Saw F1 live, rather disappointed

[jdlive]

So after having followed F1 for almost 20y I finally decided to go watch the race weekend in my native Belgium at the Francorchamps race-track.

I was immediately blown away by the sound which I didn't expect to be that loud However I was also majorly disappointed at the speed of it all, I'm talking everything, top speed, cornering, acceleration.

Perhaps it's just me after years of having viewed the sport that it has become so normal but I expected the cars to go a lot faster visually. I almost felt sorry for them at the long straight because it takes them that long to finish it.

Other people with similar experiences?

Still a fan though but I wished they'd abandon all the engine and downforce restrictions and just let the engineers create road bound airplanes. If someone doesn't feel safe driving, he can go drive in another class.

On a side note: I can't imagine how boring oval racing must be to watch live since these tracks are even bigger and top speed really is the least impressive characteristic to watch live.

[PNSD]

What always amazed me about watching an F1 race as a spectator was the immediate differences between cars you could see through the corners. Visually you could see some cars could take some corners quicker. You could see some drivers styles in action. I was amazed just how it comes across so easily, yet on TV you (me at least!) barely notices.

[beelsebob]

So after having followed F1 for almost 20y I finally decided to go watch the race weekend in my native Belgium at the Francorchamps race-track.

I was immediately blown away by the sound which I didn't expect to be that loud However I was also majorly disappointed at the speed of it all, I'm talking everything, top speed, cornering, acceleration.

Perhaps it's just me after years of having viewed the sport that it has become so normal but I expected the cars to go a lot faster visually. I almost felt sorry for them at the long straight because it takes them that long to finish it.

Other people with similar experiences?

Still a fan though but I wished they'd abandon all the engine and downforce restrictions and just let the engineers create road bound airplanes. If someone doesn't feel safe driving, he can go drive in another class.

On a side note: I can't imagine how boring oval racing must be to watch live since these tracks are even bigger and top speed really is the least impressive characteristic to watch live.

1) Spa is not the circuit to get a perception of speed – it's long straights and sweepers really make it feel sluggish.
2) Were you sitting at the end of a straight – next time, try sitting in the middle of one for a practice session (I don't recommend this for the race, it's boring) – you'll really notice the speed of the cars as you struggle to whip your neck round fast enough to follow them.
3) The speed of F1 cars is actually in the corners. Plenty of cars do 200mph down a straight, very few go full throttle through eau rouge though. This has been linked before, but it should reconvince you of the speed:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2cNqaPSHv0[/youtube]

[Kaneda]

As for cornering speed, I had similar experience when I watched F1 cars in Suzuka for first time. I was at Turn 6 (anti-banked curve), the car looked slow than I previously thought.

But when I watched the cars going almost flatout in Turn 1, it just blew me away. The speed was incredible!
As PNSD mentioned, it's interesting to see the difference of each drivers' braking and acceleration.

If you wanna get visually excited, you need to go to high speed corners. (Becketts, Eau Rouge, Suzuka T1, you name it...)
Jesus, I gotta see Eau Rouge one day!

[beelsebob]

Tbh, I found that to be visually excited you need to be somewhere where you're 1) at a slow corner 2) you can see some fast corners. The last place I sat at a GP at was at silverstone (before they redid it), I sat at bridge, and could see everything in the final complex. This meant that I could see some pretty amazing do-or-die overtakes into bridge, and also still got the feeling of speed on the faster corners afterwards. I could imagine that at the bottom of the hill at brazil you might be able to see some awesome overtaking, and also the senna S too. This is the kind of place you want to aim to sit.

[jdlive]

I was there the entire weekend so I watched from several locations, including eau rouge/raidillon. While easily the most impressive to see them there, STILL one can only leave under the impression these cars are capable of much more and the spectacle (leaving aside the sound which is impressive) just isn't there. If they want to keep audience numbers up, especially live at the tracks, they are going to need to push the speed up again.

[Trailer23]

Was at Istanbul Park for the TurkishGP earlier in the year & it was the fisrt F1 race I had ever experienced.

I sat in the General area which was at the famous Turn 8. I don't know about the rest of U, but I wish I could attend every race 'round the year.

Enterance:


Jaime Alguersuari at Turn 8:

[Pierce89]

So after having followed F1 for almost 20y I finally decided to go watch the race weekend in my native Belgium at the Francorchamps race-track.

I was immediately blown away by the sound which I didn't expect to be that loud However I was also majorly disappointed at the speed of it all, I'm talking everything, top speed, cornering, acceleration.

Perhaps it's just me after years of having viewed the sport that it has become so normal but I expected the cars to go a lot faster visually. I almost felt sorry for them at the long straight because it takes them that long to finish it.

