Unpopular Motorsport Opinions

[Tornado]

I said this when Bradley wrote his clickbait articles on Jalopnik at the end of last year, and I'll note it here as well: F1 is perfectly free to race on their marvelously paved Tilkedrommes and glorified airport parking lot street circuits instead of tearing up historic tracks for the allure of hypothetical races that F1 would never ever go to anyway.

If there was enough money in Florida to build a whole new circuit in a car park under a stadium, there is enough to move a bridge and move a wall covered in tyres back 100m with proper tarmac or gravel runoff there

Not unless they also had the money to move the entirety of the Sebring track 150 miles Southeast to the glorified warehouse district surrounding the Dolphins' stadium, since it was the owner of the Dolphins who paid all of the money to have the Miami GP there because he wanted it there.

 

[Roo]

I said this when Bradley wrote his clickbait articles on Jalopnik at the end of last year, and I'll note it here as well: F1 is perfectly free to race on their marvelously paved Tilkedrommes and glorified airport parking lot street circuits instead of tearing up historic tracks for the allure of hypothetical races that F1 would never ever go to anyway.

Slightly linked unpopular opinion: the British Grand Prix should never leave Silverstone, not because it's a good track for F1 or for historical reasons (although both are true) but because it has become an F1 containment zone. Silverstone has had so many changes over the years that it doesn't matter if it continues to do so, and therefore tracks like Donington, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park don't get torn up to accommodate F1. Or not again in Donington's case.

 

[Liquid]

tracks like Donington, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park don't get torn up

That is a smart argument.

 

[toastet]

Funny thing Silverstone is still boring for racing an F1 car (I don't think the new cars will end this in Silverstone). Spectacular on a flying lap and onboard or starts/restarts but still dangerous everytime you leave the pits. But racing with equal cars is just not possible.

Also I like the actual layout in sim-racing very much. Great fun for me.

 

[Com Fox]

Slightly linked unpopular opinion: the British Grand Prix should never leave Silverstone, not because it's a good track for F1 or for historical reasons (although both are true) but because it has become an F1 containment zone. Silverstone has had so many changes over the years that it doesn't matter if it continues to do so, and therefore tracks like Donington, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park don't get torn up to accommodate F1. Or not again in Donington's case.

Never thought of it like that.

I really don't like Silverstones current layout (especially since it killed the 2000s International layout which was my personal favourite) but I guess if it means the other Tracks stay the same, then its a good thing.

 

[Liquid]

After @Roo's comments about Silverstone, here's a complete overlay of its Grand Prix changes over the years:

After all that effort of creating Priory and Brooklands, they sure had to keep tinkering with it.

 

[ScottPuss20]

After @Roo's comments about Silverstone, here's a complete overlay of its Grand Prix changes over the years:

After all that effort of creating Priory and Brooklands, they sure had to keep tinkering with it.

The most dramatic change occurred in 2010 though.

 

[Pete05]

After @Roo's comments about Silverstone, here's a complete overlay of its Grand Prix changes over the years:

After all that effort of creating Priory and Brooklands, they sure had to keep tinkering with it.

Curiosity & interest in history always gets the better of me, so I thought I would look at how lap times fell on what I will call the original layout used from 1950 to 1974.

At the first round of the new Formula One in 1950, the pole position was set at 1:50:8. The fastest lap in the race, and therefore new lap record, a 1:50:6.

23 years later, 34.5 seconds had been erased from the pole position (1:16:3), and exactly 32 seconds from the lap record (1:18:6)

With the addition of the chicane at Woodcote, it would take until 1979 & ground effects in full swing to obliterate the times set in 1974. Pole position was now down to 1:11:88 & the lap record at 1:14:4.

On this layout, those times would fall to 1:05.591 and 1:09.886 respectively, set in 1985.

Despite the deletion of the Woodcote chicane but a much slower, new section at Luffield, Nigel Mansell still managed to reset the lap record by fractions of a second to 1:09.832.

