What do you hate the most about F1? [Archive]

OmarF1

23rd June 2007, 00:01

We always talk about how much we love F1 and what it used to be, but now comes a introspective analysis about ourselves :P, on what do we hate about this sport.

here's my list:

- Max Mosley and anything he does, except maybe the safety issues.
- Team Orders without exception, it does not matter if your team mate is fighting for the championship, if he wants to be a champion he has to pass me too.
- Lewis Hamilton saying "extremely" all the time, "i'm extremely competitive, Fernando was extremely fast, the team worked extremely good", same applies for Massa saying "for sure" all the time
- Excesive PR these days, no room for independent minds.
- Lack of overtaking hunger by drivers, mostly by the point system.
- Ralf Schumacher
- Alonso not shuting his face hole. (and I'm an Alonso fan)
- Luca de Montezemolo's cockyness
- Magny Cours
- Honda's Livery
- Almost unreachable drivers, even Bill Gates it's more approachable.
- Drivers' Parade: just because they seem fake, just waving around their hands not even looking at the people, not caring really about fans, just about the money and sponsors.
- Drivers thanking every single f#$%ing sponsor at the press conference.
- Drivers not talking s#!t about other driver, just the fact of not being sincere and saying what's on their minds because of the PR and Ron Dennis.
- Bernie Ecclestone's monotone outfits white shirt, black pants. (at least he's not get his outfits from Elton John just like Schumster) ;)
- Bernie's hair too, too Backstreet Boyish.
- Flavio's sweaty armpits.
- Fisichella's sunglasses, all of them, he's a Paris Hilton wannabe in that sense.
- Jean Todt's "i didn't do it" expression on his face all the time.
- Nick Heidfeld's "Staying-Alive-Saturday-Night-Fever" Look.

can't think of anything more by the moment. how about you, what do you hate?

Kevincal

23rd June 2007, 00:07

I hate the breaks between races the most. Especially when it's 3 weeks or a month!

Stuartf12007

23rd June 2007, 00:12

Honda's dumb pathetic stupid go slow livery.
ITV commentary(brundle exempt)
ITV Advert Breaks
ITV Going on and on and on and on and on about Lewis Hamilton
Silverstone Race Track
Lack Of Overtaking
Lack Of Close Racing
Bandwagon Jumpers

kalasend

23rd June 2007, 00:34

I hate winter testing.
If they test, why can't they race more events?

Allyc85

23rd June 2007, 00:57

the constant changes and bitching. I like it that overtakign is hard it makes you appreciate it more, but If its that bad no foooker would watch it, play on I say!

LTalbot

23rd June 2007, 01:43

I hate that Formula 1 does not Race in the United States twice a year. And I hate the long winter without Formula 1.

Hawkmoon

23rd June 2007, 01:52

McLaren. ;) :D

Timber

23rd June 2007, 02:04

It has become very , very boring , the engine regulations , the tires regulation
Bernie , Mosley ........

Allyc85

23rd June 2007, 02:10

why watch then?

Timber

23rd June 2007, 02:20

why watch then?

i need something to help me go to sleep ....

Valve Bounce

23rd June 2007, 04:17

jso1985

23rd June 2007, 04:28

- Indy Track
- Honda's livery
- Felipe Massa(ok I don't hate him, just my least favourite driver)
- Qualy system
- people moaning all the bloody time how boring F1 is, yet they still watch it...

ShiftingGears

23rd June 2007, 05:14

Tilke circuits
Bernie
Max
Cars that are poor for racing.

Valve Bounce

23rd June 2007, 05:16

- Indy Track
- Honda's livery
- Felipe Massa(ok I don't hate him, just my least favourite driver)
- Qualy system
- people moaning all the bloody time how boring F1 is, yet they still watch it...

Not fair :(

I fall asleep involuntarily :(

mstillhere

23rd June 2007, 05:27

Inability to pass, hence falling asleep

Cozzie

23rd June 2007, 05:58

Kimi Raikkonen!

Kevincal

23rd June 2007, 07:44

Thigs I hate about F1: The guys who come here and make unsubstantiated accusations about drivers they don't like, such as they are arrogant, they block other drivers and so on, while they totally ignore these same traits about their favourite drivers. These guys irritate like carbuncles on the bottom of this forum.

If you are talking about Alonso, sure, he's done some blocking like Lewis did...but that's in the past and I'm sure Alonso received his due criticism for it at the time. Now, some of us feel that Lewis should be criticised a bit instead of kissing his ass all the time proclaiming how great he is. ;) If everyone thought alike, this would be a damned boring forum... ;)

Ranger

23rd June 2007, 09:43

Often too much bull**** and not enough racing. Fortunately that's why I watch MotoGP.

