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[Bigsby]

I think we should have a thread to discuss the imminent Formula One season.

This season is shaping up to be the best in years, for a number of reasons:

1. Massive rule changes for the cars themselves, aerodynamics have been changed to make it easier for cars to overtake each other. Slick tyres have been reintroduced to compensate for the corresponding loss of downforce.

2. This has meant that everyone has had to effectively start their car from scratch, with some surprising results. In theory the bigger teams with more resources should do better, but if the early testing results are to be believed Brawn GP, formerly Honda and looking to be out of business until a few weeks ago, appear to be as much as a second a lap faster than their nearest rivals. Maclaren look crap.

3. It's back on the BBC. No more adverts or being shifted around the schedules because qualifying clashes with You've Been Framed.

All in all, it looks like it will be a cracker, with the much maligned Jenson Button installed as the bookies favourite for the opening race on Sunday.

(PS This thread is just for fans of Formula One, if you think it's boring, that they "just go round in circles" or if you would rather watch paint dry, please fuck off and start your own thread, thanks.)

[Lucky Rathen]

I've watched F1 for 20 years and every year I've heard the whole "We've changed the rules to make it much more exciting", and every year it's STILL been boring as fuck, so I finally stopped watching it last year. I watched the opening race and a c ouple more here and there and that was it. No doubt I'll be up at fucking 4am on Sunday watching the Australian race though.

I used to be a total F1 anorak, but these days I would class myself as a casual observer.

[Lucky Rathen]

The two things that are making me want to watchi this year:

1 - No more James Allen on commentary.

2 - "The Chain"!!!!!!!!!

[Bigsby]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rathen

I've watched F1 for 20 years and every year I've heard the whole "We've changed the rules to make it much more exciting", and every year it's STILL been boring as fuck, so I finally stopped watching it last year. I watched the opening race and that was it. No doubt I'll be up at fucking 4am on Sunday watching the Australian race though.

I used to be a total F1 anorak, but these days I would class myself as a casual observer.

Last year was actually the best season in a long time, so that was pretty stupid on your part.

Have you seen the cars this year? Major changes. I'm not an expert in aerodynamics so I'll just have to take their word that it will make a difference until Sunday.

[Billy Shears]

Me too. I used to be exactly the same in the Mansell/Prost/Senna days when i was really young. I even remember where i was when Senna Crashed. I was at The Globe with my folks for lunch munching on a surf and turf....

But yea in the last few years i have lost my anorak interest too but i was on the edge of my seat at Brazil last year... amazing!!

But i do hope that it does re-gain its spark this year and the non advert incentive is a boost on its own for starters....

C'mon LEWIS!!!

[Lucky Rathen]

Aye, a few of my mates did tell me it turned out to be really good last year so I am going to get back into watching it this year. TBH I got bored of it when Schumacher was absolutely dominating everything, that's when my interest started waning and F1 went from being a "must watch" to "I'll watch it if I'm at home". I've been keeping an eye on it the last few seasons but I'm a long way from my years of getting up at 4am, reading F1 magazine, knowing the history of all the teams and knowing all the drivers by their nicknames (Fisi etc).

IMO one of the worst rule changes of recent times was changing the top 6 getting points to the top 8 getting points. There's less of a difference between finishing third and finishing fourth now, for example, so drivers are more inclined to play the safe waiting option instead of trying some kamikaze shit for the sake of two points.

[Lucky Rathen]

Originally Posted by Billy Shears

Me too. I used to be exactly the same in the Mansell/Prost/Senna days when i was really young. I even remember where i was when Senna Crashed. I was at The Globe with my folks for lunch munching on a surf and turf....

But yea in the last few years i have lost my anorak interest too but i was on the edge of my seat at Brazil last year... amazing!!

But i do hope that it does re-gain its spark this year and the non advert incentive is a boost on its own for starters....

C'mon LEWIS!!!

I was at Crimond at the stock car racing and it was announced over the tannoy that Senna had been airlifted to hospital. By the time I got home and put on the news he was dead.

I wrote a report on the various theories of what caused his crash when I was on my media course at college.

[Bigsby]

Originally Posted by Billy Shears

But yea in the last few years i have lost my anorak interest too but i was on the edge of my seat at Brazil last year... amazing!!

The last few laps of that race were, unquestionably, the most exciting sporting event I have ever witnessed. To go from being the world champion, to not, to getting the required place again right in the very last corner in the pouring rain with cars spinning off was amazing.

[Bigsby]

Oh, for you old skool fans, they are showing classic Australian GPs on the BBC red button, like 86 where Mansell's tyre blew and 94 where Schumacher punted Hill off the track to take the title.

[Billy Shears]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rathen

I was at Crimond at the stock car racing and it was announced over the tannoy that Senna had been airlifted to hospital. By the time I got home and put on the news he was dead.

I wrote a report on the various theories of what caused his crash when I was on my media course at college.

He was dead before he even went off in the chopper wasn't he. it's still not that clear but from having a look through you tube not so long ago, they reckon it wasn't the crash itself that killed him, but a bit of shrapnel from the wheel that pierced his visor and went into him just below his eye.and killed him then, but they didnt want to do that because under Italian law the race would of had to be cancelled so they took him away and pronounced him dead at the hospital. There is some footage that slows a heap of blood at the time of him being taken away too....

Anyway, back to this year....i've seen some pictures of the cars. They look like toy cars in a way lol and with this BAWN lot being powered by Mercedes-Benz too, who knows WHAT the hell will be going on this season....

Is Murray Walker coming back for the BBC?