 

[Liquid]

The most dramatic change occurred in 2010 though.

The change from the original layout in 1948 to the more familiar layout in 1949 was quite dramatic as well though.

 

[Jimlaad43]

However, that did just require putting haybales in a different place.

1990-1991 was a complete change of the circuit philosophy, where it went from basically an oval with left turns and more defined corners to a GP circuit with proper complexes and a mix of corner speeds.

2009-2011 involved building a whole new pitlane and building at the other end of the track, and a long new section being built. This change did the most, but arguably the circuit philosophy didn't change that much.

So really there are two changes that can be argued.

 

[Liquid]

Whoops, wrong thread.

 

[GingerBredMan]

I didn’t have strong feelings about the new Nissan Z, but the Super GT version of it might be one of the ugliest racing cars made in recent history.

 

[ThePotatoKing]

I didn’t have strong feelings about the new Nissan Z, but the Super GT version of it might be one of the ugliest racing cars made in recent history.

Really ? I would say the Super GT version makes it look better.

 

[Com Fox]

If you ask me, both the GT-R and Z are pretty unappealing visually with the Super GT versions being the saving grave of their visual design.

 

[Strittan]

Formula One died in 2010, because that’s when the wheelbase of the cars started to get out of hand.

To show you what I mean, check this out. The minimum, yes minimum, wheelbase of a 2022 F1 car is 3,400 mm, which is exactly 200 mm (7.9 in) longer than the wheelbase of this:

What the hell happened?

 

[Liquid]

If I remember, the idea was that longer, heavier cars with simpler aero (always a losing battle) would be slower and create closer racing. The minimum weight of Formula One cars is also greater than the maximum weight of the 1930s' Grand Prix cars.

 

[Grand Prix]

Safety is also a factor I think, a longer car means a larger "crumple zone", for dissipation of energy. They probably also need the space for the hybrid power units they use now. Today's chassis lengths with 1980s/1990s wheelbase lengths would create a ridiculous looking overhang.

See for yourself:

Longer cars are better for overtaking? I'm not sure about that. The longer wheelbases certainly don't help with overtaking at Monaco, I'll say that much.

 

[Panoz]

Also starting in 2010 season was the start of the refueling ban during races. I don't know how much the fuel cells changed over time since the start of the hybrid era but needing a fuel cell to run a Grand Prix hasn't helped with the wheelbases getting out of hand.

A telling photo of the RS20 and the R25 running side by side.

 

[ScottPuss20]

The F1 game really has moved on substantially in recent times. Perhaps too quickly and not necessarily in the right direction. The massive fuels cells, the complicated engines, fussy aero and overly soft tyres. The new car is a good start but there are still some problems which need to be solved if this championship is to be run sustainably for the next 25 years. We need to focus on the competition, not so much the strategy and car development because most viewers do not care about the technical nitty-gritty. They want A SHOW that is exciting with more than 2 drivers fighting up front. Don't get me wrong, 2021 was a crazy season but Verstappen and Hamilton were head and shoulders above the rest. It shouldn't be like this in my opinion. The FIA need to simplify the cars further, make them smaller, reduce the number of components, continue to reign in spending, reduce the number of races, make better tyres that last and change the engine architecture to something which is RELIABLE, loud and easier to work on.

 

[Northstar]

They want A SHOW that is exciting with more than 2 drivers fighting up front. Don't get me wrong, 2021 was a crazy season but Verstappen and Hamilton were head and shoulders above the rest. It shouldn't be like this in my opinion.

Granted I'm not even close to being an F1 historian, but hasn't that pretty much always been the case? Sure there's seasons like 1986 and 2010 but those don't seem to be very common.

I don't think there really is a way to "fix" it either* since even in series where there is no room for team's to innovate it still usually comes down to 1 or 2 drivers by season's end.

*Other than going the NASCAR route of course, which I don't think anyone wants.

