172 replies to this topic

[RekF1]

From 2010-2013 it was a bitter reality to face for McLaren and Hamilton fans like me. Rumours and gossip were always there, but every winter I convinced myself that McLaren were back (they had a special plan said Ron). I'd hope Alonso and Ferrari could put some manners on him. I'd wake up early and enjoy FP sessions. I loved the sport, and was intrigued and hopeful despite reality.

I don't know if I've changed or F1 has, but I don't love it anymore. I don't care if Lewis/Max/my mum, or whoever wins in this sport anymore.

[RekF1]

Anybody else?

[YamahaV10]

You never gave any actual reasons why you think its "a bit rubbish" compared to 2010-13. Maybe its the bad sound compared to the V8 cars

[pacificquay]

No, it isn’t a bit rubbish - aside from sprint races.

 

The several decades I’ve watched F1 people have always thought themselves somehow better if they slag off F1.

 

It remains the only form of motorsport that has me physically shaking with nervous tension ahead of the start.

 

Other series which I watch and enjoy, say IndyCar or Formula E, often provide more in the way of entertainment, but they don’t give that level of it matters so much I feel sick.

[Lights]

If you went from caring about who wins to not caring about who wins, than it's mostly you who has changed.

 

Sure, some drivers left and entered the sport, new people are winning, and some new rules been implemented, but the sport has largely remained the same. 

Sounds to me like you had some sort of (perhaps late?) honeymoon period of F1, which is normal for every fan to have and naturally disappears over time.

[FirstnameLastname]

It remains the only form of motorsport that has me physically shaking with nervous tension ahead of the start.

Other series which I watch and enjoy, say IndyCar or Formula E, often provide more in the way of entertainment, but they don’t give that level of it matters so much I feel sick.

I remember that feeling when I was a Hakkinen and later a Montoya fan. Nowadays I’m just a fan of the sport itself (which can be hard sometimes) rather than any individual drivers and that feeling doesn’t happen.


Good times.

[azza200]

From 2010-2013 it was a bitter reality to face for McLaren and Hamilton fans like me. Rumours and gossip were always there, but every winter I convinced myself that McLaren were back (they had a special plan said Ron). I'd hope Alonso and Ferrari could put some manners on him. I'd wake up early and enjoy FP sessions. I loved the sport, and was intrigued and hopeful despite reality.

I don't know if I've changed or F1 has, but I don't love it anymore. I don't care if Lewis/Max/my mum, or whoever wins in this sport anymore.

 

I guess you have changed i was big fan of F1 i watched every race live from when i first got into in 94 till it going behind the paywall in the UK. Once i started college and then work i missed more races live saw the highlights when i could. 

 

But the way F1 is now with the overkill over exposure with sprint races crap new street circuits a calendar with far to many races. F1 is now in its NASCAR era with so many races including the sprints. The races in general dont feel as priestige as they once did the TV coverage is sterile and very bland and so coporate its entertainment first and then a sport. It has lost its European routes as a "sport" All the drivers except Max who speaks out against the direction F1 has taken the rest are bland PR Robots  and are scared of rain 

Edited by azza200, 27 January 2024 - 08:41.

[PayasYouRace]

Funny how we get these same threads every year. So original.

 

No I don’t think F1 is any more rubbish that is was before. Every time someone creates a thread like this it’s the exact same complaints. You’ll see the exact same in a thread from when I joined back in 2010 too. I think it’s the phenomenon of people growing up, learning more about the sport and getting somewhat jaded.

[Lennat]

I feel like the "vibe" of the sport has changed. The drivers are as much Netflix reality stars as racers in a way, and the whole "show" around it feels more Hollywood like. I preferred it when it was just (or least mostly) just a nerdy sport. Now it feels like many are "interested in" F1 but don't watch the actual races. However, I also think I've simply started finding motorcycle racing fundamentally more exciting and pure, as my MotoGP interest is higher than ever, and I've also become hooked on World Superbike.

I will not give up on F1 as long as Alonso has a chance of his loooooooong overdue 33rd win, but I truly hope this huge DtS-boom era is over soon, and it can become a bit more of a pure sport again. Not expecting that to happen though, as they'll probably do even more stupid stuff to regain popularity...

[IrvTheSwerve]

I still love it, it’s still ‘my sport’…but yes, the feeling isn’t what it once was for me. I still watch every qualifying and race though.

 

The racing itself is fairly competitive compared to the history of F1 in terms of gaps etc. I think it has become a bit soulless though. Watching an F1 car on track on its own isn’t the thrill that it once was.

