Formula One ( F1 )

Kiki Lauda talks a lot of sense on recent issues.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/niki-lauda-we-should-not-destroy-f1-with-stupid-comments-if-people-dont-like-the-new-noise-take-the-earplugs-out-9223857.html

^this.

Whole heartedly agree. I've witnessed a lot of sniping about Bernie here, and didn't want to get involved, because it's just one more thing I disagree with.

I think he's done an excellent job.

More real-talk from Lauda.

I am really struggling with formula one at the moment. it's not the cars or the racing - I do enjoy that.

I can't put my finger on it. I think it is the BBC.

It all seems like bland WWF wrestling at the moment. The drivers are boring as fuck (I don't blame them), yet the BBC have an 8-hour long segment before each race to try and give them these personalities that we are all supposed to love. All of the races are in countries that can generate money, but don't give a fuck about F1 (again, I understand why Bernie, I mean GOD, does it). we are then force fed the 'spectacle', the 'f1 circus' coming to town and the bullshit from the self-promoting love-in of the bbc commentators.

blah blah blah. at least the cars are going green and keeping the costs down, right?

Could be solved by Craig Scarborough and Garry Anderson presenting a 2 hr show before each race...

"Here's the new bits spied in the paddock, and here are some cool CFD visualisations of what they're meant to do"

They should get these chaps as commentators.

"How does he sit down with balls that big!?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYgAX6D43Q

^^^ Sky F1 HD.

I am really struggling with formula one at the moment. it's not the cars or the racing - I do enjoy that.

I can't put my finger on it. I think it is the BBC.

It all seems like bland WWF wrestling at the moment. The drivers are boring as fuck (I don't blame them), yet the BBC have an 8-hour long segment before each race to try and give them these personalities that we are all supposed to love. All of the races are in countries that can generate money, but don't give a fuck about F1 (again, I understand why Bernie, I mean GOD, does it). we are then force fed the 'spectacle', the 'f1 circus' coming to town and the bullshit from the self-promoting love-in of the bbc commentators.

blah blah blah. at least the cars are going green and keeping the costs down, right?

I think I know what you mean. Its a bit like a big noisy circus run by property developers that only visit countries with investors.
The Malaysian gp was just a bit dull - the run-offs are so big and theres so much space around the cars that they don't appear to be going as quickly as they do on the more cramped circuits. It just feels like 56 parade laps.

I refuse to bet on Vettel, but 7-2 to win the championship are very, very, very good odds..

is it that much better?

it's not just the coverage. the whole thing just seems a bit like Disneyland. something totally geared up to strip people/places of their cash.

even though I have always thought the progress and evolution of F1 has been one of the most interesting bits, perhaps I am just turning into one of those 'back in the day' cunts.

I never watch it on the BBC now. Sky just does it so much better in terms of punditry, commentary, analysis and all the supporting programmes like reviews of historic seasons, teams and drivers.

I agree with the new F1 races being et set parties for spivs with no appreciation of the history, but then I guess that was true of Brooklands once.

Amazed that McLaren are still not nearer the front.
Would love to see Jensen on the podium again.

there's always been fannies on the grid and trying to be seen at the races, but felix cunterbunch (or whatever his name is) doing the podium interviews? Christ.

He was fresh from some sports awards bash
Lucky they didn't get Barry Cryer.

Or unlucky

Whole heartedly agree. I've witnessed a lot of sniping about Bernie here, and didn't want to get involved, because it's just one more thing I disagree with.

I think he's done an excellent job.

Sorry to disagree with you again but your wrong and I would not be surprised if Lauda is saying one thing in public while planning to fuck Bernie over.

Bernie is in huge trouble at the moment.

He faught against the new power units and lost. He then jumped on the band wagon created by the famously whiny organiser of the GP hosted in a country that not only celebrates NA V8 engines but also loves unsophisticated motorsport (sorry BRM I love V8 supercars but it is only marginally more sophisticated than NASCAR). All this when he was not even at the GP - stinks of sour grapes to me.

Bernie's court case will take most of this year, he claims that it will not affect his business activities - pull the other one. There is therefore massive opportunity for people who want his job to do some back room manouvres and let's face it they may not even need to find a way to get rid of him, the German courts may do that for them.

Bernie allegedly got the seed money to get into F1 from the great train robbery having failed as a driver. Bernie did run F1 well for a long time and massively increased viewer numbers. More recently he has moved F1 away from its core market to places where standard business practice is to win a contract through the provision of "gifts". On top of this he has demanded that the circuits in those countries are designed by Hermann Tilke whose hit rate for designing circuits that produce interesting racing is about 1 in 10.

McLaren has struggled for sponsorship this year, just to re-enforce that McLaren, arguably the mot successful ever motorsport team is struggling to find sponsorship. Red Bull's owner has made noises about pulling out (albeit sensationalised and over-stated by that idiot Benson) TV numbers are dropping off and fans last year were booing Vettel when he won. The new rules mean that races are more unpredictable and exciting and that driver talent is a factor meaning that there genuine racing not DRS BS which will attract greater TV audiences. They also make the sport more appealing to car manufacturers as they can claim parallels between their road cars and F1. All this guarantees the money that the teams need to run and to stay at the cutting edge, but Bernie doesn't want the new regs so in his book they are a bad thing and he will do what he can to undermine them.

Ecclestone's days are numbered, even if he wins the court case he isn't getting any younger and he is starting to look weak in a very cut throat organisation. Lauda is one of a handful of people in the paddock who have the respect and knowledge to take his place, he knows it. I also think he is the person who is most likely to run things in a way that would benefit the sport.

