For years I struggled to understand the hype about F1, What is so entertaining about this race where few ugly looking cars racing each other and collide? I honestly and cordially gave a few attempts to watch this game; I was bored to my core in fifth minute, every time. It was more boring than watching chess, for which I probably could gather little more patience, may be half an hour.
Seriously, what’s the deal with F1? Let me see,, to start with, this is an over expensive entertainment where only rich teams get to race and rest sit and watch. Each racing team has its own R&D team, who continuously research on their model, to make it more fast and efficient. They come up with a highly dynamic car (car is it?), which almost look like a mutated frog. These cars are completely useless outside those circuits; you can’t drive them on the roads without risking lives of you and people around you. Besides this, they have a big team of helpers, paid just to change the tyres and fill fuel, greatest job on earth. And then there are these star drivers with their costume covered with stickers from the fuel companies, most of them read “burn our oil”. Looks like I have endless complaints.
Totally pointless, just like golf. You know golf! Hitting a ball with a stick and walking behind it! Apparently this is another multi-billion dollar sports (sports!?). But at least golf can be customised to your pocket, can be played in your backyard. F1 is not your cup of tea, unless you are a billionaire and don’t have a way to burn your money.
Surprisingly, it has a big fan following in India. I recall my college days, when it had more fan followers than tennis and basketball, combined (India dint even have F1 then). It’s the same crowd which read “The Alchemist”, watched “Chicago” and listened to “Cradle of filth”. Simple rule, if you follow something which a layman can’t understand, you are the man!
Anyways, Indian government agree with me on this, rather its other way round. It said that Formula One race “does not satisfy conditions which focus on human endeavour for excelling in competition with others, keeping in view the whole sports movement from Olympic downwards.” Ministry says “Formula One is expensive entertainment and the outcome is determined by technology hence it is not ‘pure sports’”. Totally makes sense, India doesn’t need F1. Instead same R&D team can be dedicated to do something more useful in same area, may be making electric car more efficient.
I am waiting to see a day when this hype dies down, and all this money spent on something useful.
*****Update 02/07******
I have one more thing to add here, on F1 “being sports”. What are we judging here? Is it technology? Or ability of the driver? Or just efficiency of pit boys?. My point is, if you want to judge few drivers then you need to give all of them same car. If you give different (technology wise) cars to different drivers then you simply do not have a scientific methodology to decide the victor.
This post makes few more points, please read
The Bach 
1. Innovation in safety, speed and efficiency from engineering can all be reused for conventional driving systems.
2. Skills of handling, presence of mind and drive to win, makes it an exhilarating sport to watch.
3. Work as a team and bet everything on one person who will make or break the dream.
I am sure there will be formula something for EV someday!
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Lalit,
Thanks for stopping by and you have some very good questions.
1. Innovation, no it runs in parallel with conventional driving. F1 drivers sit in a strange position which is never convenient for civilian commutation.
Speed, no again, Authorities never let you have any higher speeds in regular roads. Its risk of death.
Efficiency, may be, but do you agree that we need to scrap these fossil fuel technologies within a century ?
2. May be, for him. But what about us, those who are watching it ? What is the difference between one game and other. What is spectacularly different ?
3. I have answer for this, which I have written as reply to billyboneshaker below. Not to make idea redundant, that’s all.
On F1 being EV, I will come back here and edit my post on fossil fuels being burnt. But I think rest of the complaints I have will remain the same.
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first i thought u r kidding !!! honestly i don’t watch it … coz i’ll watch something that i will understand … but it’s definetaly not boring. i totally agree with Lalit with his points 🙂
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Sharmilaji,
Welcome back. 🙂
A quick question “What is so spectacularly different between each game ? Compare football for instance.”
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I agree to all Lalit’s point. And the sport is damn interesting.
The driver skills are fun to watch. Teamwork is another fun aspect. Pit stops are game changers by huge margins.
Add to that the new ruling that the cars need to go 15% greener in next 3 years which I can tell you is a big ask in itself.
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Welcome to my blog. Give me some time to read yours, on first look you have fantastic blog.
This is what try to understand, how one lap is different from the other ? What is so spectacularly different about this ? Compare football for instance.
On team work, How some mechanics ability could possibly affect a race where the measure is speed ? Think at this angle, can an athlete win or lose 100 mts just because his masseur did not finish it in time. Or wait , I have better example Can a football match can be won or lost if a team takes 20 seconds extra to stretcher out one of his wounded players ? My question is how can a racing possibly be judged by a factor which has nothing to do with run time racing, just preparation ?
My complaint is 100% of this fuel burnt and no positive advantage is added to society. 15% certainly will not change my opinion.
