Why do you watch F1?

[christophulus]

Something Anthony Davidson said this morning during FP1 has had me thinking all day. What's more important to you, the drivers or the cars?

His question was this - uf you were to move all the GP2 drivers into the F1 cars, and the F1 drivers into GP2, which one would you choose to watch?

Personally I'd be torn, but would have to lean towards the GP2 cars. All the top F1 drivers in identical machinery would be a great spectacle.

How about you?

[F1boat]

F1, I guess, although I'd start to watch GP 2 too.

[UltimateDanGTR]

I watch F1 because Im inflicted with a disease that makes me watch it. Its called Formulonism.

But what you said about GP2/F1 thingys, Id go for F1 drivers in GP2 cars.

[Bagwan]

I would watch both now , if the coverage was there for me .

[christophulus]

Yeah, it wasn't so much a question of F1 vs GP2, it was more about the scenarios I mentioned. If most people prefer watching the best drivers in identical machinery, rather than a technology race, then the FIA might be on to something :p

[V12]

Cars or drivers?

Both. Simple as that, no choice, both are an essential part of the sport for me. Take one out of the equation and it's...well, half as good.

Which is why spec-series to me are about as meaningful as robot controlled car racing.

[CCWS77]

In the scenario you mentioned, I would watch GP2. I want to see the best drivers in fast cars backed by the best teamwork providing them their ride. Making it all about the car, engineering and the name brand badge is why what happens off the track is more important then on it in F1. To even have auto manufacturers involved in auto racing is like a necessary evil no one has found a way to cure. We want their products....not their political and economic public relations battles and soap operas. The fastest cars in the world are not F1 cars...they are those experimental vehicles that break the landspeed records. You know what, I bet going out to the salt flats as a spectator to actually watch those cars is like watching paint dry. F1 is tilted way to much in that direction instead of being like a "sport".

[V12]

Getting off the fence, I'd watch the GP2 drivers in F1 cars. And not through any misplaced loyalty to the F1 "brand" either, simply because all GP2 cars are the same. I'd sooner watch an F3 or FFord race than a GP2 race.

[woody2goody]

I think the reason why we watch F1 is because it's the top series and also because of the general progression of drivers through the series.

For example Fisi and Rubens are the only drivers around now from when I started watching F1. Although I know who most of the GP2 grid are, I'd still watch the drivers who I'd grown up with.

I'd end up watching both :)

[pettersolberg29]

GP2 - I watch F1 to support Heidfeld (unfortunately!) and so I'd move with him. The current GP2 have no interest in because in general, the drivers are not as good.

[jens]

I like to watch both series. Of course GP2 would become more important than now, but by how much, is difficult to tell. But if such drivers' switch would take place, then the reasoning for this would be important too, which would clarify either series' importance. :p :

Maybe an interesting parallel can be brought from the rallying world. The quality of drivers in the top series - WRC - is gradually getting worse, while IRC is becoming more notable in that respect. Undeniably the interest (also mine) in IRC has clearly risen by now.

[F1boat]

But the IRC has more manufacturers as well...

[jens]

But the IRC has more manufacturers as well...

Yes! And in the same way we can say that GP2 has more teams. :)

[Daika]

I had nothing to do on a rainy sunday. Schumacher was all over the newspapers (probably because of Jerez) so i decided to see what the fuzz was all about. Watch every race since then.

[wedge]

A bit of both erring towards the drivers.

F1 should have the best F1 drivers, period. You can make the cars bespoke and to do that you need to boss the team and be the boss on the race track. Apart from MotoGP, there's nothing in motorsport that comes close.

[52Paddy]

For me its about the racing. Whichever series would provide the best action, I would watch. Having watched today's GP2 feature race, I would have to go with F1 drivers in GP2 machinery. To me, what F1 should be, is almost what GP2 is. Take away the 'spec series' part of GP2 (i.e. let teams decide their own components, engines etc without getting too technically confusing for viewers) and you've got me watching what I want to watch. We had wheel to wheel action at numerous points during the race. And even the mechanical retirement reasons seemed to have their appeal. Oh, and of equal importance, GP2 has a grid of 26.

[PSfan]

GP2 drivers in F1 cars.... hmmm that sounds like more fun just because of the added carnage... should be a few more wrecks then we are seeing this year :p :

Guess I'll find out tomorrow if TSN will let me watch speedtv's GP2 coverage, if so, I might choose to watch GP2 races with GP2 drivers over Brundle and Sir Talks Alot over on the TSN/BBC F1 coverage.