I am really struggling with formula one at the moment. it's not the cars or the racing - I do enjoy that.

I can't put my finger on it. I think it is the BBC.

It all seems like bland WWF wrestling at the moment. The drivers are boring as fuck (I don't blame them), yet the BBC have an 8-hour long segment before each race to try and give them these personalities that we are all supposed to love. All of the races are in countries that can generate money, but don't give a fuck about F1 (again, I understand why Bernie, I mean GOD, does it). we are then force fed the 'spectacle', the 'f1 circus' coming to town and the bullshit from the self-promoting love-in of the bbc commentators.

blah blah blah. at least the cars are going green and keeping the costs down, right?

All sport is going this way, not just F1. The characters that made modern sport what it is are being replaced by bland corporate mouthpieces because sponsorship pays better than their wages. The tv companies who compete for the broadcast rights have to give the corporate mouthpieces their airtime because it's part of the contract.

Amazed that McLaren are still not nearer the front.
Would love to see Jensen on the podium again.

Ron Dennis is back, the devious, cunty, determined to win at all costs attitude won't be too far behind.

I never watch it on the BBC now. Sky just does it so much better in terms of punditry, commentary, analysis and all the supporting programmes like reviews of historic seasons, teams and drivers.

I agree with the new F1 races being et set parties for spivs with no appreciation of the history, but then I guess that was true of Brooklands once.

Really? I find the sky coverage even more bland than the BBC I also rate Eddie Jordan And Gary Anderson much more than their Sky equivalents.

there's always been fannies on the grid and trying to be seen at the races, but felix cunterbunch (or whatever his name is) doing the podium interviews? Christ.

Felix Cunterbunch - hilarious.

I can't stand the sky anchor. Used to love Brundle and Coulthard commentating together.

Ron Dennis is back, the devious, cunty, determined to win at all costs attitude won't be too far behind.

Fucking hilarious.

It's never been the same since James Hunt died, but I like the banter between Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert, whereas Eddie Jordan is a prat: the Les Dennis of formula one punditry.

It's never been the same since James Hunt died, but I like the banter between Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert, whereas Eddie Jordan is a prat: the Les Dennis of formula one punditry.

Eddie Jordan ran a competitive team on a (comparatively) shoestring budget, peaking with a 3rd place in the constructors championship in 1999, he also gave Michael Schumacher his first drive. The man knows his onions and despite playing the fool is not one. Plus I like seeing him and DC trying to pretend that they don't hate each other.

Sorry to disagree with you again but your wrong and I would not be surprised if Lauda is saying one thing in public while planning to fuck Bernie over.

Bernie is in huge trouble at the moment.

He faught against the new power units and lost. He then jumped on the band wagon created by the famously whiny organiser of the GP hosted in a country that not only celebrates NA V8 engines but also loves unsophisticated motorsport (sorry BRM I love V8 supercars but it is only marginally more sophisticated than NASCAR). All this when he was not even at the GP - stinks of sour grapes to me.

Bernie's court case will take most of this year, he claims that it will not affect his business activities - pull the other one. There is therefore massive opportunity for people who want his job to do some back room manouvres and let's face it they may not even need to find a way to get rid of him, the German courts may do that for them.

Bernie allegedly got the seed money to get into F1 from the great train robbery having failed as a driver. Bernie did run F1 well for a long time and massively increased viewer numbers. More recently he has moved F1 away from its core market to places where standard business practice is to win a contract through the provision of "gifts". On top of this he has demanded that the circuits in those countries are designed by Hermann Tilke whose hit rate for designing circuits that produce interesting racing is about 1 in 10.

McLaren has struggled for sponsorship this year, just to re-enforce that McLaren, arguably the mot successful ever motorsport team is struggling to find sponsorship. Red Bull's owner has made noises about pulling out (albeit sensationalised and over-stated by that idiot Benson) TV numbers are dropping off and fans last year were booing Vettel when he won. The new rules mean that races are more unpredictable and exciting and that driver talent is a factor meaning that there genuine racing not DRS BS which will attract greater TV audiences. They also make the sport more appealing to car manufacturers as they can claim parallels between their road cars and F1. All this guarantees the money that the teams need to run and to stay at the cutting edge, but Bernie doesn't want the new regs so in his book they are a bad thing and he will do what he can to undermine them.

Ecclestone's days are numbered, even if he wins the court case he isn't getting any younger and he is starting to look weak in a very cut throat organisation. Lauda is one of a handful of people in the paddock who have the respect and knowledge to take his place, he knows it. I also think he is the person who is most likely to run things in a way that would benefit the sport.

good post, but I am not sure what you meant by the aus quip. are you comparing touring cars with f1? (weren't f1 cars n/a v8s only last season?) are you trying to say aussoes don't like f1 or that their touring cars are shit? (I reckon 90% of motorsport fans would rather watch the v8 supercars than a field full of civics and mg6s) or are you just judging a whole country of people because you don't like one bloke?

or have I a hook stuck in my mouth?

(I reckon 90% of motorsport fans would rather watch the v8 supercars than a field full of civics and mg6s) or are you just judging a whole country of people because you don't like one bloke?

I've never seen V8Supers, but I've always had a softspot for BTCC.

Eddie Jordan ran a competitive team on a (comparatively) shoestring budget, peaking with a 3rd place in the constructors championship in 1999, he also gave Michael Schumacher his first drive. The man knows his onions and despite playing the fool is not one. Plus I like seeing him and DC trying to pretend that they don't hate each other.

This.

V8 Supercars shit all over F1 for entertainment value. Didn't these F1 fucks ditch turbos a hundred years ago because the cars were too fast. Fucking losers >>>