 

I suppose for me it’s a culmination of:

 

- Oversaturated, huge calendar

- Abundance of street circuits that generally look the same, especially in the night

- Engine volume/sound (this has pretty much ruined trackside viewing)

- Bloated cars…they no longer look light, nimble and twitchy

- The DTS/social media drive…probably partly my fault as I can ignore it, it just seems to have brought a lot of idiots in (as well as genuine fans)

- DRS passes

 

On the plus side, I’m really enjoying this new group of drivers and the friendship that they have, I don’t think it’s really something we’ve seen for two or three decades in F1. Maybe social media has reinforced that feeling.

 

All in all, I still get excited for races for the most part, especially the ones as classic/‘proper’ circuits…but I do think it’s lost a bit of its magic. The drivers used to feel like gods to me, but not any longer (maybe I’ve grown out of that stage a bit too). Under Bernie, there was definitely a feeling that the cars and drivers were all locked away (which I can understand is not wanted in modern sport), but it did make it extra, extra special every time they took to the track. Seeing pictures in magazines of a pre-season test with a new driver in a newly-liveried car, or somehow managing to download a very grainy video of an onboard lap (waiting hours in the process)…it just felt much more magical. The access we get now is great, but I think it’s definitely reached its saturation point.

[Disgrace]

[JeePee]

While I still watch every race and qualifying, the things why I'm not as in love with the sport as before are:

 

- The sound and nimbleness of the cars is gone

- Bland generic 'street' tracks

- Oversaturation

 

I mean....

 

[P123]

Probably about the same.  There have always been negatives.  Now it is probably season fatigue with the ever expanding calendar, and a rules set that solved one problem but caused another, necessitating the continuance of DRS.  Which idiotically they expanded to use in junior formulae, for which there is absolutely no excuse for designing in F1's deficiencies.

[F1Frog]

No, it isn’t a bit rubbish - aside from sprint races.

 

The several decades I’ve watched F1 people have always thought themselves somehow better if they slag off F1.

 

It remains the only form of motorsport that has me physically shaking with nervous tension ahead of the start.

 

Other series which I watch and enjoy, say IndyCar or Formula E, often provide more in the way of entertainment, but they don’t give that level of it matters so much I feel sick.

 

I agree with all of this, although I don't care about sprint races because I just don't watch them as they make no difference to the enjoyment of the rest of the weekend. Perhaps it is the connection to the history, and the fact that I do by into the 'best drivers in the world' idea because I just think that if you gave every Formula e, WEC, IndyCar etc. driver the choice, almost every one of them would take a Formula 1 seat over their current position, even the top drivers. When I see the new lineup of Oliver Rowland vs Sacha Fenestraz at Nissan, I am not thinking, 'I am fascinated to see who is the better driver' because that just isn't the way it feels. With Esteban Ocon vs Pierre Gasly at Alpine, I am genuinely hyped to see who wins that battle next year, and when one beats the other it feels more like that driver proving to be better, at least right now. I enjoy watching greats like Max Verstappen and seeing where their strengths and weaknesses lie relative to Hamilton, Schumacher, Senna and the rest of the greats from the past. I think every individual race tends to have a great storyline behind it, and particularly enjoy all the different strategies, the different ways the drivers have to race, cars performing differently in different areas, and trying to judge who has done the best job at the end of the weekend. I also love all the controversial incidents and getting to debate about them. Even in terrible seasons like 2023, Formula 1 is just more special than any other motorsport because of all the stories behind it, perhaps my depth of knowledge being so much greater than for any other form of racing so I understand it more, and, as you say, it is the only one that matters so much I feel sick.

 

Of course it has its downsides. DRS is the main one, so often killing the tension in a race because overtakes are inevitable. I hate it when races are disrupted by red flags and safety cars and some drivers/teams just get lucky as a result (although I enjoy safety cars that aren't in the middle of a pit window because they throw a new strategy element into play. I never enjoy red flags because of the standing restarts diminishing the importance of the first race, and because everyone can change tyres). And I wish there were more races where I was more unsure about who was going to win before they even start, but I think that is more of a Formula 1 right now than a Formula 1 in general problem because it has never been as inevitable that one driver would win as it was in 2023. I also agree with what some have said about the cars, and found even the 2021 cars just more spectacular to watch over one lap, particularly when someone like Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris or Russell looked to be absolutely dragging the maximum out of them. The 2023 cars can follow more closely but that hasn't been an improvement because overtaking is now too easy.

[noikeee]

Beyond me getting older and jaded which is not F1's fault, I think there's a few legitimate issues with the sport

 

- Ever since 2010 we've been having prolonged domination periods that last for ~5 years or so. This is just not fun, sure F1 has always had domination seasons here and there but such a stagnant status quo makes for boring championships and a boring driver market. How can we be excited about 2024 if all drivers stay put and we're 95% sure Max will win?

