him that Mercedes know best when it comes to strategy. He could've potentially made those tyres last until the end. As it happened, they made him pit from a no mans land position and gave him the slower tyres to finish with. .

Same again. I agree. Mercedes want the 1-2. Hamilton would have been happy to chance making them last at the risk of pitting and ending up 4th. Instead Mercedes crush creative thinking.

And then there is farcical DRS - I hate it. Slower cars - they need to be faster. Stupid tyres - they need to last longer at full whack.

The argument that keeps coming up is that by getting rid of DRS / increasing speed of cars / having refuelling - we will see LESS overtaking.

I don't care. For me, F1 is not about how much overtaking there is in any given race. Overtaking should NOT be easy. If you want overtaking, go watch NASCAR. DRS falsifies overtaking. .

I wont start on DRS because I have ranted on it for a long time in the past and bored people here but you are right. I cant stand the "Hey we have seen 47 cars breeze past on a straight so its an exciting race" by the commentators and maybe some fans.

I would rather have a train getting held up battling for 20 laps and maybe 1 or 2 overtakes or even just brave attempts than a race of DRS passes.

I want to see strategic battles on track, drivers free to race for themselves and not bound by their race engineers. The drivers are what the public want to see. They should make their own decisions. And... the occassional brilliant overtaking manoeuvre - not assisted by DRS, or shoddy Pirelli tyres.

There is much that could be done. It is so frustrating to watch my favourite sport in these circumstances.

Engineers and Teams are having to much say. They tell the drivers what to press and how to drive and then crush them when a driver expresses an idea. They optimise the teams performance but make the sport terrible.

When it comes to it I will get excited for 2016 as ever, but in nearly every way in my mind F1 is heading or has already headed down the wrong path.

[steveaki13]

I actually didn't even bother turning this race on. That is something I have not done in many years. However I will be watching next year, although F1 has dropped interest wise below other sports that I follow.

Mind you who cares about F1, we need to find out if the Pickems season exists and if so who is Champion.

[Tazio]

Mind you who cares about F1, we need to find out if the Pickems season exists and if so who is Champion.

Word dawg!!
I'm tired of wearing the crown so freakin' long!

[AndyL]

And then there is farcical DRS - I hate it. Slower cars - they need to be faster. Stupid tyres - they need to last longer at full whack.

The argument that keeps coming up is that by getting rid of DRS / increasing speed of cars / having refuelling - we will see LESS overtaking.

I don't care. For me, F1 is not about how much overtaking there is in any given race. Overtaking should NOT be easy. If you want overtaking, go watch NASCAR. DRS falsifies overtaking.

DRS is a bad solution to a problem, but it would be a mistake to get rid of it without addressing that problem in a better way. And it seems the teams are set against the right solution to the problem, i.e. single-plane front and rear wings of minimal size.

The problem isn't simply lack of overtaking. If overtaking doesn't interest you, you may find it easier to come to terms with DRS if you ignore the DRS overtakes. Just close your eyes when it happens and instead focus on the result, namely that the faster driver can drive faster, instead of spending half the race dawdling along and admiring the scenery from the caboose of the Trulli Train.

[steveaki13]

DRS is a bad solution to a problem, but it would be a mistake to get rid of it without addressing that problem in a better way. And it seems the teams are set against the right solution to the problem, i.e. single-plane front and rear wings of minimal size.

The problem isn't simply lack of overtaking. If overtaking doesn't interest you, you may find it easier to come to terms with DRS if you ignore the DRS overtakes. Just close your eyes when it happens and instead focus on the result, namely that the faster driver can drive faster, instead of spending half the race dawdling along and admiring the scenery from the caboose of the Trulli Train.

But what about the art of defensive driving? That is an interesting aspect of racing?

As you say we could get rid of it if someone addressed the issue.

[Starter]

But what about the art of defensive driving? That is an interesting aspect of racing?

As you say we could get rid of it if someone addressed the issue.

There is a very fine line between defensive driving and blocking. Often it's in the eye of the beholder.

Part of the problem with F1 is that the cars and tires have have become so good that the braking areas have dramatically shortened, thereby making overtaking extremely difficult unless your car is much faster on the straights or unless your driving is so superior you can go deeper into the corner without hitting the other car or going off course. That's part of the reason that one make of car can dominate a season. Look at the past World Champions on the grid who can't compete for wins. Are they suddenly journeyman drivers or worse? Hardly. And that's part of my personal problem with the current state of F1.

[Bagwan]

I've been watching since all we could get was Monaco , back in the 60s somewhere .

And , now , the dawn of a new era of watching , with this cool android box thingy my son just stuck on the TV , it seems like I may now get more F1 than I have ever had before .
I can get it in numerous languages if I want .
All kinds of extras , movies , and docs .

Yeah , I'll be watching . I'm pretty sure .


OK , that's the watching part of it fixed .
Now , to fix F1 .

[AndyL]

But what about the art of defensive driving? That is an interesting aspect of racing?

It is, but there was a period before DRS where defensive driving was almost superfluous. The infamous Trulli trains that I mentioned weren't a result of forceful defense by Jarno, it was just nigh on impossible to even attempt a pass in those days.

[Nitrodaze]

There is a very fine line between defensive driving and blocking. Often it's in the eye of the beholder.

Defensive driving, l think is limited to one change of track position, blocking is more than one change of track position when the car behind is trying to pass. And is punishable by the stewards.

Overtaking is not harder now than the pre-KERS era. If anything it is much easier with DRS etc. Overtaking is at least 15% up on the KERS era and easily up to 30% up on pre-KERS era. The easily flat-spotted Pirelli tyres, penalizes overzealous late braking as witnessed with Verstapenn at Abu Dhabi. However, cars with great chassis such as the Mercedes and Redbull/Toro rosso chassis have better stability under breaking and cornering, hence can carry more speed through the corners. Thus they overtake more easily than cars with weaker chassis. This is my observation.