Formula 1 2021 - General Discussion Thread (Read 1st post rules)

MadYaker wrote: »

Monaco has much better reasons than the other crap tracks for staying on the calendar. How much do you reckon Gulf are paying Mclaren for that livery? Do you reckon that would have happened without the Monaco GP buzz this weekend? I'm not sure it would and it's just one example of how this race is good for the sport, it generates a lot of cash in a sport that isn't generating half as much cash as it used to. Removing it will only damage the sport that you appear to be a fan of? (hard to tell)

Also this is off topic but it's interesting, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfp4pMAhsUs&ab_channel=Mercedes-AMGPetronasFormulaOneTeam

It's a money spinner alright. And in the worst couple of races of the season almost every single season. It's a absolute joke of a racetrack for modern F1. And the absolute shame is that over 100m people will watch it on TV and it's one of the most watched races of the year, so it includes more causal fans than normal, and most will walk away totally bored and uninterested in actually getting into F1. It must be the worst advertisement for F1 to a casual fan as it's almost guaranteed to be a terrible race.

Think of the opposition to something like the quali race and see how totally out dated and unsuitable the Monaco race track is, but fans just accept that it's ok ad some will even try to convince themselves that it's interesting because of the glitz and glamour. It's just accepted by fans because it's always been there and it should be scrapped and replaced by a good race track.

It's a pure marketing exercise. We hear so many journalists and pundits tell us how brilliant the event is that people who sit at home and watch a terrible race every year, have been fooled into telling each other that it's a brilliant event. Imagine that

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

The attempts to dress up the "glitz and glamour" as interesting would be boring if they weren't ridiculous. Nobody who tunes in for the quali or race gives a shiny shyte about the glitz and glamour that goes on away from the track or the size of the boats or the cost of a hotel. I'd be equally critical if they wanted to talk about the top 10 outfits from Milan Fashion Week at the Italian GP weekend and expected a race fan to be entertained.

We see shyte tracks like Sochi and Paul Ricard and want them to be replaced by better tracks like Turkey, but when Monaco is crap year after year, it gets all kinds of defences like "but there's a chance it will be [exciting]". Well, there's a chance Paul Ricard will be exciting but i wouldn't argue for it to be kept on the calendar in case it rains one year in 10 and there's a good race. That's an argument for holding races in rainy places, not going to boring tracks and hoping for rain.

Race fans might not care for the glitz and glamour but sponsors sure as heck do. The Gulf throw back livery for Monaco is no coincidence IMO. As Decal Spotters note on Twitter ELEVEN brands have joined across 10 teams at the Monaco GP. Again, I doubt much of a coincidence.

Monaco is far too valuable for sponsors & teams.

Sure it can be dull, but it’s not always the case.

The reason we clamour to replace Sochi or Paul Ricard is because they have nothing around them - little to no history and next to no sponsor appeal.

I think the spectacle of Monaco is the draw like most say.

We all seem in agreement that the scenario, the image, the marketing are some of the nicest, however the racing is probably the dullest in the calendar.

Maybe some day it will change but I can't see them widening the track in a city!

I've actually been lucky enough to go to Monaco during a race week. Only attended the practice sessions mind you. Nice spot at portier too.
Obviously a lovely place but like everyone has said the on-track entertainment is not quite there. Its the circuit we all hope for something crazy, incidents, rain, etc more so than any other as we need it for excitement.

The next race I went to after was Monza, granted for full race weekend, but both on track and off it was miles ahead in terms of entertainment. Didn't have the same glitz and glam but felt more pure. Even had to dodge David Coulthard who was cycling passed me!

chicorytip wrote: »

No other circuit on the calendar - apart from the street sections in Baku - allows such small margins for error. That's what's interesting about the race from a spectators point of view and watching an F1 car entering the tunnel at full speed is always thrilling in itself.

Watching the onboard as they come out of the tunnel always has me wincing because i always think they see what I see which js absolutely nothing. The cameras exposure is set for the darkness off the tunnel but looking into the light outside.
Gets me everytime.

Probes wrote: »

Adverts during practise sessions on Sky now. This is just turning into an advert fest. Are people signed up to the official F1 sub with a VPN? Is it working and is it good? I think I’m going to knock sky on the head, for the price it sticks in my craw that I have to watch the adverts and miss the sport.

There always was ads during practice on Sky. They've added ads to qualifying this season

bennyx_o wrote: »

There always was ads during practice on Sky. They've added ads to qualifying this season

Delighted. Obviously they had to do this to pay for it because they do not have enough fans signing up to the F1 channel but that's Skys fault because they expect us to pay for all the sports channels instead of just the F1 channel. Fu-ck that. Hopefully it will mean less people watching it on Sky and when the next negotiations come around maybe it might go back to free to air just maybe.

