# Formula One Racing



## JMON

If there are any other F1 racing fans (like me) here - drop a post on this thread & we can chat. My fav team is Mercedes and my favorite driver is Valtteri Bottas.

While I should be promoting Formula E on T.O.O. ~ I can say that F1 is making the move to sustainability year by year and the hybridization of their cars has trickled into some supercars and cool Sports cars like new NSX etc.

This is the 1st year I'm using F1 TV Pro (vs. regular HD cable stream) and Oh man I'm impressed at all the content and quality etc. etc. Ask me any questions 

Anyways, they just shot me a 20% off referral link:

https://referme.to/jasonp-305


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## JMON

And F1 TV PRO is only $80 a year !


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## JMON

Am I correct (I'd bet a burger) that Lord of the Tires @Mad Hungarian is a fan of F1 ?

I'm 99% sure I recall you mentioning you were a Formula One fan Ian !


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## GDN

Have been a pretty die hard Indy fan for about 12 years. Started watching and getting into F1 about 4 years ago. I am not a Mercedes fan, but Bottas is my favorite driver. Past ready for Hamilton to move on or Bottas, he deserves better than second fiddle to Hamilton, but that is the way it will always be while they are both are Mercedes.

Season 3 of the the Netflix show just dropped a few days ago - have watched 3 of them. 

I'm not aware of F1 TV Pro, but I do know that they've altered the start time of some of their races to attract more US viewers this year. It hasn't been popular with many of the teams.


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## FRC

GDN said:


> Bottas is my favorite driver. Past ready for Hamilton to move on


I ain't never heared o them fellers. Kin they beat Chase Elliot?


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## doofusdan

Lol all these fans of the guy who's slow


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## GDN

FRC said:


> I ain't never heared o them fellers. Kin they beat Chase Elliot?


Well I don't know if they can beat him, but they think they are on a different level than him for sure.

There are so many kinds and types of racing, it's hard to keep up with it all, but from the crowds (kind of people) and the amount of money spent on a race (not including cheap beer) I will say they are likely in different leagues.

It is kind of like Nascar, then Indy, then F1. It takes more money to play at the top, almost too rich for my blood, but I might just make my way to Austin.


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## GDN

doofusdan said:


> Lol all these fans of the guy who's slow


If you're referring to Bottas, you mean the guy that is held back by his team.


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## GDN

This will be an interesting season. Bottas may be my favorite, but truly hoping that Vettel can shine getting out from under Ferrari - last year was a little toxic for him there. I also like Leclerc, but it will be interesting to see if Ferrari can bounce back and put a decent car on the track. 

The Aston Martin team could have plenty of its own drama basically combining with Stroll. Stroll is bringing big money, basically just buying a ride for his son, that always will bring some favoritism which can be hard to overlook which could be tough if Vettel does bounce back and takes the spotlight.

Should be good.


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## Mad Hungarian

JMON said:


> Am I correct (I'd bet a burger) that Lord of the Tires @Mad Hungarian is a fan of F1 ?
> 
> I'm 99% sure I recall you mentioning you were a Formula One fan Ian !


I have always had an emotional attachment to it, I mean what really serious gearhead/speedfreak hasn't at least had a passing interest in it? The technology alone is astonishing.

I voraciously read the history on the famous drivers and related stories in Road & Track growing up and was a regular at the Montreal GP from the early 80s to the mid 90s. Loooovvvveeed those days. But then a funny thing happened, as the electronics became more prevalent and the engines became smaller and revved to more outlandish top rpm I kinda lost interest... a big part of it for me was being able to relate to them as automobiles in some form that I recognized. By the late 90s / early 2000s I found they more resembled low flying UFOs that sounded like NOx-powered dentist drills. Just didn't do it for me. There were also many seasons where one or two ruling teams would just destroy the rest of the pack and that kinda killed some of the fun too. In the last events I attended some 12 - 15 years ago I had much more fun watching the support races, like the Ferrari Cup challenge, etc.

What actually blew my mind though was how great it was to watch Formula E live. Being that sound was such a visceral part of why I loved the early days of F1 (I can watch Rush on repeat endlessly) I thought it would be a snore, but MAN was I wrong. The wheel-to-wheel action was ferocious, much more like the early days of F1, and even the subdued, futuristic whine of the motors/gearboxes added an unexpected element that isn't really appreciated on TV.
Sadly we only had one event in Montreal in 2017 before the new mayor pulled the plug (sorry), something for which I will never forgive her. I mean we were the only city in the whole series where the cars ran on 100% renewable energy straight off the grid. We should have been the poster child for the entire thing. Arrrrgggghhh.


