54 replies to this topic

[Tsarwash]

As mentioned before, I'm so bored of the negativity and constant sniping that the direction and new regulations have brought out in this forum, so this is a misguided and hopelessly naive attempt to bring together the people who are broadly in favour of what is currently happening in F1 in 2014, even if it is for reasons of pragmatism.
So, what are we liking about the current direction of F1 and what it has brought so far ?
IMO;
Firstly of course, the fact that Mercedes have stated that their two drivers are going to be allowed to race each other for the duration of the season. This is arguable the first time this will have happened for twenty odd years, if indeed Toto actually lets it happen.

The noise isn't great, but there's plenty of threads discussing how people hate it, but the fact that Honda are re-entering F1 next year is great news, and there are the healthy rumours that Cosworth and BMW are considering coming back into thr fold is encouraging too.

The tyres are better than last year, and another controversy seems pretty unlikely to me.

The drivers who show genuine promise seem to be in cars which will allow them to shine this season, with the notable exception of Grosjean.

The penalty points system would seem to be a step in the right direction in deterring amateur or juvenile driving.

Obviously there are plenty of negatives such as the double points bull, but this thread is an attempt at a bright outlook.

[senna da silva]

Thank you, great idea! 

 

The cars sound great, futuristic.

The racing so far has been very good, much fewer reliability issues than I had expected.

[MP422]

Definitely better tires and the quality of drivers on the grid. 

[917k]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the cars performance progress. So far, they seem to gain about a second a lap for each race. I suspect they will actually be faster than the V8's by mid-season - although race-pace is another story and affected by too many variables.

 

I don't love the sound, don't like the idea of drivers lifting and coasting and don't like many of the new noses but most of these things are improving and should be quite satisfactory in a season or two. The look of the cars when hustled is great and there is excellent parity from about 3 - 10 place. If MB keeps allowing their drivers to fight each other, we will be fine.

[Risil]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the cars performance progress. So far, they seem to gain about a second a lap for each race. I suspect they will actually be faster than the V8's by mid-season - although race-pace is another story and affected by too many variables.

 

Engine manufacturers always seem to find more horsepower than the rulemakers envisage. So given that the target for 2014 was parity with 2013 power outputs, it shouldn't be surprising to see a real-life boost in power. Which is never a bad thing for spectators.

[JHSingo]

I like the sound of the new cars, and despite thinking I wouldn't, I've grown accustom to the noses. I really don't think, or pay any attention, to them any more. Plus it is cool seeing new guys towards the front, definitely nice to see the Force Indias and Williams cars going well. Really enjoyed seeing Ricciardo take it to Vettel so far as well - that was something few people expected. And yes, it is good that we don't have to talk about the tyres as much this year, we seem to have had a good balance of degradation and strategy so far. Plus, despite not always being a Mercedes fan, I have to give them credit for allowing their guys to race.

 

Longer term, can't wait to see what Honda can do. Hopefully an extra year of preparation will mean they are in good shape for 2015. By the sounds of it, they might not be the only returning engine manufacturer too. The more the merrier.

Edited by JHSingo, 12 April 2014 - 18:26.

[Fastcake]

I'm just happy to see a new set of regulations in F1, and this time not just a minor engine downsize.

[DinocoBlue]

Great idea for a thread! I'm all for a bit of positivity, I think we're all far to quick to criticise these days.

[superden]

I'm enjoying the season so far, the cars sound fine to me and its nice not to see SV scurrying off into turn one, never to be seen again.

[Tommay]

The tyres!

Intentional or not, we've got tyres that will degrade no matter what. However they'll degrade faster if you don't push! So the drivers have to push yet we still get the degrading factor that makes the races interesting!

Edited by Tommay, 12 April 2014 - 18:55.

[ToniF1]

I am happy that there is no daily "your car is faster than mine so it must be illegal " . We had a shitload of controversies before, last time around Brown in 2009. and later with Red Bull. Mercedes has just built the best package.