F1 is, however, fascinating.

raikk

23rd June 2007, 10:09

Corny

23rd June 2007, 10:24

That it's all about money! C'mon man, what do we have to do with circuits like Bahrain?

No overtaking on top positions

seppefan

23rd June 2007, 10:24

max, eddie jordan, luca,bernie, richard woods, tony parnell

Valve Bounce

23rd June 2007, 10:43

If you are talking about Alonso, sure, he's done some blocking like Lewis did...but that's in the past and I'm sure Alonso received his due criticism for it at the time. Now, some of us feel that Lewis should be criticised a bit instead of kissing his ass all the time proclaiming how great he is. ;) If everyone thought alike, this would be a damned boring forum... ;)

Anyone have a good treatment for a carbuncle?

Stuartf12007

23rd June 2007, 14:05

max, eddie jordan, luca,bernie, richard woods, tony parnell

eddie jordans not in f1 anymore.

Roamy

23rd June 2007, 14:57

Anyone have a good treatment for a carbuncle?

pop it!!! right on a ant

call_me_andrew

23rd June 2007, 21:39

the Ferrari team minus Kimi.. I still have a soft spot for him lol
SpeedTVs 15 mins of racing for every advert
that idiotic semi retard that was on Speed TV that was interviewing the drivers with Steve, Bob , nazal voice (forgot his name lol) and Derek Daly.. God that guy was sooooo annoying!
-not a bif fan of Massa but I don't hate him as much as I dislike the Ferrari team..

Was it Peter Windsor or David Hobbs? I haven't got a problem with either of them.

-Lack of Cosworth
-TC
-Huge wings
-Honda's livery
-Qualifying system
-FIA Sporting Code
-High revving engines
-The new SC regulations

edv

23rd June 2007, 22:12

paddle shifting
launch control
grooved tires
traction control
250 sensors
tracks with no elevation changes
f1 dot com

edv

23rd June 2007, 22:13

..and liver

e2mtt

24th June 2007, 03:21

Too many arcane and indecipherable rules & regulations for constructors
The current point system (bring back 10-6-4-3-2-1)
sterile safety-park tracks without enough elevation changes
2-race engine rule
required 2-type tire rule

And the big one:

politics

trumperZ06

24th June 2007, 03:46

:dozey: Bernie & Mad Max... they have taken the Sport out of Formula 1 !!!

-Helix-

24th June 2007, 04:21

Lack of Parity
Lack of Track/Race Variety
Lack of Passing (or "overtaking")
European bias/elitism

blakebeatty

24th June 2007, 04:23

the f1 website... got to be one of the ****tiest websites on earth

Valve Bounce

24th June 2007, 05:44

the f1 website... got to be one of the ****tiest websites on earth

Do you mean this one? http://www.formula1.com/
.......which provides live timing, split times, for practice and quals, and split times, lap times and gaps from the leader, lap charts during the race as well as an extensive archive, of all F1 seaasons present and past??

If that's the one, then yeah, it sucks. It doesn't give us live telecast. :rolleyes:

blakebeatty

24th June 2007, 06:24

Valve Bounce

24th June 2007, 08:24

that is literally the ONLY feature. The photos are crap, the news is crap, the polls are crap, the track maps are crap, the team info is crap, the driver info is crap, the standings page is crap.

the tech articles are ok though.

valve, one feature does not a website make.

Gee!! I only go there for the live timing, which is great for me during quals and races, since our delayed telecast is much too late here in Oz.

wmcot

24th June 2007, 08:30

Too many rules stifling the creativity of designers - the "dumbing down" of the (former) highest form of motor racing!

jens

24th June 2007, 12:17

The new safety car rule... sorry, I don't want a sport event to become a lottery.

Timber

24th June 2007, 15:47

:dozey: Bernie & Mad Max... they have taken the Sport out of Formula 1 !!!
you are absolutely 100% correct !!!!

Big Ben

25th June 2007, 00:52

FIA & Ferrari

rohanweb

25th June 2007, 01:03

'The car isnt fast enough/over steer/under steer problems' excuses after each race by Jenson Button. + honda livery.

Bernie always looking rather busier in the pitwalk.

Kimi Raikkonen (not so cool).

Ralf Schumacher (an expensive idiot).