 

- There's SO many races and competitive sessions to keep up with nowadays

 

- The tracks definitely look a lot more sterile, first it was moving to random dictatorship countries combined with the advent of massive tarmac runoffs where tracks look like parking lots where the lines are drawn in the middle of them, and now it's just so many street tracks

 

So... yeah. I don't mind the Netflixization of F1 that much, I like that F1 is more popular, I like that they sell it a lot better making it more clear that the battles in midfield are important and that they actually get filmed and broadcasted, I like that they've found a format where the races are a lot more lively now as (unpopular opinion) DRS/the tyres makes it so that things happen throughout a whole race whereas in the past things could be totally dead after a stint or two... but the sport still has lots of legitimate problems that makes me feel very "meh" about it at the moment.

Edited by noikeee, 27 January 2024 - 11:22.

[ANF]

I don't know if I've changed or F1 has, but I don't love it anymore. I don't care if Lewis/Max/my mum, or whoever wins in this sport anymore.

I stopped caring about who wins a long time ago, but I still enjoy the sport.

[mclarensmps]

Sprint races and some of the tracks are a bit rubbish, but on the whole, behind Red Bull it's quite fantastic. 

1 team dominating, and having a few terrible tracks has been a running theme throughout F1 history, so that's not so different from before. The sprint races can go suck an egg though

[messy]

2023 was a rubbish season because one team dominated and that team only have one decent driver. That’s a recipe for a rubbish season, at least in terms of who’s going to win every weekend. But seasons like that happen sometimes and you can go back 30 years and find several examples of this scattered through just about every set of rules F1 has ever had. I think that aside F1 is doing pretty well actually. There are some bad races, obviously, but that’s par for the course too. We just need a season-long rival to Red Bull’s domination and I’m absolutely desperate for the cars to turn up for pre-season and to find out they’ve had their advantage reduced at least. Frankly Red Bull themselves could have righted a lot of 2023’s wrongs by just sending Perez packing but obviously that didn’t happen.

The emergence of Aston Martin and (particularly) McLaren as rivals at the front is potentially a massive breath of fresh air too. I’m sick of Mercedes and Ferrari screwing up, so boring now. Seeing Norris and Alonso up front was great, they just needed that extra tenth against Max…..please, 2024.

Edited by messy, 27 January 2024 - 11:57.

[JHSingo]

I still think it's a shame that after that glorious period from around 2006-2012, where most years saw thrilling championship battles that went down to the wire, since 2013 there has only been one season (2021) where the championship went down to the final race between drivers from different teams. 

 

2013-2023 has seen crazy levels of dominance, from Vettel winning nine races in a row, years of Mercedes being the dominant force, to that now being passed on to Red Bull. 

 

I don't know what it is, whether there's too much money involved now, or teams have too much access to data. But it seems now more than ever before that when a team acquires a dominant position, they tend to hold onto that for a very long time. Whereas even the all conquering years of McLaren in the 80s, their dominance only really last two, three years. 

 

It's not a healthy situation for the sport, since naturally the longer someone dominates for, the harder it becomes to motivate yourself to become excited and follow along when nothing's really a surprise or shock any more. As I've said on this board many times before, live sport thrives on unpredictability. 

 

Sadly, for the best part of a decade, F1 has been very predictable. 

Edited by JHSingo, 27 January 2024 - 11:56.

[Rigoletto]

Haven't watched it properly for over a decade and even then I hung around for too long. Barely watched it at all in the last several years.

 

It used to be a cross between a sport and a space race, something really groundbreaking to observe.

 

Now it's a 3-way cross between 1) A tabloid show carefully curated to appeal to low-brow audiences, 2) Wokeist political pushing from lobbies who disrespect the notion of no politics in sports, and 3) A dash of technologically suppressed go-kart style racing (being the least important part of the presentation behind the other two).

 

There is no point in watching it, you don't feel like you're watching technological history to follow it. It's just junk food for the brain now. There is much more in life to pursue than watching this.

[noikeee]

Pretty sure that's the first time I've ever seen anyone say they don't watch F1 because it's "woke".

It is one of the opinions of all time, I guess.

[Sterzo]

Personally, I take comfort in the fact that there are still old men saying it's not as good as it used to be, just as there were when I started watching in 1956.

[Nathan]

I've watched F1 since '94 and while I find it now technically and politically less interesting, from a sporting/competition stand point I think it's as good as it has been before. I must say though, the time period you gave was pretty darn good too. If a new fan came into the sport then I can see them feeling let down now.  There has no doubt been a change since then, but F1 has always changed.  How it was in the 50's was very different in the 60's, 60's from the 70's etc. etc.

