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Is it just me is Formula One the most overrated, boring, expensive, non-Green (whatever that means) sport on the planet?
A bunch of super rich folk travel around the world racing (sic!) wide cars on narrow tracks so that they can rarely overtake anyone, with thousands of pages of unfathomable rules, zero transparency on decisions from the organisers and they race until the Dutch kid wins before jumping on their jet planes and zooming off somewhere else on the planet.
Bound to get a few heckles raised as it's probably a very Marmite thing now, luv it or hate it?
Yep, it is very boring - not helped by lack of personalities and far too much corporate shit (which comes with the money)
I have no interest in it but then I am pretty sure a lot of people would have no interest in watching Paris Roubaix today which I on the other hand love.
I used to be a fan. I would get up at silly o'clock and watch the Japanese grand prix.
But to be honest it doesn't interest me now. Every track seems to be iconic and the drivers favourite and there's hours of waffle before and after. I only watch the highlights and even then I get through them in 10minutes if I last to the end.
I've always been a fan of Motorsport but I don't watch it anymore
Yep, has been for years. I think I've said it on here before, but the fastest qualifier should be made to toss a coin before the start, and if he calls it wrong reverse the grid. That'd make it more interesting!
As it is, it's a tyre changing and tactics competition.
I've a mate who has a yacht harbour side in Monaco and he's there every year. It's a weekend of invites and business for him. I get the impression that most folk are there to be seen or do business. Mind you he's not in the fans enclosure which can seem a bit 90s football at times
Same argument can be levelled at any major sport - I find tennis and golf as boring as hell, but millions don’t.
For me the Schumacher era was far more boring than now. I did like the 80’s when they popped engines in after every session but you can’t do that now! And even back then the field spread was way greater than it is now.
As it is, it’s a tyre changing and tactics competition.
It’s always been that.
It is a pretty big achievement to spend that much money to create a spectacle that is so lacking.
But maybe I'm not the right person to judge - I'm far more a sport participant than an observer. And in that nothing I do anymore is competitive I'm not sure its fair to call what I like sport even - just outdoor adventure and exercise maybe.
They promised improvements with the new cars 3 years ago but they are bigger, heavier and still rely on aero too much, probably thanks to Newey clawing it back.
Too much reliance on tyre conservation, while not new, means that (relative) risk doesn't pay. Although Tsunoda:s overtakes were great today.
I agree the Corporate side has become really cringe.
Problem is global audience is up thx to DTS so not much incentive to rock the boat...
I've preferred watching WEC and the likes of GT3 races for years. I'm not sure if like the-muffin-man says that the Schumacher years were worse but for me that's when it started it's fall to what we have today.
Also decisions like groved tyres instead of cutting back on aerodynamics to me showed they didn't have a clue.
It’s always been a bit boring .
For me it went too far when the tracks got massive run off areas so if it went wrong there was little consequence
I'd partially agree with the OP.
Yes it's boring
But it's not really a sport. It involves engines. Driving is something that you do to get you to your sport ( if you are badly located) or it is something you do to deliver shit somewhere. It's just a utility, nothing more.
And also, a la convert, sport is something you DO. It's not something you watch. If you're watching it it pretty much ceased to be a sport as far as you are concerned. People who say they are really into a sport, but just sit on their arse watching it are deluded. They're not into sport, they're into sitting on their arse.
Started watching F1 during the Mansell era but no longer watch it as I don’t see the point, where’s the excitement in watching a parade of cars behind the pole sitter drive around a track for 70 laps?
Very much this. I used to love Formula One but haven't bothered watching a race for years now. Watch the first lap, see who comes out of the first corner in the lead and theres your winner 70 pointless laps later
Its spirit-crushingly dull. It says it all that the documentary about the behind the scenes stuff in Drive To Survive is about a million times more entertaining than the actual racing.
Could you even technically class it as 'racing' any more? Its not like any overtaking takes place, is it? Its just some really fast advertising billboards driving in a formation dictated by how much money the team has
Plenty of overtaking in todays race - just not by Max. Even Checo had to overtake! And did two overtakes into 130R.
