Unpopular Motorsport Opinions
- Thread starter Liquid
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- Blitzbay
- Blitzbay
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- ️Leiden
Would Americans even appreciate it if he did that in NASCAR or IndyCar? In F1 he's just that guy who's really into American culture and indulges in cringy stuff once or twice a year. If he did that 20-40 times a year, in a series where everyone else is an actual American, I feel like he'd come off as desperate and clueless. Imagine if there was one American guy in V8 Supercars constantly trying to be an Australian caricature.
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The true way to enjoy modern F1 telly is C4 tbh
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AKA ............The Red Bull Media outlet
Predicted highlight from today's US race ............
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- 13,077
- United Kingdom
The F3 season finishes too early and the F2 season finishes too late.
Why is there a 2 month gap between the penultimate and final races of the F2 season? Last season it was ridiculous because about 5 drivers from the finished F3 season just did the last two rounds of F2, completely ruining the drives of people who were already driving there and making a mockery of the last rounds.
Look at Williams. They want to sign Logan Sargeant, but are having to wait for the F2 season to finish, even though there's been one round to go for a month.
Both F3 and F2 should go to somewhere like Suzuka and/or Austin before ending at Abu Dhabi. If they want to finish is Abu Dhabi, don't ruin the momentum of the drivers with a massive gap, allowing some to be replaced anyway.
Why is there a 2 month gap between the penultimate and final races of the F2 season? Last season it was ridiculous because about 5 drivers from the finished F3 season just did the last two rounds of F2, completely ruining the drives of people who were already driving there and making a mockery of the last rounds.
Look at Williams. They want to sign Logan Sargeant, but are having to wait for the F2 season to finish, even though there's been one round to go for a month.
Both F3 and F2 should go to somewhere like Suzuka and/or Austin before ending at Abu Dhabi. If they want to finish is Abu Dhabi, don't ruin the momentum of the drivers with a massive gap, allowing some to be replaced anyway.
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- Corsham
- lipming
This year there's no hype for the final F2 round as Drugovich already has the title, and drivers like Calan Williams are not even bothering to race in it as they to focus on finding drivews next year. Going as much as two months between rounds mid-season last year clearly affected the drivers' form and preparations.
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- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
- 4,505
- Finland
I did though. As I mentioned, he hasn't had a single car that's capable for fighting for the title.
Speaking of which, he was mopping the floor with Vettel that year, and was the only driver besides the Mercedes duo to win a race that year. Also did so in Australia before being disqualified.
Third in 2016 as well. 2018 was an unlucky year for him as mechanical/technical DNFs stained that year.
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- United Kingdom
The 2014 season proved to be a blip for Vettel though, rather than a sudden downturn. He was class of the field in 2010-13, and found his pace back as soon as he went to Ferrari. Vettel has always liked the rear end to be planted, which is why he was exceptional with the blown diffusers, and the 2014 Red Bull just did not have that characteristic. By 2015 the Ferrari had fixed that.
Riccardo in 2015 by the way (a year after his best season, which according to your Vettel comparison means that he's clearly still at his best), was beaten by Kvyat in the Championship.
Riccardo had a top 3 car from 2014-2018. He did well and scored victories, but none of them were "Champions Drives". Battling through the pack from adversity is certainly impressive, and champions need to be able to do that, but a true champion can start at the front and disappear without anyone having a chance. Schumacher did that regularly, Vettel mastered that in his Red Bull times, Hamilton made disappearing at the front without contest look easy and it's what Verstappen has been doing all this season. Daniel never did that. His only victory like that was Monaco 2018, where he nursed a broken car and still couldn't be overtaken because Monaco. Great drive, but not exactly regular.
He's a great driver, but like Alonso, failed the politics and got out of a toxic atmosphere once he's realised that Red Bull had found their champion in Verstappen. He's been able to extract good results out of midfield packages, but the likes of Gasly, Perez, Norris and Sainz did all his achievements first in the midfield cars. He took too long to acclimatise to the midfield and now the McLaren slump has put a real downer on what was a decent "what if" career that could have seen him in title contention, but never quite.
Riccardo in 2015 by the way (a year after his best season, which according to your Vettel comparison means that he's clearly still at his best), was beaten by Kvyat in the Championship.
Riccardo had a top 3 car from 2014-2018. He did well and scored victories, but none of them were "Champions Drives". Battling through the pack from adversity is certainly impressive, and champions need to be able to do that, but a true champion can start at the front and disappear without anyone having a chance. Schumacher did that regularly, Vettel mastered that in his Red Bull times, Hamilton made disappearing at the front without contest look easy and it's what Verstappen has been doing all this season. Daniel never did that. His only victory like that was Monaco 2018, where he nursed a broken car and still couldn't be overtaken because Monaco. Great drive, but not exactly regular.
He's a great driver, but like Alonso, failed the politics and got out of a toxic atmosphere once he's realised that Red Bull had found their champion in Verstappen. He's been able to extract good results out of midfield packages, but the likes of Gasly, Perez, Norris and Sainz did all his achievements first in the midfield cars. He took too long to acclimatise to the midfield and now the McLaren slump has put a real downer on what was a decent "what if" career that could have seen him in title contention, but never quite.
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His 2014 wins were all on the weekends Mercedes had blips. In Canada, both had brake failures - HAM retired and ROS managed to nurse it to the end but with no pace.
