Formula 1 2019 - General Discussion Thread

chicorytip

muckwarrior wrote:

My bad. My point was though that Ledgard wasn't great and given a choice between him and croft I might actually go with the latter.

Croft is a good race commentator but can be difficult to take during testing or practice sessions when there is not much happening on track. Too much of the jocular, in joke type of stuff.

mickdw

bennyx_o wrote: »

mickdw wrote: »

No live coverage on sky.

I saw there was no coverage this week and had just assumed there was a week break - strange they have no coverage this week

To be fair, they threw everything at it last week. Multiple commentary teams covering the whole day, driver interviews, the whole lot.
I was expecting to just see the footage with maybe Ted doing the odd bit to camera.

AMKC

Delighted. Who wants to watch testing on TV anyway. There is no suspense or any reason to get tense watching it unlike qualifying or a race. Id say Sky had a look at the amount of viewers that tuned in for it and realised it was costing them more than it was worth.

mickdw

Or maybe they were not allowed to broadcast the second test live as was the case for all testing in previous years. I wanted to watch it, see the new bits they brought, see how Williams are looking etc.
I watch Friday practice live when I can. Are you going to be delighted if they took that away?
Maybe quali not and up to much..... delete that too. Make room for more looped content. There is a permanent channel. I belief they should be putting up much more new stuff that they do.

ppn

astrofluff wrote: »

Twitter is trending with #WheresTed. He got a bit too smug for my liking and I started watching less Notebooks. Taking Karun for the pit lane was a good steal from C4.

I wouldn't think Ted would go to C4. I think he'd end up at F1TV, which would be a shame as I believe Will Buxton is a much better, and watchable, presenter.

Considering the high quality of the coverage on C4 over the last couple of years (apart from that Welsh host - can't think of his name, who's quite annoying), there's not a hope they would have taken on Ted Kravitz if Sky had dumped him as they should have done. Otherwise, the quality would have nose-dived. He's an irritating a-hole who knows fcukall about F1 as far as I can see - he just researched the hell out of it and took notes in his notebook about ridiculous stats (like George Hamilton used do, come to think of it). As a side, I think Coulthard's production company have a large input into the C4 coverage. Sky's coverage, from what little I can stomach of it, is p!ss poor, compared to C4 and BBC before that, just a huge shame that Bernie sold out to Sky!!

Cookie_Monster

chicorytip wrote: »

Croft is a good race commentator

he's really not. there are times you'd wonder if he's even watching the race, he misses a lot of really obvious stuff. And the inane tabloid level discussion is really annoying, there is rarely any intelligent level technical discussion on Sky.

LollipopJimmy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

he's really not. there are times you'd wonder if he's even watching the race, he misses a lot of really obvious stuff. And the inane tabloid level discussion is really annoying, there is rarely any intelligent level technical discussion on Sky.

#askcrofty

Why in the name of jaysis would I ask somebody who clearly has no clue about F1 a question about F1. Although I've said before, those of us of a certain vintage were spoiled by having Murray Walker commentate and nothing will ever live up to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-oAsDCGNA

geotrig

Jordan 199 wrote: »

The nose on the Merc:

I'm slightly disappointed in general with the nose this year I was hoping for far more simpler and would love if these barge boards where done away with also.

The cars themselves look like they in general have a shorter wheel base which is nice if so,I've hated how long these cars have gotten.

Like the looks of the Williams and Mclaren in general.

I'm on the fence if i'll be watching this year although being behind a paywall makes the choice easier , I thought refueling was coming back ?is that this year ?(which i hate anyway ,it adds nothing )

pjohnson

Sirotkin has returned to Renault as Reserve Driver.

Jordan 199

New bits on the Alfa:

recyclebin

FFS, there will winglets everywhere now.

youreadthat

ppn wrote: »

Considering the high quality of the coverage on C4 over the last couple of years (apart from that Welsh host - can't think of his name, who's quite annoying), there's not a hope they would have taken on Ted Kravitz if Sky had dumped him as they should have done. Otherwise, the quality would have nose-dived. He's an irritating a-hole who knows fcukall about F1 as far as I can see - he just researched the hell out of it and took notes in his notebook about ridiculous stats (like George Hamilton used do, come to think of it). As a side, I think Coulthard's production company have a large input into the C4 coverage. Sky's coverage, from what little I can stomach of it, is p!ss poor, compared to C4 and BBC before that, just a huge shame that Bernie sold out to Sky!!

Opinions and all that. For me Sky beats the hell out of C4. Its comes across cheap and cheesy with not a lot of quantity or quality. Ted and Martin have been in the same team so long it just flows better, they are broadcasting giants compared to Coultard and Lee McKenzie. Eddie Jordan is a bit of a joke at this stage. This isn’t to say I like everyone on Sky but for me they come across as living to produce F1 content, C4 looks like it broadcasts F1 content to live.

I think most criticism is bitterness at Sky as a brand and that it’s not free to air. Back in the ITV days it had a very similar team but the only real hate was directed at James Allen and the ads.

El_Duderino 09

geotrig wrote: »

I'm on the fence if i'll be watching this year although being behind a paywall makes the choice easier , I thought refueling was coming back ?is that this year ?(which i hate anyway ,it adds nothing )

There are no plans for bringing back refuelling. It's talked about on and off but nothing in the pipeline

flazio

Well in my opinion, the memory of an epic race can be enhanced by an excellent voice commentating over it and to my ears David Croft is not that voice. Ben Edwards is. The lead commentator is a crucial part of the package.
Take the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix for example.
Sky https://youtu.be/hohuswdeznA
Channel 4 https://youtu.be/nnLE6pmI7sk
You tell me which of these sticks in the memory better? I couldn't care less about the talk shops before and after the race. It's the race itself I need to remember, that's why I was happy with what Setanta / Eir Sports offered up when BBC/Channel 4 weren't live.
I didn’t grow up with Martin Brundle throughout my F1 viewing days. I can take him or leave him.
I'm leaning more and more to just settling for the highlights or if I hear a whisper that some international broadcaster has retained the services of Whisper Films (C4s F1 producers) I may look for ways to tune in. That's my business and my opinion.

