3 ms·
Yeah, I think you're right about most of this - I watched most of the races this season. There's a lot of interesting stuff going on in most races in the middle
by pfooti 9y ago
Yeah, I think you're right about most of this - I watched most of the races this season. There's a lot of interesting stuff going on in most races in the middle of the pack too, like "will force india do well, or will they crash into each other" or just watching fernando alonso drive the wheels off of his mclaren, despite it lacking top-end speed.
That said, I also noticed that a lot of cars had to hold back quite a bit: the current aerodynamics of the cars means the choppy air seems to run about 1.5 seconds off of the back of the lead car, so if you're staying in clearer air, you're out of DRS. Meaning: people even trying to get into overtaking of the lead car are drastically lowering the lifetime of their tires if nothing else. Combine that with the wider car and there's not a lot of actual overtaking going on in race-leadership positions. It happens, but not a lot - more often I think there's the under/overcut calculations about when a pit stop happens, and the pass happens virtually with time lost in the pit lane.
This is all exacerbated by mercedes's dominance in the qualifying rounds. In a season where so many races were won from the front row if the leaders get out of the first lap clean without a crash, this is all huge. It adds up to: Hamilton totally dominated the second half of the season, easily winning the championship and Mercedes taking the constructor's championship even earlier. In terms of leadership swaps and contention for first, it's a boring season. Still: can't discount Hamilton here, he is an amazing driver and clearly the best on the circuit.
Overall? I had to start watching the red bulls and force india scrapping over the midfield, because the front of the pack was indeed boring. And I'm not sure that really appeals to average viewers.
- justin66 9y ago> There's a lot of interesting stuff going on in most races in the middle of the pack too, like "will force india do well, or will they crash into each other" or just watching fernando alonso drive the wheels off of his mclaren, despite it lacking top-end speed. Yes. Interestingly, I think there have been a few races where the television coverage follows that pattern too, basically ignoring the guys out in front until something happens, and spending a lot more time in the middle of the pack. Watching Force India is 100% fun. > In terms of leadership swaps and contention for first, it's a boring season. Still: can't discount Hamilton here, he is an amazing driver and clearly the best on the circuit. As far as the driver's championship, I wouldn't discount the competition Vettel and Ferrari put up, and if Vettel hadn't crashed out in Signapore it's at least possible they would have been fighting until the last race. The thing about Hamilton is that he makes it all look easy.
- DC-3 9y agoYou're absolutely right here - DRS is just a little too short to be useful without a massive pace disparity between the two cars (attacking car is on far better tyres, for example). Hamilton has said that the point where turbulence kicks in is about 1.1 - 1.2 seconds and I have reached the same conclusion this year. Formula 1 should seriously consider mandating reduced aerodynamic complexity. It might not be a great solution, but it's a better alternative to artificial DRS and snooze-fest races. For what it's worth, the Sauber, Toro Rosso and Haas cars had a great battle last race. That said, turbulence affected them too, almost as badly as it did the front-runners.