Other people with similar experiences?

Still a fan though but I wished they'd abandon all the engine and downforce restrictions and just let the engineers create road bound airplanes. If someone doesn't feel safe driving, he can go drive in another class.

On a side note: I can't imagine how boring oval racing must be to watch live since these tracks are even bigger and top speed really is the least impressive characteristic to watch live.

1) Spa is not the circuit to get a perception of speed – it's long straights and sweepers really make it feel sluggish.
2) Were you sitting at the end of a straight – next time, try sitting in the middle of one for a practice session (I don't recommend this for the race, it's boring) – you'll really notice the speed of the cars as you struggle to whip your neck round fast enough to follow them.
3) The speed of F1 cars is actually in the corners. Plenty of cars do 200mph down a straight, very few go full throttle through eau rouge though. This has been linked before, but it should reconvince you of the speed:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2cNqaPSHv0[/youtube]

been around a couple years without seeing that clip. It could convince anyone of the awesomeness of F1

[Traction]

In 92 I went to Kyalami and watched Mansell cruise to a win. Sat in the international grandstands on the main straight opposite the pits...it was absolutely superb. By then I was a major NM fan so it was a dream to see him win a F1 live. The vibe , the noise, the fans and the whole experience was suberp.... ...

[Belatti]

My first GP was Buenos Aires, Argentina 1995. I was 12 years old at the time. It took F1 cars half the time to cruise the main straight than the cars I was used to see there (and remember the track was rubish, something like Hungaroring before the extension). Of course I was impressed by noise (Ferrari V12 in particular) but I recall that after a rainy friday, the first dry track lap I thought the car was going to crash... but it perfectly braked and turned in!

One that the things I made was to stand next to the braking point in the main straigh, there you can see how fast they go, how close they brake and feel the sacred gods of thunder and fire that manifests themselves through the exhausts

[jdlive]

I would say it's me judging by the responses so far but there were children next to me asking daddy "rijden ze vol gas nu?" which translates into something like "are they going full throttle now?". Unfortunately, they were. They are just too slow on the big extended tracks like Spa. I'm sure Monaco or another street circuit would be more spectacular live though.

An idea would be to let the teams boost the engine power on tracks that demand for that like Monza, Spa, India,...

[Steven]

Well, I've been at Spa several times, and Monza this year. I can honestly say that Monza is hardly more spectacular than Spa, rather the contrary.

Where have you been watching?

Just like that clip from Eau Rouge, the first times I was at Spa I was at Rivage/Bruxelles, and the speed they carry through there is a lot higher than anything else that passes there. Although as one of the slower corners, it now immensely spectacular.

However, if you have doubts about the speed, you must get a spot close to the fence at the entry of Les Combes. Even while that is not even a hard braking zone, being so close to the track you will be amazed how fast the cars get close to you, and how hard they hit the brakes to make the right hander. I have yet to see any place where you can get this kind of experience. TV doesn't get even close in showing this realistically.

[Richard]

The trouble is that the F1 cars look too stable, so appear to be going slow.

As Stewart said in the aftermath of Wheldon's death, spectators can't perceive much difference between 160mph and 220mph on an oval (or straight).

As others have said, spectator excitement comes from locked brakes and sliding cars, from seeing dramatic changes of direction. Max speed on a straight is rather dull.

One of the best camera angles is when you see F1 cars going through a chicane from a head on view at track level. Then you see them dancing from side to side at the limit of adhesion and wonder "how the #@## do they do that?".

[jdlive]

Well, I've been at Spa several times, and Monza this year. I can honestly say that Monza is hardly more spectacular than Spa, rather the contrary.

Where have you been watching?

Just like that clip from Eau Rouge, the first times I was at Spa I was at Rivage/Bruxelles, and the speed they carry through there is a lot higher than anything else that passes there. Although as one of the slower corners, it now immensely spectacular.

However, if you have doubts about the speed, you must get a spot close to the fence at the entry of Les Combes. Even while that is not even a hard braking zone, being so close to the track you will be amazed how fast the cars get close to you, and how hard they hit the brakes to make the right hander. I have yet to see any place where you can get this kind of experience. TV doesn't get even close in showing this realistically.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxbJl91jUdk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bupVMVnu1dM[/youtube]

Made these videos among others so I was very close to the track, in fact as close as a non-marshall can get. Even on this limited camera view you can still easily recognize the cars/drivers. That is just too slow for the pinnacle of motorsport.

[strad]

Let's see...They are going by so fast your camera can't quite keep up. Like those ancient turn of the 19th century films. Just how fast do you want?
With all the efforts to slow them down they atre still setting lap records.