The Formula One Thread

Nico was a good driver with better Jr. series credentials that Rubens.

Schumacher also had written in his contract that Rubens was always going to be second teir. So 1) Lewis was just a hair off his current form 2) thanks to Mercedes for actually letting them race each other.

 

4 cars on the lead lap is close racing?! I'd like to see some facts to back up your assertion, and I'm not wasting my time looking them up.

 

Mclaren won all but one race in 88, and that was due to Senna being overly aggressive with a lapper.

You’re really jumping through hoops to show how much you dislike Lewis here.

 

Senna’s first race win he lapped everyone but second, at this same track, 35 years ago. Lol.

I didn’t say it was close, I said it’s par for Formula One. Hell, before NASCAR became a spec series, they had finishes like that pretty regularly too.

I think some of you guys watch ten years worth of highlights from years past and say “see, wasn’t racing better?!”, when if you watch every race in their entirety, they’re pretty boring.

 

I've been watching F1 for twenty years before you were born. I don't disagree that there were anomalies like the Senna win years ago, this new iteration is just boring as hell. Yes, Mercedes has built one hell of a machine in its pure dominance as of late. All I'm saying is that something needs to be done with the rules package to make the sport relevant again. My life used to revolve around the F1 schedule...not so much anymore. If hardcores like me are losing interest, what does that say about the casual fan?

 

First of all, he beat him by 5 points. And that was five years ago. When LH and Mercedes were still on their upward trajectory towards consistent excellence. Also, do you think Rosberg was a slouch? I wasn't a particular fan, although I really am IRT to his commentary now, really insightful and balanced, but he was an extremely skilled driver. Well, nevermind. You don't have to like it, you have to accept it. LH 92. And counting.

 

Then you turn it into a psuedo spec series like F1 and NASCAR.

Even then, how many championships did JJ and Hendrick win in what was probably the most competitive years of NASCAR?

Here is what I have seen growing up in racing. The same people / teams will win regardless of the rules. That’s life.

 

Honestly, for me it's the product that's ruined the racing. Yeah, we all want them to go back to V10's and giant tires with less downforce. Bring back refueling. Take away drivers aids. But none of that is ever going to happen, it's actually going to get worse. And people like me that have watched this sport since Jackie Stewart first wore a tartan cap will continue to lose interest, and we know how much the new generation loves internal combustion engines .

 

Times change. Chariot racing was once big. Bicycle racing was less of a fringe sport, horse racing was MUCH bigger than it is now, etc.

 

I don't know, F1 is my favorite sport, but I don't watch it for the same reason I drag myself out of bed at 4 a.m. to watch Moto3 warm up. You know you're not going to see ten maniacal bees vying for the win on the last lap in F1. I love the teamwork, the technical aspects, the production, the insights, all of it. And the driving is unreal, they are all so skilled.

 

I agree. while it can be somewhat boring at times, they are the best drivers, in the most advanced race cars on the planet. They're so fast it's almost unbelievable, 20 seconds a lap faster than a GP bike on the same track.

 

If Lewis doesn’t blow an engine while comfortably leading the Malaysian race then he wins the championship instead of Nico. Hamilton had more wins and podiums than nico did that year so I disagree with any statements that say that nico out drove Hamilton that year. He was in position to take advantage of a mechanical dnf and deserves credit for that. Not for being the better driver.

 

I like Hammy... sort of. I think he was kind of a dick at some points in his career, and nobody can argue that he's been in the BEST car his ENTIRE F1 career. I can accept the fact that he has the most wins, but I do not believe he is the GOAT, which is the argument for today. He couldn't carry Schumacher's water bottle. Schumacher drove crap cars to dominating wins and completely transformed Ferrari upon his arrival and what he was able to motivate that team to do. The people that run F1 worship him.

 

Yeah, you’re pretty off.

The Benneton was a lot times the 3rd fastest car on the grid, behind the Williams. A more experienced Senna pretty much beat him (and the other Williams) in a worst car most of the time, but Schumacher was young so you can write off some of that.

Schumacher crashed into his opponents to win championships, Lewis hasn’t.

Schumacher had clear directions in his contracts that he was number 1. This is documented fact and often made itself known very publicly.

Schumacher had the advantage during the tire wars era of compounds specifically designed for him. No one else was getting bespoke tires.

Lewis' Mclaren, especially in the last two seasons wasn't the best car on the grid. Yet despite that, he's managed a 34% win percentage.

Lastly, they're all dicks. Any top level driver, racer, athlete is selfish. It comes with the territory.

I think Schumacher was great and he played the politics better than anyone, even better than Prost, but to say Lewis can't carry his water bottle? You're delusional.

 

That at least one of Schumacher's teammates before Mercedes was championship material.

But not when the team with the best car for years consistently picks a second driver who cannot challenge the lead driver to make sure that they don't take points from each other?

When did that happen?

 

Schumacher beat Senna in his first season in F1. Schumacher was widely perceived to be the best driver on the grid after his first full season in F1.

Alonso has been regarded as the best on the grid for the past several years.

 

Now we're talking...lol!

 

Schumacher was in a better car. Senna finished 2nd in 1993 in the 5th place car. Schumacher was in the 3rd fastest car on the grid and only won one race that year, and Senna blew up in that race.

Senna had 7 retirements in 1992. In races they both finished, only in Belgium did Schumacher beat him. Senna beat him every other time.

Alonso is great, but he has a lot of hype around him and him being the second coming of Senna / Schumacher didn't really pan out. It's not just talent, and as Schumacher and Prost showed, politics play a big part of it. Senna was pretty bad at the politically game, but he did know how to play the press (so did Schumacher). Alonso is notoriously bad at this.

Schumacher and Alonso fan bois do seem to be one in the same.

 

Ahem. Fangirl. Alo Alo Alo! Lol.

 

How can he be regarded as the best on the grid when he isn’t even ON the grid?