[AcridMeat]

Can't say I disagree with the points made, but in all honesty I could not care less that they are stop gags for a true answer. What matters is what is on screen right now - we have excitement at long last. People no longer say F1 is boring. Record audience and attendance figures. VALENCIA WAS EXCITING FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. We may have got lucky, but I'd much rather have this year all over again than any other in recent memory.

This this this. Though I'd argue drivers have to use their skill with the tires. To be able to get the most pace for the most amount of laps.

DRS/KERS is not perfect, but look at the season we have so far. I don't see how people dislike it, based solely on the results. I understand conceptually where people are coming from.

[DD]

I think you're consistently disturbing my points so I'm going to reply one more time here. I never said results aren't important, or that Massa is a phenomenal driver. Results and points are the quickest way to analyse F1, but if you just stop looking there you're being too narrow and blind. Massa's performance since Monaco is considerably different than it was before then, I'll just leave it at that. And what I said about Massa is that I think his current (since Monaco) race pace is exactly what Alonso wants for his team mate: fast enough to win points, not fast enough to threaten him. And I don't think Alonso will find a better driver in the market for that position. As a Massa fan, I'd love for him to leave Ferrari. I also quite like Webber and Perez and I definitely don't want them going to Ferrari, I'm glad Webber isn't going. My take on Ferrari is that they're a pretty shitty team on every level, and Alonso's phenomenal performance is putting them way ahead of where their car deserves to be.

I couldn't agree more.

[dubc35]

It probably aired a long time ago but I just watched a nice Legends of F1 mini doc on Jack Brabham; seems like a great chap.

I also finished watching the post race coverage on the beeb, rofl. So awesome hearing the fans in the back chanting "BBC! BBC! BBC!" e* and "Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" lol and then they walk away. Again, sorry I'm always late to the game for the European races.

Random, but it seems surreal that there will actually be a GP here in the states this year.

[mblitek]

Random, but it seems surreal that there will actually be a GP here in the states this year.

What seems surreal to me is how many more MONTHS of F1 there are to go! Unbelievable how long they have to stay on their A-game & keep up the development race. Amazing.

[dubc35]

What seems surreal to me is how many more MONTHS of F1 there are to go! Unbelievable how long they have to stay on their A-game & keep up the development race. Amazing.

Yeah, a long season for sure. Almost the racing version of baseball: there will be peaks and valleys, you just try to keep the valleys shallow and the peaks high to maintain.


Most of the rooms in my house need to be repainted. I was just thumbing through the color swatch and I think I found two that should work based on name alone. Spa (6765) & Cote D'Azur (6951). [sorry, terrible cell phone pic]

[neoanarch]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=481960

F1 Race Stars. Whats this all about I wonder. Sounds arcadey.

[Mush]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=481960 F1 Race Stars. Whats this all about I wonder. Sounds arcadey.

Defeat the evil wizard Maldonado in this enthralling RPG experience!

[Mastah]

So please, Massa, tell me again how Felipe is oh so valuable for the team and can't be replaced by a better lapdog like Webber, Perez or Kovaleinen.

What makes you think Kovalainen is any better than he was previously as a number 2 in McLaren? Just because he says so? Facts are in 2nd best car in 2008 he was beaten by both BMWs and Alonso in a Renault and in 2009 he scored the same number of points as Massa... but the problem is Massa drove only for half a season, lol.

I really do not see how the tires are ruining this year. If anything it is the ridiculousness of DRS that is killing this year. It is either way too effective or not effective at all. DRS should be more thoughtfully placed and its effect reduced. If not that then scrapped all together and a little more power given to KERS.

FIA and teams logic: let's bring Pirelli tyres, so we can see different strategies. Oh and let's bring DRS so drivers on different (slower) strategy has absolutely no chance to defend position :/

DRS has to go. I didn't enjoy one single race in terms of overtaking since it was introduced, because it's that artificial. Who wants to see overtakes like Vettel on Alonso at Monza or Webber on Alonso at Spa? Isn't it miles better than multiple passes on Alonso in Canada, when he was sitting duck with no zero chance of defending his position? But unfortunately it is to stay for the future, which makes me very sad.

