Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

petermeachem · Joined: 23 Sep 2013 Posts: 358 Location: Chichester Sussex

Seems to me to be a bit boring and expensive. What era of racing cars would you pick to replace it?

Riley Blue · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 1750 Location: Derbyshire

Expensive? Undoubtably. Boring? I don't think so, perhaps occasionally too predictable. I wouldn't replace it as there are plenty of other championships to support if you don't care for it.
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

Peter_L · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 4:39 pm Post subject:

Like so much of life it is down to personal choices.

I don't think the expense is relative, teams either have it or they don't enter F1. Sometimes the result can be predictable barring mechanical failures or driver errors.

There are not many televised F1 races I have not seen, our TV provider here gives us 100% sky coverage Fri, Sat and Race Day, most of the time I watch it slightly after the event and run through bits.

As for personal views. Football (American not Soccer) I find it a complete, bore, over hyped and overpaid. Baseball ? it's OK if all other networks are down, there is 6ft of snow outside and I have lost my reading glasses.

but returning to motor racing, the British Saloon cars and the Australian Bathhurst, plenty of action and changes in positions. The Nascar roundabout can be interesting to watch, but it does seem that 3 hours of racing is often decided in the last 2 laps. If it wasn't for the PVR, I don't think I would watch.

To answer Peter M's question. I enjoyed the F1 from the 70's and 80's the most. Before the 1 million rules, stewards enquiries, restrictions on development, tyres, fuel and maybe the idea that it can one day be 100% safe.

Ellis · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 7:45 pm Post subject:

F1 in 1994 and 1995 was quite exciting - the brilliance of Schumacher against the technical superiority of the Williams. One cannot forget the Ayrton Senna tragedy in 1994, of course.
I steer away from "...if only..." scenarios but had Senna lived I think it would have been a classic year.

I used to have all Nigel Mansell's F1 races on VHS until my young nephews recorded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles over them but there was a rawness and excitement about the way Mansell drove and who will ever forget Mansell and Senna wheel to wheel at the Spanish Grand Prix?

It will never happen but if all the F1 cars were technically and engine equal I'm sure each race would be epic entertainment with the talented drivers of today.
But technical domination is what F1 is all about as the pinnacle of world motor sport.

British Touring Cars is enjoyable.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

Riley Blue · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 1750 Location: Derbyshire

D4B · Joined: 28 Dec 2010 Posts: 2083 Location: Hampshire UK

I would rather watch Caravan Banger racing than anything mentioned above Cool

emmerson · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 1268 Location: South East Wales

Watching paint dry? Cleaning the oven, perhaps?
Anything, rather than watch so-called "cars" go round in circles!

Not for me, but millions enjoy it, so perhaps I'm the one out of step. Smile

Peter_L · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 10:27 pm Post subject:

JohnDale · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:07 pm Post subject:

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

I now watch Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGp, unfortunately I always fall asleep when I watch F1, I don't know why, but it just doesn't interest or excite me any more.

Peter_L · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:31 pm Post subject:

Just like JD, I am also an Ex. Back in the day, all or nearly all costs came out of the wage packet so perhaps we viewed it a little differently. EXcept of course if the "red mist" came down and then it could get a bit more close up and personal.

Perhaps winning at all costs is more important today, when sponsorship is the main source of finance.

I am not a big fan of the increased involvement of Stewards, this last F1 from Malaysia as example. I am a 100% Lewis fan, I was an even bigger Nigel fan.
I did not agree with the penalty applied to Nico Rosberg, even if I would have been happier to see a DNF after Lewis's engine committed suicide.
Neither did I agree with Sebastian's penalty and he has never been my favourite. I am not 100% on this but Derek Warwick was there as a steward, not sure if he is at every race now, but when stewards were mentioned it always seemed that his judgement was selective. Wink

Dipster · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:49 pm Post subject:

I would love to go back to F1, 2 and 3 in the 60s. Why? Far less "business" around the whole thing and often very close racing, above all in 1 litre "screamer" F3.

Of course the fact that this was my era has, perhaps, slipped rose coloured glasses on my nose......

petermeachem · Joined: 23 Sep 2013 Posts: 358 Location: Chichester Sussex

yes, good period. The 1L F3's were terrific. I really liked the Brabham Honda with Daf transmission

Dipster · Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 9:44 am Post subject:

Yes a Brabham would have been my choice. Brabham chassis were comparatively easy to repair. In F2 a BT18 with the 1 litre Honda engine with a Hewland was a great combination. But not with the DAF transmission. It did not really work well.

I recall the first time I heard one fired up. I was used to the Cosworth SCA but the Honda was deafening! And the Honda factory mechanics worked on it without earplugs...... They must all have been deaf in later life as was Brabham himself in fact.