Schumacher years ended my interest.
But it’s not really a sport. It involves engines. Driving is something that you do to get you to your sport ( if you are badly located) or it is something you do to deliver shit somewhere. It’s just a utility, nothing more.
And also, a la convert, sport is something you DO. It’s not something you watch. If you’re watching it it pretty much ceased to be a sport as far as you are concerned. People who say they are really into a sport, but just sit on their arse watching it are deluded. They’re not into sport, they’re into sitting on their arse
I am confident that watching and taking part are not mutually exclusive. I play tennis, I watch tennis. I cycle, I watch cycling. In fact one helps the other.
As for Motorsport not being a sport because of engine, that's an opinion but they need to change the name then. It certainly is physically VERY demanding, even on a mere track day.
Well I'm off to Spa in the summer and as for all this corporate stuff , golf ,tennis, premier league football, yachting all have their hangers on that probably don't watch just want to be seen just rub shoulders
Could you even technically class it as ‘racing’ any more? Its not like any overtaking takes place, is it? Its just some really fast advertising billboards driving in a formation dictated by how much money the team has
How would you know? You haven't watched it for years by your own admission 😂
Also, cost cap.
I watch Drive to Survive, which is ace. A summary rather than the actual racing, which is mind-numbingly tedious
I view it as a sort of Match of the Day, if it had access to the dressing rooms afterwards. Except obviously every game is a turgid nil - nil draw between Everton and Burnley, with no top-of-the-table 6 pointer ding-dings or seven goal thrillers. 😂
I prefer my motorsport to have a lot of overtaking.... or a lot of attempted overtaking.
But it’s not really a sport. It involves engines. Driving is something that you do to get you to your sport ( if you are badly located) or it is something you do to deliver shit somewhere. It’s just a utility, nothing more.
And also, a la convert, sport is something you DO. It’s not something you watch. If you’re watching it it pretty much ceased to be a sport as far as you are concerned. People who say they are really into a sport, but just sit on their arse watching it are deluded. They’re not into sport, they’re into sitting on their arse.
What a load of arrogant, gate keeping toss. Of course you can be interested, passionate, and into something you can’t do yourself. I love rock music, can’t play an instrument for shit. So am I deluded whenever I go to a gig or put a record on?
A sport is an activity that involves physical exertion, skill and competition. Formula 1 includes all of these aspects.
"Started watching F1 during the Mansell era but no longer watch it as I don’t see the point, where’s the excitement in watching a parade of cars behind the pole sitter drive around a track for 70 laps?"
Ironically, Mansell won eight of the first eleven rounds in '92 (all from pole) to seal the title with more than a quarter of the season still to run. 🙂
I view it as a sort of Match of the Day
Fine if you like watching your football results 4 months after the season has finished!! 🤣
DTS is full of made-up bollocks and false rivalries. It’s like watching The Crown - based on real events with a lot of artistic licence.
As opposed to cricket, golf and many others which are known for their nail biting tension at all times?
DTS is full of made-up bollocks and false rivalries. It’s like watching The Crown – based on real events with a lot of artistic licence.
…and yet this is what it now takes to make F1 even remotely interesting
That says it all really. They’ve had to turn it into a soap opera because the actual ‘racing’ is so dull
I used to watch but don’t anymore. All tyres this and aero that blah blah and then a procession with the odd flounce. Not quite as dull as golf and tennis as at least they do get the odd spot of rain which invariable leads to a safety car when the commentator can then drone on about the safety car and driver for a few minutes.
Look at the crowd that goes to pay on Sunday we'll over twice the cost of a premier league game at Silverstone early July.
Cricket exciting seriously?
Look at the crowd that goes to pay on Sunday we’ll over twice the cost of a premier league game at Silverstone early July.
Isnt that all just hob-nobbing on corporate expense accounts though?
It seems to me that modern formula one is a bit like olives. Nobody really likes them but certain people have to pretend they do as a sort of affectation, while drinking luke warm Chardonnay 😉
DTS is full of made-up bollocks and false rivalries. It’s like watching The Crown – based on real events with a lot of artistic licence.