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## Needsdecaf

Been an F1 fan as long as I can remember. I think it's when I saw a model of a 6 wheeled Tyrrell and thought, "hang on, that's bloody cool!". 

Lately, as in really since the V6 hybrid era, I really can't stand the racing. I tune in every weekend, and about the most exciting thing they have is qualifying. Can't stand the Sky News world broadcast, horrid. Bring back Diffey, Hobbs and Matchett. Those guys were fun to listen to. These other guys screaming bloody murder, no thanks. 

The races are a total snooze fest 99.9% of the time. It is so bad it's actually re-inspired me to start watching IndyCar. I was really looking forward to the 2021 regs but we'll have to wait another year to see what happens, unfortunately. I'm no mechanical engineer so I can't tell you how we can get more competitive. I don't want to go to a near-spec series like Indy is, though. 

I'm a Hamilton fan. Been so since he nearly won the championship in 2007 when he blew it by putting it on the grass in China entering the pits! But fate gave him a pass in 2008 by causing Massa to go off. Poor guy. I'll never forget the video of Massa's dad realizing that he had just lost the championship. I'm pretty bored of him winning everything but have to say that even given that Mercedes is the best team, he's a hell of a driver. George Russell in his car last year though was epic. 

Oh, and to your original post, I can't get behind Formula E. The sound just drives me nuts!


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## Needsdecaf

Mad Hungarian said:


> I have always had an emotional attachment to it, I mean what really serious gearhead/speedfreak hasn't at least had a passing interest in it? The technology alone is astonishing.
> 
> I voraciously read the history on the famous drivers and related stories in Road & Track growing up and was a regular at the Montreal GP from the early 80s to the mid 90s. Loooovvvveeed those days. But then a funny thing happened, as the electronics became more prevalent and the engines became smaller and revved to more outlandish top rpm I kinda lost interest... a big part of it for me was being able to relate to them as automobiles in some form that I recognized. By the late 90s / early 2000s I found they more resembled low flying UFOs that sounded like NOx-powered dentist drills. Just didn't do it for me. There were also many seasons where one or two ruling teams would just destroy the rest of the pack and that kinda killed some of the fun too. In the last events I attended some 12 - 15 years ago I had much more fun watching the support races, like the Ferrari Cup challenge, etc.
> 
> What actually blew my mind though was how great it was to watch Formula E live. Being that sound was such a visceral part of why I loved the early days of F1 (I can watch Rush on repeat endlessly) I thought it would be a snore, but MAN was I wrong. The wheel-to-wheel action was ferocious, much more like the early days of F1, and even the subdued, futuristic whine of the motors/gearboxes added an unexpected element that isn't really appreciated on TV.
> Sadly we only had one event in Montreal in 2017 before the new mayor pulled the plug (sorry), something for which I will never forgive her. I mean we were the only city in the whole series where the cars ran on 100% renewable energy straight off the grid. We should have been the poster child for the entire thing. Arrrrgggghhh.


Interesting that you say the sound is good in person. Personally I can't stand the sound on TV. Agree with you on the actual racing though. But that's what you get from a near-spec series with a bunch of diverse race drivers who have kind of gotten past their prime trying to prove that they are still worth something. Makes for some very entertaining action.


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## JMON

GDN said:


> This will be an interesting season. Bottas may be my favorite, but truly hoping that Vettel can shine getting out from under Ferrari - last year was a little toxic for him there. I also like Leclerc, but it will be interesting to see if Ferrari can bounce back and put a decent car on the track.
> 
> The Aston Martin team could have plenty of its own drama basically combining with Stroll. Stroll is bringing big money, basically just buying a ride for his son, that always will bring some favoritism which can be hard to overlook which could be tough if Vettel does bounce back and takes the spotlight.
> 
> Should be good.


I hope Ferrari gets back in form - I want a three way race at the top (not two [w/just Red Bull racing Mercedes])

Aston Martin and Stroll - I got four words: Racing in the rain <----- he's a phenom in the rain and I feel he's earned his seat even though his Dad is Daddy Warbucks

Just finished watching Practice 1 at Bahrain and MAN was it good to see the cars and lads out on the grid again. Can't wait for Sunday !


