I didn't watch the race as I was doing something constructive...mowing the yard. Came back in and flipped on the tely and saw Hamiliton and Botas standing around and knew it was Merc 1,2. Didn't have to guess who won. Maybe it might be a good race if the tv coverage just omitted the first three and concentrated on the battles below if there were any. F1 is just lame, no real drama, no real competition for the top spot and I believe they have pushed back the new regs to make racing more competitive another year. I'd like to see them bring back refueling. Maybe they could do some interesting like adding weight to the previous winners car. I'm open to anything to stop this procession.
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2020 Formula 1 Season Thread
- Thread starter pachyderm
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I'd like it to be much closer at the very front, fighting for the title. But it is what it is, plenty other little battles in a race to keep an eye on.
Maybe those don't like how good a job Mercedes have done with their engine will be happier from next week with the engine mode change.
Maybe those don't like how good a job Mercedes have done with their engine will be happier from next week with the engine mode change.
No the opposite. 4th down was an interesting race. But the top three were to far ahead.
A shame that Albon dropped to 6th today. He seemed to be really struggling in the last 6 laps or so.
I am still hoping that Albon and Russell (he was very lucky today!), start to get on the podium...
I am still hoping that Albon and Russell (he was very lucky today!), start to get on the podium...
Would have been better if Toto would have let Valteri at least try to race Hamilton at the start.
I’m not sure it would make any difference. If they had let Bottas use his party mode, Lewis would also have been able to use it.
Would have cancelled each other out and just increased tyre wear and potentially engine wear.
Gasly was good wasn’t he? Been saying for a few years he’s one to watch and most of my friends haven’t agreed. Needs a non-Redbull drive I think and a team to really nurture his talents. He went through what Albon is going through now and that’s a one driver focused team where any equal treatment gets an episode of the sulks lol.
Like you said you did not watch the race. I say that because that is precisely what happens every week very little air time during the actual race is put on the top places and most of it is focussed on the middle of the field.
Qualifying for sure, but yes it makes sense to use it during the opening laps (and after a Safety Car) when DRS is disabled and the ERS might not have fully charged.
I like Lewis Hamilton, but I don't like how predictable F1 has become. Even before the MB streak of dominance, we had four years of Vettel & Red Bull owning the field. I really started watching F1 consistently during Alonso's back-to-back title seasons, so I missed the Schumacher/Ferrari reign. Looking back through the list of driver's championship winners, there were definite patterns of dominance, but at least the races seemed less predictable and more exciting overall.
Not only has the chassis/engine dominance bored me, but the "tire management" has exacerbated things. Yesterday, the top three planned their races such that all three were being very careful and babying their tires, i.e., driving like grannies, in the closing laps.
I miss the days of two or three stop races. I miss refueling, and how that made the pit stops less predictable. It also added strategy: can Ferrari just take on fuel during a late-race splash-n-dash or do they need tires too? How long will that last pit stop be? (Yeah, I know it's safer now, which was the impetus for eliminating in-race refueling.) I miss the "golden laps" just before the box, when a car would fly around the track, running on fumes & as light as can be, churning out a fast lap before taking on more gas. I miss the full-throated roar of V-12s, V-10s, and V-8 engines, before KERS and turbos became de rigueur. I remember Bob Varsha saying "turn up the volume!" right before the lights went out, and the glorious sound coming from the grid.
I hate to live in the past & not enjoy the present, and I understand many of the reasons for the current rules & regs, but it seems that F1 is not nearly the entertaining spectacle that it once was.
Not only has the chassis/engine dominance bored me, but the "tire management" has exacerbated things. Yesterday, the top three planned their races such that all three were being very careful and babying their tires, i.e., driving like grannies, in the closing laps.