Max's obsession with F1's speed,safety & Tyres.

Podium finishers 'thanking' of sponsors.

lack of overtakings in F1 & trying to 'overtake' in the pits (lol).

circuits with 'concrete' walls at important places never changed.

Jean Todts 'miserable' face.

Luca de Montzemello (miserable again).

not speedy broken car recovery by the stewards resulting in laps of safty car race.

tight first corners producing the 'bottle-neck' start resulting in unnecessary crashes.

British grandprix..the british racing drivers club dont have a clue how to run the whole thing & always prone to losing the race venue.(but no short of directors).

slow drivers hesitation to move out of the way as soon as upon blueflags.

ITV's priority commenteries about 13th place DC & 18th place JB.

ITV minutes long adverts missing the vital action.

Spanish media's f1 coverage recently.

all those 'justified' driving attitudes of ferrari & MS in the past, ie: delibarately hit the overtaker on the side-pot to take'em away / park on the track to stop someone beating you / moveaway and let MS win team orders etc )

Alonso's explicit showing off of annoyance of losing to the pitwall crew & to the media's..

..much much more !!!! ;-) ;-) ;-)

jso1985

25th June 2007, 01:28

Max's obsession with F1's speed,safety & Tyres.

I think Robert Kubica would not agree with you

Valve Bounce

25th June 2007, 01:59

'The car isnt fast enough/over steer/under steer problems' excuses after each race by Jenson Button. + honda livery.

..much much more !!!! ;-) ;-) ;-)

Surely bunsen being passed by that second hand Honda last week would more than make up for that. :p :

raikk

25th June 2007, 04:37

Was it Peter Windsor or David Hobbs? I haven't got a problem with either of them.

-Lack of Cosworth
-TC
-Huge wings
-Honda's livery
-Qualifying system
-FIA Sporting Code
-High revving engines
-The new SC regulations

No I like Nazal voice (Hobbs) and Windsor.. It was the other guy that really pissed me off! on Thursday at Indianapolis Windsor,Hobbs,Varsha,Daley,Matchette all interviewed the drivers from each team and they were accompanied with a complete idiot who said the most stupid outlandish things he looked and probally was retarded... He said stuff that was completely out of context! and was talking about Matchette and Hobbs personal life.. I donno that guy just really made me wanna throw something at him...

leopard

25th June 2007, 05:14

I hate nothing about F1, I like on the other hand all about F1 and all categories motorsport.

Maybe Honda conjecture this season a bit disturbed me :disturb:

GP-M3

25th June 2007, 07:15

I understand your point, but perhaps they were listening... seems they just revamped it, new front page, and the track maps are a bit better now...

the f1 website... got to be one of the ****tiest websites on earth

Valve Bounce

25th June 2007, 07:22

I understand your point, but perhaps they were listening... seems they just revamped it, new front page, and the track maps are a bit better now...

Whichever way you look at it, F1.com is the only website which I can find that provides the live timing, splits and lap times and gaps for practice, quals and the race. To me, that is more than enough to make it the most valuable F1 website.

GP-M3

25th June 2007, 22:50

It would be nice if we could A) Replay the timings, or be, change the viewing point.

For instance, even on the few races I can see here in California actually live, (ie: not 5 am like the Euro Races). I still record the races, and would at least start the race 1/2 hour late, that way I can skip all the commercials.

So, even when I do watch live timings, it's at 1 or 2 in the morning. It would be cool to replay them, and be able to set it at say 17 minutes in, or 23 minutes to go, etc... so I could sync it to the live pictures.

Whichever way you look at it, F1.com is the only website which I can find that provides the live timing, splits and lap times and gaps for practice, quals and the race. To me, that is more than enough to make it the most valuable F1 website.

LTalbot

26th June 2007, 01:43

No I like Nazal voice (Hobbs) and Windsor.. It was the other guy that really pissed me off! on Thursday at Indianapolis Windsor,Hobbs,Varsha,Daley,Matchette all interviewed the drivers from each team and they were accompanied with a complete idiot who said the most stupid outlandish things he looked and probally was retarded... He said stuff that was completely out of context! and was talking about Matchette and Hobbs personal life.. I donno that guy just really made me wanna throw something at him...

That complete idiot would be Derrick Daley, and in my book, he has no place on any broadcast. He is a former driver, but always says the stupidest things. He covered the USGP on past broadcasts for CBS. I was so happy to see the Speed Channel guys covering the race for FOX, but Daley was a poor choice. They probably thought they needed another reporter to assist, and Dailey lives in Indy so they didn't have to pay his travel. His favorite line is "Hang on to your Hollyhocks". He is almost sufferable when covering a race straight up, but when he gets chatty, he just needs to be shot!