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## JMON

Mad Hungarian said:


> I have always had an emotional attachment to it, I mean what really serious gearhead/speedfreak hasn't at least had a passing interest in it? The technology alone is astonishing.
> 
> I voraciously read the history on the famous drivers and related stories in Road & Track growing up and was a regular at the Montreal GP from the early 80s to the mid 90s. Loooovvvveeed those days. But then a funny thing happened, as the electronics became more prevalent and the engines became smaller and revved to more outlandish top rpm I kinda lost interest... a big part of it for me was being able to relate to them as automobiles in some form that I recognized. By the late 90s / early 2000s I found they more resembled low flying UFOs that sounded like NOx-powered dentist drills. Just didn't do it for me. There were also many seasons where one or two ruling teams would just destroy the rest of the pack and that kinda killed some of the fun too. In the last events I attended some 12 - 15 years ago I had much more fun watching the support races, like the Ferrari Cup challenge, etc.
> 
> What actually blew my mind though was how great it was to watch Formula E live. Being that sound was such a visceral part of why I loved the early days of F1 (I can watch Rush on repeat endlessly) I thought it would be a snore, but MAN was I wrong. The wheel-to-wheel action was ferocious, much more like the early days of F1, and even the subdued, futuristic whine of the motors/gearboxes added an unexpected element that isn't really appreciated on TV.
> Sadly we only had one event in Montreal in 2017 before the new mayor pulled the plug (sorry), something for which I will never forgive her. I mean we were the only city in the whole series where the cars ran on 100% renewable energy straight off the grid. We should have been the poster child for the entire thing. Arrrrgggghhh.


My first foray into F1 was Jacques Villeneuve in 1996 vs. Michael Schumacher. So while I did miss some of the most exciting era of F1 experimental engineering from 60's through to 80's I love looking back at the history of the sport and seeing 6 wheeled vehicles, Radical downforce tech like Brabham BT46 (vacuum car), teams refueling during the race etc. All that being said I can completely agree with you that some of the raw emotion of the sport has been sadly baked out of the sport by dropping cylinder sizes along with increasing environmental and safety standards i.e. when they first introduced the Halo I really lamented it but I've warmed up to it knowing the safety it brings to the drivers.

The years where Red Bull dominated 4 back to back championships with Sebastian Vettel for me were the darkest days of Formula One and I nearly walked away from the sport because of how boring it was to see Vettel disappear off into the distance within a few laps from lights out and never really get challenged at all = exceptionally boring. Then they brought in KRS and DRS and Mercedes started to get its stride and for me my passion was renewed seeing much more passing and mid pack really fight for every single point on the board.

While I want to get more interested in Formula E (thankfully they can now finish the race with a single car vs. switching cars for battery range at the 1/2 way mark) I'll keep my eyes and ears open as that venue advances and matures. My all time favorite F1 race of all time was the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix where only 3 cars FINISHED the race !!!! So epic .... I remember being out breath, laying on the ground in front of my cousins big screen tv with my feet up in the air just completely gassed at all the emotion and gritty raw wet racing - WOW ! I was so hooked . . .


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## GDN

Another +1 for not being able to watch Formula E, I can not handle the sound.

What I think is missed, and maybe they don't want to focus on it, is the hybrid mode of the F1 cars. It is pretty in-depth the way it is implemented and used.

I need to do more reading but I think Indy was set to introduce hybrid this year, but that may have been delayed.


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## Needsdecaf

GDN said:


> Another +1 for not being able to watch Formula E, I can not handle the sound.
> 
> What I think is missed, and maybe they don't want to focus on it, is the hybrid mode of the F1 cars. It is pretty in-depth the way it is implemented and used.
> 
> I need to do more reading but I think Indy was set to introduce hybrid this year, but that may have been delayed.


Yeah, they're pretty technically sophisticated for sure. I love the split compressor design that Merc. pioneered.


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## JMON

So Practice Sessions 1 & 2 are finished for Bahrain GP and the competition to Mercedes looks palpable this year. Seems like every year this is the case then Mercedes takes the proverbial sandbags out of the car and walks away to close out the front of the grid. But Red Bull seems exceptionally 'stable' whilst the W12 car seems capable but not 2016-2020 capable . . . yet. But the Front and Mid and Rear field seem well defined albeit with some fierce competition within those ranks. For me one of the highlights of P1 was Yuki Tsunoda making his official Formula 1 debut in Friday practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Japanese rookie's emotions got the better of him as he vented his frustration over team radio during FP1 when encountering some traffic: "Come on I got f---ing traffic," he exclaimed. His passion coupled with that Honda powertrain could be the dark horse of the season. However, I'd love to see the two 🇨🇦 drivers do well too & I think one of them just needs some rain to _stroll_ to the podium and the other well <gulp> could need a miracle (or more) to podium but the experience he gains will hopefully be rewarding enough.


