I have been following Formula One races as a kid since the 80's (I am 35) and was literally amazed back at the time by the great fights and superb moves of racers like Mansell (I am still a great fan of Nigel), Senna, Prost, Piquet (the father, obviously ), etc.

I am really starting to be fed up with all these sanctions (especially "absurd" sanctions that are taken once the race is over) from race stewards against racers that are basically fighting for their race positions.

Is F1 becoming a farce ?

It started to become a farce in 1994.

i have never seen rules being invented as much as this year

There have always been dodgy decisions, I think the difference this year has been the number of bad decisions and lack of justification given for them.

Then you must have missed 1994 or do you consider someone winning a WDC with an illegal car all season, not a farce.

Becoming? I don't think you could point to a single period in Grand Prix racing that even approached being farce-free.

At least nowadays, they don't result in senseless death and violence.

Off-track, F1 has always been a soap opera.

So the farcical element depends on how much of the real action goes on off-track. This year it's been a lot. Time for Bernie and Max to retire.

Nowhere near as farcical as some threads on this forum (including this one).

Stop whining, 'cuz you're all going to watch anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_o...mula_One_season

You obviously didn't watch F1 in 1994 if you don't know the meaning of Farce.

1994 was WAY more farcical than 2008.

2001/2 Austria?
2005 Indy?

I don't see the point your are trying to make there . The fact that F1 races are more of a farce than ever (aren't they ?) does not mean they are not worth being watched. On the contrary, I do believe that some (but not necessarily all) of the races this year were by far better than what we have been able to watch this past decade.

Besides, the whole point there is that, while most races were indeed worth being watched, off-the-track decisions taken after the races did shave away some (if not all) of this enjoyment. Aren't we all interested in seeing races happening and being decided on the track ?

The greatest farcical race so far ? Definitely the Fuji race ! And I am not saying this because of the sanctions taken against Lewis and Felipe (those were at least taken while the race was still on), but because of this absurd decision taken against Seb Bourdais and his tangle with Felipe Massa...

The reason F1 has become a farce is because the governing body thinks it´s bigger than the sport. They think it´s about them. Also, Eccelstein thinks he´s bigger than the sport. Another reason.

The reason its becoming a farce is because its run by ferrari minded people. Call me childish, clueless, retarded anything you want, IDC, its now become blatently obvious.

*2

They forgot about the sport itself and even more important: the fans.

with respect i see the point you're making and the penalty against Bourdais is truly ludicrous, but Indy '05 as a race was waaaay more farcical than yesterday....in terms of the modern era, the farce is rooted firmly, and emanates like a foul stench, from the FIA office in Paris. Find me any other sport where the chief of the governing body allows the rules of the organisational procedure to be modified at a whim to suit one entrant over another....find me any other sport where the main rules of the sport are ignored by the representative of the organisation from week to week......




or to put it another way, if this weekend had been football we saw the FA decide to award one of the teams a draw for a goal they had disallowed during a game......the only incident i can think of that matches the type of precedent we saw this weekend with the Seabass penalty is the recent ICC decision to change the result of the England vs Pakistan cricket test (the Darrell Hare 'forfeited' test) to a draw, several years after the match was originally awarded to England after the Pakistani team refused to re-take the field.....if it is the case, as has been reported, that the drivers were told in the briefing that the inside lane had right of way, the stewards disregarding the 'statement' has far-reaching ramifications for the pastime we call F1....would the FA decide to award an extra goal after the event? maybe deduct one? oh can you hear the squeals of laughter from Lancaster Gate....i can hear something, but i'm distracted by the stink emanating from Paris (apologies to any Parisians* reading, i don't mean you, i mean the FIA's gaff, honest)


*edit, i wasnt sure whether Parisiennes was the correct spelling for a resident of Paris, or whether it was a bread bun 'ich bin einer Berliner' etc ;)

I totally agree. BTW I should have pointed in out in my previous post that the Fuji race was the most farcical race so far in the 2008 championship , which would be more proper. A rating of the most farcical race in F1 history might be interesting if anyone is interested in listing all the relevant races (the list might be too long though... ).

This being said, there are 2 more races remaining. Your never know what these could bring

WRT the penalties I say no, many are wrong decisions but there have been correct ones as well.

When it comes to the regulations regarding the design of the cars I think its been a farce for years

It's had farce elements for a long time - the BB would have had fun with the 1981 season, among others.

Yes.

The farce begin in Hungary 2007 :\ .. and become a Circus in the last races.

It's been a farce for a long time. It's certainly nowhere near being the Pinnacle of Motorsport as it claims to be.

Rom Dennis is a farce farting machine.

Robert Kubiza has big nose=F1 farce.
I loooove it! Anger, passion, controversy...big nozes...

It is not, but the stewards some times have no idea about F1 and that is a big problem. Especially when they lose sight because of their nationality or bias. It has always happened in F1. But they are improving lately IMO.

I agree. The Japanese GP was the first I've not watched live/recorded for about 3 years. I'm honestly getting to the point of not caring any more. It's more habit than anything else at the moment. I've no confidence in the FIA to provide a level playing field and I can't support any of the drivers in contention for the WDC, none of them are likable, and the final winner may well be the one that stumbles less than the others.

In short, it's been a farce for a number of years, but this year and last take the biscuit.

I'm about the same as you. I watched Singapore and didn't enjoy it at all, same with Valencia. The problem for me is that those two tracks are examples of the way F1 is going; gimmicky and dull. I didn't bother with Japan either, i've seen the incidents, but it's about the first race - like you say - in a few years that i've not sat and seen it all. Whoever wins it this year i really don't mind and means nothing to me.

With all the penalites that are flying around, the insane rear wing and KERS coming in next year, it does seem that F1 is going downhill - for me at least.

A great year, 81; that was the one when every car was illegal, I think....