PDA

View Full Version : Schumacher / Clark and boring races



RTKar
08-31-04, 07:35 PM
I'm in the middle of reading the book, "Jim Clark and His Most Successful Lotus" by Eoin Young...(recommended by the way), when the author states, "Jim Clark and Colin Chapman's Lotus were as supreme in 1963 as Michael Schumacher's Ferrari has been in recent seasons of Formula 1 and four decades ago there were the same suggestions that Clark's domination in the Lotus was starting to make the races seem boring." It's an interesting comment from a time in F1 that I'm aware of only through books, while I'm living during a period of F1 that may be much the same, in that one driver dominates the sport producing commentary that the races are boring. Funny , how we revel in what once was but don't appreciate "what is"...BTW...some great photos in the book, some in B/W, wonderful shots of the Nurburgring, Eau Rouge, Monaco and an amazing picture from the start of a race at Aintree with fans literally feet away from the grid as the non title race begins.

Railbird
08-31-04, 09:21 PM
I appreciate what MS and the Scuderia are accomplishing right now. As a student of the history of motorsports I enjoy seeing it happen.

In earlier eras the deal was a bit different with domination tempered by the lack of exposure. Fans didn't get to watch Clark win 7 out of 10 they only read about it. For most of us our F1 experience existed on the pages of Road&Track or the occasional weeks old Autosport. Given that who would you want to see on form for the one or two GPs you were lucky enough to attend?

Nowdays we can get up early and watch each and every time Schumi dusts their ***.

enjoy it while you can racefans, it's history.

FTG
08-31-04, 09:58 PM
An auction between someone with $400 million and someone with $50 million maybe historic, but watching it is as boring as hell. Especially at 7:30 am and especially if you need to constantly listen to people tell you that the person with more money is "brilliant" because they are able to outbid the poorer person.

nissan gtp
08-31-04, 10:13 PM
Formula 1 has always been a series of dominance.... remember Senna/Prost winning 15 out of 16, while racing each other like demons (ahem, Rubino). Would have had all 16 but for dumb-**** Jean-Louise Schleisser backmarking in a Williams

Railbird
08-31-04, 10:21 PM
How about Fangio when it comes to team support?

Rubino is an absolute team rebel compared to Peter Collins

Methanolandbrats
08-31-04, 10:31 PM
People who bitch about Schumi and Ferrari just don't get it. What we have seen will likely never be repeated. Just look at McLaren, Williams and the others flailing around like three-legged dogs trying to answer Ferrari and Schumi. It is NOT boring. Formula One is about excellence and execution and Ferrari has raised the game to a very high level. A rare combination of one of the best drivers ever with one of the best teams ever assembled. Formula One races last under two hours, but there is a more important race that takes place over the course of years as the teams fortunes ebb and flow. That is what makes it the purest motorsport there is. It's not another ****ty spec series, it's a thinking mans motorsport.

Lizzerd
08-31-04, 11:01 PM
People who bitch about Schumi and Ferrari just don't get it. What we have seen will likely never be repeated. Just look at McLaren, Williams and the others flailing around like three-legged dogs trying to answer Ferrari and Schumi. It is NOT boring. Formula One is about excellence and execution and Ferrari has raised the game to a very high level. A rare combination of one of the best drivers ever with one of the best teams ever assembled. Formula One races last under two hours, but there is a more important race that takes place over the course of years as the teams fortunes ebb and flow. That is what makes it the purest motorsport there is. It's not another ****ty spec series, it's a thinking mans motorsport.

Ditto! I could have tried to say the same thing, but I know I couldn't have been as eloquent. :thumbup:

Cam
08-31-04, 11:47 PM
On second thoughts never mind...

JohnHKart
09-01-04, 02:55 AM
People who bitch about Schumi and Ferrari just don't get it. What we have seen will likely never be repeated. Just look at McLaren, Williams and the others flailing around like three-legged dogs trying to answer Ferrari and Schumi. It is NOT boring. Formula One is about excellence and execution and Ferrari has raised the game to a very high level. A rare combination of one of the best drivers ever with one of the best teams ever assembled. Formula One races last under two hours, but there is a more important race that takes place over the course of years as the teams fortunes ebb and flow. That is what makes it the purest motorsport there is. It's not another ****ty spec series, it's a thinking mans motorsport.


Well said, ten years ago Schumi winning every week would have bored me to tears, but I find myself enjoying F1 more than ever. It's really the cars, the driving, the speed, the cornering the noise....the charisma. I even find Hungary interesting now. The problem is whenever I watch F1 first on Sunday, everything else seems too slow and boring.

John

RTKar
09-01-04, 06:59 AM
Well said, ten years ago Schumi winning every week would have bored me to tears, but I find myself enjoying F1 more than ever. It's really the cars, the driving, the speed, the cornering the noise....the charisma. I even find Hungary interesting now. The problem is whenever I watch F1 first on Sunday, everything else seems too slow and boring.
John


Amen, as Champcar flails away and tries to be relevant, my interest in F1 has increased. It is rather strange, how on Sundays when F1 and Champcar both race, how sluggish Champcars appear to be but at least I don't yet find Champcar boring.

Michaelhatesfans
09-01-04, 10:49 AM
I don't actually mind the fact that Scumi is winning almost every weekend. The best car/driver combination should win. Fair enough. I do take issue with the fact that he would never allow a JPM/Kimi/Fernando as an equal teammate. To me, that's what is disappointing about modern F1. At least in '88 when McLaren was wiping the floor with everyone, they had the two best drivers in the world taking it to each other in equal cars.

Warlock!
09-01-04, 01:25 PM
An auction between someone with $400 million and someone with $50 million maybe historic, but watching it is as boring as hellMac, Toyota, and BAR are all tossing around huge budgets, but they still can't beat Ferrari. I think it's interesting as Hell to watch them try to beat them with strategy, since they know they haven't got the car to do it...

...yet.

Warlock!

RacinM3
09-01-04, 01:40 PM
I've been saying for a long time now that the people who today are crying about MS's domination are the very same people who in 20-40 years will be telling their grandchildren that between 1993 and 200X they witnessed something very rare in F1 history.

I'm not a big Schumacher (the person) fan, but I'm not dumb enough to disrespect what he has accomplished and continues to accomplish. Every race I'm amazed.