2024 Formula 1 Season thread

[Apple fanboy]

Well, it would appear we have another significant unknown after the break. Looks like the RB20 was not the only one to partake?

MPH: The clues as to which F1 team had now-illegal brake system

At least one F1 team is suspected of using an asymmetric braking system that has been specifically outlawed over the summer break. Mark Hughes looks at where the evidence points

www.motorsportmagazine.com

Interesting. I’m thinking Mercedes made a big leap forward rather than McLaren who were there or they about’s. I guess we find out at the next race.

 

[laptech]

Well, it would appear we have another significant unknown after the break. Looks like the RB20 was not the only one to partake?

MPH: The clues as to which F1 team had now-illegal brake system

At least one F1 team is suspected of using an asymmetric braking system that has been specifically outlawed over the summer break. Mark Hughes looks at where the evidence points

www.motorsportmagazine.com

Reading the linked article I can only assume the rule has been changed so it makes racing fair for all, rather than it being a case of those that can afford it to use it but those that cannot afford it lose out thus not making it an even playing field.

 

[Glideslope]

Interesting. I’m thinking Mercedes made a big leap forward rather than McLaren who were there or they about’s. I guess we find out at the next race.

Mercedes was the first to enter my mind. McLaren's development has been much easier to track. Considering The Dutch GP will be the first with the ban in force I'm finding it hard to see the RB20's benefits past, say, Round 2.

Reading the linked article I can only assume the rule has been changed so it makes racing fair for all, rather than it being a case of those that can afford it to use it but those that cannot afford it lose out thus not making it an even playing field.

Eliminated over the Summer Break.

 

[laptech]

I wonder if RB were using this breaking system and stopped using it after the Spanish GP because ever since then their car's have under performed, the one noticeable difference being Verstappen's 2nd in the British GP. Prior to the Spanish GP RB and Verstappen had been very dominant.

 

[CWallace]

The Race had an interesting video on how the ground effect cars really hampered Lewis Hamilton's driving style because he likes to brake late and "V" the corner whereas GE cars work far better with a smoother and lighter brake application to "U" the corner. Considering Lewis' qualifying performance did not improve until the new front wing, my guess is that they were not using asymmetrical rear braking as I think that would have helped Lewis. Though if his qualifying performance falls off a cliff again post-break, then that would probably confirm Mercedes was using it.

 

[Glideslope]

Costco in Austin, TX is selling 3 Day Ground Passes for $354.79.

Didn’t expect this….

 

[JustinePaula]

Yeah, I saw reports about that, and how fans are not at all excited at the price of hotdogs, how COTA is making a huge profit off food and drinks... I still cannot understand why anyone would want to go, you see nothing, pay way over too much for a crappy seat, to buy stupid expensive food, for a 2 hour race..

 

[BenTrovato]

Yeah, I saw reports about that, and how fans are not at all excited at the price of hotdogs, how COTA is making a huge profit off food and drinks... I still cannot understand why anyone would want to go, you see nothing, pay way over too much for a crappy seat, to buy stupid expensive food, for a 2 hour race..

I went to COTA a few years ago and I really wish I hadn’t. It’s in the middle of nowhere, you bus in and bus out like cattle. The prices were already high when I went, I can’t imagine what they‘re like now. It’s a terrible venue. It put me off ever wanting to watch an F1 race live ever again.

 

[JustinePaula]

I have seen enough tweets/youtubes/tictoks from fans at various tracks, and I am not surprised, years and years ago, here we had the A1GP, and I got to sit in the stands during a set up of track test, watched the cars and thought wow, I can see the cars for a few seconds then wait and get skin cancer, or declare bankrupcy selling my soul for 500ml of hot water...

So I am really confused, for a tiny investment, I can watch at home, access to bathroom, a pause button, hot and cold drinks, a shop close by.. or pay stupid prices for about in total if you watch every session, you may get a total of 2 hours over 3 days of seeing cars, all for $350??

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I went to COTA a few years ago and I really wish I hadn’t. It’s in the middle of nowhere, you bus in and bus out like cattle. The prices were already high when I went, I can’t imagine what they‘re like now. It’s a terrible venue. It put me off ever wanting to watch an F1 race live ever again.

It’s the same at Silverstone, overpriced tickets and food is extortionate. Traffic infrastructure better than it used to be but still heavily congested. Glad I went to plenty of races back when I was younger and before I had kids, I have zero interest in going to an F1 race now. Done the general admission and paddock club thing in the past.

I’d rather watch the highlights from the comfort of my own home now. The only motorsport I fancy seeing live in the flesh now is the Isle of Man road races. Proper untampered with racing and out of the clutches of greedy investors.

