36 replies to this topic

[karlth]

Just curious.

[MOTORSPORT RESORT]

Are you kidding, after today's qualifying, what's not to watch,. Sometimes the Circuis will give a few interesting moments, I look forward to the race..

speedy@f1power.com

[bergwerk]

Ask this question again after ABC gets the F1 rights next year....

[fines]

I didn't watch Hungaroring, but I think I'll go and see Montoya's first win...

[Chris Skepis]

Hey Fines
This Bruce McLaren quote is the best one I ever saw.......Where did you get it from ??

[Wolf]

I still do (haven't missed a race in quite a long while), out of pure masochism....

[FW11B]

When I started watching that's all I did, now I'm usually doing other things at the same time.

That said, it's well known in the family that every other weekend I don't go anywhere

[Keir]

I haven't missed a race in soooooo many years, I really don't understand how anyone can call themselves a true race fan when F1 is not their viewing of choice.
F1 is the only motorsport that has truly evolved. Some of that evolution was good (less driver deaths), and some , not so good
(classic circuits gone for good).
At the end of the day, I'll always be an F1 fan.

[Barry Boor]

I moan about it; I get fed up with it; I get depressed by it; and often I get just plain BORED by it.

But would I miss it? Not on your life, matey!

[David M. Kane]

Only SpeedVision carries F1 in the States. If you don't have DirectTV in the States you cannot get it no matter how much you
are willing to pay. It is a ridiculous situation. Here in the
"colonies" of Eastern Maryland there are NO current options via
other cable services.

In the meantime, Bernie and Max can kiss my....

[Felix Muelas]

Is there anybody here who doesn't watch Formula 1 anymore?

Oh, yes, of course there is somebody : for instance, me.
After having been following F1 for almost 30 years, not missing a single race, I started finding myself sleeping through almost all races.
Step one was to simply forget the traditionally boring races. It worked wonderfully. Then I discovered that I was not really enjoying the ones left in my own calendar. The conclusion was obvious...
I still try to know what´s going on at that "circus" reading the chronicles, the news and that magazine...Autosport. From time to time (but I´ll say once or twice a season) I´m curious about a move, so I ask some of my friends to let me see it in video, and I am normally disappointed.
I don´t enjoy it anymore, you see? That´s the key element, I guess. I blame nobody and I feel sorry.
But there´s plenty of old stories to investigate, noises to hear, old places to visit, pages to browse...it´s called History, and it has definitely taken over in my case.

Felix

[Don Capps]

Similar situation to that of Felix.

Only I stopped ages and ages ago, except for the very rare exception. Generally, it is a combination that the races come on while I am at church and when I taped them I wondered why.... so, I stopped taping them.

I have curiosity of sorts, but if I were not involved in Atlas F1, I would probably have no idea of what is happening. Again, like Felix, I have found other things to ponder in the historical area.

I do catch the odd qualifying session or race, but not more than a handful in a season. When possible, my son and I would try to catch the Oz GP or the Japanese GP. He went from an avid fan to where he scarcely even bothers to ask about the results.

However, I do try to catch any CART or IRL or NASCAR or Grand American or ALMS events that I can. I find them far more entertaining.

If I remember, I will try to remember to catch the US GP.

[mhferrari]

I get Speedvision in the States on cable.

I watch and stay up til' the wee hours of the morning to watch GPs. Don't miss a GP unless I have to.

[Big Jim]

David,
I am with you 100%. I'm now waiting for next year and ABC/ESPN.
Until then the NHRA coverage can't be beat, not by NASCAR or CART or IRL.
I hope Big Daddy and Cha Cha can put on a show this weekend at the Nationals in Indy.
Big Jim

[fines]

Chris, I'm not sure about the McLaren quote, I think it was once a slogan on his company's visiting cards.

Originally posted by Keir
I haven't missed a race in soooooo many years, I really don't understand how anyone can call themselves a true race fan when F1 is not their viewing of choice.

I am a fan of racing, therefore I usually don't watch F1...

[Keir]

fines,
Don't you mean "contrived racing" like NASCAR and CART?
(Oops, there's a piece of lint over on turn three, FULL COURSE YELLOW!!!) Has everyone forgotten Portland and Cleveland??
I thought the "Bob Booky School of Remedial Driving" had somehow taken over the CART series.

