1249 replies to this topic

[Victor]

Hamilton again with the best car and no internal opposition, Ferrari fighting for Q2, Verstappen doing what he can with much inferior material.

I don't need to watch the races to know who the winner is. This seems to be the most boring season ever. This is bad for F1 and terrible for Hamilton's legacy.

He deserves better than this. And so do we. Are you enjoying this season?

[AustinF1]

I dunno if it's the most boring season ever, but it's definitely one of the most boring I've seen. Maybe the most. 

 

At least we're being treated to F1's return to some great venues. Too bad it can't come with some better competition.

[realracer200]

Yeah I don't watch F1 anymore, for me it's too boring and predictable.

[TheWilliamzer]

I'm a Williams fan so anything would do.

[NoForumForOldPole]

Some Schumi/Ferrari dominated seasons were boring, but this is 'extraterrestrial' boring to paraphrase Toto. I dont blame Lewis, I blame Bottas 3.0.

Edited by NoForumForOldPole, 29 August 2020 - 21:00.

[cpbell]

Doesn't feel as dull as 2004 to me, but I suppose I'm older now and more philosophical, plus, Ferrari back then was, to me, intenely disagreeable as a team, which Mercedes isn't.

[Atreiu]

2002 and 2004 were worse. Schumacher was unchallenged, the tyre war neutered the grid, refueling and turbulence allowed for very little overtaking.

V10s were still around but that was not close to enough to make up for it.

[Heyli]

Enjoying the season? Yes

Most boring season? No

 

Exciting title fight. Little slimmer of hope, but probably not.

 

Still, there's enough action in the pack every race. Merc+Vers are a class on their own, but that still leaves 17 cars. If you forget about the top 3, I still find it quite entertaining. We had a few good/ok races, and a couple of nice surprising tracks.

[Jops14]

It’s tough between this and 2004, just so so painful

[P123]

Races have been good so far plus a cracking qualifying session for Styria, added in with some unusual tracks still to come... so no.  2002, 2004, 2013 and 2015 have been worse.

 

The general premise of this topic is a rinse and repeat of people competing to be the most anguished.

[Risil]

Don't worry, Mercedes will take their foot off the gas in the second half of the season and we'll have some cracking races that are irrelevant to the championship table.

[Ben1445]

Not the worst single season ever I’m sure.

Contextually with the outcome of preceding years it’s got to be uniquely a bit rubbish.

If anyone’s bored to the point of not enjoying it I can recommend just stopping watching. This season isn’t bothering me at all because I did just that sometime last year. Plenty of other great motorsport out there to satisfy your passions with!

[uzsjgb]

I don't need to watch the races to know who the winner is.

 

Maybe that is your problem?

 

Racing is about so much more than just knowing who the winner is. In a lot of races we hardly see anything of Hamilton, because he is driving on his own out in front. We see more of the mid-field action. And that has been good this year.

 

I am happy with the season so far, not boring at all. Very tight racing, very hard to predict who will finish where. Enough suspense, drama  and talking points.

 

I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow. So many drivers and teams in the mix behind Hamilton.

[Joefane]

I'm enjoying it, but I can see why people find it boring. If Max wasn't there, I'd have a massively different opinion, but the word I'd describe it as is "fine". Not great, not terrible, just fine.

 

Also, kind of veering away from the question, but I think the position that the sport is in has the potential to be great. The closeness of the midfield is what we want to see at the front, and unfortunately there is just one team stopping that from happening. Not blaming Mercedes as there is nothing they can do about other teams not being as fast as them, but the lapping of the entire field is a little depressing sometimes.

 

The problem I do have with Mercedes, however, is the fact that they've signed Bottas again for next year. Everyone knows that Hamilton strolling to a 7th title is boring, and yet they're just going to let him stroll to an 8th without any challenge. I love Red Bull, and I'd hate for them to lose their best asset, but Mercedes NEEDED to sign Max for 2021. A straight HAM/VER fight in equal machinery would 100% ignite a new fire in the sport. I'm thinking Hunt/Lauda, Prost/Senna, Schumi/Villeneuve. It would make F1 a 'spectacle' again.

 

Rant over, I feel like a motivational speaker or something.

 

#MakeF1GreatAgain

[thegamer23]

I'm much more interested in the F2 season & MotoGP this year 

 

There's no title fight at all.
Bottas is no threat to Hamilton. Not even close!
Ferraris are nowhere.

Boring politics talks.

 

The races just aren't interesting enough so far.

It could get better with the removal of the Party Mode, who knows... let's judge it at the end of 2020.