I lived through boredom of Ferrari domination in last decade, I was amazed by Ferrari/Renault vs McLaren seasons and really enjoyed 2010 title battle. Some races were fantastic, some races were boring as hell, but that's the case with everything in our lives. Days, movies, games, matches, races, places, girls, boys and so on can be boring, but when you experience/see great one, you really appreciate it. That's why I hate teams and FIA for what they have done in 2011, instead of doing small steps they threw everything into kitchen - double diffuser ban, KERS, DRS and fragile tyres. DD ban was surely good thing, teams wanted return of KERS and new tyre supplier had to be found, but why the had to introduced DRS? Wouldn't it be smarter to see how racing looks with Pirellis and KERS and if it's not much better, tackle the real problem, which is too much bodywork downforce and too little ground effect :/?

[KaizorPenguin]

Defeat the evil wizard Maldonado in this enthralling RPG experience!

We all know they'll pull a Twilight Princess and have Bernie show up at the end.

[acm2000]

i dont understand the moaning about the tires

what we used to have: teams/drivers having to manage their fuel and pit strategy, some cars/drivers handle lighter/heavier car better.
what we have now: teams/drivers having to manage their tire and pit strategy, some cars/drivers handle soft/hard tires better.

whats the difference exactly? in both cases its down to the teams and drivers to manage their cars and tires properly, its the same for every driver and team out there

just because Alolso/ferrari cant manage their tires for shit, doesnt all of a sudden make the tires bad

[Dilly]

µ just because Alolso cant manage his tires for shit, doesnt all of a sudden make the tires bad

Ferrari.

[acm2000]

Ferrari.

true, edited :P

[Juicy Bob]

I think the tyres, the lack of refueling, the engine restrictions, gearbox restrictions, the shorter practice sessions, tyre-set restrictions, no spare-cars, lack of in-season testing and many other regulations that have been brought in since 2002 have all been for the better. Why? Because they have all made F1 more challenging for the teams.

Gone are the days when the teams had everything under control and the teams with the best resources and most money (Ferrari) could use that to their advantage. Gone are the days when you could go flat out all the time and if you crashed, wrecked an engine or a gearbox, everything would be fine. Drivers have to take more care not to cock up, because stuffing your car in the wall during FP3 can have a massive impact on the rest of your race weekend (Alonso, Monaco 2010) and teams now have to make sure their equipment doesn't break down on them, because they will suffer for it. This, for me, is a good thing. It makes competing in F1 much more difficult and means that success is earned, not bought.

If F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, I think it should be the most difficult and challenging form of international circuit racing there is. The lack of testing has been another good thing, because teams can no longer 'perfect' their cars before a race. There's now an element of 'this upgrade might not even work at all' and that, again, is a good thing as that makes it even more vital to get it right first time. I think having a small number of official tests in-season is a good thing, but only two or three at set points in the season at the most.

Ultimately, I'm as happy with how F1 is now as I've ever been. Having lived through the Ferrari domination years of 2000-2004, I never ever want to have to go through a time where not only is the winner virtually guaranteed from the start of Friday, but there's minimal competition throughout the field too. I'm loving F1 2012 and hoping there's more of the same to come for the rest of the season.

[Edmond Dantès]

