64 replies to this topic

[Dolph]

But the road has a name. Plus it is not that you wouldnt know what someone means when (s)he says; A car is driving on the Hunaudières Straight. Its just lazy. Much like people still naming the Curva Michele Alboreto the Parabolica.

 

 

Parabolica is a corner with at least 65 years of history at a world famous race track. No disrespect to Alboreto, but to rename Parabolica is sacrilegious. I cant fathom why anyone would do such a thing. What's next? Let rename Indianapolis and Arnage!?     

[PayasYouRace]

Hmmm I guess you should contact Autdoromo Monza themselves ;)



Picture Link for the ones like me who don't see pictures: https://i.imgur.com/CydVWkg.png

Now that you mention it, the renaming was always meant to be temporary to honour an anniversary of Michele’s passing, wasn’t it?

[Beri]

I was obviously being facetious in the face of your anality.

You said “the road has a name” so I gave you the name of the road.

Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't notice. /S

[Henri Greuter]

Those 3 plus the Bathurst 1000 are my Quintuple Crown, don't care what anyone else says, the 4 races I most look forwards to each year (with the exception of the F1 season opener)! 

Hard to say which is my favourite, they all represent different challenges and mean different things.

Any one of them can be a borefest or an epic in any given year, thats part of the appeal. 

But just appreciating the commitment and visual trance of any of those, never gets old.

 

 

In the good old days of rallying, the Monte Carlo was my fourth event of the year that made up my "Grand Slam" in racing.

 

I can't decide on my favorite of the three legs of the triple crown but I do know the one that means nothing for me anymore nowadays.

Monaco.

 

In recent years we've had at least two occasions of a driver without hybrid power still keeping ahead of the more powerful and in theory way faster car behind him.

Enough said about the level of racing possible on that track with the current long and wide cars.

[ensign14]

It isn't Monaco.  It's the World Championship.  Monaco's inclusion is a rare but regrettable mistake from David Tremayne.  At best it is the unofficial² Triple Crown.

[PayasYouRace]

It isn't Monaco. It's the World Championship. Monaco's inclusion is a rare but regrettable mistake from David Tremayne. At best it is the unofficial² Triple Crown.

Nobody cares anymore! Both are acceptable.

[PayasYouRace]

In recent years we've had at least two occasions of a driver without hybrid power still keeping ahead of the more powerful and in theory way faster car behind him.

Power isn’t everything at Monaco. Just ask Stefan Bellof and his DFV.

[Rinehart]

In the good old days of rallying, the Monte Carlo was my fourth event of the year that made up my "Grand Slam" in racing.

I can't decide on my favorite of the three legs of the triple crown but I do know the one that means nothing for me anymore nowadays.
Monaco.

In recent years we've had at least two occasions of a driver without hybrid power still keeping ahead of the more powerful and in theory way faster car behind him.
Enough said about the level of racing possible on that track with the current long and wide cars.

Monaco is as good as the others just on the basis of qualifying alone imo. Racing is about so much more than overtaking. I don’t know why Monaco needs to fit a standard when the whole point is it’s unique and clearly Le Mans and Indy get to be judged by their own unique criteria. You’re clearly a fan of the Monte Carlo Rally but there is no overtaking in that. Surprised you don’t value the nuance of Monaco…

[Ruusperi]

Definitely Monaco, but mostly because for a long time it was the only event for which I had TV coverage whatsoever.

 

I think first time I was able to watch Le Mans 24h was in 2005 when I got Eurosport. Didn't know the teams nor the drivers (except JJ Lehto and Allan McNish). All those different car classes were an odd world for an F1 fan. After a few of hours the gaps were +5 laps, so how can there be any battles and overtakes anymore...boooring. Yes, I was a newbie when it came to endurance racing. But after I stopped subscribing Eurosport in 2010, I have only watched the race from crappy streams. Couldn't really stay up for 24h anyway.

 

For Indy 500 I have never had a proper coverage, only to rely some random streams. The first race I watched was maybe in the late 2000's, but can't even imagine what quality of those streams were, not HD for sure. Again, the same problem as with Le Mans: You cannot get attached to the series when you don't know any of the drivers nor the teams. They are just random-generated names. It's really difficult to follow the race, when you don't know who's supposed to be quick. The rules of Indycar are pretty weird compared to F1 and the pit strategies feel random. I've tried to watch every event for the past 10 years, but to this day, I still don't feel I really care about Indy 500.

