Discussion
Looking at the practice times from Albert Park it struck me that the circuit hadn't really changed significanly since it replaced Adelaide as the Australian GP venue in 1997. So wouldn't it be interesting to look back at the old lap times.
The record is held by Schumacher from 2004 at 1:24 something. Last years best times were around 1:29 and so far this years dry times look about the same. And indeed the same as they were for the first race here in 1996.
Am I missing something or has F1 really got hardly any faster in 18 years? And 5 seconds a lap slower as compared with 2004?
I know they slow them down for safety reasons and that is important but it seems sad to me that they have slowed them down so much. It's also meant to be the pinnacle of motor racing and the bleeding edge of high tech car design, and it seems like they should get faster over time.
The record is held by Schumacher from 2004 at 1:24 something. Last years best times were around 1:29 and so far this years dry times look about the same. And indeed the same as they were for the first race here in 1996.
Am I missing something or has F1 really got hardly any faster in 18 years? And 5 seconds a lap slower as compared with 2004?
I know they slow them down for safety reasons and that is important but it seems sad to me that they have slowed them down so much. It's also meant to be the pinnacle of motor racing and the bleeding edge of high tech car design, and it seems like they should get faster over time.
They slow them down all the time so they don't have to make the circuit runn offs larger and larger. Also the main contributing factor to lap time is tyres. Pirelli could slow the cars down by 10 secs a lap if they wanted to ,equally they could decrease laps times by 10 secs a lap just by changing the black circles.
Speed is fine up to a point, they could get all that back in one fell swoop if they had lower ride heights, wider wings and stickier tyres but as has been said we haven't had a death or even serious injury in as long as i remember.
There are so many formula's in motorsport from fast to slow and everything in between, doesn't matter how fast you go its the race, the wheel to wheel, the gamesmanship, the out braking that matters, you could have 22 lawnmowers racing for all i care, yes a bit of speed has to come into it but as i kart racer (250cc superkart) its just as much fun if not better fun to dice with someone all race long even if they ultimately beat you over the line than to pull away and win bu half a minute, they could race barstool for me so long as there are battles throughout the field
There are so many formula's in motorsport from fast to slow and everything in between, doesn't matter how fast you go its the race, the wheel to wheel, the gamesmanship, the out braking that matters, you could have 22 lawnmowers racing for all i care, yes a bit of speed has to come into it but as i kart racer (250cc superkart) its just as much fun if not better fun to dice with someone all race long even if they ultimately beat you over the line than to pull away and win bu half a minute, they could race barstool for me so long as there are battles throughout the field
Surely though part of the cachet of F1 is that it's the ultimate form of closed circuit racing for both cars and drivers. That's why it's a bigger draw than say Indycars, GT cars or other forms of professional motorsport.
Anyway, more and observation than a real complaint - I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with lap times at the cost of everything else, and I realise that faster doesn't necessarily mean closer racing.
Anyway, more and observation than a real complaint - I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with lap times at the cost of everything else, and I realise that faster doesn't necessarily mean closer racing.
Speed is fine, but if you allowed a linear increase in lap times you would soon be needing g-suits for the drivers. As speeds increase, the energy to dissipate in a crash also increases massively - leading to an increased risk of injury/death. The viewing public's attitude to death has changed since the early days of the sport - a crash is fine to see but not an injury or death.
Scuffers said:
personally, I think that's just a cop-out.
F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of open wheel racing, racing is supposed to be dangerous, what we have now is neither.
they are in more danger from a battery fire than crashing.
It is still dangerous. It will always remain dangerous. It shouldn't be lethal.F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of open wheel racing, racing is supposed to be dangerous, what we have now is neither.
they are in more danger from a battery fire than crashing.
Vaud said:
It is still dangerous. It will always remain dangerous. It shouldn't be lethal.
+1 Anyone who has ever witnessed a serious/fatal incident at a motor racing event as I have on several occasions, would wholeheartedly agree with Vaud's posting.I used to really love racing, marshalling and spectating at the late 60's/early 70's tree lined Oulton Park circuit, and intensely disliked the JYS led safety changes , however, with the benefit of maturity I realise that he was absolutely right in his views.
We should all remember that it is meant to be motor sport and not some glossy blood sport.
Like it or not, F1 is ,when it all boils down to it, a form of marketing, the sponsors are rarely in it for altruistic reasons but rather to make a return on their "investment" in the form of increased business.
The idea that it should be more risky for the drivers is IMO, quite frankly, absurd.
If anyone enjoys watching racers sticking their necks out ,voluntarily and not tied in to multi-million pound contracts then the IOM TT or the Irish road races are well worth watching.
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