 

I'm curious if that is the case for the OP.  I find for many people with music, sport and culture the best period was always when the passion first flourished.

[YamahaV10]

The domination sucks and it's a result of changing the rules. Here we are again in 2026 doubling down on hybrids. Now maybe the F3 cars will be louder than F1 cars.

i really hope a new world series comes along. Like A1 GP. With V-8 or 10's

[Nathan]

Domination has long been apart of F1.  Since 2000 we have had 3 drivers win 4 consecutive championships in a row, with a 4th driver on deck to do it next season.  And those same 4 drivers have won 19 of the 23 championships held this millenia.

Edited by Nathan, 27 January 2024 - 19:23.

[FirstnameLastname]

I prefer my domination to look like Hakkinen and Coulthard lapping the entire field and then swapping places because they’d agreed on it before the race.

Thankyou very much.

[Coral]

I'm not sure about F1 "being a big rubbish," although I do think the 2022 and especially the 2023 seasons were complete rubbish. For the first time in years, I actually missed a couple of the races last year. What is the point of watching when you already know that Max/RB is going to win? I am a Lewis Hamilton fan and to see him take part in races with absolutely no chance of winning is depressing. As I have said before, I am not interested in watching talented drivers racing for the scraps. And before anyone comes in and tells me that I wasn't complaining in 2014-2020, well they are right, I wasn't, and I am glad Lewis had a few fantastic seasons at Mercedes to make up for the misery he went through at McLaren in 2009-2012.

 

I live in hope that Red Bull's domination ends soon but I"m pessimistic about it...I think they could dominate for years, and be followed eventually by another period of domination by another team. But then again, 2002 and 2004 were tediously boring seasons yet 2005-2008 were great. So it's maybe not all doom and gloom.

 

#MakeF1GreatAgain

[Clatter]

Pretty sure that's the first time I've ever seen anyone say they don't watch F1 because it's "woke".

It is one of the opinions of all time, I guess.

 

They did ditch the grid girls, so there is some token wokism.

[noikeee]

They did ditch the grid girls, so there is some token wokism.

Ok fine but did that change the actual race

I don't think I've ever turned the TV early enough to actually see the grid girls if they were there. Plus if you really miss them you can just like, you know, go look up some swimsuit models afterwards on Google or something

My point is at what exact point of watching Max and Lewis go wheel to wheel into turn 1, do I turn the TV off because this is so woke it is offending me, as the poster I was answering to was alluding to.

Edited by noikeee, 28 January 2024 - 00:38.

[balaclava]

When F1 dropped the V10 engine I was heartbroken, but the 2009 regulations stright up killed my interest in F1. Being an Alonso fan I missed all his Ferrari exploits, etc, but I just couldn't recover from that. Still can't, even though I appreciate the engineering marvel that are the current V6 turbo hybrid engines. At least the cars look good enough. 2026 regs are going to be tough to cope with.

[CoolBreeze]

Overweight cars

Horrible sounding 'engines'

Stagnant competition

Show first, sport second

 

[TheMidnight]

Cars racing round a track hasn't changed, that still produces some moments of excitement.

Where it has changed is the 'if you're not a fan, you're a hater' mentality that's crept in at all levels. I watch motorsport to be entertained, not to have my blood boiled by deliberate lies, spin, and narcissism. Team principals, unless they're talking about their own driver, speak with such inflammatory and trolling sentiments about their competitors. They don't loose with grace, and they don't win with grace either. 2021 was such a toxic season I think for a lot of people they've never recovered and probably never will.

Forgive me singling one example out: Christian Horner was slagging of Lewis (gamesmanship or not withstanding) during Jeddah qualifying 2021, saying anyone can drive fast in a straight line, then it's his driver that bins it in the same very sector. Of course he changed his tune and jumped through several hoops to justify why it was different for Max.

All of it was completely unnecessary and just annoyed fans of both sides.

Furthermore, I'd say the rise in the 'anti-fan' is a direct consequence of this behaviour. The driver threads in here are littered with people who genuinely couldn't give two hoots about Russell, Piastri, Perez, or a few years ago Rosberg. But they use the the cover of being a fan as a way to continually needle away at the other driver and/or their fanbase. This washes out into real life where I can't have a normal conversation about F1 with anyone really. It's always the same where after a few seconds they'll say xyz driver is rubbish, annoying, a cheat etc.