 

[JustinePaula]

You know you are going to be paying an insane price for admission, you are not going to see 99% of the event, you are going to be buying food marked up at least 1200%, deal with obnoxious annoying crowds, drunk spectators, despite all this you go... Can someone explain the appeal? I don't get it, no one, not even the millionaires in the cow cloth seats in the air con eat all you want, drink all you want suites only see about 3% of the track.. What is the appeal??

 

[laptech]

I have seen enough tweets/youtubes/tictoks from fans at various tracks, and I am not surprised, years and years ago, here we had the A1GP, and I got to sit in the stands during a set up of track test, watched the cars and thought wow, I can see the cars for a few seconds then wait and get skin cancer, or declare bankrupcy selling my soul for 500ml of hot water...

So I am really confused, for a tiny investment, I can watch at home, access to bathroom, a pause button, hot and cold drinks, a shop close by.. or pay stupid prices for about in total if you watch every session, you may get a total of 2 hours over 3 days of seeing cars, all for $350??

In my early days when I had money to spend, visiting Brands Hatch and Silverstone to watch races was always on my to do list until a number of my work colleagues who had such experiences used exactly what you typed in your post (in bold). They pointed out the same negative points as you have as a reason for me not to go and the positive points as you have for staying at home to a watch the races. Their arguments were very persuasive.

The thing is, those that had experienced it all said the same thing, they done it once, will not do it again because it is not worth the cost/value. All of them said they had watched races on TV prior to actually going to a race but being there in person was a huge let down because they said they sit in the main stand, watch the cars line up on the grid for the start of the race and once it's starts everything then becomes a blur because you sit there hearing the cars in the background and then when they come past the main stand, they are moving so fast that they are just a blur. Then have to wait again listening to the sounds of the cars as they go around the track just to see the blur of the cars as they went past. All of them were honest with their replies when I asked them what did they get out of going to an actual race. They all basically said the same thing, being able to actually see the cars when they lined up on the grid for the start then it was a case of blur after blur as the cars went past, the smell of tire rubber and engine fuel, the roar of the crowd, the long wait to use one of the many toilets, the expensive food. I said to all of them would they do it again and they all so NO....lol

So yep, they manage to put me off from going. I just watch from the comfort of my own home 🙂

 

[TheIntruder]

It’s the same at Silverstone, overpriced tickets and food is extortionate. Traffic infrastructure better than it used to be but still heavily congested. Glad I went to plenty of races back when I was younger and before I had kids, I have zero interest in going to an F1 race now. Done the general admission and paddock club thing in the past.

I’d rather watch the highlights from the comfort of my own home now. The only motorsport I fancy seeing live in the flesh now is the Isle of Man road races. Proper untampered with racing and out of the clutches of greedy investors.

How about Goodwood? It's one of my bucket list items, but as time passes my tolerance for being amongst large crowds is also diminishing.

Having made the trip to Monterey Car Week in the past, I've always enjoyed the more relaxed vibe and old machinery of "vintage" events. But a glance at the ticket prices for its various events show that it has changed in nature, or certainly who those events now target.

The Pebble Beach Concours, being a charity event, has never been "cheap," but this year was $595.

The Quail (at the Lodge), ~$600 for an "experience," presumably a package deal with amenities, but the limited number of tickets don't guarantee admission even if willing to pay that price.

Concorso Italiano, which was the Italian marque-focused section of the Quail that broke off into its own separate event, started at $135.

The Monterey Historics races are still very reasonable at $60 day, or $230 for a four-day pass.

And that's before the seasonally-inflated cost for lodging, food, etc.

Granted, there are still plenty of free, and "free" (pay to park) events that also take place, but those are more like side stages or opening acts, not the headliners.

And it is a lovely part of the world, with events that any self-proclaimed car geek should experience at least once, but it now comes at a high cost.

I love seeing and hearing that old machinery run, but for that kind of scratch, I'd rather fly to another part of the world I haven't seen before.

 

[JustinePaula]

If Liberty Media offered to fly me to watch the British GP, pay my flights to and from the UK, for the weekend, Thursday-Sunday depart, a decent 3 star bed/breakfast sort out my own dinner/eat at the track.. Would I go? NO.. I love F1. It would not be worthwhile, as I would see about 90 seconds of the race, some muppet making a fool of himself on the grid, watch the start, wait up to 90 seconds, see something for 3 seconds, wait.. All for a couple of fee beers, a decent graze, sleep in a 3 star hotel, fly 20 hours there and back in roach class.. Or stay at home, watch on my 2013 HP laptop, a stream from Sky?

