Re: Formula 1 2013 - The Official Discussion Thread

[HWKII]

It will frustrate the diehard fans, but we're going to reinforce the basics so we don't alienate anybody.

In reference to the fact that they're going to dumb down coverage for the unwashed masses (similar to Fox coverage, perhaps even worse)

This happens in every sport though, regardless of the nerdrage I have been reading about at various F1 forums to the contray. As someone who played Football for 6 years, I don't need to have Dan Dierdorf explain what a Draw play is every single time it's run. Every once in a while, there's a gem of interesting information. The rest of sports broadcasting is rambling, lowest common denominator, nonsense.

To a degree it makes some sense. Hopefully you're growing your viewership regularly and new fans will want to know what you're on about when your team runs the Draw. That basic information opens people up to the nuance of a sport they may have never considered being a fan of before.

It would be awesome though if you could run alternate commentary; one team who does the basics and one 'Advanced' channel for those of us who totally geek out on the details and have been doing so for years.

[Forgetful]

The better announcers out there take a simple explanation of an everyday occurrence and lead in to a useful and interesting nugget of information or knowledge that will satisfy the hardcore, which is why I'm glad TSN will be carrying the BBC coverage.

DC does a good job of speaking to the everyman and the hardcore in the same breath. He's a driver, so he knows the intricacies of the sport, but on the other hand he's a driver, so he's not too smart.

[clacksman]

The rest of sports broadcasting is rambling, lowest common denominator, nonsense.

Second. I've watched at least 20 different MLB baseball broadcast teams do games over the past two years. Maybe 3 are working/talking based on assuming their audience knows as much as they do. The rest make up incorrect stats and/or are apparently paid per word. I can deal with some inane babble when the game is out of hand/race is boring/event is delayed, but almost all need to go to STFU for a refresher course or five.

[Forgetful]

http://www.motorsportretro.com/2013/03/formula-1-tv-ads/

Lol Mika. That made my morning.

[timneyb]

I take it back. Checked full listings and now I see live coverage of Practice 1 and 2, and qualifying. I don't know if there is any additional streaming content, but I don't care.

Fingers crossed for a lack of absolute domination by any of the usual suspects.

[HWKII]

Fingers crossed for a lack of absolute domination by any of the usual suspects.

Also, fingers crossed for not a tire lottery like the start of last season. Not a fan of Pirelli-chooses-the-winner races.

I'm not blaming them, I get that they are doing what they are told by Bernie, but it feels less like a sport and more like a stage production.

[RackAttack]

Fingers crossed for a lack of absolute domination by any of the usual suspects.

Also, fingers crossed for not a tire lottery like the start of last season. Not a fan of Pirelli-chooses-the-winner races.

They all have the same tires...

[HWKII]

Fingers crossed for a lack of absolute domination by any of the usual suspects.

Also, fingers crossed for not a tire lottery like the start of last season. Not a fan of Pirelli-chooses-the-winner races.

They all have the same tires...

Yes, but 7 winners from 7 races last year had more to do with different teams, by their own admission, lucking in to a specific, very narrow temperature window for the tires because they had a car that happened to suit, not the track itself, but the ambient temperature and tire compound. Not interesting to me.

The 2013 tires are supposed to have a wider operating window, so it's unlikely to happen again. But I was not impressed with the start of last season, no matter how much airtime the "historic" nature of it was given. The races themselves were not very interesting, 7 winners in 7 races, yes, but I'd rather watch a Red Bull (or Ferrari, Williams, Lotus, etc) run away with it from pole because they built a dominant machine than watch a Williams run away from pole because the ambient temperature was 32C instead of 30C. Just because it was a different car each race didn't make it more interesting to me.

Also, just want to say, I don't want another tire war. 2005 US Grand Prix was unacceptable, 5 years of Ferrari dominance because of magic tires, no. I just don't think Pirelli has made for interesting racing, they've just made for interesting results.

[HWKII]

I lul'd: http://sniffpetrol.com/2013-formula-1-preview/

[timneyb]

God dammit Red Bull, this is getting old. Hamilton is probably feeling smarter and smarter though with McLaren's continuing ability to spend crap tons of money on ever shittier performance.

Showers are forecast to start arriving in Melbourne about the time qualifying kicks off, intensifying to real rain overnight. Remembering to set the DVR to record an extra hour in case of delays.

Hopefully that rain doesn't get lost on its way across the Tasman. Our farm really needs it.

[HWKII]

God dammit Red Bull, this is getting old. Hamilton is probably feeling smarter and smarter though with McLaren's continuing ability to spend crap tons of money on ever shittier performance.

lololololololololol Macca 2.3 seconds off the pace... Oh man, that's... muwhahahahahaha.

I'm a bad man, I know, but I really cannot stand Martin Whitmarsh. Really like Jenson Button though.

Good news: Lotus seems on form here. Interesting how quick that Merc is looking in both driver's hands, but apparently not reliable. Nico #3 in P2 is pretty impressive. Felipe Massa seems to be on form from last year, which is awesome. Marussia is making progress.