Yes, Elizabeth, F1 has changed over the years, but it's still racing. It's not like the Trans Am type of racing, with constant fender bending and rearending. It's not like the IRL, the oval racing version of "open mike night." It's not like NASCAR, which combines all the negative points of the IRL and Trans Am and point blankly refuses to run a race without constant interruptions! (And I don't mean the TV commercials!) And what can I say about CART? The grand daddy of American racing dominated by whatever "flavor of the month, can't hack it in F1, refugee" the rest of the world can bring us. I've actually seen a bit of racing in CART, too bad it has to come between so many yellows. ( Hey, Molly, There's that piece of lint again. Get out the yellow!!!)

Come toward the light, don't be afraid, it's F1 and they still get in a fair bit of racing, but you have to be watching to see it!

[fines]

I am NOT a fan of CART, and certainly NOT of NASCAR!

[Chris Bloom]

Well yesterdays qualifying session and todays race were anything but boring! They more than made up for the processional effort in Hungary two weeks ago.

There was plenty of passing, and there always seemed to be a battle going on somewhere in the field! Of course the best thing about the race was hearing that Luciano Burti is seemingly okay after that horrendous accident! It's almost unbelievable how dtrong a modern Formula One car is?

Chris

[Don Capps]

I was about to say something, but then decided to keep my mouth shut.... I think my opinion is known and so be it.

[calissa]

I didn't watch formula one for about half a year - the 1994 season -after the death of Senna and Ratzenberger . I think , if there were very serious accidents now , I wouldn't be a f1-fan any more . Think about it , Burti isn't too badly hurt after that awful accident ..... now it's a good time to watch the races !

[Keir]

Don,
Your opinion is always welcome, fuel for the fire and all that!!!

fines,
My confidence in you is restored.

BTW, all,
Right now I'm posting while the IRL race is in a "yellow" phase.
Later, I'll be watching the CART race. Yesterday I watched a Trans Am race. So, I don't speak without the benefit of giving a series it's proper due. I mainly watch the IRL for the Cheever interviews and the fact that I am a profound Sarah Fisher fan. The Trans Am is quite like the BTCC (shake and bake, slam and jam). CART is still a comedy of errors, but it is fun to watch. NASCAR is so ho hum, too many breaks, but every once and a while, it rocks!!

[fines]

Thanks Keir, this takes a burden off my neck!

And you're right, of course, although I lament the state of racing in current times, I'm still an addict at heart. I still try to see whatever's on the telly, but it's no longer a top priority.

[Keir]

Speaking of CART.
I'm posting during, guess what?? 1 freakin' lap at Vancouver and it's YELLOW, YELLOW, YELLOW. Racing

[Joe Fan]

I used watch every race that I could but not anymore. I will always watch the season-opener, Monaco, Nurburgring, Spa and the US GP or any race that could decide the championship. I pretty much know who is going to win the races now by qualifying results so if I see the usual suspects up at the front after qualifying, I don't bother getting up early. If I get up early enough to catch the end of the race, then fine. If not, then no big loss as most of the races are lopsided sleepfests that are over after the first turn anyway.

About the only races that I watch religously are NASCAR Winston Cup and the World of Outlaws. I find myself watching more IRL and World Rally races these days and a lot less CART.

[Darren Galpin]

I still attempt to watch every race, although for the early morning races in Australia etc I set the VCR and watch them when I get up. I find the fast forward button very useful in these cases. I have also fallen asleep in front of a GP for the first time this year - either I'm getting older, or the races are less interesting....... Still, the races provide a good hour and a half or peace and quiet when I can always work on my webpage undisturbed (although this hasn't got through to my cats yet).

[deangelis86]

I haven't watched a race since 1995 - but then again I don't profess to being a true fan....

[Rick Baumhauer]

Well, not being able to get Speedvision, my Dad tapes the races for me. One caveat - if MS wins, I don't want to see it (this weekend's race at Spa being a possible exception, since I love the track). Don Capps and I would have to "agree to disagree" about Senna, but I'm definitely with him on M. Schumacher.

This past weekend's race is just another stellar example as to why I just don't buy the "Michael is the Greatest" line - another race where the other teams fell all over themselves getting out of his way.

Historically, when Michael has been put under real pressure, he's shown a tendency to make mistakes. Unfortunately, Ferrari has given him a bullet-proof car for the last two years and he's been able to maximize the benefit of the pit stop regulations (still a travesty, IMNSHO) in order to build gaps without having to pass (or even race much with) other cars. He's great at running a race at the quickest elapsed time (under the current regs), but he's not much of a "racer", which takes him down many pegs in my estimation.