Valve Bounce

26th June 2007, 02:31

It would be nice if we could A) Replay the timings, or be, change the viewing point.

For instance, even on the few races I can see here in California actually live, (ie: not 5 am like the Euro Races). I still record the races, and would at least start the race 1/2 hour late, that way I can skip all the commercials.

So, even when I do watch live timings, it's at 1 or 2 in the morning. It would be cool to replay them, and be able to set it at say 17 minutes in, or 23 minutes to go, etc... so I could sync it to the live pictures.

Same for me. When you work out how to do that, please let me know how. :(

wmcot

26th June 2007, 07:40

The number one thing I hate most is having to explain to my fellow countrymen that I converse with that F1 is not the same as NASCAR? I'm tired of getting the "Oh, you watch NASCAR don't you?" and "Did you see the race at (fill in the NASCAR oval) track this weekend?"

Can we PLEASE get some publicity for F1 in the USA?????

F1boat

26th June 2007, 22:10

Lack of overtaking - it is becoming extreme
McLaren and Hamilton ;)

V12

26th June 2007, 22:50

In no particular order:

-Single tyre supplier
-12 team limit
-Standardised engine configuration
-Virtually invisible car numbers (although that has improved a bit this year)
-New track venues (and the butchering of the likes of Hockenheim)
-Increasing manufacturer influence
-The "blue flag rule" - negotiating backmarkers used to be a vital art that the likes of Senna mastered to their advantage
-Any change to the race weekend procedure since 2003, including the new safety car rule
-The fact that the in-race graphics tend to show just how many stops a driver has made, rather than the time gaps - the F1 website is great for this but I don't have a computer and TV in the same room!
-The ITV F1 intro - especially the music
-The fact the official feeder series is an ultra-controlled one-make formula with reverse grids and named after a computer game
-The standardised support programme - give me the BTCC at Silverstone over the Porsche Supercup any day
-The obsession with the "show" over the sport - this applies to pretty much every top-line series out there outside of sportscar racing

AndyRAC

26th June 2007, 23:17

Brown, Jon Brow

26th June 2007, 23:40

The only thing I dislike about F1 is the lack of wheel to wheel racing. In my opinion this is due to the cars not being able to run in the dirty air and the cars having more drip than power.

This is what racing should be like. Imagine if this kind of racing was with open wheel F1 cars at F1 speed.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JY1Nl8yRbqI

Valve Bounce

27th June 2007, 01:30

Ban wings, ban computers and presto!! your problems are resolved.

Hondo

27th June 2007, 04:47

I have long said that the existance of Windows is nothing more than an admission that Apple got it right to start with, but let it slip away. By the same token, I always felt that CART was, at the very least, a superior test of what constitutes a "World Driving Champion" than F1. The CART guys had to use similar cars with similar engines over ovals, road courses, and street courses without TC, automatic gearboxes, and other driver aids. In addition, CART was reasonably affordable. The steps F1 is taking now seems to be an admission that CART actually had it right to start with, but let it slip away after the split. Prior to the split, CART was beginning to make Bernie nervous.

Oddly enough, the people that complain about the expense of F1 are the very same people that made it so expensive. I think most of us could agree that F1 has traditionally been about innovation and technology development along with pushing the "gray areas", i.e., cheating with a straight face. The car is the star. I think F1 can keep the costs down without becoming another "spec" series. Banning some things and bringing back others would vastly improve the racing while reducing the costs of playing the game. Set the engine at 3.0 liters (or whatever) and allow the manufacturers to make it 1 cylinder or 50 cylinders as long as they don't exceed the maximum displacement. Returning to slick tires (old tech) would increase mechanical grip while allowing moveable aerodynamic devices (new tech, sort of) would allow adjustible aero grip which may make passing a reasonable proposition again. Get away from carbon fiber and use less expensive materials.

I dislike what F1 has become but fear the changes they want to make will just make it another "spec series". Max and Bernie should be looking at ways to encourge privateers to enter the sport and be able to remain as players. The manufacturers, with the exception of Ferrari, will come and go as they see fit, not caring if they destroy what they leave behind them.

Roamy

27th June 2007, 06:02

well said fiero

blakebeatty

27th June 2007, 06:13

Whichever way you look at it, F1.com is the only website which I can find that provides the live timing, splits and lap times and gaps for practice, quals and the race. To me, that is more than enough to make it the most valuable F1 website.