 

On the plus side: there are some EPIC circuits coming next. So something to look forward to!
And also, the cars looks great in quali.

Edited by thegamer23, 29 August 2020 - 21:17.

[PlatenGlass]

I always felt 2002 was the worst - far worse than 2004. And worse than what we've seen of 2020 so far.

[messy]

Honestly, I’m not enjoying this season at all and I didn’t really enjoy last season either. This year, in many ways unavoidably, just feels really “off” to me, with so many classic races cancelled, races held on the same track on consecutive weekends, no fans. It feels like 0.5 of a Formula One season and the races each feel like 0.5 of a ‘proper’ Grand Prix, like they’re some kind of compromise. And the competitive order is just so stale these days, every race so predictable. I almost wish they hadn’t bothered. I’m just finding it depressing.

It’s not just about Covid obviously - I’m enjoying F2, MotoGP, NASCAR and Indycar as much as ever I think. It’s a combination of the compromised season as a result of the global crisis and the fact it was already pretty s**t coming together to make it even less enjoyable.

I found Formula E pretty unsatisfying too, and rushed. I’m glad they still managed to put on a show but I’d put quotations around the word “show” in the case of Formula One.

Edited by messy, 29 August 2020 - 21:25.

[dweller23]

Prior to 2020 I wasn't really too much into F2, but this year I am trying to watch/follow all the F2 races, it's a great season. Unlike F1, which is very predictable, it's usually going to be 1. HAM 2. BOT/VER 3. BOT/VER and that's about it. Too little competition for the win. Looking at the IndyCars, Dixon is dominating but the season is still great. It's getting nearly to a point where I care more about this year's Nascar season, albeit I'm no fan of Hamlin or Penske drivers, and kind of neutral about Harvick.

 

Also I don't recall another season where Belgium build up thread was rushed in Thursday evening before the GP weekend. Granted, there was no summer break, but still that seems to show that even here people are not so interested in F1 this year.

Edited by dweller23, 29 August 2020 - 21:29.

[TheFish]

Actually enjoyed the races so far. The 2 Silverstone races were interesting for different reasons with the first having a crazy finish. Also enjoyed the Austrian and Hungarian races. Spain wasn’t a classic but after Lewis it was very difficult to predict who would finish anywhere.

We’ve had the return of Hulk, McLaren doing well and Lando getting a podium. Williams have improved. Ferrari have been laughably bad. There’s been some good stuff so far.

[smitten]

6 races, 3 different winners, 5 different fastest lap drivers. Yeah, the cream is floating to the top but it ain't the worst season I can recall.

[HeadFirst]

Didn't we have this discussion already??? Great racing in the mid-field, and the usual F1 adventure .... Racing Point intrigue, the Concorde, Ferrari problems, the Vettel question. No, this is not even close to worst season ever.

[Mark1865]

It’s nowhere near as boring as the constant complaints about it being boring. If people can’t be bothered to look past the finishing positions then of course they’re not going to enjoy it.

Some highlights so far just off the top of my head:
An epic last lap from Norris in Austria.
A great wet quali session in Styria.
Drama at the end of the British GP with Hamilton winning with 3 inflated tyres while Verstappen chased him down on the last lap.
One week later at the same track a completely different race due to the step softer tyre compounds.
Great racing through the midfield in almost every race.

Plus there’s been some good old-fashioned off-track drama with the Racing Point saga.

Even earlier today we’ve just seen a quali session with a stunning pole lap, a gap of less than a tenth between Max and Bottas, Ricciardo on the 2nd row, Albon finally starting to look more competitive and a battle for Ferrari to even get out of Q1.

All this, and we still have new/revived circuits at Mugello, Portimão, Imola and Bahrain outer loop to look forward to.

So, if it is the most boring season ever F1 must be a pretty exciting sport to watch.

[Neno]

It's called waiting for 2022. Answer on your question. 

Edited by Neno, 29 August 2020 - 21:39.

[William Hunt]

you mean the most boring racing category. F1 will be exciting again when 6-7 or more teams or able to win every time and not just 1, 2 or 3 teams (this season just 2 teams, Mercedes & Red Bull).

 

Frankly I don't give much value to Hamilton's titles at Mercedes (just like I don't value Schumacher's titles). He just had to beat his team mate. 
Fangio won his titles in several cars (Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Maserati). Clark, Fittipaldi, Stewart, Keke Rosberg didn't win their titles in such a dominant car. Keke Rosberg's title in his Williams has more value to me as all of Hamilton's titles in the Mercedes.