So when the lights go out on a Sunday afternoon and there's a crash or an overtake. The first thoughts aren't 'that was great', it's 'lol that'll p*** off xyz' or 'how am I gonna spin this so my guy/team doesn't look a loser'. That's why the environment around the sport has changed, it's become football, or left vs right wing political like. There is no middle ground, just lies, winners and losers.

Reliability, stewarding decisions, spending all weekend working out who's the fastest and then people being annoyed that person wins are all contributing factors, but not the main gripe for me. I'm a fan from a different time, it'll never go back to that and the current format sells very well. I've checked out.

Edited by TheMidnight, 28 January 2024 - 09:26.

[FirstnameLastname]

Cars racing round a track hasn't changed, that still produces some moments of excitement.

Where it has changed is the 'if you're not a fan, you're a hater' mentality that's crept in at all levels. I watch motorsport to be entertained, not to have my blood boiled by deliberate lies, spin, and narcissism. Team principals, unless they're talking about their own driver, speak with such inflammatory and trolling sentiments about their competitors. They don't loose with grace, and they don't win with grace either. 2021 was such a toxic season I think for a lot of people they've never recovered and probably never will.

Forgive me singling one example out: Christian Horner was slagging of Lewis (gamesmanship or not withstanding) during Jeddah qualifying 2021, saying anyone can drive fast in a straight line, then it's his driver that bins it in the same very sector. Of course he changed his tune and jumped through several hoops to justify why it was different for Max.

All of it was completely unnecessary and just annoyed fans of both sides.

Furthermore, I'd say the rise in the 'anti-fan' is a direct consequence of this behaviour. The driver threads in here are littered with people who genuinely couldn't give two hoots about Russell, Piastri, Perez, or a few years ago Rosberg. But they use the the cover of being a fan as a way to continually needle away at the other driver and/or their fanbase. This washes out into real life where I can't have a normal conversation about F1 with anyone really. It's always the same where after a few seconds they'll say xyz driver is rubbish, annoying, a cheat etc.

So when the lights go out on a Sunday afternoon and there's a crash or an overtake. The first thoughts aren't 'that was great', it's 'lol that'll p*** off xyz' or 'how am I gonna spin this so my guy/team doesn't look a loser'. That's why the environment around the sport has changed, it's become football, or left vs right wing political like. There is no middle ground, just lies, winners and losers.

Reliability, stewarding decisions, spending all weekend working out who's the fastest and then people being annoyed that person wins are all contributing factors, but not the main gripe for me. I'm a fan from a different time, it'll never go back to that and the current format sells very well. I've checked out.

Typical Hamilton fan.

[FirstnameLastname]

Cars racing round a track hasn't changed, that still produces some moments of excitement.

Where it has changed is the 'if you're not a fan, you're a hater' mentality that's crept in at all levels. I watch motorsport to be entertained, not to have my blood boiled by deliberate lies, spin, and narcissism. Team principals, unless they're talking about their own driver, speak with such inflammatory and trolling sentiments about their competitors. They don't loose with grace, and they don't win with grace either. 2021 was such a toxic season I think for a lot of people they've never recovered and probably never will.

Forgive me singling one example out: Christian Horner was slagging of Lewis (gamesmanship or not withstanding) during Jeddah qualifying 2021, saying anyone can drive fast in a straight line, then it's his driver that bins it in the same very sector. Of course he changed his tune and jumped through several hoops to justify why it was different for Max.

All of it was completely unnecessary and just annoyed fans of both sides.

Furthermore, I'd say the rise in the 'anti-fan' is a direct consequence of this behaviour. The driver threads in here are littered with people who genuinely couldn't give two hoots about Russell, Piastri, Perez, or a few years ago Rosberg. But they use the the cover of being a fan as a way to continually needle away at the other driver and/or their fanbase. This washes out into real life where I can't have a normal conversation about F1 with anyone really. It's always the same where after a few seconds they'll say xyz driver is rubbish, annoying, a cheat etc.

So when the lights go out on a Sunday afternoon and there's a crash or an overtake. The first thoughts aren't 'that was great', it's 'lol that'll p*** off xyz' or 'how am I gonna spin this so my guy/team doesn't look a loser'. That's why the environment around the sport has changed, it's become football, or left vs right wing political like. There is no middle ground, just lies, winners and losers.

Reliability, stewarding decisions, spending all weekend working out who's the fastest and then people being annoyed that person wins are all contributing factors, but not the main gripe for me. I'm a fan from a different time, it'll never go back to that and the current format sells very well. I've checked out.