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## SoFlaModel3

I grew up a massive Michael Schumacher fan. Stopped watching the sport for some time and now I’m an on again off again fan. I get bored watching Hamilton drive by himself in the lead. 

I would say my favorite current driver is Max Verstappen though and for obvious reasons I’ll be pulling for Mick Schumacher.


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## JMON

SoFlaModel3 said:


> I grew up a massive Michael Schumacher fan. Stopped watching the sport for some time and now I'm an on again off again fan. I get bored watching Hamilton drive by himself in the lead.
> 
> I would say my favorite current driver is Max Verstappen though and for obvious reasons I'll be pulling for Mick Schumacher.


Mick looked great in all practice sessions but sadly didn't make it out of Q1 today. However, I think he'll be one to watch !


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## Jim H

JMON said:


> If there are any other F1 racing fans (like me) here - drop a post on this thread & we can chat. My fav team is Mercedes and my favorite driver is Valtteri Bottas.
> 
> While I should be promoting Formula E on T.O.O. ~ I can say that F1 is making the move to sustainability year by year and the hybridization of their cars has trickled into some supercars and cool Sports cars like new NSX etc.
> 
> This is the 1st year I'm using F1 TV Pro (vs. regular HD cable stream) and Oh man I'm impressed at all the content and quality etc. etc. Ask me any questions
> 
> Anyways, they just shot me a 20% off referral link:
> 
> https://referme.to/jasonp-305


Been a F1 fan many years. Been to COTA twice for F1 with my son in my RV. Been to Abu Dahbi and Singapore for F1. I race a Honda in SCCA events, so big Honda fan. Have followed Max's rise to his current level, and I feel he is the future of F1. Only one out there that can challenge Hamilton for a title shot. Good to see McLaren's rise last year, and with new power should add some excitement for 2021. Current drivers Harry Potter (Lando) and Riccardo will have that team challenging for sure. Ferrari seems to have found some power again. Hope to watch a competitive race tomorrow.


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## Jim H

GDN said:


> Have been a pretty die hard Indy fan for about 12 years. Started watching and getting into F1 about 4 years ago. I am not a Mercedes fan, but Bottas is my favorite driver. Past ready for Hamilton to move on or Bottas, he deserves better than second fiddle to Hamilton, but that is the way it will always be while they are both are Mercedes.
> 
> Season 3 of the the Netflix show just dropped a few days ago - have watched 3 of them.
> 
> I'm not aware of F1 TV Pro, but I do know that they've altered the start time of some of their races to attract more US viewers this year. It hasn't been popular with many of the teams.


Used to watch Indy racing as well. Back in the days of AJ, Unsers, Andretti, Posey, Rahal, but not much any more. Watch the Indy 500 but that's about it. 
Had the pleasure of meeting and working with Al Jr. at Lincoln, Nebraska, for Solo Nationals, where he drove one of the Summitt cars, 2 years ago


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## Jim H

Needsdecaf said:


> Been an F1 fan as long as I can remember. I think it's when I saw a model of a 6 wheeled Tyrrell and thought, "hang on, that's bloody cool!".
> 
> Lately, as in really since the V6 hybrid era, I really can't stand the racing. I tune in every weekend, and about the most exciting thing they have is qualifying. Can't stand the Sky News world broadcast, horrid. Bring back Diffey, Hobbs and Matchett. Those guys were fun to listen to. These other guys screaming bloody murder, no thanks.
> 
> The races are a total snooze fest 99.9% of the time. It is so bad it's actually re-inspired me to start watching IndyCar. I was really looking forward to the 2021 regs but we'll have to wait another year to see what happens, unfortunately. I'm no mechanical engineer so I can't tell you how we can get more competitive. I don't want to go to a near-spec series like Indy is, though.
> 
> I'm a Hamilton fan. Been so since he nearly won the championship in 2007 when he blew it by putting it on the grass in China entering the pits! But fate gave him a pass in 2008 by causing Massa to go off. Poor guy. I'll never forget the video of Massa's dad realizing that he had just lost the championship. I'm pretty bored of him winning everything but have to say that even given that Mercedes is the best team, he's a hell of a driver. George Russell in his car last year though was epic.
> 
> Oh, and to your original post, I can't get behind Formula E. The sound just drives me nuts!


