NewsOnF1 - Degrading quality of races

Main Page

Dear Heretic,

I shelled out a lot of money to attend the race last weekend (Pace car Villeneuve strikes again!), including flights and lodging, and have come away with a distinctively sour aftertaste. It's a shame because I have such fond memories of my first two years in attendance.

I'm not sure why this year was different, whether it's because the novelty is beginning to wear off or because of the degrading quality of the racing.

I do know this. The moment that Coultard was slapped with a ten second penalty, there was absolutely no difference between watching the race and watching the preceding two days of practice. Without any true competition, the remaining attributes of the sport -- the exhilarating sound of the engines, the straight line speed of the cars, and the captivating personalities of the drivers -- can all be experienced without seeing the actual race.

The day before I watched an incredible three-way battle for the lead in the Toyota Atlantic championship. The cars ran head to toe for over half the race and after the front two pulled away, they exchanged the lead three times on the final five laps. It was an exhilarating experience. The aforementioned F1 attributes do not add up to a fraction of the entertainment I experienced watching this race.
The moment Coultard was sent to the pits, the moment the race was taken away from me, all the doubts I suppressed in order to maintain my enthusiasm washed over me and the resulting sense of disappointment was bitter indeed.

Hours later, at the hotel, I watched the tire-to-tire battles in the Detroit Grand Prix and wondered why I wasn't there instead.

Keep up the good work. Your analysis is the most sober and informative on the web and hopefully it will someday make a difference.

Rob T - USA

The Heretic replies:

Thanks for the encouragement.

I suspect that all involved in the sport are feeling the same frustration.

The FIA are going to have to do something before they lose their following but the question is what and how?

With current investment and politics they will be forced to make incremental changes (no one will allow them to made radical changes) and I am afraid that aerodynamic development will stay ahead of them (or at least catch up fast).

The Heretic