Hungary was when HAM started in the pitlane and ROS was still struggling to show pace in the wet. Belgium was the infamous "Nico Hit Me" disaster that took both Mercs out of contention.
He is the king of the opportunistic victory, but nothing really more. By 2017 and 18 the Red Bull was quick enough for victories on pace and merit - as Max was able to do - but Danny only got one of those wins at Monaco, which he only won because it was Monaco and nobody could overtake his ailing car.
Hungary was when HAM started in the pitlane and ROS was still struggling to show pace in the wet. Belgium was the infamous "Nico Hit Me" disaster that took both Mercs out of contention.
He is the king of the opportunistic victory, but nothing really more. By 2017 and 18 the Red Bull was quick enough for victories on pace and merit - as Max was able to do - but Danny only got one of those wins at Monaco, which he only won because it was Monaco and nobody could overtake his ailing car.
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True he has been the king of opportunistic victory, but I disagree about nothing more.
For the lucky situations there has also been some very unlucky ones too.
Ricciardo was never given full support at Red Bull and there's some significant missed oppotunistic victories
2016 Spain was an open goal that the team gave to his junior team mate.
2016 Monaco was team screw up that cost the win when he was best of the weekend - This wasn't an opportunistic victory it was a dominating weekend performance in all conditions.
2018 Baku had better tyres conditions and looked likely to win if not for very bad driving by teammate and the team response showed their toxic culture.
Yep. definitely a massive "what if" career.
I think without the full support of a team in a competitive car there just isn't enough data to say for sure that he could not have done this. Just look at how many very average seasons Button and Rosberg drove and they were able to rise to the occasion when the stars aligned - I think at least 90% RIC would deliver in the same situation.
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That didn't make Button or Rosberg in the running for 'Best Driver Ever' which is what the original comment was.
- 167
True, the original opinion is unpopular and difficult to rationally justify.
However some of the counter-points were jumping off the other side of the sensible boat in my opinion.
I think interesting to discuss where RIC might be compared - I think above a very good driver although not in the list of greatest-ests.
In absolute terms only 36 drivers in history have more wins than RIC, and anyone with a championship is usually boosted by having a title winning -not just a competitive- car... Then there are only 9 drivers without a title with more wins.
he has enough great drives for wins and for spectacular moves that add excitement and interest to the sport and for me that makes him a great driver - the winners are "greater" in terms of results but sometimes just a bit boring and there's always the caveat of how much extra from the team situation etc.
- 167
Here's another idea I'm not sure if it is unpopular opinion:
There is still way too much coaching and instruction given to Fl drivers how to pilot their machine during a race, and all the engine mode changes just seem to complicate things and instruction on pushing or taking it easy for specific corners or track sections distract from traditional car control driver skills.
Just how many 'Strat' or 'HPP' modes changes do Max and Lewis have to do in a race, could we have simple engines that they just drive?
www.racefans.net
It is technically really interesting to have marvelously complex power units with modes that combine performance and efficiency, but I think they should just simplify it to remove distraction. Secondly all teams might have to accept more compromised engine mode and have to live with less perfect performance level.
There is still way too much coaching and instruction given to Fl drivers how to pilot their machine during a race, and all the engine mode changes just seem to complicate things and instruction on pushing or taking it easy for specific corners or track sections distract from traditional car control driver skills.
Just how many 'Strat' or 'HPP' modes changes do Max and Lewis have to do in a race, could we have simple engines that they just drive?
"He's gone off again": Hamilton and Verstappen's US GP battle on the radio
Lewis Hamilton repeatedly tried to trigger a track limits penalty for Max Verstappen after losing the lead to him in the final laps of the US GP.
www.racefans.net
It is technically really interesting to have marvelously complex power units with modes that combine performance and efficiency, but I think they should just simplify it to remove distraction. Secondly all teams might have to accept more compromised engine mode and have to live with less perfect performance level.
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- New Plymouth
Unpopular Opinion?
F1 Drivers are well overrated. The series is far more an engineering and strategy spectacle than a driver's series.
Not to say they aren't amazingly skilled drivers, but they aren't all that and a bag of chips like people want to claim.
F1 Drivers are well overrated. The series is far more an engineering and strategy spectacle than a driver's series.
Not to say they aren't amazingly skilled drivers, but they aren't all that and a bag of chips like people want to claim.
- 9,262
- Corsham
- lipming
I wouldn't necessarily call this unpopular, I think even a lot of the drivers don't like having everything spoon-fed to them. These days there is far too much data available, and it means everything can be planned and anticipated with military precision. I'd like to get back to a point like the 90s or early 2000s, where the cars were still the pinnacle of engineering, but actually needed to be driven, but ideally ones that actually work properly this time.Here's another idea I'm not sure if it is unpopular opinion:
There is still way too much coaching and instruction given to Fl drivers how to pilot their machine during a race, and all the engine mode changes just seem to complicate things and instruction on pushing or taking it easy for specific corners or track sections distract from traditional car control driver skills.
Just how many 'Strat' or 'HPP' modes changes do Max and Lewis have to do in a race, could we have simple engines that they just drive?
"He's gone off again": Hamilton and Verstappen's US GP battle on the radio
Lewis Hamilton repeatedly tried to trigger a track limits penalty for Max Verstappen after losing the lead to him in the final laps of the US GP.
It is technically really interesting to have marvelously complex power units with modes that combine performance and efficiency, but I think they should just simplify it to remove distraction. Secondly all teams might have to accept more compromised engine mode and have to live with less perfect performance level.
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