El_Duderino 09

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Although I've said before, those of us of a certain vintage were spoiled by having Murray Walker commentate and nothing will ever live up to it.

Murray was good alright but as with most things in F1 they be on e much more popular when they're gone.

Apart from anything wlrkae, Walker had to comment on a race. That's it.

Now they have a race, and a pre race show, and the preview of the pre race show with an exclusive interview with x - and you won t believe what explosive comment Lewis Hamilton posted on Twitter this week.

And then there's 3 practice sessions and he practice roundup before the pre quali preview show. Then quali. Then the quali roundup and then settle in for an entire day of race related chat and analysis.

The style has to be a slow burn these days. It wouldn't work if they had to be at Murray Walker peak all weekend. I never watch the guff. I fast forward to quali and the race.

muckwarrior

130 laps for Kubica today. I guess that answers any questions about his stamina.

Inviere

muckwarrior wrote: »

130 laps for Kubica today. I guess that answers any questions about his stamina.

He done 142 laps during his 2017 Renault test, those questions were put to bed nearly two years ago

elperello

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

There are no plans for bringing back refuelling. It's talked about on and off but nothing in the pipeline

Nothing in the pipeline on re-fueling --- love it

Inviere

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

There are no plans for bringing back refuelling. It's talked about on and off but nothing in the pipeline

Imo refuelling isn't ever coming back. F1 wont want the image of the latest cars being pumped full of fossil fuels.

El_Duderino 09

muckwarrior wrote: »

130 laps for Kubica today. I guess that answers any questions about his stamina.

He did as many laps during his Renault test and his Williams test before last season. I dont think it tells us anything we didn't already know.

The question is whether his condition will limit his overall speed or his ability in particular situations like tight corners in street circuits.

El_Duderino 09

Inviere wrote: »

Imo refuelling isn't ever coming back. F1 wont want the image of the latest cars being pumped full of fossil fuels.

Probably true.

I think it Completely misses the point that f1 develops green technology which is used in millions of road cars into the future. The fuel used in a race is irrelevant by comparison.

Even all the energy used to create the F1 Circus is negligible. It's about the technology.

But the fact that F1 is so self conscious about the nature of the sport says something about how the world has moved away from F1.

chicorytip

muckwarrior wrote:

130 laps for Kubica today. I guess that answers any questions about his stamina.

He was rather slow despite using the fastest tyre compound.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

chicorytip wrote: »

He was rather slow despite using the fastest tyre compound.

We won’t know what he’s like until he’s racing.

Testing times mean nothing.

El_Duderino 09

Peyton Lively Tiller wrote: »

chicorytip wrote: »

He was rather slow despite using the fastest tyre compound.

We won’t know what he’s like until he’s racing.

Testing times mean nothing.

+1

Cant be said often enough.

ppn

youreadthat wrote: »

Opinions and all that. For me Sky beats the hell out of C4. Its comes across cheap and cheesy with not a lot of quantity or quality. Ted and Martin have been in the same team so long it just flows better, they are broadcasting giants compared to Coultard and Lee McKenzie. Eddie Jordan is a bit of a joke at this stage. This isn’t to say I like everyone on Sky but for me they come across as living to produce F1 content, C4 looks like it broadcasts F1 content to live.

I think most criticism is bitterness at Sky as a brand and that it’s not free to air. Back in the ITV days it had a very similar team but the only real hate was directed at James Allen and the ads.

No bitterness from me anyway. Had a look at Sky last year in between Eir Sports and C4 and Sky is just plain sh!t. Expected more from them tbh given their budget and the quality of their football coverage, but a few of the presenters should not be on tv. Too many inane ramblings and no real F1 knowledge, none of much relevance anyway. Coulthard is fairly blunt and knows his stuff and Chandhok is good on the technical. EJ is a tw@t alright, all the money must have gone to his head, although he always had a big ego. He seems to just stir sh!t now to try and get a story.

BTW, I blame Bernie Ecclestone for the tv paywall, pity it took so long to get rid of him, F1 would probably have a tyre war again if he hadn't handed the contract to Pirelli a good few years back.

muckwarrior

chicorytip wrote: »

He was rather slow despite using the fastest tyre compound.

Have you missed the fact that Williams are several days behind in testing? In any case the only person we should compare him against is his team mate, whom he's currently faster than. We won't know for sure til race time comes, but there's nothing so far to suggest he's off the pace.

Frank Bullitt

Bad day for Ferrari.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Gintonious wrote: »

Bad day for Ferrari.

From that angle it looks the same as when Schumacher hit the tyre wall at silverstone

ayux4rj6zql2ph

From the Sky Sports website.

Claire Williams was optimistic when she addressed the media, claiming the team have a reliable car and is not thinking about the prospect of being backmarkers in F1 2019.

Robert Kubica, however, was evidently annoyed late last night after 120 laps of what he claimed was just "data work" on the car. The Pole claims he hasn't been able to work on driver set-up at all, something he's worried about.

Joeface

into the 1:16s

1 Leclerc Ferrari 1m16.658s
2 Albon Toro Rosso 1m16.882s