I remember the Tyrrell 6 wheeler, but my first year I developed a real interest was when Mario Andretti won the F1 title in the Lotus. I believe that was in 1978.


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## GDN

OK - the F1 talk is quiet - so I take this interruption to share just about my favorite day of the year - Indy Car in TX. Doubleheader - a race yesterday and one today. 220 MPH, 22 to 24 second lap times. Just pure speed. Now just 364 days to wait again.


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## 3V Pilot

I've been an F1 fan for a long time. Back in the late 70's early 80's I would go to the Long Beach Grand Prix almost every year. I was a Lewis Hamilton fan until he got too political so now I'm rooting for Verstappen. I do wish there was more competition and various teams winning. The last decade of Mercedes/Red Bull domination has gotten old. McLaren is one of my favorite teams and it's good to see them running closer to the front. I'm hoping for some mid field teams to move closer to the front runners. Look forward to this season but I'll congratulate Lewis for 8th title now, I don't think this year will be much different than what we have seen.


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## GDN

3V Pilot said:


> I've been an F1 fan for a long time. Back in the late 70's early 80's I would go to the Long Beach Grand Prix almost every year. I was a Lewis Hamilton fan until he got too political so now I'm rooting for Verstappen. I do wish there was more competition and various teams winning. The last decade of Mercedes/Red Bull domination has gotten old. McLaren is one of my favorite teams and it's good to see them running closer to the front. I'm hoping for some mid field teams to move closer to the front runners. Look forward to this season but I'll congratulate Lewis for 8th title now, I don't think this year will be much different than what we have seen.


McLaren now has a team - 2 cars, running in Indy Car. https://arrowmclarensp.com/ They won Sunday's race with Pato O'Ward, 21 year old Mexican driver in only his second year. Yesterday was his/their first win. They are putting a lot of stock in Pato and Zak Brown told him before this weekend that if he could win a race they'd take him to test in F1. Zak has already followed up to say Pato has earned the right. He previously had a second and third place win.

Indy Car is like you describe F1. The top couple of teams and drivers win week after week. It's hard to understand just how much better a handful of drivers or teams are. I guess money can buy the best. Indy Car runs identical cars and a choice of two motors (Chevy and Honda) however, very little else on the car is modified. In F1 the teams can and do make modifications that are not shared to all cars (hence the Builders Championship), so I can see how one team can be more dominant, but I too am ready for both series to have some big shakes up with the winners and leaders.


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## Jim H

3V Pilot said:


> I've been an F1 fan for a long time. Back in the late 70's early 80's I would go to the Long Beach Grand Prix almost every year. I was a Lewis Hamilton fan until he got too political so now I'm rooting for Verstappen. I do wish there was more competition and various teams winning. The last decade of Mercedes/Red Bull domination has gotten old. McLaren is one of my favorite teams and it's good to see them running closer to the front. I'm hoping for some mid field teams to move closer to the front runners. Look forward to this season but I'll congratulate Lewis for 8th title now, I don't think this year will be much different than what we have seen.


Agree that the last couple of years have not been the best for competition. Mercedes has dominated the competition for too many years, and hopefully some new players will make their mark this year. There are signs that may be a possibility this year, with Ferrari showing some life again, McLaren stepping up with new power and capable drivers. And Red Bull with two drivers who have shown they are serious contenders. I'd like to see Max win a title this year, but Lewis and Mercedes will need to make some mistakes to make that happen. That just has not been the case the last couple of years.
Also pulling for Lando and Charles, as the younger drivers are needed to bring back some competition and excitement.


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## 3V Pilot

Yes, the new blood and young drivers make the sport more exciting. I look forward and hope to see a time where we might not know who will win the next race! Would be so great to have a season where 3 or more teams could possibly take the title and it boils down to the last race of the season. Only time will tell. I tried to get tickets to Austin this year but all the good seats are already gone. Maybe next year.