I miss the days of two or three stop races. I miss refueling, and how that made the pit stops less predictable. It also added strategy: can Ferrari just take on fuel during a late-race splash-n-dash or do they need tires too? How long will that last pit stop be? (Yeah, I know it's safer now, which was the impetus for eliminating in-race refueling.) I miss the "golden laps" just before the box, when a car would fly around the track, running on fumes & as light as can be, churning out a fast lap before taking on more gas. I miss the full-throated roar of V-12s, V-10s, and V-8 engines, before KERS and turbos became de rigueur. I remember Bob Varsha saying "turn up the volume!" right before the lights went out, and the glorious sound coming from the grid.
I hate to live in the past & not enjoy the present, and I understand many of the reasons for the current rules & regs, but it seems that F1 is not nearly the entertaining spectacle that it once was.
Tyre management, DRS and boring tracks have ruined F1. Reliability hasn’t helped either.
There used to be more variables. Now it’s pretty much a done deal. Right down to when they would start pitting.
In the refuel days you never quite new how much they were carrying. Was it a light load, so speed would be offset by a longer stop? Or genuine pace.
There used to be more variables. Now it’s pretty much a done deal. Right down to when they would start pitting.
In the refuel days you never quite new how much they were carrying. Was it a light load, so speed would be offset by a longer stop? Or genuine pace.
Agreed.
I say less technology too...
The only tech I really like is the tech that has saved drivers lives.
Other than that I say de-tech these babies and make them race cars again.
Probably so, but it would have at least been fun to watch for a few laps. Even though I think he still would have come out ahead, I’m sure that Hamilton would actually like to race and challenge for the lead. It must be hard when you have such a competitive attitude and yet there is no competition to speak of.
Mercedes purposely slower at Spa by 0.6, 0.7 tenths
Mercedes has already prepared for life with a less powerful power unit at Monza by running six to seven tenths a lap down at Spa.
www.planetf1.com
It’s really something how long Mercedes has dominated without any competition. Monza tomorrow!
It's still really poor to introduce a rule in the hope of slowing down one particular team. Even more so mid season. Would have liked to have seen just how fast this Mercedes is around Monza and it's probably even more disappointing for the engineers to see their hard work throttled.
It likely means little to the factory team as they have the best chassis so they likely only use "party mode" for their "real lap" during qualifying and on their hot lap into and out of the pits during the race. The rest of the time they probably don't need it and not using it extends the engine life / reliability.
It could impact Racing Point vis-a-vis McLaren and Renault, though they will still have an overall advantage from (effectively) running the 2019 factory Mercedes chassis. Williams will likely suffer, as well.
And it's probably going to really hurt the Ferrari-powered cars considering how weak that PU is.
It could impact Racing Point vis-a-vis McLaren and Renault, though they will still have an overall advantage from (effectively) running the 2019 factory Mercedes chassis. Williams will likely suffer, as well.
And it's probably going to really hurt the Ferrari-powered cars considering how weak that PU is.
Ferrari want to hope it doesn't impact them any further, especially at their home Grand Prix. At least it should all make for an interesting and perhaps more unpredictable weekend.
Ferrari are going to be dogs at Monza - likely even worse then Spa. With no party-mode on the Williams, they might be able to get out of Q1...
With Claire and Frank Williams stepping down, Monza will be the last race for the Williams family in F1: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...of-the-team-after.2Ss3rwUeVit4NJ3XR6oLDn.html
End of an era. The final death knell for old school F1.
End of an era. The final death knell for old school F1.
I hope Frank is in attendance. I grew up with Williams being the team. Such a shame to see where they are.
As for Ferrari, hardly getting out of Q1 at their home GP will not be acceptable in Italy. But the reality is that’s where they are at.
As for Ferrari, hardly getting out of Q1 at their home GP will not be acceptable in Italy. But the reality is that’s where they are at.
Well I think the illegal advantage they had was obviously pretty significant. Then when they lost that, they can’t just fill the gap.
They say if you stand still in F1 (development) you go backwards. If you literally go backwards, whilst others improve, you fall further down the grid.