17 replies to this topic

[Bartonz20let]

Its something that has been repeated over and over in the media, on forums and in general conversation since the dawn of the Pirelli era and I'm still strggling to understand exactly what it means or if it means anything at all?

 

Were constantly bombarded with comments regarding how a higher intelligence will lift (insert drivers name) over the rest of the field in terms of fuel management, tire management, tactics, race management, setting up the car, the list is endless but very little or any of it seems to hold true.

 

I'll generalise to avoid upsetting fans of particular drivers but I can think of many occasions where supposed tire magician's have been made a complete hash of it, master tacticians have been fount totally wanting and perceived brain boxes have made totally dumb mistakes.

 

Is it me or are we overstating the usefulness of a drivers (perceived) IQ and understating the influence of the people in the team that make these derisions on the pit wall and at the teams bases and the technology that allows them to make such calls?

 

Is this really the thinking man's formula or is this just currently an en-vogue comment from the press?

[Solari12]

He whoever hold the biggest balls, reliabiltiy and the best car wins.

[Boxerevo]

The thinking thing in the racing world like in any universe is being not only smart but being wise.

 

For sure some drivers master this quality and some don't,but like any other important skill in driving needs the rest to come together to be a great driver.

 

You can be smarter,wiser but less skilled with the action of actual racing.

 

So anyway you have to push to be complete.

Edited by Boxerevo, 29 March 2014 - 11:49.

[Lights]

I wouldn't go further than saying that occasionally higher intelligence will reap its rewards. I agree that the media overplays it.

[wepmob2000]

It used to be the case, when the driver actually had a major role to play in decision making. Stewart, Lauda, and Prost all held a huge advantage because of their intelligence.

Nowadays, I don't think intelligence has much of a role to play. All decision making seems to be done by the pitwall, as long as the driver can obey instructions, that seems to be the extent of his decision making. There's a couple of driver's who come across as being.... well.... not the sharpest blades in the drawer, but they are successful.

[sopa]

As OP says, of course a smart driver can sometimes make mistakes or dumb decisions. Like Ross Brawn can make an awful strategy call and Newey develop a malfunctional car part. However, the point is how many good or bad decisions they make on average.

 

But I agree that "intelligence" is somewhat overrated. It is not like some of the drivers are absolutely idiots - the margins are very small, often are not reflected in the final result at all. I remember Jonathan Palmer was considered as a very intelligent person, but he wasn't very fast in F1. Regardless of IQ, you still need to have the top-notch form, talent and reflexes to go super-fast around the circuit to get good results.

[rhukkas]

The media come out with constant rubbish.

 

Remembner all the 'extra sliding' we were supposed to see this year? No different than last year and that's with us missing the blown diffusers.

[Jejking]

Let's take Hamilton vs Rosberg, LH being the more instinctive and flatout driver than NR. "I can't go any slower', said LH last year in a race somewhere. NR worked his way around the problem, it seemed he pedalled back where Hamilton had lesser idea of how to slow the car down effectively without compromising his corner speeds too much. An example of intelligence I think, but it all depends on the track, circumstances, tyres and many other factors. Can we say that one driver is 'dumber' than some other? Maybe, but not so much into todays F1. F1 drivers come out of their breeding pods half engineer it seems, they know very much through education and preparation. The bar has risen dramatically over the years.

[jjcale]

Good thread idea....lets put this to bed and hopefully the journos will read this and STFU about this.

 

At the end of the day driving is a physical activity, there is a little bit of "thinking" in the traditional sense involved in racing a car for an hour and a half but not so much that it matters to the outcome of races very often. What matters more than "thinking" is a bit of craftiness or what we might call "quick thinking"... that helps... but even then other factors like quality of the car, and basic talent are more important. 

 

Outside of the actual racing "thinking" may help with working with the engineers to set up the car but even then the engineers do most of the "thinking" work and driver's role is mostly to give feedback.

 

I despair of journos generally and F1 journos in particular.... how hard is it to just give us the facts without mixing in some spicy bullshit??

[bub]

I also think the impact a drivers intelligence will have on his race results is massively exaggerated. I personally think if a driver was or would have been good, bad or average under the previous regs, he will still be good, bad or average in this modern F1.

 

We also don't know how the drivers compare in terms of intelligence anyway.

[metz]

I can't think of one team that hired a driver because of his intelligence.

 

Well, maybe Peter Sauber, who in 2010 had trouble determining what's wrong with  car.

With 5 races to go in the season, he brought back Heidfeld to give him proper feedback.

Must have worked, since the team scored more points in the last 5 races than all races prior.

But Heidfeld was not smarter. Just more experienced than the 2 young guns on the team.

 

Today's drivers are so occupied with the fiddling of the dials and knobs, nobody has time to think.

[ANF]

F1 is perhaps the thinking engineers' formula – more so today than ten years ago when drivers were flat out and grands prix were series of short sprint stints.

[Jackmancer]

I think with each technological addition, and with each generation of drivers pushing each other forward, intelligence is becoming ever more important. But the same applies to raw speed and physical fitness, and all the other attributes one needs to become a successful F1 driver. 

[ngwe23]

No offense but this question should be posed in the SQT ( Stupid Questions Tread).

[RuleyRamundo]

F1 needs to be just fast, flat out, wasting fuel, engines, tyres, lots of noise and Hamilton might have a chance. They can play chess or connect four before or after the race if they like so they can think then. 

[HoldenRT]

They have to put some sort of a positive spin on it.. they can't really say that it's stale and sterile and crap.. not really a good way to advertise the sport, or justify their interest in it.

[pingu666]

f1 likes to think its the best of everything, but its not. from a stratagy point of view other series have more varibles, but the mental workload in the last few years just doing normal driving stuff is pretty damn high.

[SlickMick]

Do you honestly think people are equating use of the word "intelligence" in sport with a participants IQ. If so then...(queue another ban for me).

Commentators use the word to infer experience, success in executing instructions, an innate feel for conditions or environment, an ability to evaluate risks and opportunities ....... whatever the hell you want to say, but nowhere should that be inferred as IQ. That would just be plain unintelligent - or thick, idiotic, stupid, moronic etc. - why don't you have a chat with Wayne Rooney about it!