Yeah, hard to disagree with this. Probably best to just avoid the social media stuff and just enjoy the actual racing (when it’s enjoyable)

I’ve long stopped watching the ‘build-up’ and never stick around for the post race stuff. Don’t need someone who drove F1 cars in the 80’s to re-hash the stuff I’ve just watched myself. When you couldn’t access F1 news as easily as you can today, the buildup etc was worth watching - but nowadays it’s just a drain, especially with so many F1 weekends taking place.

[Dalton007]

On the contrary, I'm loving it. Never thought I would with all the changes, but Liberty have taken the sport up another level. 

 

It's not perfect, for example, the season is too long, too many races, should end beginning of not the end of November.

 

I don't care about practise sessions, but all the sprint qualifying sessions and racing I will watch along with the main event. 

 

The. battles behind Max are fun, although I do like watching Max race, incredible driver. 

[thefinalapex]

I'm not sure about F1 "being a big rubbish," although I do think the 2022 and especially the 2023 seasons were complete rubbish. For the first time in years, I actually missed a couple of the races last year. What is the point of watching when you already know that Max/RB is going to win? I am a Lewis Hamilton fan and to see him take part in races with absolutely no chance of winning is depressing. As I have said before, I am not interested in watching talented drivers racing for the scraps. And before anyone comes in and tells me that I wasn't complaining in 2014-2020, well they are right, I wasn't, and I am glad Lewis had a few fantastic seasons at Mercedes to make up for the misery he went through at McLaren in 2009-2012.

 

I live in hope that Red Bull's domination ends soon but I"m pessimistic about it...I think they could dominate for years, and be followed eventually by another period of domination by another team. But then again, 2002 and 2004 were tediously boring seasons yet 2005-2008 were great. So it's maybe not all doom and gloom.

 

#MakeF1GreatAgain

 

 

Really? the misery at Mclaren? that Mclaren that invested in him from the age of 12 years old and has given him competitive cars all those years apart from the first half of 2009? Be happy youre not a fan of Alonso looking at the cars he has had at his disposal since 2011

[TheFish]

F1 has periods of dominance that do suck the life out of me a bit. Last year was one of the worst I can remember. I stopped watching during the Schumacher years and also in 2013. I stopped watching last year too, I'm sure some did during the Lewis years. I think it's a combination of a few things, some to do with the sport, some with me. I hate sprint races. I hate how many soulless middle eastern night races we have now. Far too many street circuits now. I don't like the new cars (that's clearly me, because most think they're better) and after the way 2021 ended, some of my love for the sport died. I didn't go to a race last year, won't this year and won't next year. I'm sure to miss some races on TV this year too, we've planned weekends away during race weekends, before I'd avoid that, now I'm not so fussed.

[P123]

F1 has periods of dominance that do suck the life out of me a bit. Last year was one of the worst I can remember. I stopped watching during the Schumacher years and also in 2013. I stopped watching last year too, I'm sure some did during the Lewis years. I think it's a combination of a few things, some to do with the sport, some with me. I hate sprint races. I hate how many soulless middle eastern night races we have now. Far too many street circuits now. I don't like the new cars (that's clearly me, because most think they're better) and after the way 2021 ended, some of my love for the sport died. I didn't go to a race last year, won't this year and won't next year. I'm sure to miss some races on TV this year too, we've planned weekends away during race weekends, before I'd avoid that, now I'm not so fussed.

 

Regarding the new cars, I know I'm well in the minority, but I never got why people were going gaga over the 'looks' of the 2022 Ferrari.  All of the cars have very rapidly converged on a near identical silhouette.  And that resembles something Fisher Price would create if making a toy single seater. And then we have them in motion.... super quick laptimes.  Woweee.  Yet, they look lumbering and lethargic, and handle bumps and kerbs with all the sympathy of a plank of wood.  They just don't seem alive.  The driver can still make a difference, but they all seem to handle perfectly.  Not to forget the continued need of DRS, and that is the final nail in the failure of the new tech rules.  All that change so the cars can follow two tenths closer through the corner, but can't do anything with it until DRS saves the day.  Same as the old rules.      One plus point for F1 is the budget cap which has helped the field close up, though there are a few downsides to that too (how much did it curtail the comeback of McLaren.... give up and leave it for the next season, sort of approach?).

[IrvTheSwerve]

I'm not sure about F1 "being a big rubbish," although I do think the 2022 and especially the 2023 seasons were complete rubbish. For the first time in years, I actually missed a couple of the races last year. What is the point of watching when you already know that Max/RB is going to win? I am a Lewis Hamilton fan and to see him take part in races with absolutely no chance of winning is depressing. As I have said before, I am not interested in watching talented drivers racing for the scraps. And before anyone comes in and tells me that I wasn't complaining in 2014-2020, well they are right, I wasn't, and I am glad Lewis had a few fantastic seasons at Mercedes to make up for the misery he went through at McLaren in 2009-2012.