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## Jim H

3V Pilot said:


> Yes, the new blood and young drivers make the sport more exciting. I look forward and hope to see a time where we might not know who will win the next race! Would be so great to have a season where 3 or more teams could possibly take the title and it boils down to the last race of the season. Only time will tell. I tried to get tickets to Austin this year but all the good seats are already gone. Maybe next year.


Went to COTA two years ago for my third trip. Picked up seat I wanted for Sunday race (turn 1) but I did a GA for Fri. and Sat. Picked up Fri's ticket last minute for around $25, and sat across from the Ferrari pit along main straight. So there are some last minute seats that come up. 
It would be nice if the title race would go down to the final race.


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## SoFlaModel3

I can’t wait for F1 in my backyard next year!!!!


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## 3V Pilot

SoFlaModel3 said:


> I can't wait for F1 in my backyard next year!!!!


Where is your backyard? I haven't been following the news, are they adding races here?


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## SoFlaModel3

3V Pilot said:


> Where is your backyard? I haven't been following the news, are they adding races here?


There will be a race next year at Hard Rock Stadium where the Miami Dolphins play. That's ~30 minutes away from my house!


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## Jim H

SoFlaModel3 said:


> There will be a race next year at Hard Rock Stadium where the Miami Dolphins play. That's ~30 minutes away from my house!


Does that mean I would have to fly into Miami airport for the race? With all the fights going on at that airport, I'll pass on that one. COTA much better.


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## SoFlaModel3

Jim H said:


> Does that mean I would have to fry into Miami airport for the race? With all the fights going on at that airport, I'll pass on that one. COTA much better.


You could fly into Fort Lauderdale. I avoid Miami like the plague.


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## tivoboy

Been an F1 super fan for over 40 years.. and as an American based in the USA one had to be pretty much die hard in those early days in order to watch in the middle of the night often or tape delayed. Getting a Betamax in the 80’s was quite the viewing change for me. In North America though, there was never any risk that one would find out the race results before one had the chance to watch it. Even today as long as one doesn’t have any ESPN phone alerts, and unless there is some major event during a race, I can go days without watching the race and still experience it without knowing the end. 

Currently still a fan of the Mercedes fan and you’ve got to hand it to Lewis’s dominance for the past decade, although I would like to see Botas unleashed by the team. I have the feeling he may move on next year. 

Having worked for Daimler for many years, I was spoiled to be able to meet all the drivers at various times and locations and attend many races ”behind the ropes” Today, we still go to races around the world but only about avg 1 a year. I really like Montreal for its ease of access and the towns appreciation of it. But, for tracks I prefer Spa and Austria for drivers and competition. We planned to go to Australia last year for the opener (and then do 10 days in New Zealand where I’d never been) but fortunately, I cancelled that trip about 10 days prior for obvious reasons. It was odd this year not having Australia be the opener, but understandable.


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## Klaus-rf

Current News:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/57086036
related to:
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/31420550/hamilton-says-learned-lot-verstappen-spain


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## Jim H

tivoboy said:


> Been an F1 super fan for over 40 years.. and as an American based in the USA one had to be pretty much die hard in those early days in order to watch in the middle of the night often or tape delayed. Getting a Betamax in the 80's was quite the viewing change for me. In North America though, there was never any risk that one would find out the race results before one had the chance to watch it. Even today as long as one doesn't have any ESPN phone alerts, and unless there is some major event during a race, I can go days without watching the race and still experience it without knowing the end.
> 
> Currently still a fan of the Mercedes fan and you've got to hand it to Lewis's dominance for the past decade, although I would like to see Botas unleashed by the team. I have the feeling he may move on next year.
> 
> Having worked for Daimler for many years, I was spoiled to be able to meet all the drivers at various times and locations and attend many races "behind the ropes" Today, we still go to races around the world but only about avg 1 a year. I really like Montreal for its ease of access and the towns appreciation of it. But, for tracks I prefer Spa and Austria for drivers and competition. We planned to go to Australia last year for the opener (and then do 10 days in New Zealand where I'd never been) but fortunately, I cancelled that trip about 10 days prior for obvious reasons. It was odd this year now having Australia be the opener, but understandable.


I have to agree Hamilton has shown his dominance in recent years with Mercedes, but one event made me question that. When Hamilton was out for one race with COVID and Mercedes put Russell in his seat, (even though he really didn't fit that well in it) Russell should have won that race. There's no question Mercedes made the choice to keep him from doing that, with the bogus tire stops to keep him behind Bottas. Bottas could not keep up with him, that was clear. I agree that Bottas may not be with Mercedes next year, as they may need to start to look for the Lewis replacement. Not sure if Russell is the guy after his incident with Bottas, but maybe. What would Max do in that seat?
So Lewis might be the best ever, but would any other good driver be able to do the same feat in that seat?


