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Wheels24 reader Fanie Gerber voiced his opinions on the state of Formula 1 in 2014.
Gerber said: "What happened to F1? They might as well do qualifying and ignore the main race. The fastest car simply wins and the only races are those between the two Ferraris, the two Mercedes, etc.”
Many Wheels24 readers responded with views ranging from “F1 is boring” to “F1 is changing for the better”:
‘F1 HAS CHANGED’
Revelgen: "I found the 2014 Spanish GP to be the most exciting one yet. Rosberg could have taken Hamilton, given another lap. And Red Bull are definitely improving.
"Look how Vettel went from 15th to 4th. Imagine if he had started in third? I agree about the lack of noise but I guess we'll get used to that."
Reino Botha: "I'm a Vettel fan with a soft spot for Ferrari. I enjoyed the Spanish GP. Yes, it was Merc vs Merc but there was some good wheel-to-wheel racing and overtaking further back. I definitely sat on the edge of my seat here and there.
"F1 has changed. We need to accept that. It’s moving more towards the Playstation-generation. Its moving towards the future that makes companies like Honda look at F1 again. F1 needs to pull more manufacturers in and this form of F1 will do it.
'NO REAL RACING'
Richard G Austin said: "So no one remembers the years of one team dominating in the past? We long for the return of Schumacher, etc, but people complained about Ferrari dominance. Time clouds the memory it seems.
"If we simplify then we lose the cutting edge that has separated F1 from one-make formulas. They are trying to be more relevant to the real world. Is your 200 Mercedes powered by a two-litre machine?
"Red Bull will catch up once Renault sort out their issues. Bernie is having to pay attention to his court case at present so might not be doing the right things at present.”
Many readers said that F1 isn’t as exciting as it used to be even claiming that sport’s such as “fishing” would be more appealing to watch:
Fanie Nagel: “I used to be a big fan but not anymore. There’s no more real racing, F1 can stuff it. I've got better things to do!”
Kevin said: "F1 has become boring. I only watch the start and end of the race. The new cars sound like they are farting and there is a procession from start to finish of cars just driving around the track with no incidences or even overtaking."
Andries Linnow said: "I cannot agree more with Gerber, F1 is the only sport that went back 50 years in one year.
"I stop watching the race as it is so boring, there is no racing just a bunch of taxi driver nursing the cars and tyres to the end. The people in charge of F1 in killing the sport, you watch racing to see the driver race at the limit not nursing the cars to the end."
‘I’M INCLINED TO GO FISHING’
Michael E. Millard said: "I too haven’t watched a full race in over a year. I’ll watch qualifying, maybe the start and maybe the result of the race.
"It seems there is no more ‘racing’ anymore, the race is only made interesting (when there’s nothing better to watch on TV) by the animated and knowledgeable TV presenters."
"Even the camera work is biased by the home cameramen focusing on the local hero. The winner, usually a Mercedes in 2014 or Vettel in past years, hardly gets any coverage because they’re so far ahead. Golf, rugby and even IPL cricket are becoming increasingly more interesting to watch."
Reader LPC said: "I'm now inclined to watch DTM or LEM 24 hour or Fishing from now on. F1 is bringing on its own death."
Vishen Pillay said: "I agree with the article. F1 was about the passion of motor racing, the pinnacle of the sport. One of the things that got the hair-raising on the back of my neck was the fantastic scream of the old engines - that was synonymous with the sport.
"I have only watched the first race and not too keen on even recording the rest.”
Kelvyn said: “Totally agree. As boring as watching dough rise! In fact, that might be more exciting...”
‘THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL RACING’
Some readers claimed that F1 is past its prime:
Wade Mackintosh said: The best racing was in the days of Senna, Alesi, Berger, Schumi, Prost and then perhaps up to four or five years ago. Wheel-to-wheel action at extremely high speeds, pit stops that can change everything, corners that present a level of danger. That motorsport fans is what you call racing!
Mike Bergen: "I have been watching F1 for over fifty years and I'm afraid I have to agree with you (Fanie Gerber). Like so much in our modern life, F1 is over regulated and manipulated. Please bring back the Senna and Schumacher days. The only thing that has improved (besides the technology) is the safety of the drivers.”
More reader articles:
8 ways to make F1 races better
F1 engines 'sound like lawnmowers'
The 2014 F1 season 'is the best'
Reader: 'F1 doesn't appeal to me'
Many Wheels24 readers claim that F1 has lost its 'wow' factor. Do you agree/disagree? Email usand we'll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
Gerber said: "What happened to F1? They might as well do qualifying and ignore the main race. The fastest car simply wins and the only races are those between the two Ferraris, the two Mercedes, etc.”
