Yeah, that didn't work at all.Whoever came up with that stupid new qualifying system should be sacked immediately.
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2016 Formula 1 Season Thread
- Thread starter AustinIllini
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I've been following F1 since I was a kid in the 1970's. It pains me to say this but there is no longer anything compelling about what used to be such a great sport.
The decline started with the politically correctness of banning tobacco sponsorship. It's continued with the reliance on engine manufacturers who I guess understandably don't want to develop normally aspirated engines because it does not help with R&D in their street cars. Turbo hybrids? No thanks.
Now there is this horrible qualifying format and the specter of loops over the cockpit for next year.
F1 will continue like horse racing and boxing with its diehard fans, but sadly it's a dead sport walking.
The decline started with the politically correctness of banning tobacco sponsorship. It's continued with the reliance on engine manufacturers who I guess understandably don't want to develop normally aspirated engines because it does not help with R&D in their street cars. Turbo hybrids? No thanks.
Now there is this horrible qualifying format and the specter of loops over the cockpit for next year.
F1 will continue like horse racing and boxing with its diehard fans, but sadly it's a dead sport walking.
While I like MotoGP, in the US it's now stuck on beIN Sports which is usually on a premium cable tier and, at least on Comcast, is not available in HD.Well ... there's always MotoGP
the qualis totally sucked, and i think from next race they will go back to the old format.
however, it is totally the fault of the teams who behaved like a mass of flaming idiots (except mercedes).
it's easy to blame the format now, but if you don't even try, obviously it is not going to work.
i can only think it was a conscious decision to boycott the format and not run, otherwise it makes zero sense to just sit in the pit and let it pass by. they can't be so stupid.
however, it is totally the fault of the teams who behaved like a mass of flaming idiots (except mercedes).
it's easy to blame the format now, but if you don't even try, obviously it is not going to work.
i can only think it was a conscious decision to boycott the format and not run, otherwise it makes zero sense to just sit in the pit and let it pass by. they can't be so stupid.
I hope this season isn't a follow the pole leader like last year. If it plays out like that with out any "racing" and challenges to Mercedes I think I'll spend my time elsewhere. I want to see Alonso and Team Haas do well. Fingers crossed, that it will be an interesting year. Bout 10 minutes to start, we'll see soon. Cheers
Working all weekend which means I'm missing it all. Gutted. Sounds like plenty going on down under.
great race.
congratulation to Haas and Grosjean. fantastic debut.
would have rather not seen a mercedes 1-2, but at least it came in a more interesting way than alst year.
it looks like ferrari messed up the tyre strategy after a fantastic first half of the race, but what a start by vettel! (kimi too)
incredible how alonso didn't get a scratch as his mclaren got pulverized. glad he is ok.
gotta say i think this time it was entirely his fault.
still love verstappen!!!
congratulation to Haas and Grosjean. fantastic debut.
would have rather not seen a mercedes 1-2, but at least it came in a more interesting way than alst year.
it looks like ferrari messed up the tyre strategy after a fantastic first half of the race, but what a start by vettel! (kimi too)
incredible how alonso didn't get a scratch as his mclaren got pulverized. glad he is ok.
gotta say i think this time it was entirely his fault.
still love verstappen!!!
There is a petition before the F1 Strategy Committee to return to the old format starting with the next race so this should (hopefully) be a one-off event.
Speculation by the NBCSN team was that the high temperatures would force the Mercs to pit, but Mercedes did almost all of their testing on the Medium tire so they know how long it would last.
As such, I think we would have seen the same finish as I believe that the Mercs would have had the pace on them to catch and pass Vettel.
Unfortunately, once the race went to Safety Car / Red Flag, that ended any chance for a Ferrari win as Vettel needed that gap he had built to keep him in the #1 position.
possibly, but if he had changed to the medium as well, he would have not needed the pit stop, and even if mercedes' pace was better, i am not sure would have been enough to pass him. Hamilton seem to have major issues with passing even the toro rosso
Yes, subject to approval from the World Motor Sport Council but that should be a formality.
still love verstappen!!!
There's no doubt he's a very promising driver, but he really, really needs to grow up. Half the time he was b*tching to his engineer he was still too far behind Sainz to do anything. Getting by Palmer was less Verstappen and more Palmer not away well coming out of the curve. Plus, I think he overshadows Sainz' abilities... both are very good drivers for their age but Max is a petulant brat as it sits now. I stopped seeing the glory of him last year when he wanted Sainz to make way with the understanding he'd give back the position before the end and he refused. Good driver, bad sportsman. "If I gave it back my dad would kick me in the balls." Tough **** kid - if you still need daddy to tell you what to do you don't belong in a 300kph car.
And while the year is young, it was really nice to see Rosberg and Hamilton getting along - Hamilton I thought was gracious in the ceremony.
On the plus side, Haas and Palmer both did very well on their respective debuts... Palmer just didn't lose his cool with those two cars on his tail. And Haas to enter F1 in the points - and not just 1 or 2 points but actually mid-range was cool.
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Except it wasn't.
Bernie Ecclestone, who complained about how crappy the new qualifying was in Australia, has blocked the bid to revert back to the old qualifying format so the universally unwanted elimination system is retained for the next GP in Bahrain.
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...ination-qualifying-for-bahrain-gp-682069/?s=1
They couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.
Looks like Bernie is making a power play: give him more authority or he'll keep the qualifying format everybody hates.Except it wasn't.
Bernie Ecclestone, who complained about how crappy the new qualifying was in Australia, has blocked the bid to revert back to the old qualifying format so the universally unwanted elimination system is retained for the next GP in Bahrain.
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...ination-qualifying-for-bahrain-gp-682069/?s=1
They couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.
Except it wasn't.
Bernie Ecclestone, who complained about how crappy the new qualifying was in Australia, has blocked the bid to revert back to the old qualifying format so the universally unwanted elimination system is retained for the next GP in Bahrain.
I'm not surprised Todt shafted it, since I think it was the FIA who came up with the asinine idea in the first place.
But Bernie called the new system crap after Australia and noted he never liked it in the first place so why he's stalling...
Maybe he's trying to shaft Bahrain for them blocking Qatar's bid for an F1 race (and losing out on the scores of millions in fees such a race would have brought him).
I think Bernie has enough power.
In other news, no F1 on terrestrial TV from 2019 in the UK.
That's a lot of fans that are not going to see anymore racing. Not going to help the sport win back audiences in my opinion.
I think once Bernie has been forced aside, it will come out that he's got some kind of mental disorder or senility - seriously. no one can make the kind of stupid moves he does and then blame everyone else when it crocks.
btw did anyone watch the friendly little race Alonso and Button posted on Instagram?
btw did anyone watch the friendly little race Alonso and Button posted on Instagram?
Well, ya won't be missing much. By 2019 it will only be Mercedes and Ferrari on the grid anyway.
I have mixed feelings on the move off FTA. We all know it's going to massively affect the sports appeal in the long term, but it's been inevitable since 2011.
Most of my friends have either cut back their following or stopped altogether since Sky claimed exclusive rights in the uk. I have a hooky Sky box and have the ability to watch the races for free but I've found the quality of racing the last two years has been terrible. I am not compelled to tune in so much anymore and I think last season I watch 2 races on it. At least when it goes completely off FTA I will have an excuse to stop watching completely as my friends won't be following it.
It's sad for F1 and I feel for the fans who are going to miss out. I personally don't think the sport deserves anybody's loyalty any more. The drive in the cost of TV rights has pushed for PPV and the sport is getting what it wants.
The same thing happened to boxing once it went all-PPV. Viewership and general appeal of the sport dropped dramatically.
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