I'll ask possibility a very silly question here .... They are all very good competitive drivers but I've got to ask if any of the (multi millionaire) drivers actually do anything other than give a standard interview or actually have a passionate dislike of each other ?? I'm looking back to the 70s/80s here when drivers wore their hearts on on their sleeves and told it how they saw things , not today where they're bricking it in case they say the wrong thing and get hauled over the coals ... I'm suggesting the drivers quite enjoy their (multi millionaire) lifestyle and showing any kind of aggression or animosity would have repercussions so they just do lovely interviews and toe the line which isn't interesting to the casual viewer - me . Watch some bike racing if you want to see passion and skill , F1 has had its day with predictable racing and tedious steward interventions which at least give the (multi millionaire !) pundits something to talk about... Just a thought ... Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
The elephant in the room is that the cars are simply too good. They can't accelerate faster without spinning the wheels, brake harder without skidding, corner faster without spinning off. All that's left is DRS which is hardly a demonstration of skill when the bloke in front isn't allowed to use his. I suppose you could call that overtaking but it's a stretch.
Yes it happens. Intra team rivalries have been the worst over the last decade - Ham / Ros, Ham / Alonso, Vet / Webber, Vet / Leclerc... I guess that comes down to the fact that the first person you have to beat is your team mate. The drivers do like a dig. Maldonado and Grosean stand out for getting a good kicking from their paddock mates, both with a reputation for crashing. I’ve noticed over the past few years the radio transmissions have become less TLB friendly and more sweary. Verstappen is a potty mouth and was recently hauled across the coals for using very derogatory language about one of the others... not repeatable on here. No fisticuffs from what I can remember since the 90s... but these guys are now high profile, brands and brand representatives and they do uphold those standards quiet well in the main. I don’t think it’s had it’s day as a sport but it has to evolve again. It’s the leading edge of technology (or one direction of technological development) and has for many years been dominated by the big teams with budgets and a veto. That is planned to change over the coming years and I think even Ferrari, with the veto, realise that they need F1 to be relevant. The ambition is to close the field up and that should generate better racing and more rivalries! They should just remove the front wings and put wheel covers on and let them bash around a bit more
I totally get where you`re coming from and as i only watch the (full race now !!) highlights i can`t really be bothered about the `politics` but they always come across of jolly decent chaps who would be most welcome in anybodys mothers house . Hamilton , who i had time for previously may be the exception and kicked back with his `personality` but he`s politicising F1 by championing the BLM lot and no doubt shamed the other drivers into `taking a knee` - just my take as a casual observer. Changes HAVE to be made , if only to keep the vaguely interested tuning in and actually looking forwards to watching a great F1 race - i might even be tempted to pay for it ... I`ll close by pointing out an incident which happened in Istanbul . Someone was leaving the pits (Vettel ??) , exited perfectly , followed the feeder lane , got onto the track and got a twitch as he fed in the power . He corrected but JUST TOUCHED the white line prompting the (bar) stewards to launch an investigation . Ridiculous given the conditions and much mentioned lack of grip . This is not racing , and if that`s the way forwards then i`m out ... Two wheels work for me at the moment - good honest competition . In MotoGP with Marquez out injured the series had something like 10 different winners in 14 races - solid racing with no quarter given or expected
I’ve blown hot and cold with Hamilton. I used to find him petulant and annoying, but as he’s matured I think he’s been a bit more measured. I listened to a BBC 5 Live podcast on him today and it does sound that his journey as a black person in the sport was troubled, but until recently there have been things circumstances holding back the more outspoken nature we have now. Compare his current delivery to to his “is it cos I’m black” line from 7-8 years ago and he’s obviously found a better voice. The white line thing was Verstappen and I agree... stupid ***stewards! I think even DAvid Coulthard said he’d be done with it if they upheld the penalty and he owns Channel 4s coverage rights!! I disagree with paying Sky for coverage so only do it on rare occasions.
The corporate thing can really be laid at the feet of Ron Dennis, he was the one who truly got his drivers to toe the corporate line back in the late 80's. Keke Rosberg was probably the last of the old school drivers with character, I remember him "borrowing" 2 Marlboro cigarettes from me on the grid at Adelaide in 1985 and smoking one before crushing it out and stepping into the car for the race, the other was in case he broke down or crashed and had to wait for a ride back to the pits. You don't get drivers like him today. I've continued to watch F1 and will do so in the future.
I've been watching F1 since the early '70's and that was the most horrific crashes for many many years. It's a testament to the incredible advances in safety that Romain Grosjean could get out with only minor injuries. Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk
I’ve only just turned it in and it is suspended. No replays just yet so came on here. They are talking about fire - it sounds horrendous.
So much for people who say it’s easy just sitting in a car going round and round. These guys risk their lives every time they get in a car, can’t believe he got out of that!
I think I went into shock having watched it an hour or so ago... just getting through the post race now on C4. Very high testament to the safety of those cars that he walked away. And that doctor has big kahunas!! To lighten, I loved the very calm way that Lance Stroll came in the radio “I’m upside down”
Sweet lord that was as close as it gets! If he’d lost consciousness he’d have been a gonner for sure. No one was going to get him out of that in time. Kit bought him the time and the halo everyone said was going to ruin the sport is probably the only reason he’s still in one piece! We all like to watch a bit of a spill on track but that was sickening. So glad I didn’t see it live like Senna’s crash. You can’t unwatch stuff like that.