[markabilly]

We all watch the drivers, none of us really pay that much attention to the cars and WCC

In the really old days, you could watch and tell who was the best. They also on occaision raced in F2 and perhaps the greatest or one of the top two or three driver of all time, Jim Clark, was killed in an f2 race

Now because of the dominance of car and tech, clearly it is the car making all the difference. And because of the differences some do well who really are not that good, and some who are really great, never get the right machine, and look like losers.
Look at Button.
Before this years and before Brawn, he had slid to the end of the pack and was NOT the better driver over Rubens (or so it seemed) but this year, well look out lewie baby....

So if the pay were good enough and the cars were really equal, then yeah move them to gp2, and I might watch,,,

[V12]

I actually enjoy the fact that drivers have different cars means you don't know for certain who's the best though. It adds to the fun and discussion. If motorsport became a lab test of who was the most talented driver, then you might as well run one single race, crown your champion, pack up and go home. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Valve Bounce]

Something Anthony Davidson said this morning during FP1 has had me thinking all day. What's more important to you, the drivers or the cars?

His question was this - uf you were to move all the GP2 drivers into the F1 cars, and the F1 drivers into GP2, which one would you choose to watch?

Personally I'd be torn, but would have to lean towards the GP2 cars. All the top F1 drivers in identical machinery would be a great spectacle.

How about you?

I would be tempted to watch GP2 under the circumstances. I don't know a single driver in GP2 presently as we don't get that here in Oz. Quite frankly, I don't even know what GP2 is or where they race. :confused:

[jens]

I actually enjoy the fact that drivers have different cars means you don't know for certain who's the best though. It adds to the fun and discussion. If motorsport became a lab test of who was the most talented driver, then you might as well run one single race, crown your champion, pack up and go home. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But even with identical cars people would continue debating about the best and bring out excuses a'la "that car doesn't suit his style, otherwise he'd win", etc. :p :

[CCWS77]

I actually enjoy the fact that drivers have different cars means you don't know for certain who's the best though. It adds to the fun and discussion. If motorsport became a lab test of who was the most talented driver, then you might as well run one single race, crown your champion, pack up and go home. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But it is currently a lab test of who has better R&D. Why is that better? If the races seem to barely matter and it is an R&D contest then you dont even need that one race....base the winner on time trials then go home and do it again next year with the new car.


To me the issue is that everyone is stuck believing it has to be either "identical" cars or else manufacturer backed development chaos where all everyone cares about is the name brand badgeing? Why can't there be a happy medium where the cars may be different based on what the team does - but by team I mean the actual mechanics, pit staff, driver feedback ect, not 500 engineers at a corporate R&D facility who probably never leave thier computer terminal. If rules changes are heading in this direction I think the races will be improved for fans.... no matter what is said by cynics of moving to supposed "identical" cars or by those who really are more fans of a name brand badge then of the actual racing

[truefan72]

its both for me

with a very slight edge to the drivers

if you stuck all the gp2 drivers in F1 right now, I don't think I'd be as interested,

but if you stuck all the f1 drivers in gp2 now, I think I might tune in more often than not.

[N. Jones]

Every time I see this thread I want to post a corny response, so here it is :D

I'd watch F1 so I can post the Fantasy Grand Prix results.

:cheese:

[markabilly]

I watch it to see commercials like Viagra and other ED drugs, penis enlargements, and flowmax (the drug that makes you pi$$ better), and the best of all the new female jelly that puts spark back into life:

saw it down on a trip in central texas area, on PUBLICLY over the air broadcast TV, a few minutes after the evening news and NO I am not related to mr. and Mrs Mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkW08z2MN4

them folks down in texas know how to party


Nothing like several years ago, when watching the very last US GP and my 7 year old daughter, after the usual viagra commerical played, says "Pop do you get an errection that last more than 4 hours?"
I said, "your mom wishes..........."
To which she goes running to mom and says, "why does not pop not get more and better erections that last four hours??..he needs it, do you want me to help him"

[big_sw2000]

I watch it to see commercials like Viagra and other ED drugs, penis enlargements, and flowmax (the drug that makes you pi$$ better), and the best of all the new female jelly that puts spark back into life:

saw it down on a trip in central texas area, on PUBLICLY over the air broadcast TV, a few minutes after the evening news and NO I am not related to mr. and Mrs Mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkW08z2MN4

them folks down in texas know how to party


Nothing like several years ago, when watching the very last US GP and my 7 year old daughter, after the usual viagra commerical played, says "Pop do you get an errection that last more than 4 hours?"
I said, "your mom wishes..........."
To which she goes running to mom and says, "why does not pop not get more and better erections that last four hours??..he needs it, do you want me to help him"
See i miss the comercials now its on BBC1

[555-04Q2]

I watch both series. Been watching F1 for over 20 years now and GP2 for 2 years.

