I think this could make for interesting results/
I agree. It IS entertaining. My heart was definitely beating faster as I saw Daniel holding off Magnusson at the end. After the disastrous pre-season Red Bull had, coming home 2nd (even if temporarily) was highly interesting. And watching Vettel get stomped by his young teammate was kind of enjoyable. Seb is a bit full of himself these days. And the fact that it was an Aussie doing in Australia was great!
But......and this debate has no resolution, I realize that up front - a Formula One race is, by definition, not endurance racing. It is meant to be a full out sprint start to finish. Try telling Gilles Villeneuve that he needs to take it easy in the middle of a race and he would look at you like you were from Mars. Do you think Senna or Lauda or Hunt ever considered taking their foot off the loud pedal and coasting for a bit? Were Prost and Senna just cruising around that fateful day in Japan?
The reference to long distance runners is a red herring. No human is capable of the sustained power output of an internal combustion engine, with or without ERS. I get winded just taking out the trash!
In all debate, it is essential to define one's terms. Racing today is not the same as it has been since Formula One resumed after WW II. I used to devour the race reports in Road & Track back in the 50's and 60's and I never once remember a reference to any driver going less than flat out all the time, every time. So I suggest the definition of "racing" has undergone a metamorphosis of late and that we ought to at least be aware of the evolution of the word.
Perhaps I am just an old fart pining for the good ol' days when men were men and racing was racing (I think CanAm may have been the best racing EVER!). I admit that different generations will see things through a different lens. But to me, what we have today is entertainment. And it is pretty interesting entertainment. But is it racing? I submit the answer is "No, it is not."
I have told this story before, but it bears retelling. In 2000, my wife and I traveled to Indianapolis for the inaugural F1 race. The main entrance is just below Turn One which was the final corner in F1 configuration. As we approached, practice was going on. Suddenly, a howling, snarling, bellowing sound came at us from inside the track. A moment later, a pressure wave washed over us, roiling our intestines, pressing on our chests and making our hearts beat faster.
"What was THAT?" my wife asked, her eyes wide with wonder. "That was the sound of a Formula One car at full speed, I replied. Just seeing the excitement in her eyes was worth the entire trip.
And so, my young friends, I suggest that much has been lost along the way from 2000 to the present. The product still looks like steak, but the sizzle and the aroma of a real steak are missing. If F1 as presently constituted returned to Indy tomorrow, I doubt my bride would be nearly as keen to go as she was back then.
And that, I think, illustrates my point and explains why I think the sport has dug itself into a hole and is hell bent on making the hole deeper.
, laps 3-4.
