F1: What do you think

we have commercials every 25 minutes

Yeah? I have mentioned that I haven’t seen the last two races, but this year I have seen – and noted – an ad break ending within 2 or 3 minutes of the start followed by another almost always at 10 past the hour (ie 10 minutes after the start of the race), with yet another on the half hour.
At the finish there might be one roughly 10 minutes before the end, roughly 20 minutes before the end, and roughly 30 minutes before the end, with another usually after the cars have finished which tries to coincide with the drivers getting out but ending before they get their trophies; if not then it will be between the trophy presentation and the post race conference – if the race has not over run and the switchboard is swamped with thousands of Corrie fans complaining.
In the early days ITV apparently tried to keep to a schedule for ad breaks – was there not an occasion when the finish was either missed due to a break or only just caught on the return from a break (I think that was what happened although I have not seen anything like this myself; it is just one of those things that people seem to remember)?

Flood.™

we have commercials every 25 minutes

In Schuies defence I think that, on Britain, it hasn’t helped that F1 has been on ITV – how many times did we come back to the racing from an ad break to find that the lead had changed (ok, it was a few years ago!) or someone had crashed or (on at least one occasion, I think) that the race had been suspended due to rain or to clear away wreckage (I can’t remember which)? Now there can be three ad breaks in the last half hour before the finish and nobody bats an eyelid (you try that with a soap…).
And the build up to each race is so lowest common denominator!

Flood.™

Well the same here. F1 is on TF1 and those ba$tard$ have a least 5 or 6 commercial breaks during the race.

In Schuies defence I think that, on Britain, it hasn’t helped that F1 has been on ITV – how many times did we come back to the racing from an ad break to find that the lead had changed (ok, it was a few years ago!) or someone had crashed or (on at least one occasion, I think) that the race had been suspended due to rain or to clear away wreckage (I can’t remember which)? Now there can be three ad breaks in the last half hour before the finish and nobody bats an eyelid (you try that with a soap…).
And the build up to each race is so lowest common denominator!

Flood.™

well…erm…….no

But would you still be saying that if it were Raikonnen or Webber?;)

Flood.™

i am a passionate fan of the sport giving full support for Kimi Raikonnen and Mark Webber.The sport is great fun and exciting and is a joy to watch. The sport is spoiled by a single German of Michael Schuhmacher.I just have to turn ITV(Channel for F1in the UK) off nowadays.
The problem is that if you put schuhmacher in any car he’ll still probably win…he’s just too good.Theres nothing wrong with winning but there is when the story is the same.Michael should retire as he has setall the records he can set and has made flaming millions

F1 is suffering from the fact that Schumacher and Ferrari are head and shoulders above the rest.We are experencing a true legend in Schumacher,The trouble is noone else can compete against him leaving it a race for second place.
One horse races are no fun no matter what sport it is and every now and then they do happen.
I think Jenson Button has a shed load of potential and maybe a champion in the future,He is still young and in a improving car.
I rarely watch F1 due to the boring factor that leaves you knowing Mr M.Schumacher will be on top of the podium when the race is done,Instead i have been to Legends and Farnborough and had a better time.

Flood, whats wrong with them focusing on the English driver? The Brazilians will focus on Barrichello, as the Australians will focus on Webber. Since Button is representing our country, why would we not want to focus on him more than the others?

Nothing under the circumstance – what I meant was are they focusing on:
i/ a driver who overcame a huge handicap;
ii/ the driver who came second because he was not Schmacher;
iii/ or just because he was a Brit?
Personally I would like to sportingly think it was purely because of the first two points, but the cynic in me feels it more likely just the third point, like normal.

Flood.™

Flood, whats wrong with them focusing on the English driver? The Brazilians will focus on Barrichello, as the Australians will focus on Webber. Since Button is representing our country, why would we not want to focus on him more than the others?