It's just completely ridiculous to call this a 'competition'.

Edited by William Hunt, 29 August 2020 - 21:44.

[djparky]

I think 2002 and 2004 were mind numbingly dull, plus any one of the 3 or 4 years were all pretty tedious from what little I remember of them, this year is on par...barring mechanical issues you know which car will win before you get to the track...and it's the same car that's won 90% of the time since 2014

[EvilPhil II]

1988,1992,2002,2004... Boring races but a great experience. Noise, speed (changes in direction), rising new competition.

[cpbell]

Enjoying the season? Yes

Most boring season? No

 

Exciting title fight. Little slimmer of hope, but probably not.

 

Still, there's enough action in the pack every race. Merc+Vers are a class on their own, but that still leaves 17 cars. If you forget about the top 3, I still find it quite entertaining. We had a few good/ok races, and a couple of nice surprising tracks.

I think it helps that TV directors are focusing on those further down these days.

[messy]

It’s nowhere near as boring as the constant complaints about it being boring. If people can’t be bothered to look past the finishing positions then of course they’re not going to enjoy it.
Some highlights so far just off the top of my head:
An epic last lap from Norris in Austria.
A great wet quali session in Styria.
Drama at the end of the British GP with Hamilton winning with 3 inflated tyres while Verstappen chased him down on the last lap.
One week later at the same track a completely different race due to the step softer tyre compounds.
Great racing through the midfield in almost every race.
Plus there’s been some good old-fashioned off-track drama with the Racing Point saga.
Even earlier today we’ve just seen a quali session with a stunning pole lap, a gap of less than a tenth between Max and Bottas, Ricciardo on the 2nd row, Albon finally starting to look more competitive and a battle for Ferrari to even get out of Q1.
All this, and we still have new/revived circuits at Mugello, Portimão, Imola and Bahrain outer loop to look forward to.
So, if it is the most boring season ever F1 must be a pretty exciting sport to watch.

I think the addition of unfamiliar circuits later in the year is the one thing that’s really got me excited because it’s complete unknown. And I agree that the midfield action has been good - but it always has been through the hybrid era, it’s just that there’s such a massive gap between the front of midfield and the front of the actual race. Until Ferrari dropped it so badly this season, the most entertaining battle was for seventh.

[smitten]

I think it helps that TV directors are focusing on those further down these days.

Only coz the garages aren't full of celebrities that they think are more interesting.

[Anja]

The truth is, years like 2010 or 2012 are the outliers. What we have now is pretty normal F1. It's not great, but that's what F1 is. If you want close, competitive racing there's plenty of great spec series out there. Now why is F1 spending all these hundreds of millions to end up with an inferior "show", that's the big question. 

[Retrofly]

Dont we already have a thread for this? Apart from how boring this season is mentioned every single thread already.

[smitten]

The truth is, years like 2010 or 2012 are the outliers. What we have now is pretty normal F1. It's not great, but that's what F1 is. If you want close, competitive racing there's plenty of great spec series out there. Now why is F1 spending all these hundreds of millions to end up with an inferior "show", that's the big question.

Inferior? Most people in gen pop wouldn't be able to name a single driver from a spec series. They'd be able to name 1 or more F1 drivers.

[Risil]

Dont we already have a thread for this? Apart from how boring this season is mentioned every single thread already.

You're welcome to start a more original topic!

[William Hunt]

any sport that has the same team (or the same driver / sportsman) winning almost every time is extremely boring. I wish Liberty and the FIA finally would realise what an inferior entertainment product.

[Anja]

Inferior? Most people in gen pop wouldn't be able to name a single driver from a spec series. They'd be able to name 1 or more F1 drivers.

 

I'm talking about how good the racing is, not how popular. 

[string158]

This season has one of the most exciting and closest mid field battles in a long time.

[Nathan]

There is enough action behind 2nd place to entertain me.  Some times it isn't just about what is happening at the front.

I doubt most people that yawn bother with more 'pure' and less predictable series like F2 and F3.

[ensign14]

2004 was so much worse because a) Bottas is allowed to try to challenge Hamilton and b) the FIA destroyed the season before it even started by changing the rules to screw over Michelin - on top of other deliberate FIA moves to hamstring anyone daring to fight Ferrari over the previous few years it had become apparent that it was literally impossible for anyone else ever to challenge.

 

Even the FIA realized it had dismembered the sport and had to back off for 2005.