 

[laptech]

The one racing related place that I did want to visit and I am glad I did and that was the birth place of British racing, Brookland's race track which was turned into a museum. Only part of the old race track is visible (the banking curve). A lot of the old working sheds are still there, the tools and machinery they used. Plus there is a hill climb. The day I went (many many years ago) was an American car themed day, was great seeing many American muscle cars taking on the hill climb 🙂

A day out at a F1 race or another visit to Brookland's??? hhmmm that's easy, Brookland's 🙂

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The one racing related place that I did want to visit and I am glad I did and that was the birth place of British racing, Brookland's race track which was turned into a museum. Only part of the old race track is visible (the banking curve). A lot of the old working sheds are still there, the tools and machinery they used. Plus there is a hill climb. The day I went (many many years ago) was an American car themed day, was great seeing many American muscle cars taking on the hill climb 🙂

A day out at a F1 race or another visit to Brookland's??? hhmmm that's easy, Brookland's 🙂

It’s an easy choice I agree, an F1 race or Brooklands or Goodwood and the latter two are much better days out IMO.

 

[JustinePaula]

For me it is sad that greed has ruined the sport, but like all things, money money money..It was not expensive to go and watch live sport, rugby, cricket at the local stadium, on a Friday after school, the mums would pack supper, hotdogs, hamburgers, and cold drinks in a cooler, and we would go to the local cricket stadium, watch, play on the banks, at 1/2 time, have fun on the ground, the players would throw balls, if you caught it, you got a free ice cream...And it was cheap to go..Now it is stupid expensive and you get nothing..

My mom told me stories of the SA grand prix, how every young man would pack up the car, drive to Joburg, spend the weekend, rugby Saturday, Grand Prix Sunday, before we had television in SA..How it was a fun weekend away...

Now now it is just dire, boring, dull tracks, dull drivers, dull commentators, dull broadcasters, dull, lifeless soulless drones sucking the cash out of you..

 

[laptech]

For me it is sad that greed has ruined the sport, but like all things, money money money..It was not expensive to go and watch live sport, rugby, cricket at the local stadium, on a Friday after school, the mums would pack supper, hotdogs, hamburgers, and cold drinks in a cooler, and we would go to the local cricket stadium, watch, play on the banks, at 1/2 time, have fun on the ground, the players would throw balls, if you caught it, you got a free ice cream...And it was cheap to go..Now it is stupid expensive and you get nothing..

.....

aaaaaaahhh those were the days, parents packing a picnic, sitting on the grass banks watching a game of cricket or rugby, entry ticket prices cheap, food prices cheap. Some of the best days of my childhood.

Now the powers that be have sucked the fun out of sports because of their greed for more and more money.

I was a regular visitor to a local air show that took place every year. Entry ticket prices good, food and drinks prices good then one year I went, entry ticket prices were still the same but food and drink prices had doubled, sometimes trebled. Every year the airshow would have the same food and drinks vendors. I was always partial to a hotdog and thus would always get a hotdog every year I went. When I saw that the food vendor had doubled the price of the hotdogs I asked why (vendor knew me as a regular and was happy to talk). The vendor explained that the organizers of the airshow had quadrupled the operating rates for food and drinks vendors and as such they had to raise their food and drinks prices so they could break even.

The same happens everywhere, people always want more money, they are never happy with what they have. That is why I will not spend ridiculous amounts of money to watch a F1 race. To experience a live F1 race would be great but I need good value for money and I do not feel I will get it, hence why I stick to watching it on the TV in the comfort of my home, pause the race, get a cold drink from the fridge, un-pause, aahhhh life is great 🙂

 

[CWallace]

Back in the CART days in the 1990s, workmates and I would drive down from Seattle to Portland to attend the race and it was great. You could walk around the paddock and walk the perimeter of the track when you got bored sitting in your seats (we always chose the bleachers at Turn One for the mayhem at the start). Food and drink prices and quality were decent, as well.

Only way you would get me to an F1 event now was if I was in the Paddock Club. 💸

 

[Apple fanboy]

I've never been to the F1 either. Not a big fan of crowds, let alone the prices.

I did enjoy a grassroots day out at Castle Coombe race track the other week. Very reasonable at £10 for the weekend.

 

[BenTrovato]

We used to go to Montreal every other year in the late 90's early 2000's. It was so different then.

You could bring in your food, so it was like a little picnic with friends. We could move around to different spots during practice and see different angles, experience different parts of the track. Now everything is boarded up. It was a lot of fun. The hotels weren't anything fancy but definitely reasonably priced.

The last time we went in 2019, the hotel was $400/night (booked a year in advance). Obviously you can't bring anything in. Fries and Beer is $30. You're just shuffling around (single file in a lot of places) to get to your seat. You walk behind covered panels so you know cars are there but you can't see them.