 

I live in hope that Red Bull's domination ends soon but I"m pessimistic about it...I think they could dominate for years, and be followed eventually by another period of domination by another team. But then again, 2002 and 2004 were tediously boring seasons yet 2005-2008 were great. So it's maybe not all doom and gloom.

 

#MakeF1GreatAgain

 

I do not and will not ever understand people going off a sport just because their team/driver/player isn't winning. For every race Lewis Hamilton enters, he has a chance of winning - we have had winners other than Max since the 2021 season. If anything, it makes it even more sweeter when they do win (hence why I've always supported fairly mediocre drivers such as Fisichella and Irvine). 2023 was particularly bad, but the last couple of years have been just as tedious as the Hamilton domination years.

[juicy sushi]

From 2010-2013 it was a bitter reality to face for McLaren and Hamilton fans like me. Rumours and gossip were always there, but every winter I convinced myself that McLaren were back (they had a special plan said Ron). I'd hope Alonso and Ferrari could put some manners on him. I'd wake up early and enjoy FP sessions. I loved the sport, and was intrigued and hopeful despite reality.

I don't know if I've changed or F1 has, but I don't love it anymore. I don't care if Lewis/Max/my mum, or whoever wins in this sport anymore.

No, it’s always been this rubbish.

Join the dark side and explore other series out there. We even have cookies.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Join the dark side and explore other series out there. We even have cookies.

 

At least you always remember peoples preferences. 

[P123]

I do not and will not ever understand people going off a sport just because their team/driver/player isn't winning. For every race Lewis Hamilton enters, he has a chance of winning - we have had winners other than Max since the 2021 season. If anything, it makes it even more sweeter when they do win (hence why I've always supported fairly mediocre drivers such as Fisichella and Irvine). 2023 was particularly bad, but the last couple of years have been just as tedious as the Hamilton domination years.

 

That's entirely normal, no?  When a football team goes through a bad patch, attendances tend to fall.  Did all the Alonso fans from the Renault years still flock to Barcelona? No.  Some fans disappear once their favourite driver retires, or hang around with their nostalgia googles on, pining for the good old days.  A mythical time when F1 was without any fault.    

[Burtros]

It’s no more broken now than it was 10+ years ago. Some of us have been saying it for years but apparently we were just ‘haters’

The only reason we hear so much about it now is the most popular driver isn’t winning. There are even people admitting it here, it’s beyond even taking the piss out of them these days. It’s just pathetic.

Luckily F1 at its core is interesting enough to keep people coming back for more. It’s frustrating as it could be so much better, the racing could be so much more.

[P123]

It’s no more broken now than it was 10+ years ago. Some of us have been saying it for years but apparently we were just ‘haters’

The only reason we hear so much about it now is the most popular driver isn’t winning. There are even people admitting it here, it’s beyond even taking the piss out of them these days. It’s just pathetic.

Luckily F1 at its core is interesting enough to keep people coming back for more. It’s frustrating as it could be so much better, the racing could be so much more.

 

On the contrary, we hear much less about it now.  That could be due to the same thing you have in mind, or maybe people have learned that there is more to F1 than just who wins and whether you personally like or dislike them.

[Stephane]

That's entirely normal, no? When a football team goes through a bad patch, attendances tend to fall. Did all the Alonso fans from the Renault years still flock to Barcelona? No. Some fans disappear once their favourite driver retires, or hang around with their nostalgia googles on, pining for the good old days. A mythical time when F1 was without any fault.

Some people just love the sport more than teams/drivers.

[P123]

Some people just love the sport more than teams/drivers.

 

That's true. 

[noikeee]

Cars racing round a track hasn't changed, that still produces some moments of excitement.

Where it has changed is the 'if you're not a fan, you're a hater' mentality that's crept in at all levels. I watch motorsport to be entertained, not to have my blood boiled by deliberate lies, spin, and narcissism. Team principals, unless they're talking about their own driver, speak with such inflammatory and trolling sentiments about their competitors. They don't loose with grace, and they don't win with grace either. 2021 was such a toxic season I think for a lot of people they've never recovered and probably never will.

Forgive me singling one example out: Christian Horner was slagging of Lewis (gamesmanship or not withstanding) during Jeddah qualifying 2021, saying anyone can drive fast in a straight line, then it's his driver that bins it in the same very sector. Of course he changed his tune and jumped through several hoops to justify why it was different for Max.

All of it was completely unnecessary and just annoyed fans of both sides.