 

But Monaco Grand Prix is special. I have watched it since I was a little kid. I raced in Monaco as Mika Häkkinen in F-1 World Grand Prix for N64. I know everything about the track and everything about F1, so I feel completely comfortable and hyped every time the cars leave the pit during FP1. I've even visited Monaco, so the place has a personal significance for me. It's a tradition. It's a highlight of the season.

 

You might hypothesize that if it had been the other way around, i.e., having watched Indy 500 and Le Mans since the 90s, but lacking official TV coverage for F1, then it might be a different story. But as we know, early childhood experiences explain a lot what you like as an adult.

Edited by Ruusperi, 30 May 2023 - 14:27.

[maximilian]

Monaco is a borefest and has been a borefest for decades now.  Hell, it was even raining, and it was STILL a borefest.  I wouldn't miss it. 

 

LeMans might become interesting again with the increased top level participation. It's boring when the same team wins every time.  

 

Indy 500 is grand all the way.  The greatest spectacle in motor sports.      

[Mark1865]

For me it's Le Mans, and it's not close. Even in the recent 'Toyota only' years there's plenty LMP2 and GT battles to follow throughout the race. It's also about survival, not necessarily just the close racing. I say this as a life-long F1 fan who only started watching the Le Mans 24hr about 10 years ago.

 

I used to get excited about the Indy 500 but I just don't seem to be as interested as I was before. Maybe being a brit I preferred the days of Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti. I enjoy it because it has elements of endurance racing, but unlike Le Mans it matters very little what you do in the first half of the race when there are so many late cautions.

 

I love F1 but Monaco shouldn't be on the calendar. A race doesn't need overtaking to be exciting, but it does need the threat of overtaking. The cars have out-grown the track which was already unsuitable about 20 years ago. Give me any Middle-Eastern Tilkedrome over Monaco any day of the week. Possibly again influenced 

[Henri Greuter]

Monaco is as good as the others just on the basis of qualifying alone imo. Racing is about so much more than overtaking. I don’t know why Monaco needs to fit a standard when the whole point is it’s unique and clearly Le Mans and Indy get to be judged by their own unique criteria. You’re clearly a fan of the Monte Carlo Rally but there is no overtaking in that. Surprised you don’t value the nuance of Monaco…

 

Because I like the old style Monte Carlo Rally I'm supposed to value the nuance of  that F1 car parade because it is held in Monaco?

 

There was definitely overtaking in the Rally, be it in the overall standings. Hell, in those days there could be more overtaking in the overall standings during the `Monte` than during a Monaco GP!

 

And despite there is no overtaking in a rally, that still means I can appreciate the car control of the drivers on the (back then still) slippery roads with two wheel drive cars and the scenery of the event.

 

[August]

As much as I like IndyCar, my issue with the 500 is the luck aspect. Obviously you've run a very good race if you're running at the front after 190 laps. But unless you have a dominant car, you aren't running away from the 2nd placed car. So it comes down to making the pass at the right time. Unless the yellows come out before you were going to make the pass.

 

That being said, it's still a race I'm looking forward to every year. Only Le Mans compares to it.

 

My interest in the 500 is very much the same every year. Maybe a bit more than usual next year with Larson and hopefully Wickens too in the field.

 

On the other hand, my interest in Le Mans depends very much on the strength of the field. 2015 was close to peak with 4 factory teams fielding a total of 11 LMP1s. On the other hand, in the years when Toyota was the only factory team in the top class, Le Mans wasn't even my favorite sportscar race when IMSA had better fields in Daytona and Sebring. This year is better with all the other factory teams, though I'm already kinda looking forward to next year when those new teams should be reaching their full potential.

 

As for Monaco, it doesn't feel so special. It's the same 20 drivers as all the other F1 races. Indy and Le Mans plus also Daytona (both NASCAR and IMSA), Sebring and Bathurst all feel more special.

[highdownforce]

Current = 24h of Lemans
Historical = Monaco GP

Nothing against of ovals, but those two are more of my cup of tea.

[DN5]

I voted for Le Mans for both categories.

 

I have been in person to Le Mans, Indy and Monaco (for a classic). The first two are just eminense in terms of events I have experienced.