Bad news: Williams.... you are terrible. Pastor Maldanado, you are bad and you should feel bad. The Sauber does not seem especially quick compared to the FI. Makes me wonder if Nico didn't just move over to make it easier to slot him in to the Ferrari...

[HWKII]

Watch the Austalian Grand Prix today, it finished up a few minutes ago. Thoughts:

Adrian Sutil was a monster in that Force India. Yes, he stayed out longer and on a different tire than everyone else, but even when Vettel caught him up he was able to keep the gap. It's a shame that the Super Softs were as horrible as they were for everyone.

Massa looked exceptionally quick too, pity that Ferrari had to pit him so much later than Alonso or it might have been two Ferrari's on the podium.

Red Bulls seemed mostly hampered by the qualifying setup which got them warm tires quickly but ate them alive over a race distance. I'm pretty interested to see what Malaysia looks like. 17C ambient temperature was an interesting twist. Laps were very very slow compared to last year.

That McLaren looks quite awful. Rumors swirling around that they might race the MP4-27.

I did not watch the NBC Coverage (Sky F1) but I saw a lot of complaints online about it, mostly about the fact that they generate their on-screen graphics in 4:3 aspect ratio meaning that the timing list was hanging right in the middle of the action. It's amazing to me that anyone at NBC is even able to put their pants on the right way around in the morning...

[timneyb]

Watch the Austalian Grand Prix today, it finished up a few minutes ago. Thoughts:

Adrian Sutil was a monster in that Force India. Yes, he stayed out longer and on a different tire than everyone else, but even when Vettel caught him up he was able to keep the gap. It's a shame that the Super Softs were as horrible as they were for everyone.

Massa looked exceptionally quick too, pity that Ferrari had to pit him so much later than Alonso or it might have been two Ferrari's on the podium.

Red Bulls seemed mostly hampered by the qualifying setup which got them warm tires quickly but ate them alive over a race distance. I'm pretty interested to see what Malaysia looks like. 17C ambient temperature was an interesting twist. Laps were very very slow compared to last year.

That McLaren looks quite awful. Rumors swirling around that they might race the MP4-27.

I did not watch the NBC Coverage (Sky F1) but I saw a lot of complaints online about it, mostly about the fact that they generate their on-screen graphics in 4:3 aspect ratio meaning that the timing list was hanging right in the middle of the action. It's amazing to me that anyone at NBC is even able to put their pants on the right way around in the morning...

Red Bull continues to struggle to win a race not from the front, getting stuck behind somebody with lower downforce/drag that they can't past or wear out the tires. That made Sutil's race look a little better than it really was, as his ulitimate finishing position was in front of the other Force India. Still, having a car that's able to downforce it's tires into oblivion is a place that all other teams would love to be in.

McLaren coverage is annoying, at least through the BBC. It's like watching a game the Yankees are losing and hearing not a word about what the winning team are doing right. I guess Italian coverage would be pretty similar.

NBC coverage was not bad, compared to Speed (low bar to jump over, I guess). I know what they mean by the graphics, but they are rarely there. A big improvement was the small screen showing the race during ad breaks, as I'd seen on NASCAR before.

From my wife, "what the hell is Raikonen doing winning?". She's not happy that she knows enough to be confused.

[clacksman]

It's amazing to me that anyone at NBC is even able to put their pants on the right way around in the morning...

I'm sure they have helpful diagrams, or at least helpful acronyms (like TGIF).

From my wife, "what the hell is Raikonen doing winning?". She's not happy that she knows enough to be confused.

wololol

[HWKII]

Pastor Maldanado has now failed to finished 37.5% of all his race starts, surpassing Romain Grosjean who has failed to finish 37% of his starts.

[clacksman]

I didn't feel like starting the inevitable '14 thread.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/renault-details-turbo-v-6-engine-for-2014-formula-1-season/

PS - single-exhaust V6s can sound sweet

[Forgetful]

Awkward!

[HWKII]

Oh god, the internet circle jerk around the race results today...

[Forgetful]

[SpecMiata-JSW]

LOL!! Mark is going to give Seb a Texas Tittie Twister.

[HWKII]

[clacksman]

Tee hee hee.

[HWKII]

Rumor floating around dem internets that Webber has accepted a 5 year contract with Porsche...

Oh man this could be great...

[SpecMiata-JSW]

I read that too....It would be a massive bummer not to have Webber in F1. He and Kimi are my two guys to root for.

Although, it would be cool to see him as one of the top drivers in a Porsche LMP1 program.

[HWKII]

I read that too....It would be a massive bummer not to have Webber in F1. He and Kimi are my two guys to root for.

Although, it would be cool to see him as one of the top drivers in a Porsche LMP1 program.

As a fan of Mark Webber, are you also a fan of punching yourself in your own balls every morning?

As DC said, "If he didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all." I lol'd.

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