F1 2023 - Round 4: Azerbaijan

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120520795#Comment_120520795

In concept it makes sense, but it is building off what we are used to in the past so for oldies like us in here, I probably annoys more. It does seem to be aimed more at the "Netflix Generation" that F1 has tapped into, which I get. I just hope it doesn't get too gimmicky with it.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120521150#Comment_120521150

I never get this argument. The whole sport is a gimmick. It's entertainment to the viewer. It's a business to the people involved hit for the viewer, it's just entertainment. Think of all the gimmicks that were included in the sport that you probably take for granted. The grid walk being a pretry obvious one. The press conferences and podium celebrations are pretry obvious too. DRS is a more recent gimmick that has li ened the sport up a lot. The more Liberal safety car use recently to bunch the cars up is probably a pretry blatant gimmick. All those things are purely in the name of entertainment for the viewer. In that sense, sprints are a gimmick. They're entertaining.

Wait until after the sprint race and you'll see posters actually say the sprint race was pretty exciting, but they don't like it.

If people don't watch F1 for entertainment, then what do they watch it for?

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120520952#Comment_120520952

I agree. It's just stupid what they are doing now. This will lead to the downfall of F1. Do they think the Netflix generation care? No they do not. They will drop something as quick as they got into it once they get bored of it. It's supposed to be a sport not an entertainment show.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120522200#Comment_120522200

Ha. You think it's supposed to be a sport and not entertainment? That's shockingly naive.

It's a mix of sport, entertainment and business. To ignore any of those 3 aspects would kill it entirely.

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120522258#Comment_120522258

All sports are entertainment, but fans turn away if they feel the integrity of the sport is lost. No other sport messes with the rules as regularly as F1. In some cases it's necessary as there is a never ending arms race between the technical rules and the march of technology.

In general I don't mind them changing the weekend format if it makes sense, but this plan is pretty weak and it's amateurish that they didn't have it settled until a couple of days before the race weekend. It seems to have had almost universal negative response everywhere.

A whole qualifying session and race for a relatively small amount of points nothing else (and with only the top 8 scoring a number of teams will be racing for absolutely nothing), on a track where mistakes are penalised heavily and any damage could absolutely destroy their chances in the real race the next day. I just can't see anyone doing anything but conservatively cruising.

There is always the chance that the lack of planning along with the messing around with tyre allocations, practice time and parc ferme conditions will spice things up on Sunday when it matters I guess.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120522647#Comment_120522647

Yeah this time it seems disorganised. But f1 fans almost always hate changes. Then they become used to them and hate any changes from the new norm.

I just don't worry about the changes. They happen and if they work. They tend to keep them. If they don't work they tend to change them back.

F1 has loads of changes because it's a totally made up sport. There's nothing natural about it. Running 100m as fast as you can is organic and pretty simple and doesn't need many big changes over time. F1 is a completely contrived sport, designed to entertain. It has to change to stay relevant.

The typical F1 fan's reaction is to hate the proposed change and assume it will be terrible. Then when it's not terrible, they still hate it. Then they become used to it, start to enjoy it and forget ever hating it. They just move on to hating any new changes. It's always the way.

flazio

Context here. It's for 6 races. 18 other races are as the same. The three phase qualifying only came in in the 00s. The Halo was supposed to turn people off F1 for being too ugly.

On the flip side they haven't been too proud to revert off something that wasn't working. Remember when they tried eliminating the lowest remaining qualifier one by one? Lasted two races.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120521872#Comment_120521872

I think it is a bit harsh to call Formula 1 a gimmick over all, it is a sport and sets a pretty high bar engineering wise. It is entertainment of course, and yes there have been certain things introduced to change it up, DRS being the main one. I don't think Sprints add anything to the overall spectacle, yes you might get the odd good one which usually happens when a car is out of place or the weather plays a role, that happens in any race though.

The sport is trying at least, I will give them that. I might be a purist in that regard and I am fine with that, as long as there are cars on the track then I am happy, I just don't like changing the format for the sake of it. I don't see the point.