Monaco will stay forever, it is a unique event on the calendar, yes the racing on the TV does not ever come close to being the best of the season, but the full circus in Monaco for a weekend is amazing if you are there in person, and well worth doing once in your lifetime, imho.

It’s especially galling when you hear Croft saying “26,000” for that hotel room, “17,000” for this one. Ugh!

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Yeah of course you're right. It's part of the furniture and will stay no matter how much of a drag it becomes to the sport. Its probably part of the life cycle of anything - if it survives long enough to generate traditions that help it attract fans that's great. Then it's traditions become obligations that will reasonably turn new fans off but it can't shed them because they're traditions.



But on the "you simply have to be there, dahling" argument. How many people attend vs how many people watch on TV and are bored by the unsuitable track? Would half a million attend on a weekend? Let's exaggerate it and say a million people attend d on a weekend and they're very impressed by the setting and the yachts and the glitz and glamour. And 100m people watch the boring race and conclude its a stupid race to have in 2021. That's a ratio of about 1 person having a great time to 100 people seeing a boring race. Is that good value?

Lads, anyone who argues for Monaco can never complain about Paul Ricard being boring.

200, 000 attend race weekend in Monaco which for a city with a population of less than 40k is a massive influx.

barryribs wrote: »

You can't compare the two. Monaco is a great track and one that offers the most challenge to the drivers. The only run off is at St. Devote, on the right hander before the hairpin and the chicane. Add into this the bumpy surface, the walls inches from the car and it is one where the drivers can truly make a difference. The blast up the hill to the blind massenet is fantastic, as is the swimming pool complex. The reason it holds the prestige it does is because it is such a difficult track.



Does it always make exciting races? Absolutely not. But that doesn't mean that its not difficult to drive a car at 150 mph inches from the wall for 78 laps. The spectacle of that alone means it will always deserve a place on the calendar.

Ah here. It's on the circuit because it's always been on the circuit, not merit. There's absolutely no way anyone would make an argument for a track like Monaco if it wasn't on the circuit for ages.

Making arguments for Monaco as if it's there on merit is self-delusion. Surely everyone knows it's only there because of it's history and in spite of how terrible it is. It's unsuitable, it's a terrible track, the only thing it has going for it is that it's old. It shows the way F1 wants to die. It should be about innovation and building the future, not being tethered to the past.

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Ah here. It's on the circuit because it's always been on the circuit, not merit. There's absolutely no way anyone would make an argument for a track like Monaco if it wasn't on the circuit for ages.

Making arguments for Monaco as if it's there on merit is self-delusion. Surely everyone knows it's only there because of it's history and in spite of how terrible it is. It's unsuitable, it's a terrible track, the only thing it has going for it is that it's old. It shows the way F1 wants to die. It should be about innovation and building the future, not being tethered to the past.

If you were making the decisions would you get rid of it off the calendar and if so, what would you replace it with?

I'm all set for another track in a third world country, built by migrant (read slave) workers, with acres of run of run off and 140 meaningless DRS passes per race. These are supposed to be the best drivers in the world, there should be consequences for running wide

bennyx_o wrote: »

it lends to a higher chance of an outsider winning the race - always nice to cheer the underdog on too!

Id say there is less chance of an outsider down the grid car winning in Monaco, sky had a stat yesterday during FP3 that something like in 53 of the last 67 races, the winner has come from the front row!

bennyx_o wrote: »

The charm (If you can call it that) of Monaco for me is how close the walls are - the drivers have to be on their game for the whole lap, there's no limping back to the pits for a new front wing or tyre if you make a mistake, chances are it's session or race over much like Le Clerc in Qualifying yesterday or Schumacher in FP3.

Yes the race is generally a procession which is boring, but, with a much higher chance of incidents and retirements, it lends to a higher chance of an outsider winning the race - always nice to cheer the underdog on too!

The punishment for mistakes is an interesting point. I'd be fine if they made runoffs damaging to tyres so they shorten their life or make a pitstop necessary. I bet the same fans would oppose those changes for the same reasons they oppose changing Monaco - because its not what they're used to.

We got a taste of it in grrmany 2019 when that drag strip had no traction in the wet and they just slid on it. Likewise, if they want to stop them exceeding track limits. Make a genuine penalty. They can't exceed track limits in Monaco because the limit is a wall. If the track was bordered by a couple of meters of slippy surface and then gravel or tarmac, they wouldn't exceed track limits as it wouldn't be worth it.

But any thing like that represents change and change = bad in f1 these days.

I cancelled sky sports , I dont want to pay now TV €10 for a 24hr pass or the hassle of VPN to get the F1 official stream. Any other way to stream the race today even if commentary is in another language?