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## Needsdecaf

tivoboy said:


> Been an F1 super fan for over 40 years.. and as an American based in the USA one had to be pretty much die hard in those early days in order to watch in the middle of the night often or tape delayed. Getting a Betamax in the 80's was quite the viewing change for me. In North America though, there was never any risk that one would find out the race results before one had the chance to watch it. Even today as long as one doesn't have any ESPN phone alerts, and unless there is some major event during a race, I can go days without watching the race and still experience it without knowing the end.
> 
> Currently still a fan of the Mercedes fan and you've got to hand it to Lewis's dominance for the past decade, although I would like to see Botas unleashed by the team. I have the feeling he may move on next year.
> 
> Having worked for Daimler for many years, I was spoiled to be able to meet all the drivers at various times and locations and attend many races "behind the ropes" Today, we still go to races around the world but only about avg 1 a year. I really like Montreal for its ease of access and the towns appreciation of it. But, for tracks I prefer Spa and Austria for drivers and competition. We planned to go to Australia last year for the opener (and then do 10 days in New Zealand where I'd never been) but fortunately, I cancelled that trip about 10 days prior for obvious reasons. It was odd this year now having Australia be the opener, but understandable.


The problem is you have to stay off social media. I often have it ruined by a tweet, Instagram post, etc. as I follow a lot of the teams, manufacturers, drivers etc.


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## tivoboy

Needsdecaf said:


> The problem is you have to stay off social media. I often have it ruined by a tweet, Instagram post, etc. as I follow a lot of the teams, manufacturers, drivers etc.


What is this social media of which you speak?

;-)


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## Needsdecaf

tivoboy said:


> What is this social media of which you speak?
> 
> ;-)


Don't get on it. You're better off without it!


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## tivoboy

Needsdecaf said:


> Don't get on it. You're better off without it!


I made that decision over 35 years ago. ;-)


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## JMON

My favorite race of the season is this weekend. Anybody else watching ? Practice was today (Thursday) and Ferrari was on top  which is INCREDIBLE.
My wish for a 3 way race at the top may be materializing and Charles Leclerc may actually get to finish his home race ! Saturday will be critical as there isn't much passing in Monaco.


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## JMON

SoFlaModel3 said:


> There will be a race next year at Hard Rock Stadium where the Miami Dolphins play. That's ~30 minutes away from my house!


Now USA has two F1 races . . . while us up here in Canada cancelled ours last year and this one too 

And there's the Formula E race in Brooklyn too !
https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/championship/race-calendar/2020-2021/new-york-city


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## GDN

JMON said:


> My favorite race of the season is this weekend. Anybody else watching ? Practice was today (Thursday) and Ferrari was on top  which is INCREDIBLE.
> My wish for a 3 way race at the top may be materializing and Charles Leclerc may actually get to finish his home race ! Saturday will be critical as there isn't much passing in Monaco.


Practice recorded and we turned it on to watch it, but had other things going on the house, so did not follow closely. I know it is Monaco, and the race is this weekend, but I thought Monaco was always the same as Memorial Day and the Indy 500 here. I'm likely just wrong about that or it is coming a week early this year.


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## tivoboy

JMON said:


> My favorite race of the season is this weekend. Anybody else watching ? Practice was today (Thursday) and Ferrari was on top  which is INCREDIBLE.
> My wish for a 3 way race at the top may be materializing and Charles Leclerc may actually get to finish his home race ! Saturday will be critical as there isn't much passing in Monaco.


We'll it is HOME to more than half of them at this point. And half the year they live together 2-3 in an appt or home.


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## Klaus-rf

GDN said:


> Practice recorded and we turned it on to watch it, but had other things going on the house, so did not follow closely. I know it is Monaco, and the race is this weekend, but I thought Monaco was always the same as Memorial Day and the Indy 500 here. I'm likely just wrong about that or it is coming a week early this year.


Monaco has run Thursday (practices), Saturday (qualifying) and Sunday (race day) for as long as I can recall (late 60's?). Most of the country's income comes form gambling and they cannot have their banks closed three days in a row. So I've heard.


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## Needsdecaf

It's early this year.


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