Even if you swopped all the drivers and told me I could only watch one of the series, it would be F1 hands down, without a moments hesitation.

[V12]

But it is currently a lab test of who has better R&D. Why is that better? If the races seem to barely matter and it is an R&D contest then you dont even need that one race....base the winner on time trials then go home and do it again next year with the new car.


But it isn't - because the drivers are of different abilities. Why don't Alonso and Piquet qualify on the same row as each other every race? In fact why don't we have a two-by-two "Noah's Ark" style grid for every Grand Prix?

If you had robot-controlled cars or managed to perfect human cloning to put the same 20 drivers in every car (hmm...a "Standard Driver"... that sounds like something Max could cream his pants over), then you'd have a point.

Motor sport is about competition between cars AND drivers. At the same time. Right now nobody knows for 100% certain if the Brawn is better than the Red Bull or vice versa, and nobody knows 100% for certain if Button is doing a better job than Vettel or vice versa, same with McLaren/Ferrari and Hamilton/Massa last year. And that's just the way it should be :up:

[callum122]

I'd watch F1 for the machines themselves, I think they are the greatest!

[gloomyDAY]

Easy. The babes...

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p76/cdmacdm/24fbp8x.jpg

[CCWS77]

The cloned standard driver and Noah's Ark start is exactly what some teams would like. Many want the results to be predictable with the expected Badge to win. The driver is an unfortunate variable that should act as much like a robot as possible.

I reject the idea that isn't a valid problem until your sci-fi scenario is 100% real. That F1 is moving away from such a thing is the source of all the bitching about the rules changes. Ask yourself what logical reason has Ferrari to object to rules saying they have to spend less money? They hoped to spend more on R&D then others and get as close as realistically possible to your fantasy scenario. There is no other awnser. You think they want to spend more and then have the actual race be uncertain?

[Jag_Warrior]

Drivers come and go. Teams come and go. If I had to choose, I'd continue watching F1. I'd rather continue doing what I do now: watch both. But with that choice, I'd stick with F1.

[cynisca]

Why do I watch the Formula One? I don't know to be honest.

I watch the Formula One since I was a kid. The first ever race I have watched on telly was the 1998 Belgian GP and the Coulthard/Schumacher brawl. And I can't explain you why I watch it. I have watched the Formula One even in 2002, when Schumacher had dominated the Formula One.

[Knock-on]

Why do I watch F1?

I'm starting to ask myself the same question and doubt I will be for much longer at this rate.

[EuroTroll]

I watch F1 mainly because the best circuit racers in the world compete there. If they all competed in GP2 or any other spec series, I'd watch it. And I certainly wouldn't watch a bunch of 2nd rate drivers competing in "F1 cars". :s


Nothing like several years ago, when watching the very last US GP and my 7 year old daughter, after the usual viagra commerical played, says "Pop do you get an errection that last more than 4 hours?"
I said, "your mom wishes..........."
To which she goes running to mom and says, "why does not pop not get more and better erections that last four hours??..he needs it, do you want me to help him"

That's most amusing! :D We have to endure ads too, unfortunately, but never are they for prescription drugs, so nothing as comical as that ever follows. :)

[K-Pu]

I´d watch both, that´s what I´m doing now.

But if I had to choose, I suppose I´d see GP2. Drivers over machine.

[gloomyDAY]

Why do I watch F1?

I'm starting to ask myself the same question and doubt I will be for much longer at this rate.Exactly what I was thinking. That's why I chose babes.

[wmcot]

Why do I watch F1?

I'm starting to ask myself the same question and doubt I will be for much longer at this rate.

It's starting to be for the naps! No more need for NAPCAR now. ;)

Seriously, I'd probably watch F1 for the cars. I believe that there should be a series with the most advanced race cars on the planet. If they want to put the best drivers in those, then it's all the better. The same reasons I'd rather watch ALMS than IRL.

[wmcot]

Easy. The babes...

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p76/cdmacdm/24fbp8x.jpg

Except in the UK unless I ever think about taking up dentistry! ;)