I think the tyres, the lack of refueling, the engine restrictions, gearbox restrictions, the shorter practice sessions, tyre-set restrictions, no spare-cars, lack of in-season testing and many other regulations that have been brought in since 2002 have all been for the better. Why? Because they have all made F1 more challenging for the teams. Gone are the days when the teams had everything under control and the teams with the best resources and most money (Ferrari) could use that to their advantage. Gone are the days when you could go flat out all the time and if you crashed, wrecked an engine or a gearbox, everything would be fine. Drivers have to take more care not to cock up, because stuffing your car in the wall during FP3 can have a massive impact on the rest of your race weekend (Alonso, Monaco 2010) and teams now have to make sure their equipment doesn't break down on them, because they will suffer for it. This, for me, is a good thing. It makes competing in F1 much more difficult and means that success is earned, not bought. If F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, I think it should be the most difficult and challenging form of international circuit racing there is. The lack of testing has been another good thing, because teams can no longer 'perfect' their cars before a race. There's now an element of 'this upgrade might not even work at all' and that, again, is a good thing as that makes it even more vital to get it right first time. I think having a small number of official tests in-season is a good thing, but only two or three at set points in the season at the most. Ultimately, I'm as happy with how F1 is now as I've ever been. Having lived through the Ferrari domination years of 2000-2004, I never ever want to have to go through a time where not only is the winner virtually guaranteed from the start of Friday, but there's minimal competition throughout the field too. I'm loving F1 2012 and hoping there's more of the same to come for the rest of the season.

And yet the same three or four teams are always at the front with only one notable exception in Team Brackley in 2009 and even then they (Honda) spent a significant amount of time/resources on that car. When was the last time a team from the midfield challenged the top runners? Jordan in 1999. If you want parity between the teams and competitiveness from the midfield runners so they're on par with the front runners a budget cap would be a step in the right direction, but not the paltry and downright ridiculous £40m that the FIA were touting a few years ago. No, a number closer to the £100m mark would suffice. Then open up the regulations a bit like the ACO have done for Le Mans in 2014 allowing a certain amount of flexibility in the development path that a team can take.

[Adamm]

http://thef1times.com/news/display/06422

Singapore signed a new contract for another 5 years.
2 good tracks extended their contracts now :D

[Mush]

2 good tracks extended their contracts now :D

I suggest you pull the bailout cord now.

[Juicy Bob]

Singapore is actually my personal favourite addition to the calendar of all of them over the last ten years. It's challenging, the races are always eventful and it's bloody spectacular to watch too.

[Adamm]

I suggest you pull the bailout cord now.

People don't like singapore?

[Dilly]

Singapore is actually my personal favourite addition to the calendar of all of them over the last ten years. It's challenging, the races are always eventful and it's bloody spectacular to watch too.

Same here.

[Mush]

People don't like singapore?

I thought the general consensus was that people didn't like it? Guess I was wrong...

Personally, I don't like the track but the event itself in an unmatched spectacle on the F1 calendar.

[criesofthepast]

Anyone have F1 for PSVITA? Is it pretty shit? I'd kill for a good F1 game on a handheld.

[Xun]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=481960 F1 Race Stars. Whats this all about I wonder. Sounds arcadey.

I think the game was mentioned before, but it just seems to have changed name.

I wonder when we'll see it? Could be interesting.

[brotkasten]

Anyone have F1 for PSVITA? Is it pretty shit? I'd kill for a good F1 game on a handheld.

I think F1 2011 for the Vita it based on the 3DS version.

[DBT85]

Anyone have F1 for PSVITA? Is it pretty shit? I'd kill for a good F1 game on a handheld.

It's a bad port of the 3DS game IIRC. I'd wait for their next attempt.

[Massa]

It's a bad port of the 3DS game IIRC. I'd wait for their next attempt.

It's not that bad. It looks like a 3DS game but at least the framerate isn't awful like the PS3 version.

I would recommend this review, it's pretty spot on.

[Shaneus]

Could explain why Mark has been looking pretty damn happy recently. I love seeing our old Mark back.

I just realised I've already read this post, but have to quote it again. It really does feel like the Mark of '09/'10. It almost feels like there's a new sense of hope in getting a WDC that we've been missing for at least 12 months. I love it when he's happy :)

Yet somehow, it really grates when he's being interviewed in a formal setting and he speaks like a South African. I prefer it when he has to think on he's feet, then out comes pure ocker _b

Refueling makes no difference, it would be the same as it is now except stops would be longer. Also refueling with perelli tires would be a mess.

Lewis' crew would have twice as much to fuck up!