 

Better tires

A1 ring back in calendar

[Spillage]

Good idea for a thread and I echo the OP's sentiments entirely. Here are my reasons to be cheerful, one, two, three:

 

1) Plenty of juicy teammate rivalries in the pipeline this year. Not only the titanic duel we all hoped for between Alonso and Raikkonen but it also looks like we're going to see some great drama between Vettel/Ricciardo, Perez/Hulkenberg and Hamilton/Rosberg. Between Massa and Bottas, we already have.

2) Here's what I like about the new rules; all the cars look different. It often used to be said that if you painted 'em all white you'd never be able to tell them apart, but that certainly holds true no longer. The new nose rules have enabled designers to apply different solutions and makes for some excellent variety in the design and appearance of the cars.

3) It looks like we're going to have a different champion for the first time since 2010. As much of a fan as I am of Vettel, that'll be refreshing to see and it'll be good for F1.

 

Lesser points include sexy new liveries for Mclaren, Williams & FI and the introduction of hot new talents like Magnussen & Kvyat.

 

Oh, and Bahrain was a cracking race 

Edited by Spillage, 12 April 2014 - 19:26.

[bourbon]

I'm enjoying the season as always. 

And forums less and less, so thank goodness for this thread.

[kimister]

Apart from Mercedes ,which seems to be far ahead from others, teams are more competitive and closer to each other. Therefore, we can see more action on track. If only Ferrari would have been stronger... 

[Lazy]

Love the new regs, been waiting a long time for them. I was a bit disappointed they ditched the l4's but no big deal. 

 

Less DF, more power and hi-tech PU's, doesn't get much better.

 

Sound is a big improvement especially under braking from speed. Like a bit of Kruder and Dorfmeister after years of Rammstein.

 

F1 back as it should be.

[HoldenRT]

The last race was good, especially the final 10 laps.  After the race everyone got excited, but what they didn't factor in.. was that there won't be a SC every race to spice it up and that doesn't usually happen.  Everything is so short sighted in F1.

 

Behind Merc, there's been good battles in every race and it seems like everyone has a chance.

 

The teammate rivalries are good.  It was good to watch Nico and Lewis push each other.

 

Someone said in the other thread, there's less corruption in the sport than there used to be.  And that the coverage is the best it's ever been, and those are true.. but the coverage could still be improved.  Especially online.

 

The cars are ok.. good in some ways, bad in some ways.  The regs are fresh and the teams are still trying to figure them out.. so for the time being, it's fun to watch them battle and fight it out.. and struggling with the limits.

 

Behind Merc.. it's Redbull, McLaren, Williams, Force India and Ferrari all capable of battling each other.. with STR even able to get in the mix sometimes.  And when they go back to Europe, Lotus could move forwards and join in.  So behind Merc, there's a lot of cars capable of fighting over that last spot on the podium.

[HoldenRT]

Oh.. and since Merc are the ones dominating at the moment and Redbull aren't the top dog at the moment.. there's less comments on the forum with people saying.. "if RBR keep winning I'm going to cancel my subscription and stop watching".. therefore the forums are more enjoyable to read.. how's that for a positive?

Edited by HoldenRT, 12 April 2014 - 19:55.

[sabjit]

In my opinion, those who are complaining about F1's new rules demonstrate they are completely out of touch.

[DinosaursRoarForHugs]

Yay this is a great idea 

 

Bahrain was a fantastic race, one of the best for a long time!

Formula 1 isn't as disgustingly irrelevant as it used to be!   but still remains sufficiently disgustingly irrelevant to be enjoyable

We've had a proper fight for the lead! 

Some of the cars don't have wang noses!

Lewis Hamilton is exciting to watch again!

A1 Ring!

[helioseism]

I have been in love with F1 since 1962, and I have yet to be disappointed with it. I love the new engine sounds, they grunt, they whine, they chirp. The cars have oodles of traction, leaving rubber at the slightest provocation. You can once again see drivers in power slides. It will get even better when what looks like a viable US team arrives.

[KnucklesAgain]

Agree with everything

[Option1]

Great thread idea.