I think, due to the content, that this very site you now surf is the best F1 site on the internet

SteveA

27th June 2007, 10:51

I have long said that the existance of Windows is nothing more than an admission that Apple got it right to start with, but let it slip away

That was Xerox, actually!

Garry Walker

27th June 2007, 12:54

- montoya (oops, he isnt in f1 anymore :D )
- stupid fans (not all, but there are some)
- derek daly
- peter windsors "quality" articles, which describe drives driving styles in a very "accurate" way.
- very dissapointing camera work. Very often the best moves in the race are missed, because the director is incompetent.
- lack of overtaking, and when there is overtaking, read the point above.
- max mosley
- engine rules (worst part of F1 at the moment)
- qualifying system
- people who spell Ralf Schumachers name as "ralph". To be honest, its hard to hate them actually, because why would one hate the mentally disabled (I probably have to apply the same to peter windsor though)

Garry Walker

27th June 2007, 12:55

-12 team limit

Why do you hate that? Do we really need more spykers on the grid?

Brown, Jon Brow

27th June 2007, 13:52

Why do you hate that? Do we really need more spykers on the grid?

At least it would give Spyker some one to race against.

buckwheat

27th June 2007, 19:20

Imola. If it comes back I will hurt myself, and it will be your fault

V12

27th June 2007, 20:54

At least it would give Spyker some one to race against.

Exactly. Minardi went from a respectable mid-grid team in the early 90s to perennial backmarkers by the end of the decade - not because they had particularly got worse off - but every team behind them hit the wall!

It's a competition - someone has to be at the back. It doesn't make them a shambolic outfit. I'd have nothing against F1 putting the anchors on a potential Andrea Moda or Life, but looking at some non F1 single seater teams around, ART/ASM, Carlin, Arden, Super Nova, and there's a load I've missed - all quality operations who would no doubt add value to an expanded F1 grid. Natural selection and economics would keep the entry list at a sensible size anyway...no need for artifical restrictions to preserve a team's "franchise" *shudders*

RaikkonenRules

28th June 2007, 00:02

I wish I had been around for the 30 plus entry lists of the early 90s. :(

OmarF1

28th June 2007, 17:46

Exactly. Minardi went from a respectable mid-grid team in the early 90s to perennial backmarkers by the end of the decade - not because they had particularly got worse off - but every team behind them hit the wall!

It's a competition - someone has to be at the back. It doesn't make them a shambolic outfit. I'd have nothing against F1 putting the anchors on a potential Andrea Moda or Life, but looking at some non F1 single seater teams around, ART/ASM, Carlin, Arden, Super Nova, and there's a load I've missed - all quality operations who would no doubt add value to an expanded F1 grid. Natural selection and economics would keep the entry list at a sensible size anyway...no need for artifical restrictions to preserve a team's "franchise" *shudders*

Your post made me wonder something, maybe a little bit different, but got the inspiration by thinking about crappy teams, is really money that significant in an F1 Team, or crappy F1 teams have mediocre engineers?

but it is a vicious cycle because the more money a team has, the more they can pay to a fantastic engineer, (am I right RB-Newey?), but there's the Toyota case too, they are ultra rich and they suck so bad, and Renault had a limited budget and they were smoking Toyotas, Hondas, Ferraris in 2005 and the beginning of 2006, they must have some talented dudes in there.

The point is, cans somebody explain how it's money spent in F1, wing tunnels??, some are owned by the team, some run 24/7/365, why is it so expensive, eletric power bills?, I Don't know, still i think F1 wastes too much money when there are people dying of starvation everyday.

cheers.

V12

28th June 2007, 20:57

Your post made me wonder something, maybe a little bit different, but got the inspiration by thinking about crappy teams, is really money that significant in an F1 Team, or crappy F1 teams have mediocre engineers?

but it is a vicious cycle because the more money a team has, the more they can pay to a fantastic engineer, (am I right RB-Newey?), but there's the Toyota case too, they are ultra rich and they suck so bad, and Renault had a limited budget and they were smoking Toyotas, Hondas, Ferraris in 2005 and the beginning of 2006, they must have some talented dudes in there.

The point is, cans somebody explain how it's money spent in F1, wing tunnels??, some are owned by the team, some run 24/7/365, why is it so expensive, eletric power bills?, I Don't know, still i think F1 wastes too much money when there are people dying of starvation everyday.

cheers.