And nothing was going to fix that anytime soon. Pirelli came in, looked at what Bridgestone did, went 'fuck you', and suddenly turned F1 races from borefests to something quite extraordinary. I seriously wonder if you guys watch F1 for the same reasons as me. F1 is now EXCITING, UNPREDICTABLE, and has more sex appeal with Webber and Michibata on show. We have seen more amazing overtakes than we ever have done (some are too artificial, but the artificiality has led to increased 'epic' moments) - we are in a golden era of F1, and the viewing figures show it.

I like what the tyres are doing, but they need to make more sense. Hard tyres should never dominate softs in any situation.



Can anyone tell me why there are so many people in the GAF F1RM subleague? Even with the blow-ins on race weekends, there aren't nearly enough people here to account for the numbers there.

[criesofthepast]

Guess I'll pass on F1 vita. I had heard it was a 3DS port and wasn't very good. Most reviews have it at a 6.5/10 kinda game. If I can find it for $20 or less I'd get it.

[Edmond Dantès]

I just realised I've already read this post, but have to quote it again. It really does feel like the Mark of '09/'10. It almost feels like there's a new sense of hope in getting a WDC that we've been missing for at least 12 months. I love it when he's happy :) Yet somehow, it really grates when he's being interviewed in a formal setting and he speaks like a South African. I prefer it when he has to think on he's feet, then out comes pure ocker _b Lewis' crew would have twice as much to fuck up! I like what the tyres are doing, but they need to make more sense. Hard tyres should never dominate softs in any situation. Can anyone tell me why there are so many people in the GAF F1RM subleague? Even with the blow-ins on race weekends, there aren't nearly enough people here to account for the numbers there.

Lurkers I suppose.

[Edmond Dantès]

Maria's out of intensive care.

[Edmond Dantès]

Mark Hughes' analysis of McLaren's woes.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/...too-sensitive-

[smiggyRT]

Maria's out of intensive care.

Good to hear, I hope she isn't too down about the whole situation.

[mrklaw]

why couldn't they allow DRS for all drivers at all times like in qualifying? Or 5-10 seconds of use per lap like with kers.

[Xun]

Maria's out of intensive care.

Good to hear!

why couldn't they allow DRS for all drivers at all times like in qualifying? Or 5-10 seconds of use per lap like with kers.

Indeed.

We've mentioned it a few times in the thread, and it'd be a good idea in my opinion.

[Shaneus]

The KERS idea's better than the all-time one. If it was in use all the time by everyone, then why have it? Overtaking someone by using DRS while the other person is using DRS completely negates it. Limited use for a period anywhere on the track like KERS is much better, IMO.

[Megasoum]

I don't really have anything aggaisnt Sinpapore for the real races but I know I've NEVER been able to drive around it in F1 games... For some reasons I just can't do it lol. I have no problems in Monaco but Singapore I will miss every apex and hit every single walls lol.

aka I hate that track now.

[Sleeplessnights]

Awesome GIF thread on reddit, use RES to see all of them in the same page if you have a good PC.

http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/com...e_in_comments/

[mclaren777]

I really do not see how the tires are ruining this year.

The tires have destroyed the hierarchy of F1 and made mediocre teams like Williams and Sauber equal to top teams like Red Bull and Mclaren. Every race is a random lottery because the tires are so inconsistent.

Pirelli has effectively turned F1 into GP2.

[mrklaw]

The KERS idea's better than the all-time one. If it was in use all the time by everyone, then why have it? Overtaking someone by using DRS while the other person is using DRS completely negates it. Limited use for a period anywhere on the track like KERS is much better, IMO.

you'd still need to control your car and look after your tyres. If you use DRS all the time you'd probably wear out your tyres more.

[SpeedOfNuts]

why couldn't they allow DRS for all drivers at all times like in qualifying? Or 5-10 seconds of use per lap like with kers.

My understanding is they don't allow it for the sake of security.

If you activate your DRS (on a high speed corner for example) while closely following another car you may end up having a big accident. Ok you can say then don't do it... but it'd be bound to happen.

[brotkasten]

My understanding is they don't allow it for the sake of security. If you activate your DRS (on a high speed corner for example) while closely following another car you may end up having a big accident. Ok you can say then don't do it... but it'd be bound to happen.