Montreal is different though because you don't have to go to the race to have a good time in the city. That part was still fun but I can't see myself ever returning to watch the event live.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

aaaaaaahhh those were the days, parents packing a picnic, sitting on the grass banks watching a game of cricket or rugby, entry ticket prices cheap, food prices cheap. Some of the best days of my childhood.

Now the powers that be have sucked the fun out of sports because of their greed for more and more money.

I was a regular visitor to a local air show that took place every year. Entry ticket prices good, food and drinks prices good then one year I went, entry ticket prices were still the same but food and drink prices had doubled, sometimes trebled. Every year the airshow would have the same food and drinks vendors. I was always partial to a hotdog and thus would always get a hotdog every year I went. When I saw that the food vendor had doubled the price of the hotdogs I asked why (vendor knew me as a regular and was happy to talk). The vendor explained that the organizers of the airshow had quadrupled the operating rates for food and drinks vendors and as such they had to raise their food and drinks prices so they could break even.

The same happens everywhere, people always want more money, they are never happy with what they have. That is why I will not spend ridiculous amounts of money to watch a F1 race. To experience a live F1 race would be great but I need good value for money and I do not feel I will get it, hence why I stick to watching it on the TV in the comfort of my home, pause the race, get a cold drink from the fridge, un-pause, aahhhh life is great 🙂

In my Dads era the 60’s and 70’s he would walk around the pits chatting to drivers and team members while they worked on the cars. He’s got about 2000 slides which he’s digitalised. Theres pictures of Clark, Hill, Courage, Gurney, Rindt and even the likes of Hunt and Scheckter from his later GP’s. All before Bernie made the sport exclusive only to the rich in terms of access. My favourite picture he took was of Jim Clark sat deep in thought in a Lotus 43, incredible he was able to just stand in front of the car and take a picture with a 35mm. You can even see duct tape over a vent in front of the steering wheel, a crude improvement of sorts.

I was born in the wrong era.

 

[TheIntruder]

The one racing related place that I did want to visit and I am glad I did and that was the birth place of British racing, Brookland's race track which was turned into a museum. Only part of the old race track is visible (the banking curve). A lot of the old working sheds are still there, the tools and machinery they used. Plus there is a hill climb. The day I went (many many years ago) was an American car themed day, was great seeing many American muscle cars taking on the hill climb 🙂

A day out at a F1 race or another visit to Brookland's??? hhmmm that's easy, Brookland's 🙂

Brooklands was the subject of a behind-the-scenes TV series made a couple years ago.

Secrets of the Transport Museum - Apple TV

Going behind the scenes at the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, home to the most important pieces of motorsport and aviation history in the world, from th…

tv.apple.com

I keep a list of all the automotive-related museums that I one day hope make a trip to visit. Assembling an itinerary from the ones in England alone would consume a fair amount of time, before adding the ones in France, Italy, and Germany.

IndyCar and IMSA races are still relatively loose, and accessible to fans in attendance.

Being in crowds can be a nuisance, and TV coverage of sports makes it them easier to consume in a comfortable setting, but there is still no substitute for the live experience, especially in racing, where the speed, sound and smells are things that TV can't ever fully convey, even on an Apple Vision headset. Races are still worth experiencing, even if just once.

 

[JustinePaula]

That is an interesting thought, no substitute for the live experience, and I agree, there is nothing like being at a full cricket ground, the sounds, smells of boeriwors cooking, hamburgers frying, excited crowds, the buzz.. Cricket is still for local "club" or provincial games are affordable, the food heading in the wrong direction, but not extortion... But then I look at F1, and what tech they have now, in car cameras, 60 live angles, from helmet cams, to soon 360 degree cameras, car to pit audio, all for 1 monthly fee+the sky bolt on, or what what..

I get the impression Liberty don't want live fans, I think to be honest they saw the money from eyes on the tv during the pandemic when everyone and Grandad was banned from watching, social distancing, empty stadiums, but I bet Sky had a full server of log in's.. Captive audience, maybe this is a smart move to get rid of the expensive to maintain, never used but once a year stadiums, demolish the grand stands, just have the pitlane/admin/race control zone.. Force 100% of viewership onto streaming/live tv.. Sell the sizzle online... Why not.. It is not like you get any sort of prime viewing at the actual track, not even in the posh seats in Paddock Club.. OK, you might be in the same room as so and son VIP, is it actually value for money???

Every car will have 5 or 8 camera angles, live instant audio transcription into 100's of dialects and languages, all for a tiny monthly fee.. I cannot help but think stadiums almost are not required for F1 to thrive..

 

[mike_designer]

Hey guys, how much of you have actually been at F1? How was it? My wife is watching it a lot, I mean every race when it is happening.

I am thinking to go Budapest or somewhere else in Europe (not Monaco 😀), make a surprise