If great racing is what we are after... Why is Monaco still in the calendar?Just_a_fan wrote:It doesn't make sense if it results in people being turned off the sport, however. There's no prestige for these places if there's no one watching because the tracks result in poor racing.El Scorchio wrote: ↑10 Nov 2020, 12:12And it does make sense for F1 purely in a business/money sense as well. Go where the money is. It's just a shame that it comes at the expense of some great and traditional European races which don't get government or immense private financial backing.
Great question. I'm on record (i.e. I've said it here before) that I think Monaco is a rubbish and shouldn't be included in the calendar. Sure, if you want spectacle, have it as a mid season jaunt, but it's entirely pointless as a race unless something odd happens such as the 1996 race (Panis won, only the podium finishers actually finished the race). It can be fun watching qualifying - flat out around Monaco is just bad ass, but as a race? No way!SmallSoldier wrote: ↑11 Nov 2020, 23:19If great racing is what we are after... Why is Monaco still in the calendar?Just_a_fan wrote:It doesn't make sense if it results in people being turned off the sport, however. There's no prestige for these places if there's no one watching because the tracks result in poor racing.El Scorchio wrote: ↑10 Nov 2020, 12:12
And it does make sense for F1 purely in a business/money sense as well. Go where the money is. It's just a shame that it comes at the expense of some great and traditional European races which don't get government or immense private financial backing.
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I think that in itself is no issue. Newbuilt tracks do not have to be boring per se. I like Austin for instance.Just_a_fan wrote: ↑10 Nov 2020, 11:15We have Bernie to thank for the rise of these weird races. He managed to set up a model where the circuits paid F1 to use their facilities. Think about it - it's the equivalent of going on holiday and having the hotel pay you to stay there.
Quite why anyone fell for it is beyond me. I guess there were enough egotistical leaders in enough countries that were happy to pay Bernie in order to make themselves look good. Once that route had been opened up, the traditional circuits were at risk and some were lost from the calendar.
Why go to Vietnam, or Saudi Arabia or Bahrain when we can use classic tracks like Imola? Only one reason - the leaders of those countries are willing to pay for the reflected glory that hosting an F1 race brings to them (or they think it does).
Exactly my thoughts. And in Portimao's case, slippery conditions.adrianjordan wrote: ↑13 Nov 2020, 03:03Is it possible that Mugello and Portimao produced such good races because they were relatively unknown to the teams?
That’s the thing that disappointed me most about the “Circuit of Wales” fiasco. The terrain and proposed layout actually looked to be creating an interesting grade 1 track. Probably more suited to bikes and tin tops rather than current F1 but an interesting layout nontheless.Edax wrote: ↑12 Nov 2020, 01:40I think that in itself is no issue. Newbuilt tracks do not have to be boring per se. I like Austin for instance.Just_a_fan wrote: ↑10 Nov 2020, 11:15We have Bernie to thank for the rise of these weird races. He managed to set up a model where the circuits paid F1 to use their facilities. Think about it - it's the equivalent of going on holiday and having the hotel pay you to stay there.
Quite why anyone fell for it is beyond me. I guess there were enough egotistical leaders in enough countries that were happy to pay Bernie in order to make themselves look good. Once that route had been opened up, the traditional circuits were at risk and some were lost from the calendar.
Why go to Vietnam, or Saudi Arabia or Bahrain when we can use classic tracks like Imola? Only one reason - the leaders of those countries are willing to pay for the reflected glory that hosting an F1 race brings to them (or they think it does).
Problem is I think that with the requirements for road, air access and hospitality, you inevitably end up with a piece of industrial wasteland near a major city. There is only so much you can do with that. If that was the case in the past the Belgian GP would have run in Antwerpen Harbor instead of Spa.
I am sure Vietnam would be able to design a great track. Imagine a jungle track in the mountains. Heck they could design the track to run trough a cave or under a waterfall or something crazy. Wouldn’t that be something?
I am not sure where this push for practicality is coming from. The way Bernie has been complaining about the road access at Silverstone and Spa it would not surprise me if F1 is the problem and not these countries.
But Monaco actually proves the point that F1 Follows the money.SmallSoldier wrote: ↑11 Nov 2020, 23:19If great racing is what we are after... Why is Monaco still in the calendar?Just_a_fan wrote:It doesn't make sense if it results in people being turned off the sport, however. There's no prestige for these places if there's no one watching because the tracks result in poor racing.El Scorchio wrote: ↑10 Nov 2020, 12:12
And it does make sense for F1 purely in a business/money sense as well. Go where the money is. It's just a shame that it comes at the expense of some great and traditional European races which don't get government or immense private financial backing.
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Have a time trial event there the week before or after the French GP. All the excitement of Quali but without the processional race.Just_a_fan wrote: ↑11 Nov 2020, 23:28Great question. I'm on record (i.e. I've said it here before) that I think Monaco is a rubbish and shouldn't be included in the calendar. Sure, if you want spectacle, have it as a mid season jaunt, but it's entirely pointless as a race unless something odd happens such as the 1996 race (Panis won, only the podium finishers actually finished the race). It can be fun watching qualifying - flat out around Monaco is just bad ass, but as a race? No way!SmallSoldier wrote: ↑11 Nov 2020, 23:19If great racing is what we are after... Why is Monaco still in the calendar?Just_a_fan wrote: It doesn't make sense if it results in people being turned off the sport, however. There's no prestige for these places if there's no one watching because the tracks result in poor racing.
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Yeah, that's a nice idea. Make a thing of it being something other than a race. Have several ties per driver spread over a period during the weekend e.g. 3 runs on Saturday, 3 runs on Sunday. Average the 6 results to establish the points awarded. Then we get to see the cars flat out around Monaco - a great spectacle - without the tedium of the "race" itself.adrianjordan wrote: ↑10 Feb 2021, 14:59Have a time trial event there the week before or after the French GP. All the excitement of Quali but without the processional race.Just_a_fan wrote: ↑11 Nov 2020, 23:28Great question. I'm on record (i.e. I've said it here before) that I think Monaco is a rubbish and shouldn't be included in the calendar. Sure, if you want spectacle, have it as a mid season jaunt, but it's entirely pointless as a race unless something odd happens such as the 1996 race (Panis won, only the podium finishers actually finished the race). It can be fun watching qualifying - flat out around Monaco is just bad ass, but as a race? No way!SmallSoldier wrote: ↑11 Nov 2020, 23:19
If great racing is what we are after... Why is Monaco still in the calendar?
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I know people like Imola but it tends to be boring from my point of view. Hungaroring is fun when its wet because it becomes a extremely slippery track, with normal conditions is a big boredom. The rest is fine.