 

[Com Fox]

Car development more matter for the sake of the manufacturer. It's their technology in the racing that can applied to their road cars and marketing. It's why Gen 2 Formula e had such a boom in Manufacturers because they wanted to get experience in Electric engines.

We don't need to be heavily technological focus but it has an appeal for Manufacturers and getting them interested

 

[Strittan]

Today's chassis lengths with 1980s/1990s wheelbase lengths would create a ridiculous looking overhang.

See for yourself:

Uhm… of course, but that’s not my point, is it? My point is that the cars are too big. It’s ridiculous. They’re also too safe, yes, I said it and I mean it. Take away all the danger and you take away the excitement as well, for me anyway, which us why I don’t care anymore. It’s become a sport that I love to hate basically.

 

[MaxAttack]

Take away all the danger and you take away the excitement as well

Is among the worst common takes on motorsports fandom. I don't generally like to single people out, but honestly what's the point in thinking that way and can anyone describe to me how it isn't just being misty eyed/wantonly edgy?

 

[Jimlaad43]

"Take away the danger and it's not fun". I think it's a lot more fun that drivers can climb out of wrecks like Grosjean suffered in Bahrain with minimal injuries than getting killed. I'm watching 20 of the best drivers in the world, not a blood sport.

You can't seriously say you cheered when Anthoine Hubert was killed at Spa a few years ago, because that's the kind of attitude you're talking about?

If you don't care about the sport, why are you part of the conversation?

 

[merseyxshore]

Is among the worst common takes on motorsports fandom. I don't generally like to single people out, but honestly what's the point in thinking that way and can anyone describe to me how it isn't just being misty eyed/wantonly edgy?

Exactly. It's not a bloodsport. No one needs to die for your entertainment.

 

[Strittan]

So what you guys are telling me is that F1 is equally exciting today as it was 15 years ago? Fine, but I don’t agree.

Let me rephrase. I don’t mind that the cars become safer in the sense that they can take bigger hits, but I do mind that they become easier to drive. It appears as if drivers today don’t drive the cars as much as they’re just holding on and let the car do the job. This has to do with the circuits as well, which has become far too smooth, and too perfect if you like. It looks like slot car racing.

@Jimlaad43 Why am I in the conversation? This is a thread about unpopular opinions. What did you expect coming in here?

 

[Jimlaad43]

So what you guys are telling me is that F1 is equally exciting today as it was 15 years ago? Fine, but I don’t agree.

Yes. The 2021 season was easily on par with the 2005-2008 seasons in terms of overall excitement and title battles. In fact, on track racing was much better this year because we didn't have refuelling turning it into a strategy nightmare where the cars racing for the win were spread out over the circuit because they were always off-strategy.

If you like bumpy circuits, may I suggest Formula E to you? That has some of the best single-seater races you'll ever watch and the tracks are always bumpy.

 

[Scaff]

It appears as if drivers today don’t drive the cars as much as they’re just holding on and let the car do the job.

Appearances can be, and in this case are, deceptive.

 

[Strittan]

Yes. The 2021 season was easily on par with the 2005-2008 seasons in terms of overall excitement and title battles. In fact, on track racing was much better this year because we didn't have refuelling turning it into a strategy nightmare where the cars racing for the win were spread out over the circuit because they were always off-strategy.

Sorry, but I can’t be bothered, because I simply don’t like the cars for the reasons I’ve described.

 

[merseyxshore]

So what you guys are telling me is that F1 is equally exciting today as it was 15 years ago? Fine, but I don’t agree.

Let me rephrase. I don’t mind that the cars become safer in the sense that they can take bigger hits, but I do mind that they become easier to drive. It appears as if drivers today don’t drive the cars as much as they’re just holding on and let the car do the job. This has to do with the circuits as well, which has become far too smooth, and too perfect if you like. It looks like slot car racing.

@Jimlaad43 Why am I in the conversation? This is a thread about unpopular opinions. What did you expect coming in here?

They're so easy to drive that drivers have to be weighed post-race to ensure they haven't lost too much weight during the 2 hour race.