 

For me, I couldn't care less about the noise.  Besides, watching TV, which let's face it 99.9% of the people commentating in threads are doing, gives zero idea of what they actually sound like. 

 

So, apart from wishing DRS would go away, and the phallic noses were clothed, I think F1 is in great shape with the new rules and the new tyres.  Other bright spots include:

 

*  There has been mucho passing down the field. 

*  The drivers are actually having to drive the things. 

*  We've got some sliding and moving about from the cars again.

*  The field is far more mixed up.

*  There's entertaining racing, which is far more important than just racing or just entertainment.

 

I would like to be positive that Ferrari will get their act together, but sadly must end this post on a negative with the belief that they won't - at least not this season.

 

Neil

[George Costanza]

Definitely better tires and the quality of drivers on the grid. 

quality of drivers?

Just no...

[HPT]

Here's two for me:

 

- I heard the cars live and up close. They sound GREAT. Admittedly they sound pretty sh*t on TV but if FOM invests in better microphones with better pickups then maybe the sound on TV can be more representative.

 

- I'm glad Mercedes lets their drivers race.

[PassWind]

No complaints from me, its been really good so far, main reason being most teams are so far away from the performance envelope there is plenty of racing going on in all the races so far.

 

So overall the positive is the actual on track racing. Bahrain had duels which will be talked about in 10 years time.

Edited by PassWind, 13 April 2014 - 04:40.

[TheManAlive]

Great idea for a thread.

 

I like that the tyres let you race, cars are able to overtake, engine sound is different but now you can hear other things like bottoming out and tyre squeal, that whilst we have a dominant car the two drivers are closely matched and allowed to race each other.

 

So far a very enjoyable series.

 

If only the press and certain senior figures would stop doing down the sport!

[Timstr11]

What I like about the new formula:

 

1. Engines are significantly more powerful than the V8, which is demonstrated by by the fact that Bahrain had laptimes that were nearing those of last year, despite harder tires, less downforce and heavier cars. And it's very early days in the new formula with lots of development to come in the next few months and years.
2. The sound is fine. More mechanical. More layered.
3. Still cautious about the Pirellis, but it looks like they've achieved a better balance between performance and degradation.
4. The grid has been shaken up a bit. Nice to have a bit of change. Will be very interesting to see the likes of Renault, Ferrari, RedBull and McLaren fight back.

[CHIUNDA]

I have issues with the engine sound and if it can be fixed by better microphones I wonder why the sport is opting for more complex solutions. Apart from that everything else is perfectly balanced.

[undersquare]

Humans are problem-solvers so It's natural to concentrate on the things that need working on, and motivation rises as we get nearer to a goal.

 

I guess together these two factors mean the level of complaining is a sign of how good things are   .

[sopa]

A new start with new regulations is a good thing for Formula One, be it 2014, 2009, 1998, 1994. So F1 doesn't get stale, shakes off the old and tired stuff and actually moves forward.

 

Red Bull domination has ended, outdated V8 engines are gone. You could almost feel the future instead of waiting something to end now.

[PretentiousBread]

Reasons to be cheerful with F1:

 

Roger Federer exists

Liverpool might win the league title

Summer is coming

I'm in good health

F1 is only on alternate weeks, generally

[FullThrottleF1]

Begone you hater! ;-D

[NotAPineapple]

I like that the phrase tripping balls has finally been used in the podium interview

[Zoetrope]

My drivers wins.

[krod]

So far, really good. Tyres are fixed, Red Bull is fixed. It's all peachy!

 

I have only one problem left - the double points.

[jonpollak]

Nice one Tsar.

Put me over in the glass half full side too.

 

Oh and PS...

Everyone I've talked to who's been to the track and heard the new cars say it's a good sound, different, but good.

 

Jp

[P123]

The cars sound great (those that complain about the volume will soon have their earplugs back in once it's increased...) and the drivers are actually working for a living (watch onboard footage of Alonso's opening lap at Malaysia) rather than relying on a farting exhaust to plant the cars for them. The tyres are also no longer made of cheese, which seems to be allowing the drivers to push and fight for more than just one corner before their tyres become a spent force.