Mister Ecclestone has been credited with making Formula 1 what it is today. This is regarding its profile and MONEY. As long as he keeps lining his pockets he will not care.
I also have been a F1 fan for over 30 years, and it is at its lowest ebb, apart from the money involved. The money will kill the sport. All F1 teams need a major car manufacturer behind them to succeed. So what happens when Ford decide pumping money into Jaguar is no longer worthwhile, and quit. Ferrari, backed by £850M of Fiats money has set the target for the rest. None of the main car companies will pay year in year out, not to be at the front.
Bernie needs to look at Champ car racing, they RACE. After all he would not have been able to have his own F1 team today. Minardi are the poor team, running a whole season on less than Schumachers wages! Stoddart’s only hope is for a main manufacturer to buy his team, then maybe Minardi would be competative.
Rant over.
And its still Formula Boring.

Yep good analysis , sadly true !!!

…the more important question: who comes second.

Didn’t see the race – just heard the result – but as has appeared on Channel 4 News they are focusing on the second placed driver – just like I said (or shall I be cynical and ask if this was because he is British?).

Flood.™

Mister Ecclestone has been credited with making Formula 1 what it is today. This is regarding its profile and MONEY. As long as he keeps lining his pockets he will not care.
I also have been a F1 fan for over 30 years, and it is at its lowest ebb, apart from the money involved. The money will kill the sport. All F1 teams need a major car manufacturer behind them to succeed. So what happens when Ford decide pumping money into Jaguar is no longer worthwhile, and quit. Ferrari, backed by £850M of Fiats money has set the target for the rest. None of the main car companies will pay year in year out, not to be at the front.
Bernie needs to look at Champ car racing, they RACE. After all he would not have been able to have his own F1 team today. Minardi are the poor team, running a whole season on less than Schumachers wages! Stoddart’s only hope is for a main manufacturer to buy his team, then maybe Minardi would be competative.
Rant over.
And its still Formula Boring.

Well I think that F1 is such a bore now.
I’m a fan since 30 years and F1 as never been that boring.
Schum is a tremendeous champion. However the format of the race is a disaster.
I would say everything bet F1. DTM , F3000 , British F3 championship , everything gives a gret show to the audience. F1 is boring. For sure the performance of Ferrari is fabulous , but the show is boring.
Today’s race was way better , but Hockenheim is a track were passing is easy.
I don’t speak about this silly rule which made Button start from the 13th rank.
What’ more boring to watch Schum flying away right after the start. People pay a bunch of money to come to the race. It’s a rip off.
Mister Ecclestone , wake up or quit please!!!! Forget a bit the money (you’re filthy rich now) and mind the show!!

Sorry 20, that makes it even worse. No I only watched the first 3 laps, car to prepare for next weekend.
F1 on the way up? well it can’t get much worse. The fact they fiddle with the rules, new ideas every week, tells you that something is wrong!

You can’t be watching it that closely! Since when has their been 26 drivers in F1? Theres 20!

And it wasnt just Button (Who by the way, wasnt passing crappy drivers, he was passing those up their with the best), there was great battles all the way through the field, (Sato,Webber,Raikonnen,Alonso,Fisichella), etc etc.

In my view F1 is on the up, and with the proposed rule changes next year it can only get better.

So you find one person out of 26 who managed to do some overtaking, well done. We all know if you put a ‘front runner’ at the back of the grid he can blast his way to the top ten, maybe then into the top six, this does not make it RACING. There is 26 cars on the grid.
I suggest you stop calling people stupid, and get out there and watch some racing from other motorsports. Not only have I watched all levels of motorsport, I have competed for many seasons, on bikes as well as cars. I personally know a few drivers that made it to F1, and I know the skill required to drive one of these cars. But this does not make it exciting motor RACING.

You guys who claim there is no overtaking are either thick or just plain stupid. Jenson Button started 13th on the grid today, finished 2nd with a great last 10 laps against Alonso – lots of overtaking/aggresive moves.

What you are seeing now is the result of hard work.

Maybe – but the viewing public is, at best, indifferent or bored silly at worst. Thats what happens when one individual grabs success with both hands and won’t let go. Look how happy everybody was when the Williams sisters stopped winning all the womens tennis titles…

Flood.™

What grand prixs have you been watching.There has been plenty of overtaking.Barrichello on Trulli last lap at Magny Cour.Schumacher and Ferrair cannot be blamed.They are simply the best.I have supported Michael since the Benneton days and we have had more than our fair share of bad luck and bad days.What you are seeing now is the result of hard work.