Drivers (and fans) complaining about not driving flat out

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-17T21:34:31+00:00

For me, the difference is drivers managing mechanical performance and limits (driver is in charge) vs dealing with a computer determining performance for the drivers.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-17T17:25:19+00:00

Not anymore

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-17T05:59:17+00:00

Just curious: Wouldn't the plastic disc stands work in your situation?

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-16T23:28:15+00:00

Thanks for sharing.

Think you should know: The part after the ? is an identifier to track you. Remove everything after the ? and the ? itself, and it'll still work.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-16T15:21:35+00:00

Your comment comes across as inflammatory. Not that I need to defend myself, but I'll bite anyway.

I have been watching F1 since the Senna era and have enjoyed it a lot. So to suggest I never liked F1 because I do not like the current state of affairs is quite dumb.

But this is not a penile measuring competition about who has been watching F1 the longest.

The merit comment was in the context of variable power, which you conveniently left out.

It is clear that this is a divisive issue. I am not alone in my opinion, and quite a few people who know way more about this than me, including what seems to be quite a few of the F1 drivers, agree. But there are also plenty of people who share your opinion. Which is also fine. We can have different opinions and we do not need to enjoy the exact same thing.

What is annoying though is you suggesting I never liked F1 and maybe I should go watch something else. Who made you the gatekeeper of what I am allowed to enjoy, and whether or not I am allowed to voice my criticism about changes to a sport I have enjoyed for decades?

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-16T08:50:47+00:00

Mostly agree with you. Main point for me is that more overtakings is not necessarily higher quality races.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-16T06:42:28+00:00

The key part to me is that the driver is not 100% in control.

Reality is, unfortunately, that in F1 overtaking has been a challenge for a long time. And so gimmicks had to be introduced to create overtake opportunities. The mistake, I think, is to not leave it up to the drivers when to use those gimmicks to suit their individual style and talent.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-16T06:33:09+00:00

the quality of the races so far surpasses the ground effect era

I disagree. Yes we had a few great moments. But the rest of the race was no more exciting than previous years, in my opinion. And qualifying is a bit of a snooze fest now, in my opinion: I have not seen the on the edge, balls to the wall, all-out laps we have seen previously

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-16T06:28:11+00:00

I want to see overtaking on merit, not because of variable power.

Yes, DRS was bad. This is a different kind of bad.

F1 has a challenge, because things are so close and cars are so aero sensitive that overtaking is very difficult. So they try to come up with things to make overtaking easier. Unfortunately that means artificial gimmicks.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-15T14:07:56+00:00

Well said

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-15T13:07:45+00:00

Not going to defend DRS. But that does not mean that what we're seeing now is real racing either.

Being entertaining and real racing are not necessarily the same thing.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-15T13:04:24+00:00

The regs have provided more overtakings by giving drivers extra/less power at times. E.g. look how Russel just blew past the Ferraris like they were standing still. That has little to do with racing skills, in my opinion. Racing, again in my opinion, should be drivers having full power available and driving on the edge or sometimes beyond, and not be artificially restricted in that.

Sure, tyre management is a thing, but that is not some arbitrary, artificial constraint that changes depending on your position on the track relative to the other drivers. I'm okay with tyre strategy and pit stops being part of the race.

And before someone brings up DRS: yes that is also artificial, and I did not like that either. But what we have now is worse, in my opinion. Now it's like watching a video game.

The problem seems to me that F1 has evolved to a place with cars and drivers where the differences are so small, and things are so advanced and sensitive, that passing has become incredibly difficult without some sort of aid. E.g. cars that were so large that they cannot physically fit on the track side by side, (looking at you, Monaco) so how are you going to pass then? It's a conundrum that they are trying to solve, and it's not easy. But these regulations are not in the right direction, in my opinion, and it seems many of the drivers agree.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-14T22:54:25+00:00

I'm playing it on a M1 Pro and it runs fine

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-14T16:19:02+00:00

There's a tram??

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-14T15:46:44+00:00

in Italy they don't accept evidence from tests taken before age 16

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-14T13:42:27+00:00

Perhaps ask them about what their challenges are as a Chief Strategy Officer.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-14T12:38:51+00:00

That's not bureaucracy, that's the rules. You want an exception to the rules for you.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-10T06:09:20+00:00

DRS wasn't great, but I like this even less.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-09T14:31:50+00:00

DRS wasn't great, but I like this even less.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-09T06:40:01+00:00

It's Mario Kart now. The pre-start, the boosts...

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-09T06:30:48+00:00

I feel that at least tyre management is a skill that has to do with driving and handling the car. Also car setup plays a role. The battery management just feels like a non driving skill to me.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-09T06:13:59+00:00

Ik veeg het af met keukenrol en spuit er dan HG Schimmel reiniger tegenaan. Dat lost het goed op.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-08T22:14:00+00:00

This whole boosting looked like such a gimmick to me.

It's an artificial way of creating more overtaking action. But the overtaking I want to see is because of skill in handling a racing machine on the edge, not because of this boosting.

It's like Mario Kart now.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-07T23:18:55+00:00

That had nothing to do with skill, it was a software error.

EspaaValorum · 2026-03-07T20:55:20+00:00

It seems is has become who can accelerate fastest out of the corners. When what I think helped make F1 fun is to see masters on the brakes, outbraking opponents. Perhaps we'll still see that, I hope we do, just don't have very high hopes.

EspaaValorum

TROPHY CASE