I watch it to be entertained of course, but not in the same way I play the PlayStation or watch a movie. It is a sporting event and a high standard of motorsports with the best of the best etc, seeing them compete alone is entertaining as I generally love motorsports overall. I would watch one car drive alone if I could, but of course F1 is aiming now at the American market more, and they need that extra bit to keep them zoned in, like NASCAR etc.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

I'm going to reserve judgement about the race weekend layout/format but this season is already feeling like a bit of a farce. Can't help but feel F1 is moving towards making as much money as possible without any consideration for the long-term.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120522725#Comment_120522725

Just on the point of a "natural" or "organic" sport, are there any examples you have of a major sport that are what you describe? The only time I watch a 100m sprint is once every 4 years.

These changes are nothing like the introduction of the Halo, or other such changes that contribute to safety and/or race performance.

This is a pure money grab with very little justification from a sporting point of view. It's like soccer introducing a penalty shoot-out on the day before a game.. It's absolute rubbish, and stupid things like that will absolutely turn the core fanbase off the sport.

Hijpo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120527796#Comment_120527796

Looks like it's not the traditional fan they are looking to entertain. They are looking at the drive to survive fan drama. Unfortunately that puts you in a cycle of constantly chasing things that will introduce excitement. Then you start to run out of things to change or this type of targeted audience start to naturally move onto the next thing that introduces bigger bursts of excitement or more frequent bursts.

I can't see many of the new fans are watching because of the engineering interest or are into strategy or are just into speed.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120527796#Comment_120527796

Yeah I don't watch much athletics either. I haven't thought about it in terms of the size of sports, to be honest.

F1 has more rule changes than the average sport. There was a major rules overhaul last year, for example. But the main thing is thsy if people aren't entertained by the sprint races then they won't watch and F1 will drop the idea.

Jordan 199

A nice lineup of Mercedes front wings:

AMKC

So what time is the qualifying on at tomorrow then?

Is it 1pm?

Indestructable

https://www.skysports.com/f1/schedule-results

I've bookmarked this link for start times. They have updated it. 2pm tomorrow for qualy. No two sessions begin at the same time over the 3 days.

McFly85

It is utter nonsense to have race quali on a Friday at a time when the majority of fans will be in work.

I get wanting to make an event out of the weekend but it’s a brutal way to do it. Quali should be the main event on the Saturday.

Having to carve out time for sprint qualifying makes the entire weekend awkward, they should just use the finishing positions of the previous GP as the grid. Then it could be P1 & Sprint on Friday, P2 & Quali on Sat, GP on Sunday.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120530177#Comment_120530177

That would be spicy considering the post race penalty debacles we've had recently.

Andrew76

Sucks balls that the main quali is on today during work, thankfully it will only be 6 times this year. They better not bring it in for every race next year. Will listen along to the P1 stream to hear what's going on.

AMKC

#Going to watch the Qualifying live :)

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120530177#Comment_120530177

Having to carve out time for sprint qualifying makes the entire weekend awkward, they should just use the finishing positions of the previous GP as the grid. Then it could be P1 & Sprint on Friday, P2 & Quali on Sat, GP on Sunday.

That's exactly what I have being saying or something very similar anyway but I agree it's stupid the way it is now fir this weekend. I am just lucky I can go see it today but not everyone is as lucky.

I would much prefer qualifying on a Saturday and let them have all the sprint stuff on a Friday that way the serious hard core F1 supporters will still be happy and there is stuff there for the new gen too.

klose

Only practice session is not exactly going to plan, red flagged after gaslys car went on fire. Hamilton didn't even get out of the garage yet, magnussen parked it into T1 and Tsunoda damaged his car too

Itssoeasy

So what time is qualifying lights out ?

rameire

I have qualifying at 2pm today on my Calendar

F2 had a red flag, unsure if this will have an impact on the F1.

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120531734#Comment_120531734

cheers. No I was hoping depending on what time it started and not the coverage I might be home in time to watch it live. I do finish slightly earlier on a Friday but I’d say I’m pushing it. I am recording it.

MadYaker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120530177#Comment_120530177

I’ve given up im just going to watch the race on Sunday I can’t be bothered with all the other fcuking around.

LIGHTNING

The sprint races started off good then folks decided not to take any risks so they turned into a complete procession.

AMKC

So nick de Vries bins it with ten minutes Q1 to go so Red Flag.

LIGHTNING

ooof its Red flag central

Burkie1203

Alpine spending 70% of their budget cap this weekend

AMKC

Pierre Gasley hits the same wall that Nick hit now but sideways and not head on like Nick De Vries did.