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

There's been some decent battles further back which keeps me interested. However I will say that knowing that barring something weird happening (caught out by weather, technical issues, taken out by someone else) that Merc will always be 1-2 in quali is boring and that being shocked if they don't get a 1-2 in the races is not a good thing.

Plus when you know before the season starts that it's going to once again be a Merc driver winning the title it's not good. In terms of this season, the only thing that'll stop Hamilton winning the title comfortably is basically if he breaks his leg and misses 6 races (for reference although I'm not a Hamilton fan, I wouldn't want him or any other driver to be hurt). My view is he had the title won after he won the first Silverstone race.

[Spyker]

any sport that has the same team (or the same driver / sportsman) winning almost every time is extremely boring. I wish Liberty and the FIA finally would realise what an inferior entertainment product.

You mean like the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, the premier League for the first 20 years, Usain Bolt etc?? Yes all of these examples are extremely unpopular, and terrible products that make little money.

If F1 had a cup competition you would get some more unpredictability, but over a season the best will always be at the top. That's just sport.

Edited by Spyker, 29 August 2020 - 22:27.

[pathogen]

1988 by far

[Bliman]

The problem also is. It isn't only the two first places it is the third place as well. The same as in qualifying. Max also has zero competition behind him. That makes it dull. I rather see Max fighting because you can be sure stuff will happen. Good and bad.

[Joefane]

It will be exciting again soon, think were in a trough right now. A pretty big trough admittedly, but hopefully the boom will be just as big.

 

2007-2012 will always be the glory years for me. Not old enough to remember much further before that, but those seasons were absolute classics (excluding 2011).

[P123]

The truth is, years like 2010 or 2012 are the outliers. What we have now is pretty normal F1. It's not great, but that's what F1 is. If you want close, competitive racing there's plenty of great spec series out there. Now why is F1 spending all these hundreds of millions to end up with an inferior "show", that's the big question. 

 

Aside from F1 spending silly money, it should be no surprise it costs more to design and develop your own car vs buying a ready made spec car off the shelf.  As some repeatedly come to the realisation that the car matters, as if that is something unheard of prior, it has actually long been part of it's appeal.  Besides, even spec series have their no hopers.

[TomNokoe]

LH is defining this season on a sporting and human level.

Domination may be boring, but the moments therein - Styria pole, Silverstone three-wheeled victory, pole today - will be remembered for a very long time. And we're only seven weekends in.

All too often I personally reduce LH to lap-times and barebones analysis, and then every now and then it hits me just how important he is.

Listen to his post-quali interview and try to understand the the power and drive within him. Mastery on track and eloquence off track. Genius.

[milestone 11]

Hamilton again with the best car and no internal opposition, Ferrari fighting for Q2, Verstappen doing what he can with much inferior material.

I don't need to watch the races to know who the winner is. This seems to be the most boring season ever. This is bad for F1 and terrible for Hamilton's legacy.

He deserves better than this. And so do we. Are you enjoying this season?

If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

[McLaren]

any sport that has the same team (or the same driver / sportsman) winning almost every time is extremely boring. I wish Liberty and the FIA finally would realise what an inferior entertainment product.

Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga have won nearly all the titles for the last decade... and same with PSG in France....yet people still watch the leagues to see how their teams do.. and it does make for enjoyable viewing regardless...Even though their level of 'domination' has been arguably worse than Mercedes in F1.

[Yoshi]

Might - but in terms of track its a banger. 

[Squeed]

All it takes is for the wrong guy to test positive for COVID the night before the first race of a triple header, and it's game on for 2 or 3 other guys. 

 

But, to your point, relying on pestilence and disease to level the playing field is not the kind of excitement we are looking for.   I'm sure there are some voodoo rituals and shrines to Moses going on back at the Red Bull factory.

[Mark1865]

I think the addition of unfamiliar circuits later in the year is the one thing that’s really got me excited because it’s complete unknown. And I agree that the midfield action has been good - but it always has been through the hybrid era, it’s just that there’s such a massive gap between the front of midfield and the front of the actual race. Until Ferrari dropped it so badly this season, the most entertaining battle was for seventh.

I agree the battle at the front hasn’t been great compared to some previous seasons, and it would of course be better if we had 3 teams and 6 drivers with a shot for the title. However, I think there’s so much more to F1 than that if you’re willing to invest the time into the storylines through the grid (which I understand not everyone does).

I don’t know why there is a fixation on rating how boring/exciting the race is, even while it’s still in progress. It’s much more interesting to me to discuss the developing strategies and possible upcoming battles through the field. Maybe it’s a social media or age thing!