That's personally why I'd rather watch DTS than sit through the racing 😂. Give me some touring cars (bring back the Volvo estates!) GT's or motorbikes to watch.
My older son is, however, very into both the F1 racing and DTS.
I think maybe there's a bit of the test cricket or dare I say it cycling grand tours about watching it. If you're really interested you will see tactics and things that just aren't apparent if you can't be bothered to get totally absorbed. Pit strategy and processions have been a thing since I was a kid and I go back to the Mansell era.
He's also interested in the technology and the strategy as well as the (immense) skill of the drivers as well as being pretty handy at the F1 games on the Xbox. I think he sees stuff I don't and he likes the connection with the gaming.
I started watching F1 back in the late 70s coz my mum watched it. (She once went out with Mike Hawthorn back in the day.)
Haven't watched it for about 15yrs. Whilst the engineering is interesting and the politics intriguing - - the racing is just plain tedious. It's only ever livened up because they've tried increasingly convoluted rules to do so.
Motorcycle racing is far more of a test of skill. F1 is 99% the car.
Discussions about other sports are irrelevant. The demographs show that people who watch F1 and people who watch Football \ Rugby \ Cricket \ Tennis etc are, generally, completely separate from each other.
Motorcycle racing is far more of a test of skill. F1 is 99% the car.
True that. Every so often a bottom ranking MotoGP rider comes into F1 with his superior skill and wipe the floor with all the established drivers, wins a couple of WDCs on the trot, makes a few dozens millions and goes back to bike riding, but still doesn't win there.
It's a no from me too. Tend to watch sports I've played so I can relate.
I’ve recently taken to watching the 8 minute highlights on YouTube - until today, that is 🤷♂️
True that. Every so often a bottom ranking MotoGP rider comes into F1 with his superior skill and wipe the floor with all the established drivers, wins a couple of WDCs on the trot, makes a few dozens millions and goes back to bike riding, but still doesn’t win there.
Think you're somewhat missing the point, or perhaps I didn't express it correctly...
F1 drivers are massively skilled, obviously, but the guy with the best car wins. Or his team mate does.
In bike racing it's handy having the best bike but it's not an automatic win if you do. Rider input is a far greater factor than driver input is in F1.
Seasons like 2012, with seven different winners in the first seven races, are a rare blip since Hamilton's first season in 2007.
These days I'd much rather see drivers rotate through the teams through a season, allow teams to develope the cars more between rule changes (which means higher budgets), or standardise the car specs.
F1 has been boring for years , sadly WRC is going the same way 😔
I'm surprised it took until page 2 for that comment.
The drivers are just too metronomically competent at the head of the field. We need more shit driving on worn-out tyres, lunatic overtaking attempts, and a few more breakdowns or at least slow-downs at the worst possible moment. And get rid of most of the data-feeds to the engineers and race radio. I don't want the drivers to know what the gaps are except via the pit boards.
And more fights in the gravel traps, please.
The M50 in Dublin will give you all of that, with added cows crossing.
Honestly, you could probably stick a camera on a gantry over the M62/M6 junction and get enough thrills and spills to keep me interested.
Maybe keep a herd of skittish cows on the exit from the pit lane at Silverstone?
These days I’d much rather see drivers rotate through the teams through a season, allow teams to develope the cars more between rule changes (which means higher budgets), or standardise the car specs.
I reckon separate the drivers championships and constructors. Every race lucky dip matches cars to drivers. And reverse the grid order.
If only there was a way to avoid watching it….🤔
But it seems it’s interesting enough to start a thread away from the usual F1 thread to say how
I dont watch it, I suspect quite a few posting dont as well. But I also suspect quite a few would watch if the sport was more exciting (which is obviously subjective), I guess for me at least, the interest lies in the possibility the sport would regain the excitement I remember it offering.
I'm not sure clogging up the main thread with whinging about it being a borefest will be well received by those still enjoying the sport.