Furthermore, I'd say the rise in the 'anti-fan' is a direct consequence of this behaviour. The driver threads in here are littered with people who genuinely couldn't give two hoots about Russell, Piastri, Perez, or a few years ago Rosberg. But they use the the cover of being a fan as a way to continually needle away at the other driver and/or their fanbase. This washes out into real life where I can't have a normal conversation about F1 with anyone really. It's always the same where after a few seconds they'll say xyz driver is rubbish, annoying, a cheat etc.

So when the lights go out on a Sunday afternoon and there's a crash or an overtake. The first thoughts aren't 'that was great', it's 'lol that'll p*** off xyz' or 'how am I gonna spin this so my guy/team doesn't look a loser'. That's why the environment around the sport has changed, it's become football, or left vs right wing political like. There is no middle ground, just lies, winners and losers.

Reliability, stewarding decisions, spending all weekend working out who's the fastest and then people being annoyed that person wins are all contributing factors, but not the main gripe for me. I'm a fan from a different time, it'll never go back to that and the current format sells very well. I've checked out.

I'll admit 21 was particularly toxic and I needed a break after that season ended but.. it's hardly new. How do you think 94 and 97 went as the season ended in crashes? How about 2007 with Spygate and Hungarygate?

The "I'm from a different time" (where morals were better) is particularly funny. Dude the 90s were worse. British tabloids had headlines making Ww2 references towards Schumacher. Maybe you were lucky that you started watching through a more peaceful time? Toxic heated fan debates are classic F1. Hell, I've been visiting this forum for 18 years (!) and I don't remember a single season people didn't have that kind of silly driver fanboy battles. First it was Fisichella vs Alonso, then it was Jacques Villeneuve Vs his replacement Kubica, then it was Alonso Vs Hamilton, then......

Edited by noikeee, 28 January 2024 - 19:41.

[juicy sushi]

“The cars all look the same.” “The fans and media are toxic.” “The racing is terrible.” I made the same complaints for 20 years. Then rewatched the first few years I got into racing and the 80s before then. And I realized that the problem was me. F1 has always been like this. These problems are not a bug, but a feature. So, I focus on other genres of the sport which don’t have these problems. (They have different ones!)

I am much happier as a result. As are people reading F1-related threads as I no longer post in them.

Edited by juicy sushi, 28 January 2024 - 20:10.

[DCapps]

When I first began to pay attention to Grand Prix racing (as it was called back then...) in 1954, there were those who bemoaned how things were better when the Auto-Unions and Mercedes cars of the prewar years were competing, or even the Alfa Romeos and Bugattis before that...

 

The sport, such as it was and now is, has evolved somewhat over the years, still very much the same self-licking ice cream cone it has always been, of course.

 

As for the world championship series the started in 1950 and ended in 1980, and the current series dating to 1981, perhaps The Who said it best: New Boss Same as the Old Boss.

 

 "F1" is just another racing series. Love it, hate, doesn't matter because the Earth will spin on its axis and orbit the Sun, there will be day and night, seasons will come and go, and so on.

 

Things were not better or worse in the Old Days and they are necessarily worse or better today. 

 

I am long removed from being a "fan" of what is now F1 racing. A few years ago, thanks to better production efforts, I even started watching the F1 championship races once again.

 

But, if I miss a race, meh, life goes on. 

 

Just as Racing Comments of 2024 is still the same ol' Readers' Comments from 1996: same whining and same retorts and same attitudes...

 

Thank goodness, somethings rarely change and are seemingly eternal...

[TheMidnight]

I'll admit 21 was particularly toxic and I needed a break after that season ended but.. it's hardly new. How do you think 94 and 97 went as the season ended in crashes? How about 2007 with Spygate and Hungarygate?

The "I'm from a different time" (where morals were better) is particularly funny. Dude the 90s were worse. British tabloids had headlines making Ww2 references towards Schumacher. Maybe you were lucky that you started watching through a more peaceful time? Toxic heated fan debates are classic F1. Hell, I've been visiting this forum for 18 years (!) and I don't remember a single season people didn't have that kind of silly driver fanboy battles. First it was Fisichella vs Alonso, then it was Jacques Villeneuve Vs his replacement Kubica, then it was Alonso Vs Hamilton, then......

 

I'm not saying I'm from a different time in the sense of more righteous, I grew up in the Schumacher years. For all the stupidity of the partisan press, it was easier to ignore. F1 was popular, but it was kinda niche in my circle. Nowadays I get people with zero interest in the sport telling me xyz driver is (insert insult of choice) looking for a reaction. My perception is things today are more about putting somebody down rather than enjoying the sport, irrespective of the shenanigans that have always gone on.