It's such a crying shame that Senna died - '94-'95 could easily have been his 4th and 5th championships (and great season-long fights with Schumi), rather than MS's 1st and 2nd. Don't know if he would have continued driving after that, but the '96 and '97 Williams were pretty unbeatable, as well.

Just another tragic episode of "Racing: What Might Have Been"......

[Keir]

Now here's a thought. The number 1 and 2 drivers on the all time win list, Schumacher and Prost, come under the most heinous critiques. I, for one, don't understand why anyone would say MS isn't the best racer of his generation. He is head and shoulders above all the rest and would have certainly given Senna fits had the tragedy at Imola not occured. Prost, wasn't a "racer" in it's purest sense, but you can't argue with the results.
But speaking of heinous critiques, number 3 in the top wins list, Senna is simply the best pure racer that ever or will ever exist.

With me, as anyone can tell by the "famous Amon" thread, racing has and will always be a passion. I will always watch F1 and the drivers that make it the Zenith of all racing.

The USA Marine Corps put it best, "Semper Fi"

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Rick Baumhauer
Just another tragic episode of "Racing: What Might Have Been"......

With them two around, we would get a sacrilege- F1 cars with fenders, and somewhere along the line 'greek chariot' type of wheel-hubs would've popped up... Besides, MS 'gave' Ferrari the team (Brawn, Bryne, Todt) to provide him the car. He may be the few-times-attempted-murderer, but still the fastest one around and with sufficient willpower to make things work out for him...

[Keir]

murder

Now, Wolf, my lad, that's quite a tangent you've got onto, be careful not to fall from such a steep height!!!

What Schumi and Senna and Mansell and Jones and Gilles and Rodriguez and Siffert and Mairesse and Brabham and Rindt and Peterson and Surtees and Stewart and Amon and Cervert and Beltoise and Fangio and Hawthorn and Brooks and Moss and Hulme and Courage and Collins and Bandini and Scarfiotti and the various Hills et al. is RACE!! Modern day gladiators in a cruel sport.
Isn't that one of the main reasons we all watch? And continue to watch?

[Don Capps]

Remember: to disagree is fine, to be disagreeable isn't.....

Not that anyone would be, just a reminder of the ground rules....;)

[Leif Snellman]

I once missed 20 minutes of a Monaco Thursday practice (thanks't to Eurosport's program list). Otherwise I think I have seen every single lap shown on the Finnish networks (including free practices)for the last 26 years. To me Formula 1 racing is NEVER NEVER boring. Every start is something special in a way that I never feel with any other kind of racing (as F3000 & Cart)
Sometimes looking at the race I'm glad.
...sometimes sad.
...and sometimes I get mad.
... But never, ever indifferent!
(And remember, Formula 1 is also character building. If you can survive 51 Prost victories without commiting suicide you survive ANYTHING.)

[Hans Etzrodt]

I follow grand prix racing since I saw my first race in 1951. There was little on TV in the fifties but I listened to the radio sport-show on Sunday afternoon. While living in Africa, I only had the daily paper, my Motoring News subscription and Autosport. There was no TV.

Now I get up in the middle of the night to watch a live F1 show at 1:30 in the morning. I won't miss it. It’s like an addiction. Sometimes I fall asleep, especially when races become a procession. But I run videotape at the same time to make sure I won't miss anything. Only Super Bikes are more awesome.

[Keir]

Don,
Always the voice of reason. I really thought I could get you going with that "Semper Fi" remark.

Hans,
You hit this one on the head, ADDICTION!

[NYR2119935]

Originally posted by Keir
I really don't understand how anyone can call themselves a true race fan when F1 is not their viewing of choice.

hmmmmmmm..........I am sure all race fans say that about their favorite series........

[Keir]

Just ask all the race drivers in their various series what they watch when they watch racing. The answer is F1 by a very wide margin.

[birdie]

I watch F1 if I'm not doing anything else, and I watch qualifying if I can be bothered to get up (I work from home and I usually end up working 1pm to 1am) I never used to miss anything aired on British TV but since we started taking kart racing more seriously I've not been overly interested in F1 and I've not been to any BTCC rounds either. Nothing compares to Formula Super A right now for me.