If Maldonado can't to an overtake in a corner, imagine what would happen when he got DRS available.

Also, KERS is getting twice the power in 2014.

[cilonen]

Survey being done here basically giving your opinions of Sky and the BBC this year http://surveys.haymarket.com/s3/GFC-Sept2011 May have shown quite a lot of BBC bias.

Awesome, an opportunity to steer things back towards Sky then. MB and Crofty are just hands down better at commentating, more knowledgeable, free flowing, genuinely excited and draw you in to the racing with their enthusiasm. Sky's trackside people, presenters and analysis are better as is their level of coverage. I don't miss the BBC one bit, they can stick to wimbledon once a year and give up on the rest of sport after the olympics.

[DBT85]

Awesome, an opportunity to steer things back towards Sky then. MB and Crofty are just hands down better at commentating, more knowledgeable, free flowing, genuinely excited and draw you in to the racing with their enthusiasm. Sky's trackside people, presenters and analysis are better as is their level of coverage. I don't miss the BBC one bit, they can stick to wimbledon once a year and give up on the rest of sport after the olympics.

What the, I don't even.

[S. L.]

What the, I don't even.

the bbc coverage can be pretty crappy at times

[brotkasten]

the bbc coverage can be pretty crappy at times

Compared to what?

[Sleeplessnights]

Compared to what?

To his own coverage at twitch.tv

[Jensen]

Awesome, an opportunity to steer things back towards Sky then. MB and Crofty are just hands down better at commentating, more knowledgeable, free flowing, genuinely excited and draw you in to the racing with their enthusiasm. Sky's trackside people, presenters and analysis are better as is their level of coverage. I don't miss the BBC one bit, they can stick to wimbledon once a year and give up on the rest of sport after the olympics.

Than Ben Edwards and David Coulthard? lol

Martin Brundle who hasn't taken part in a championship in over 12 years and Croft who has never even taken part in any kind of motorsport. Ben Edwards is perfect, easily the best F1 commentator in my lifetime.

Sky's coverage is so labored and soulless compared to the BBC's coverage.

[Megasoum]

Than Ben Edwards and David Coulthard? lol Martin Brundle who hasn't taken part in a championship in over 12 years and Croft who has never even taken part in any kind of motorsport. Ben Edwards is perfect, easily the best F1 commentator in my lifetime. Sky's coverage is so labored and soulless compared to the BBC's coverage.

The only good thing about Sky coverage is the grid walk...and even then Coulthard is doing a good job at it. It's always end up super akward anyway.

[smiggyRT]

Than Ben Edwards and David Coulthard? lol Martin Brundle who hasn't taken part in a championship in over 12 years and Croft who has never even taken part in any kind of motorsport. Ben Edwards is perfect, easily the best F1 commentator in my lifetime. Sky's coverage is so labored and soulless compared to the BBC's coverage.

I think it was Croft who did the BBC 5 Live commentary last year but I agree on the rest of the points.

[Jensen]

I think it was Croft who did the BBC 5 Live commentary last year but I agree on the rest of the points.

Sorry should have made that post more clearer, I meant taking part in motorsport rather than commentating on it. Ben Edwards has genuine racing experience,

Brought up in Surrey, Edwards first started out in motorsport as a mechanic for Formula Ford teams in 1982, before beginning a career as a racing driver. He won the first Formula First championship, a now defunct championship for new drivers, and went to become champion in Caterham-Vauxhall sports cars. He also took part in the Euro Vauxhall Lotus championship where he raced against the likes of David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen.[1]

[brotkasten]

the bbc coverage can be pretty crappy at times

Sorry should have made that post more clearer, I meant taking part in motorsport rather than commentating on it. Ben Edwards has genuine racing experience,

Pfft, who cares about Edwards. Sky has Gerogie Thompson and she got just as much experience behind the wheel.

In September 2011, Thompson was banned from driving for 19 months, fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £100 in costs after being caught more than twice the legal limit for drink driving.