I think there's a saying - "speed costs money - how fast do you want to go?" A team will ultimately spend however much money it has available to it. Of course - some teams will spend more wisely than others - so money isn't the ONLY factor, otherwise Toyota would run away with things. In Renault's case most of their staff bar Schuey/Brawn/Byrne had been around from Benetton's successful era in the mid 90s, but it was only once Renault bought into the team and they got a world class driver/team leader in Alonso that everything clicked back into place for them. There's no simple answer to how best to spread your resources, otherwise we could all be team bosses.

But a simple comparison with Renault and Toyota would be - while Flavio, who by his own admission has never been an F1 man, simply hires the best he can for the job and lets them all get on with things, with minimal interference from either himself or Renault HQ, Toyota bogs itself down with multiple layers of management structures and committees which may be appropriate for running one of the biggest and most successful volume car manufacturers on the planet, is not necessarily suited to running a successful F1 team.

To answer the first part of your post - it's probably a bit of both. While there is only so much money to go around in F1, it's also true that there probably isn't enough top-notch personnel to go around for 15-20 fully competitive F1 teams even if they were all had a high level of funding, although they should be given the chance to prove me wrong, but Max 'n' Bernie decided to cap the number of teams at 12, so they can't.

slinkster

28th June 2007, 21:14

It can be pretty poncy for the most part; moving away from the racing/sport/fan aspect and more of a high-profile-business-men-orientated money spinner for the corporate world.

James Allen.

Lack of excitement in some races.

I'm not liking the new qualifying system at the moment.

People/fans who take it far too seriously and make out they're a bigger fan because they understand every nut and bolt and tweak that some greasy engineer makes. I like it for the racing... deal with it.

:)

wmcot

29th June 2007, 09:03

I thought of a couple more things I hate:

1. I didn't realize just how much I hate the 2 or more week delays between races.

2. I HATE how every website has to post interviews with EVERY team before EVERY GP and always get the same answer - "We have made improvements and we are hoping to do better at the race. Our drivers love the track at XXXXXX. etc."

jens

29th June 2007, 19:47

2. I HATE how every website has to post interviews with EVERY team before EVERY GP and always get the same answer - "We have made improvements and we are hoping to do better at the race. Our drivers love the track at XXXXXX. etc."

I forgot to mention before, but this is the second thing that really annoyes me too. Like a copy-paste before every GP weekend. Therefore I skip most of the articles and "news". Someone should try to be different and write an article with title being "Everyone is looking forward to have a good weekend." :p : That's a better version instead of writing the same preview on tens of occasions for each team/driver.

philipbain

30th June 2007, 01:26

I wish I had been around for the 30 plus entry lists of the early 90s. :(

To be honest F1 is better off with having smaller grid of better quality, its one area where I completely agree with Bernie, some of the non pre-qualifying teams were worse than bad, most of them werent good enough to compete in lower formulas, let alone F1. 1989 was the year when F1 had the most cars trying to qualify, with 39 cars going for 26 spots, and with 26 cars automatically pre-qualifying it was left to the remaining 13 cars to compete for the remaining 4 spots in qualifying proper, hence you got utterly hopeless teams that would be packing up and going home by mid morning on the Friday of each GP weekend, it's just not sustainable or desirable to have such a situation. By the mid 90s non-qualifiers were a thing of the past and general standards were increasing in F1, it's true that Minardi were a victim of this as other teams either quit or got better, leaving them to fill the back row most of the time.

btw. Things I hate about F1:

James "cock" Allen - he just talks rubbish whilst calling anything on track a long time after i've already worked out what has happened, Murray Walker had the odd gaffe but 95% of the time he was well ahead of the game, Allen is just plain cr@p

Ad Breaks in coverage - I don't see why its acceptable to interupt the race when it seems that sports like football can be shown by the same broadcaster without interuption during play. Why the hell it isnt on the beeb anymore I don't know (and it's not rose tinted specs talking, I have a large collection of old races from the BBC years and the races are so much more coherant without breaks)

Aero sensitivity - the cause of F1's lack of overtaking, I say free up the underbody as this reduces this problem quite dramatically and restrict wing sizes drastically (tricky though from an advertising space point of view!)

more grip than power - F1 cars should have masses of power, so much that the cars havnt got sufficent grip to really cope with it, this was the case in the mid 80s and it was a golden era for some great driving talent which shone as a result, my fear is that a future F1 with 450BHP and the sort of downforce that the cars generate now will result in slightly upscaled F3 cars which also have more grip than power.