Have to say, pretty clueless and uninformed post and mostly the expected clueless responses I’d expect on a cycling forum.
Tour de France is always boring to wat h when the favourite wins. Far too much waffle before and after and silly rules that nobody understands. Much better back in the day. All about having the best bike.
Football always boring to watch as Man City always win it. All about how big owners budget is, also involves silly rules and lack of transparency with decisions. Much better back in the day when Man Utd won everything. Far too much waffle going on.
Tennis, ah yes it’s utterly mind numbing as that dodgy Djokovic fella keeps winning. Again silly rules and was much better back in the day with Sampras winning everything.
Cricket… that’s just glorified rounders innit, with added silly rules.
Rallying, again ridiculous rules, all about the car and tyres, and obv not really a sport at all. Much better back in the day when Tommi Makinen was unbeatable.
I dont watch it, I suspect quite a few posting dont as well
How do you know it's boring if you don't watch it 🤷♂️
Isnt that all just hob-nobbing on corporate expense accounts though?
This is a pretty ill informed comment too, tbf.....nearly half a million people go to Silverstone over the course of the British GP weekend.....do you really think they're all on expense accounts?
How do you know it’s boring if you don’t watch it
Youre right there may have been a dramatic turnaround this year. But last year Verstappen won 86.36% of of races, I'm not interested when there's that level of dominance.
Who is leading the championship this year? How many different winners have there been?
2
It is equally as boring working in f1 i can assure you.
Give F2/F3 a go. It’s not as fast as F1, but as the drivers are younger and less risk averse, there’s more daft moves/big crashes/death and injury. Which is all some of you seem to want.
It's demise accelerated when they introduced DRS and the hybrid engines. DRS is an utter joke. Pathetic attempt at manufacturing overtaking. As for the engines, they're awful. The old v8 and V10s (and the V12s) were always spectacular even if the racing was a bit dull.
Even as a kid I never understood the fascination with F1.
Really don't care how many Gs drivers have to endure in a turn.
Rally seems like more of a test of driver skill.
They should bring back something like the Can-Am series. Very few rules or limits.
Now I know where the Wacky Racer cartoon got its ideas.
Rally seems like more of a test of driver skill.
Kind of agree, but not on driver skill, different skillset for a different sport...WRC is much more interesting, from a spectator point of view, as there's just more stuff happening, visually.
It’s not…. It’s cutting edge within the confines of the rules and regulations.
Which are there, in the main, to make sure we have the same number of drivers finish the season, as start it.
a 2000hp, fan assisted, active aero/suspension equipped monster would be incredible, but would kill anyone that tried to drive it fast. (Along with anyone unfortunate enough to be in its way when it crashed)
Redbull did a project in Gran Turismo, a restriction free racing car, then had Vettel try and lap the Nurburgring GP track with it, he couldn’t keep it on the track (I know it’s a sim, but still)
Touring car was where it was at, Volvo estates, Laguna’s and other car shapes you could recognise from the real world all leaning on each other through the corners, without worrying a wheel was going to fall off. Proper elbows out racing.
F1 has always been tedious.
" We need more shit driving on worn-out tyres"
I could just stream my dashcam if you want that kind of thing
BTCC can be a great thing to go and see especially at a circuit like Knockhill up until 4 wheel drive Audi or Seat diesels had their day. The TWR Volvo estates ,BMW M3, Ford Mondeos were all great to watch and their sound but can't come anywhere near watching a F1 cornering standing eye level at Silverstone
The technological feats that F1 achieve are staggering, what the cars and drivers do defy comprehension. And that’s the rub, it’s so otherworldly that unless you are fortunate enough to get that view at that moment it’s lost through watching it on a screen. It’s impossible to relate too. The tracks and cars have no real world reference points to convey how incredible they are. But that’s not racing, it’s a demonstration of how technologically fantastic they are.
With a touring car, it’s the right shape and size, it still had a real world scale to it, it was relatable and so much more tangable. Add to that the ability to lean on each others doors three abreast through corners and it was magical and took your breath away.
a 2000hp, fan assisted, active aero/suspension equipped monster would be incredible, but would kill anyone that tried to drive it fast. (Along with anyone unfortunate enough to be in its way when it crashed)
Yeah, but I, and many others would watch that! Who doesn't like watching cars crash?