Many Wheels24 readers responded with views ranging from “F1 is boring” to “F1 is changing for the better”:
‘F1 HAS CHANGED’
Revelgen: "I found the 2014 Spanish GP to be the most exciting one yet. Rosberg could have taken Hamilton, given another lap. And Red Bull are definitely improving.
"Look how Vettel went from 15th to 4th. Imagine if he had started in third? I agree about the lack of noise but I guess we'll get used to that."
Reino Botha: "I'm a Vettel fan with a soft spot for Ferrari. I enjoyed the Spanish GP. Yes, it was Merc vs Merc but there was some good wheel-to-wheel racing and overtaking further back. I definitely sat on the edge of my seat here and there.
"F1 has changed. We need to accept that. It’s moving more towards the Playstation-generation. Its moving towards the future that makes companies like Honda look at F1 again. F1 needs to pull more manufacturers in and this form of F1 will do it.
'NO REAL RACING'
Richard G Austin said: "So no one remembers the years of one team dominating in the past? We long for the return of Schumacher, etc, but people complained about Ferrari dominance. Time clouds the memory it seems.
"If we simplify then we lose the cutting edge that has separated F1 from one-make formulas. They are trying to be more relevant to the real world. Is your 200 Mercedes powered by a two-litre machine?
"Red Bull will catch up once Renault sort out their issues. Bernie is having to pay attention to his court case at present so might not be doing the right things at present.”
Many readers said that F1 isn’t as exciting as it used to be even claiming that sport’s such as “fishing” would be more appealing to watch:
Fanie Nagel: “I used to be a big fan but not anymore. There’s no more real racing, F1 can stuff it. I've got better things to do!”
Kevin said: "F1 has become boring. I only watch the start and end of the race. The new cars sound like they are farting and there is a procession from start to finish of cars just driving around the track with no incidences or even overtaking."
Andries Linnow said: "I cannot agree more with Gerber, F1 is the only sport that went back 50 years in one year.
"I stop watching the race as it is so boring, there is no racing just a bunch of taxi driver nursing the cars and tyres to the end. The people in charge of F1 in killing the sport, you watch racing to see the driver race at the limit not nursing the cars to the end."
‘I’M INCLINED TO GO FISHING’
Michael E. Millard said: "I too haven’t watched a full race in over a year. I’ll watch qualifying, maybe the start and maybe the result of the race.
"It seems there is no more ‘racing’ anymore, the race is only made interesting (when there’s nothing better to watch on TV) by the animated and knowledgeable TV presenters."
"Even the camera work is biased by the home cameramen focusing on the local hero. The winner, usually a Mercedes in 2014 or Vettel in past years, hardly gets any coverage because they’re so far ahead. Golf, rugby and even IPL cricket are becoming increasingly more interesting to watch."
Reader LPC said: "I'm now inclined to watch DTM or LEM 24 hour or Fishing from now on. F1 is bringing on its own death."
Vishen Pillay said: "I agree with the article. F1 was about the passion of motor racing, the pinnacle of the sport. One of the things that got the hair-raising on the back of my neck was the fantastic scream of the old engines - that was synonymous with the sport.
"I have only watched the first race and not too keen on even recording the rest.”
Kelvyn said: “Totally agree. As boring as watching dough rise! In fact, that might be more exciting...”
‘THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL RACING’
Some readers claimed that F1 is past its prime:
Wade Mackintosh said: The best racing was in the days of Senna, Alesi, Berger, Schumi, Prost and then perhaps up to four or five years ago. Wheel-to-wheel action at extremely high speeds, pit stops that can change everything, corners that present a level of danger. That motorsport fans is what you call racing!
Mike Bergen: "I have been watching F1 for over fifty years and I'm afraid I have to agree with you (Fanie Gerber). Like so much in our modern life, F1 is over regulated and manipulated. Please bring back the Senna and Schumacher days. The only thing that has improved (besides the technology) is the safety of the drivers.”
More reader articles:
8 ways to make F1 races better
F1 engines 'sound like lawnmowers'
The 2014 F1 season 'is the best'
Reader: 'F1 doesn't appeal to me'
Many Wheels24 readers claim that F1 has lost its 'wow' factor. Do you agree/disagree? Email usand we'll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