And the last race showed to the world that di Montezemolo and Ecclestone are a right couple of self-interest fuelled diddymen that we all already know them to be, which is another huge positive.

[Coral]

I'm really enjoying this season. I love the new sound, the team-mate battles, Force India and Williams in amongst the points, the encouraging performances from Magnussen and Bottas, Ricciardo finishing races in front of Vettel, and especially, Lewis Hamilton winning.

 

Long may it continue!

[krapmeister]

Despite the dq, team pistop blunder and grid penalty that he's had, the way Ricciardo has gone about things in his first few races with RBR and alongside Vettel has been a huge positive for me

[Cyanide]

Love it. 

 

The intra team battles will be very interesting this year.

 

- Ricciardo seems to have what it takes to fight Vettel

- Perez can now challenge Hulkenberg

- Massa and Bottas are bound to have some sparks flying

- Raikkonen vs Alonso, as he starts getting more comfy in that lousy Ferrari

 

Besides that, other positives of this season so far:

 

- More durable tyres

- No more Vettel domination

- Much better driving 

- V6 sounds just great

- Mixed up grid

[HeadFirst]

I'm enjoying the season as always. 

And forums less and less, so thank goodness for this thread.

Could not have said it better. Can't wait until the Circus gets to Europe, I love "Breakfast With F1"!!!

[Dunc]

Like others have said, I like that the cars all look different and there is some genuine experimentation among the teams. I also like the juicy teammate battles.

I'm also pleased the teams I supported most in the 90s - Williams and Jordan - are back at the front, albeit one is FI now. I also like that Lewis has a competetive car anf Nico has the chance to prove his worth. Similarly I'm pleased Felipe has the chance to revive his career and that the IMO over-hyped Hulk and IMO unerrated Checo have a car to prove me right or wrong.

[ollebompa]

I have my 3 D's that bothers me.

Double points
DRS
Dernie Decclestone

But that is far outwheighted by positives. F1 always gives me far more then it takes, and i'm enjoying it immensely. Eventhough my guy isn't doing as well as before. I'm not selfish.

Once this settles F1 will be in a much better place.

[stkildaresident]

I guess I will be watching more 1996-2008 season replays this year. So I suppose that's something positive to look forward to.

Edited by stkildaresident, 14 April 2014 - 01:56.

[teejay]

Sounds, inter team battles, martini back, Lewis winning

[sebastiancooper]

Positivity great! Keep the soul alive!  

[Donkey]

Lewis has his mojo back.

 

Vettel is rattled. Ricciardo has proved that, for all Vettel's winging, there is decent pace in the Red Bull so Vettel needs to get his act together and figure out how to drive it if he wants to prove that he is a 'great' driver.

 

Decent racing from p3 down the field and most cars seem surprisingly reliable so far and nearly as quick as last year already (unfortunately I think some teams will get the edge and others will falter so it won't be as close come the end of the season).

[BillBald]

Despite the dq, team pistop blunder and grid penalty that he's had, the way Ricciardo has gone about things in his first few races with RBR and alongside Vettel has been a huge positive for me

 

That's the big surprise of the season, really. Many of us suspected he had been chosen as a definite #2, but it seems he has other ideas.

 

I really like these cars. Since they are more difficult to drive, it should become very clear which drivers really have the talent.

[MrMan]

I'm enjoying this new formula, I like the sound, I like the spectacle, I like 3 of the nose designs and overall I feel the formula is more relevant to me.

I'm genuinely excited by it.

 

Ford managed to get 123bhp and 56mpg out of a 1L turbo-charged engine the size of an A4 piece of paper and this was before MGU-H and MGU-K's were thrust into the spotlight under the glitz and glamour that is F1. Imagine what will come next...

[PayasYouRace]

My interest in F1 was waning at the end of last year, but these new rules have brought the excitement back. I'm loving F1 2014. It seems to incorporate a number of aspects that were missing from recent years. So far I've enjoyed all the Grands Prix to some extent. They actually sound great too, as was my experience at Jerez testing.