I don't agree that people watch motor racing in the hope of seeing crashes. Even in an age when we can reasonably expect drivers to walk away from accidents which hitherto would have had catastrophic consequences - Alonso at Melbourne, for example, things can, and do, have tragic consequences. I spent a couple of hours with Paul Warwick at a charity Karting event several years ago, when he was on the cusp of a Formula 1 drive, and just over a fortnight later I attended his funeral. More recently, Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson were killed by an errant wheel and debris from other cars. Jules Bianchi hit a recovery vehicle. Any normal enthusiast knows that a fairly innocuous crash can have terrible consequences.

If you like watching crashes, I can recommend the UK's equivalent of NASCAR, the BTCC (in the sense that they attract a similar demographic). They seem to crash into each other all of the time.

Formula 1 is populated by the finest engineering brains on the planet, and is the pinnacle of motor sport. Right now, the very last thing that it needs is another fatality. The very first thing that it needed was the kind of attention that it received last weekend. The youngest driver on the grid, parachuted into a semi-competitive team in a blaze of optimism and publicity from the midfield team which had given him a year's experience, through happenstance and flawed strategy won the race. Positive World-wide headlines for a sport more adept at generating news for the wrong reasons.

Meanwhile, much bandwidth has been consumed by armchair racers who have never been near a single-seater at any level and haven't a clue about the rules of racing yet seem to know better than the FIA-appointed Stewards of the Meeting, and with the benefit of time and endless slow-motion replays have given their considered verdict on something that happened in a split second. Well done.

I enjoy Formula 1 for the technical aspect, and am in awe of those who can manage to find ways to extract relatively small performance benefits out of what many consider to be an unnecessarily prescriptive set of rules. But the rules need to be as such in order to prevent the more financially well-endowed teams spending their way to the top of the podium, which is what we have had anyway since the Mercedes Silver Arrows of the 1930's right up until - well - the Mercedes Silver Arrows of 2014 - 2016. Interspersed with periods of dominance for various teams. It has always been this way. Lotus in the 1970's, followed by Williams, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. One team interprets the rules better than the others and then it's up to the rest to catch up. In 2012 we had seven different winners in the first seven races. Then Red Bull refined their exhaust- blown diffuser and it was business as usual.

We really can't complain that one team has a performance advantage, because it's always been that way. Anyway, as Frank Williams said, for two hours on alternate Sunday afternoons, Formula 1 is a sport. The rest of the time it's a business.

Right now, the WEC provides better racing and a greater variety of cars. Any one of three manufacturers can win races, and there's Rebellion in the mix in the role of "plucky underdog" capable of causing an upset if the big teams trip up. But apart from Le Mans, not enough people care. And Le Mans has become a venue for stag parties and inebriated visitors from the UK and Benelux countries who are fond of setting off fireworks during the small hours. But the racing, with each of the major manufacturers using a different solution to the rules, is absorbing and recent finishes have been close.

Perhaps we need more variety in Formula 1.

 

 

I think the other thing people have to appreciate is how difficult it is in a race car, keeping an eye on your apex and a car darting behind you. At some point you have to look through the corner and not in your mirror, and that's is multiplied by a lot in an F1 car. If you look at the time it takes to move your eyes from mirror to apex and look at the distance these cars travel, it's quite something.

I still see blame on both parts.

 

Rosberg knew where Hamilton was, he has never once stated he couldn't see him or that it was difficult to see him in his mirrors, in fact he stated 'I closed the door on the racing line'. That is a deliberate move admitted by Rosberg, the timing of which was crucial to the accident. He knew that the car behind was massively faster and nothing could be done to stop the overtake except do what he did, drive him off the road ... he didn't bank on Hamilton collecting his car in the process.

 

Ah, the emoticon. So much easier than having to cope with spelling and grammar.

 

nut and imc, please give it rest, now. Thanks.

 

^^^ agree.

 

Simon, if people want to have an argument on a forum that's up to them and is what forums are for, we are all adults here even if we don't act like it at times, we don't need 'patronising' even though you think we do. I pay subs to post as a member on this forum, there are no personal insults no death threats, no big issues here, so please wave your moderator badge at something worth waving at. Thanks

 

If anybody went to the FIA and proposed a race around the narrow streets of Monaco today, they would be laughed out of the Place de la Concorde.

Described by Nelson Piquet as like trying to fly a helicopter around his bedroom, 900bhp Formula 1 cars and tight circuits are an accident waiting to happen. Which is why the odds on a Safety Car are highest in the Principality. The race will be a permanent fixture on the Formula 1 calendar as long as the sponsors and glitterati flock there, so its future is pretty much guaranteed.

Of course, the main interest this weekend will be the tension between the Mercedes team-mates, which has now reached DEFCON 2. Which, as they both inhabit the same apartment block in Monaco must be interesting should they need to share the lift.

The improving Red Bull should have the evolution Renault engine available for Daniel Ricciardo - only two engines are available, Kevin Magnussen getting the other one. The new engine brings the power up to Mercedes/Ferrari levels, allegedly, due to the introduction of the smaller primary combustion chamber system which increases the power output of the V6 and reduces fuel use. The engine's introduction was scheduled for Canada, but with the need to improve the competitiveness of the factory team, and under pressure from Red Bull it was brought forward.

Here is a link to the current power unit usage after Spain: http://www.pitpass.com/56198/Monaco-...-Unit-elements
The most significant item is Lewis Hamilton's use of Turbocharger and MGU-H, the generator which fits in the vee of the engine between the two halves of the turbo. He has now used four of each from his season's allocation of five - should he need to use a sixth of either it will invoke a 10-place grid penalty.

Other news of note is the continued absence of Vijay Mallya, known for throwing lavish parties at Monaco Grand Prix weekends aboard his yacht. Malaya remains in India as the authorities there are looking after his passport while they wait to ask him some awkward questions about his business dealings. Co-owner of Force India Roy Sahara, remains in jail and the team, along with Sauber, have had a series of crisis meetings with FOM and the FIA over funding. With major development costs resulting from the proposed 2017 rule changes, these teams in particular are in danger of being unable to continue. A sad commentary on the current state of Formula 1 funding, especially so with Force India having two of the best midfield drivers on the grid.

 

According to the man himself you're wrong.
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