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Bachodi,
Its clear you don’t like the sport so whatever reason people might give you, you might not like it. From what I know, F1 is not just about speed. Honda’s popular VTEC engine was a result of the R&D effort that it put in in its F1 cars. The KERS, new age aerodynamics, car control, traction control etc,.. evolved a lot over years because of F1. Though, I agree, its clear waste of money to race, and it is just a sport to prove your supremacy in technology, people especially manufacturers find it the right platform to test and demonstrate their technology.
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Sharat, hey hi. how are you ? Long time.
Point taken but be assured that “my college days..” is not directed to you.
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college days.. am not too much into it.. well there were and there are many geeks and freaks than me 🙂
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Totally. 🙂
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It does matter. If the pit crew takes 2 seconds longer, the other team’s driver might just pass by. I have seen Ferrari win loads of games just because of that when their driver was Schumacher. Their pit c rew during that time was the best at it. Ross Braun was the architect of most of Ferrari’s victories with his strategies.
As for the football game, 20 extra seconds on stretcher.. haven’t you heard of a concept called time wasting in football? Its not called preparation in F1. Pit stops are mandatory during the race. You need to get your tires changed and that time is counted in the final standings.
The result of a comparison will always be negative. If you compare football and F1, football wins but if you compare F1 and cricket for me, F1 wins.
The technology used and R&D facilities are top class. And most of the times they result in better engines getting to the cars that we drive daily. Honda’s VTEC is an example.
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billy,
Appreciate that, I understand you are a big fan.
my 20 sec point was, a racing game should not be judged by a non racing factor. Anyways, that’s not the biggest complaint, this just adds to my irritation, thats all.
My main point is all money, attention , publicity paid is not justified.
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This is beautiful, I must say. The line “…if you follow something which a layman can’t understand, you are the man!” is so true. Sometimes, its more of a fashion to follow/talk about the stuffs! 🙂
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Sathya, Thanks Guroo.
good to see someone is a agreeing with me.
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Hey F1 is not just about wasteful expenditure. I agree its the speed junkies who are most hooked, but the innovations researched by McLaren, Ferrari and others often are incorporated into the new cars they bring out…Golf, on the other hand,bores me to tears too. But I have heard that those who play it appreciate it more than those who do not. For they are the only ones who can appreciate the effort involved in hitting a birdie or going 2 under par..:)
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Welcome to my blog 🙂
On R&D , Ferrari is supposed to be one of the leading F1 cars right ? I don’t see they have brought a commuter vehicle based on any technology they have. So whole Ferrari R&D is dedicated to Sports ?
On golf, Its a common argument right? if you regularly do it, you will like it. :-). I heard this comment from those who have played it, but they use this tool justify golf when they dont have any other way to do it. 🙂
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Great post bach…here is something which might interest you.
http://www.ecogeek.org/automobiles/3201
Now we are talking about a race which will actually contribute to real-world driving conditions compared to F1. All those who talk about the greatness of F1 should definitely read this and give it a thought.
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Thanks for the link 🙂
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Without judging the game and taking a stand on how justified F1 is(I rarely follow the “sport”!),all i can say is – great read!
Keep going…
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Glad you liked it. Thanks for the comments and welcome to my blog.
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Well if it was such a pointless sport, then it would have never got the attention it got.
I am watching F1 since I was 8. At that time I knew no one who watched the sport. I felt that it was exciting and so I started following F1. And, I do not follow it because of that ‘RULE’ you stated, and neither do I think that anybody else does.
And it not being a cup of tea for an ordinary person, well in my opinion an Indian winning a World Driver’s Championship is more probable than than that of even appearing in a FIFA World Cup.
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.. not necessary.. there are so many pointless things in the world and still got tremendous attention .. try “religion” as an example.
Welcome to my blog BTW.
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Yeah, religion is pointless, but F1 is not.
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Is that a verdict ? 🙂
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well a the outset, it seems that some F1 guy really pi**ed u off :D….well you have serious reservations, but i agree that for beginners the sport might seem boring….once can only truly enjoy it once you understand the complesities, for eg brawn’s brilliant diffuser design in 2009 that sent all teams in panic mode…..but as most people bring out its the point of view which matters….now according to me IPL is one big reality show which is a disgrace for sports, but then a few people could be after my life for this statement…..so as they say one man’s dream is the other’s nightmare…..personally for me, the most captivating part is the pinnacle of technology it boasts and the supreme team effort, right from the driver, to the factory mechanic….and then abs, crumple zones, seat belts, traction control, power steering, turbos, the gifts of F1 to the auto wold are endless…..so chill, have fun, and if for nothing else, watch it for the girls 😉
peace
alekh
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Well! I got to say I enjoyed your post and got to understand, what everyone is cribbing about.
I being one of the fool who travelled a 1000 miles just to see the race won’t try to change your mind. Guess it is a matter of what one likes and give weightage to.
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