Singapore: The Future of F1

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Originally Posted by ArrowsFA1

Could you explain why though? The lights recreate daylight very effectively it seems, so the only difference we'll see is the night sky.

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Part of the spectacle. Car gleaming under lights, glowing brake discs.

IMO a cheaper way is to get rid of the plank and go back to skid blocks for the sparks.

There's cynicism in F1 because there's more things wrong in F1 than there is right. There's no great tradition of night racing in Europe at grassroots level apart from 24hr races and rallying. That's why its more acceptable in America - not because of show biz but because it goes back to Friday/Saturday night racing on the dirt tracks where plenty of NASCAR drivers learnt their trade.

Night races, street circuits - good.

Reverse grids, more than one race a weekend? - NO THANKS. This is not touring cars, it is the pinnacle of motorsport - and the pinnacle of motorsport needs to reward the best, not the luckiest.

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Originally Posted by ArrowsFA1

Well, yes, but...Isn't this an argument that applies to tv itself? There's long been the argument that tv is catering for the lowest common demoninator in order to capture viewers and so we end up with dozens of "celebrity" entertainment shows in various, but similar, formats.

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Fortunately ITV have lost the rights to F1 otherwise I can well imagine they'd be pushing for "celebrity" races with Vernon Kaye, Ant & Dec, Jeremy Kyle et al racing. :p

I agree that F1 needs to make itself more accessable to the "man in the street" but it needs to do so without diluting the purity of the sport or binning half a century of history and tradition.

Singapore is looking like great entertainment, but precisely because it's somewhat of a novelty. Start making all the races gimmicky and it loses the very think which makes it unique.

If it was up to me, I'd cancel ALL in-city circuits (except Monaco because it's Monaco not that I'm totally convinced) & only allow them on purpose-built circuits & parks. Melbourne or Montreal count as real circuits, but I think that the latter needs modifications!

Night-racing, city-street racing etc aren't good for F1.

I don't like Singapore, don't like Valencia and I don't like Monaco, F1 should stick with circuits like Spa, Monza, Suzuka :up:

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Originally Posted by ArrowsFA1

and reverse grids, all because F1 is entertainment and must put on a good show.

I can see a time, not so far away, when in the rush for entertainment we lose the essence of what F1 is, and what makes it unique, and will see the sport become just another 'made for tv' entertainment show.

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Reverse grids are cool and F1 needs to be a show:
http://lc.k12.mn.us/StudentSites/ECo...rne_26_jpg.jpg

Put a Force India up the front and in the way of a fast charging Renault or Ferrari. Let's so how many lulz we can generate.

There should be different types of circuits.

Today's tracks are super smooth and near perfect. Street racing has its unique challenges - crowning pavement, huge bumps.

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Originally Posted by Rollo

Put a Force India up the front and in the way of a fast charging Renault or Ferrari. Let's so how many lulz we can generate.

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I know you well enough to know you're being sarcastic. If some people watch motorsport for the crashes then that's their lookout, personally I want to see racers racing, not being taken away on stretchers. Ralf's flying lesson may have been spectacular to watch but we don't want to see accidents like that being repeated.

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Originally Posted by wedge

Today's tracks are super smooth and near perfect. Street racing has its unique challenges - crowning pavement, huge bumps.

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And from what I've seen of the Singapore circuit so far it looks a worthy addition to the calendar. It'll be interesting to read/hear the drivers' views.

Still, I'm not convinced by racing under the lights. It's just a gimick as far as I'm concerned. Nick Fry's comments suggest it's just the beginning of a series of new "innovations" designed to grab the casual viewers' attention.

Watching practice right now and I have the impression this is a very poor stop and go circuit. :(