Used to go to Arena Essex as a kid and used to sit up on the banks with a couple of mates when we were older. That was great fun!
It's just traffic.
Who doesn’t like watching cars crash?
Into crowds of fans/marshalls? I’ll pass, thanks.
Interesting thread with comments on many sports.
The fact is though that the people doing all these sports are incredibly talented and make it look easy.
F1s downfall imo is that the technology has made it dull as the cars are so highly developed that a driver can’t make much difference.
Im sure they are already at a point where a computer can lap a track quicker than a human. Not sure they can do that in a rally car yet ?
Rallying has got more dull to watch though in recent years with increased downforce and very trick differentials etc. I’d rather watch 1970/80/90s rally cars than the latest ones!
F1s downfall imo is that the technology has made it dull as the cars are so highly developed that a driver can’t make much difference.
The technology has made it look dull to the casual observer, to use F1 as an example... the amount of sheer concentration 100% of the time, just to be competetive, requires a certain high skill, but that goes for any sport I guess, but F1 races last a long time, so there's a mental endurance test in there as well as having a good car.
Apart from onboard camera work the IOM TT is fairly dull to watch & doesn't involve much if any overtaking* but it's great fun to be there in person, I imagine a F1 event is much the same.
* I do know why
On the subject of elite sport, I found it quite amusing that the Oxford V's cambridge boat race competitors were warned to try not to get into the water on account of the high levels of pollution and disease in the river.
What I like about F1 is the politics.
Sainz knocked out of his seat, had appendicitis, returns dicks all over their "number 1" driver. Danny Ricardo returns to do here haw... Tsunoda the number two dicks all over him.
I don't think it's that bad. Rallye on the other hand. So boring, like downhill mountain biking and time trials, so boring, shouldn't have to watch the times to see who is winning. Hard pass.
After the first corner F1 is often pretty boring, these days I only watch recorded highlights anyway and even then I fast forward through large chunks of it (and sometimes don't bother if I hear the result first). For me it was a bit more watchable when Brits have been in winning cars as was slightly more invested.
What they should do, as a demonstration of AI, is have a fast car driven as around as a drone, with a computer driver, hogging the best line.
Remember TCR, the poor relation to Scalectrix. That, but in real life.
That’d be awesome. 👍
Into crowds of fans/marshalls? I’ll pass, thanks.
I suspect there are ways that are just as safe as today's safety standards have raised the sport too, but allows unpredictability of results into the equation.
It doesn't have to be a binary choice of "dominant car and driver travels the world winning the majority of races" or "mass death".
What I like about F1 is the politics.
Probably indicative of the difference between those into the sport and myself, who apart from the few years between Schumacher's dominance and Hamiltons, hasn't really watched the racing. And not just the politics, but also the technological developments, circuits and so on. Whereas I just wanted to watch people go really ******* fast and not know in advance who was going to win the championship, or even the race in question a lot of the time.
It's all subjective.
Someone said once, can’t remember who ‘F1 is high speed chess’.
It’s an endurance race, like any endurance race it’s going to lack thrills and spills.
It’s changed in recent years with Netflix and overhyped, I can see why people would be disappointed when they actually watch a race.
There’s almost always been a dominant team, it’s just extra dull if there’s a clear number 1, like the Schumacher Ferrari era and now the Verstappen RedBull era.
To some extent Mercedes dominance was Dull, but Ferrari put up a fight and the Rosberg/Hamilton fight kept it interesting.
Im sure they are already at a point where a computer can lap a track quicker than a human. Not sure they can do that in a rally car yet ?
You'd be wrong then - there was the Roboracer attempt a few years back, and a new autonomous series kicks off in Abu Dhabi later this month. Expect slow times, many failures and strange car behaviour.
On the other hand I reckon you could build a machine to play darts pretty well - but plenty of people still seem to get excited about watching it.