Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
I disagree (slightly) with EPL-style payments. After all, on a football match it's one team vs. another, and both teams get shown on the TV, both teams may have sponsors, and if you compete on the EPL all teams will have to play on your stadium, even if you are say, St. Albans.
On F1, however, the further you are from the top the less airtime you get, and the less valuable your car space becomes. As a consequence, being on the back gets you poorer by means of TV payout, prize payout and sponsorship.
I believe on incentives, and I believe the best team should get the biggest reward. But on its current fashion, the team payout scheme seems just too steep. All teams know it, though, but once you are on the upper echelons it's easier to kick your mates off to the sharks than trying to save everybody (see Force India).
The viewership progression graph that Andres (IIRC) has posted a couple of times shows that F1 in in very dire straits. It won't get fixed by a crutch here or there. F1 needs a reform to increase its competitiveness and its marketability. It needs to embrace the era of internet, even if the people on charge don't get this. Someone must see the ignominy that the official website offers now less services and information than ten years ago*. Increasing the maximum fuel flow to 120 kg/h won't change anything. We've gone through three aero standards in 15 years, three engine types, refuelling or no refuelling, tyre war, spec tyre, and even no tyre changes. Invariably, the viewership decreases. Soon, Bernie will be able to have the cake and eat it too, and it will be mathematically sound because the cake will be nothing but vacuum.
Slightly OT, someone must see that watching qualifying is frustrating, because we get, at most, the timing of two drivers. MotoGP used to (haven't watched in a while) have color-coded helmets. Why can't we have the same in F1? Or Yellow/Green/Purple labels on the current positions? I want to know who's hot on track. And commentators could explain whats going on. Any takes, Kyril?
* Conspiranoia: The official website no longer has all the times from 2004 or so, or all results, so that we can't check there how slow the current cars really are.
I am not amazed by F1 cars in Monaco. I want to see them driving in the A8 highway: Variable radius corners, negative banking, and extreme narrowings that Tilke has never dreamed off. Oh, yes, and "beautiful" weather tops it all.
"Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future." Niels Bohr
Miguel wrote: Someone must see the ignominy that the official website offers now less services and information than ten years ago*...
* Conspiranoia: The official website no longer has all the times from 2004 or so, or all results, so that we can't check there how slow the current cars really are.
Offtopic, but you can still get to the old f1 website if you want to check out times from e.g. 2004 by going here You can even use the old live timing.
You can even use the old live timing.