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27th
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Let's start today with a question, shall we?
Well, I'm guessing you watched the Monaco Grand Prix as you wouldn't be here reading this, would you? So, hands up who saw it? Ah, I see... a fair show...
Now, let's carry on with a second question:
How many of you watched the Indy 500?
Well that's not so good, is it? Much, much less...
But you know what? That's tragic.
Despite the Monaco Grand Prix being the event of motorsport events, I found it a bit of a let down. Certainly, seeing Nico Rosberg silence his detractors by keeping his cool amidst the chaos on and off-track - especially on a weekend where it was 30 years since his dad won in Monaco - was worth tuning in for, and so was...
Umm... so was.... the end, maybe? It was somewhat spectacular but nobody likes to see an accident, especially on the tight confines of somewhere like Monaco.
So Rosberg's win. That was it. Nothing else really got me fevered up.
Once again, the first half of the race was marked by drivers saving their tires, which, for me at least, signifies nothing - apart from the pace of the Mercedes W04 - has changed since Barcelona, really.
Whilst there has always been somewhat of a tire-war in F1, the feeling is that it has gone too far, because grand prix racing used to at least, be who could manage everything the best and cross the line the quickest. Not anymore.
Nobody likes seeing a driver having to drive slowly for half the race as he fears for shredding his tires, and as I've said in a similar column, I'm not overly interested in strategy as I can't stand chess. It's boring.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.
I want to see drivers doing what they do best. Drive. Drive fast and race.
If you scratch the chess swipe, Mark Webber is a man who would agree. After the race, the Australian claimed the grand prix was an exercise in ‘nursing the car' and ‘waiting for the chequered flag.'
Similarly, one of Audi's DTM drivers, Adrien Tambay lit up Twitter by claiming he was “honestly disappointed with the way F1 has gone.”
If we carry on with the idea of disappointment, let's fast forward to 18:12 Central European Time. I'd filed my F1 report and had settled down in front of the TV to watch my first Indy 500. Whilst I admit I'm no expert on the series, I was on the edge of my seat for the full 200 laps.
It. Was. Epic.
During the grand prix, I may or may not have been making mental shopping lists. During the Indy, I once again fell in love with open wheel racing.
Sure, you could argue that during the Spanish Grand Prix there was plenty of passing, but how much of it was it down to the Debatable Racing System and wilting Pirellis?
However, look at the Indy, and there were 68 lead changes. Sixty. Eight. That's around a third of the 33-car field having led the race at least once. And they were all on the same tyres. And had similar aero.
How many passes were there in Monaco?
At the Brickyard, did you notice any drivers backing off in case they shredded their tires? No. Did you see drivers conserving fuel, but still going flat out and actually racing each other? Yes.
Did you enjoy it? I certainly did.
And this made me think.
Certainly, whilst IndyCars have different aero and tires to an F1 car, the 500 was spectacular and by far the best open wheel race I've seen all year.
So maybe, just maybe - and this is a European saying this - Formula 1 might have to look to the US for 2014 if it's to emerge from the slump it currently it's currently in.
Well, I'm guessing you watched the Monaco Grand Prix as you wouldn't be here reading this, would you? So, hands up who saw it? Ah, I see... a fair show...
Now, let's carry on with a second question:
How many of you watched the Indy 500?
Well that's not so good, is it? Much, much less...
But you know what? That's tragic.
Despite the Monaco Grand Prix being the event of motorsport events, I found it a bit of a let down. Certainly, seeing Nico Rosberg silence his detractors by keeping his cool amidst the chaos on and off-track - especially on a weekend where it was 30 years since his dad won in Monaco - was worth tuning in for, and so was...
Umm... so was.... the end, maybe? It was somewhat spectacular but nobody likes to see an accident, especially on the tight confines of somewhere like Monaco.
So Rosberg's win. That was it. Nothing else really got me fevered up.
 |
| Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG, winner of the Monaco Grand Prix (Photo: Mercedes-Benz) |
Once again, the first half of the race was marked by drivers saving their tires, which, for me at least, signifies nothing - apart from the pace of the Mercedes W04 - has changed since Barcelona, really.
Whilst there has always been somewhat of a tire-war in F1, the feeling is that it has gone too far, because grand prix racing used to at least, be who could manage everything the best and cross the line the quickest. Not anymore.
Nobody likes seeing a driver having to drive slowly for half the race as he fears for shredding his tires, and as I've said in a similar column, I'm not overly interested in strategy as I can't stand chess. It's boring.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.
I want to see drivers doing what they do best. Drive. Drive fast and race.
If you scratch the chess swipe, Mark Webber is a man who would agree. After the race, the Australian claimed the grand prix was an exercise in ‘nursing the car' and ‘waiting for the chequered flag.'
Similarly, one of Audi's DTM drivers, Adrien Tambay lit up Twitter by claiming he was “honestly disappointed with the way F1 has gone.”
If we carry on with the idea of disappointment, let's fast forward to 18:12 Central European Time. I'd filed my F1 report and had settled down in front of the TV to watch my first Indy 500. Whilst I admit I'm no expert on the series, I was on the edge of my seat for the full 200 laps.
It. Was. Epic.
 |
| Restart at the Indy 500. (Photo: Forresst Mellott/IMS) |
During the grand prix, I may or may not have been making mental shopping lists. During the Indy, I once again fell in love with open wheel racing.
Sure, you could argue that during the Spanish Grand Prix there was plenty of passing, but how much of it was it down to the Debatable Racing System and wilting Pirellis?
However, look at the Indy, and there were 68 lead changes. Sixty. Eight. That's around a third of the 33-car field having led the race at least once. And they were all on the same tyres. And had similar aero.
How many passes were there in Monaco?
At the Brickyard, did you notice any drivers backing off in case they shredded their tires? No. Did you see drivers conserving fuel, but still going flat out and actually racing each other? Yes.
Did you enjoy it? I certainly did.
And this made me think.
Certainly, whilst IndyCars have different aero and tires to an F1 car, the 500 was spectacular and by far the best open wheel race I've seen all year.
So maybe, just maybe - and this is a European saying this - Formula 1 might have to look to the US for 2014 if it's to emerge from the slump it currently it's currently in.