Formula 1

[Obliviax]

my daughter, for some reason, has really gotten into F1. It started with the Netflix series and has grown from there. She is a Lewis Hamilton fan and I am more in the area of "anyone but Verstappen" (although, one of the coolest names in professional sports). She also likes the drama playing out off track. For anyone who doesn't know, Hamilton is a hall of fame-r who spent his career with Mercedes. Red Bull has dominated the last few years with Verstappen. Mercedes is trying to catch up and other has been a lot of controversy on if their problems are car or driver based. So Hamilton decided to move on. He signed with Ferrari for next year but is still racing for Mercedes in 2024. Yesterday, he won in a Mercedes at Silverstone (British Grand Prix) in a very emotional event. He has mixed emotions about leaving and the win allowed him to celebrate with Mercedes, at least, one last time. Plus, he's a Brit so winning at home was big.

Anyway, all of that to say that Brad Pitt (with Hamilton as a producer) are releasing a movie in 2025. The teaser was just released and it looks awesome.

 

[DrJC]

my daughter, for some reason, has really gotten into F1. It started with the Netflix series and has grown from there. She is a Lewis Hamilton fan and I am more in the area of "anyone but Verstappen" (although, one of the coolest names in professional sports). She also likes the drama playing out off track. For anyone who doesn't know, Hamilton is a hall of fame-r who spent his career with Mercedes. Red Bull has dominated the last few years with Verstappen. Mercedes is trying to catch up and other has been a lot of controversy on if their problems are car or driver based. So Hamilton decided to move on. He signed with Ferrari for next year but is still racing for Mercedes in 2024. Yesterday, he won in a Mercedes at Silverstone (British Grand Prix) in a very emotional event. He has mixed emotions about leaving and the win allowed him to celebrate with Mercedes, at least, one last time. Plus, he's a Brit so winning at home was big.

Anyway, all of that to say that Brad Pitt (with Hamilton as a producer) are releasing a movie in 2025. The teaser was just released and it looks awesome.

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I have been a diehard F1 fan since mid-60's. While in the USAF I traveled all over Europe following and photographing the tour and drivers. I was at Hockenheim when Jimmy Clark was killed driving for Lotus. Tragic day as he had a few more championships in the future had he lived. Ferrari fan sadly. They have never recovered from the loss of Schumacher. It is always next year, next year. I recommend you go to a race and then you will understand what true speed and skilled driving is all about. It is amazing. Best

 

[Obliviax]

I have been a diehard F1 fan since mid-60's. While in the USAF I traveled all over Europe following and photographing the tour and drivers. I was at Hockenheim when Jimmy Clark was killed driving for Lotus. Tragic day as he had a few more championships in the future had he lived. Ferrari fan sadly. They have never recovered from the loss of Schumacher. It is always next year, next year. I recommend you go to a race and then you will understand what true speed and skilled driving is all about. It is amazing. Best

Thanks. I am hoping to. But they've become wildly expensive when you add in travel, tickets, hotels....lots of price gouging.

I am also interested in your thoughts regarding the length of the cars. Monaco, to me the premier event, has simply become a parade or caravan of cars because passing is so difficult. The race, for all intents and purposes, is won in gaining pole position.

 

[PAgeologist]

Thanks. I am hoping to. But they've become wildly expensive when you add in travel, tickets, hotels....lots of price gouging.

I am also interested in your thoughts regarding the length of the cars. Monaco, to me the premier event, has simply become a parade or caravan of cars because passing is so difficult. The race, for all intents and purposes, is won in gaining pole position.

Monaco has always been a bit of a parade for quite a few years. It's only considered a premier event cause of the setting. If it wasn't for the money and influence, F1 wouldn't race there.

The drivers now set the pace to limit tire wear. Most races only have 1 pit stop. This was caused when the FIA ending refueling in race.

Older cars weren't as fast, but they seemed to push harder in race.

I like F1 and watch every race, but Indy Car is a better product to watch.

 

[Obliviax]

Monaco has always been a bit of a parade for quite a few years. It's only considered a premier event cause of the setting. If it wasn't for the money and influence, F1 wouldn't race there.

The drivers now set the pace to limit tire wear. Most races only have 1 pit stop. This was caused when the FIA ending refueling in race.

Older cars weren't as fast, but they seemed to push harder in race.

I like F1 and watch every race, but Indy Car is a better product to watch.

IndyCar was in mid-ohio yesterday. I was planning on attending but Holiday events got in the way. it ended up being a really good race. My son is a big IMSA fan and wants to go to Nürburgring

 

[PAgeologist]

IndyCar was in mid-ohio yesterday. I was planning on attending but Holiday events got in the way. it ended up being a really good race. My son is a big IMSA fan and wants to go to Nürburgring

I watched the Mid Ohio race yesterday. It was good.

I like watching IMSA but find it very confusing at times. Too much going on especially with all the different classes racing together. Nuburgring was be awesome. So would Le Mans. Legendary tracks.

 

[BucksLion52]

Trailer looks great....
Brad Pitt was interviewed at several F1 stops.
It was great to see Hamilton win yesterday, Max is a great driver a great team but I was starting to suffer Red Bull burnout.
Big fan of Lando Norris and McLaren

Miami, Austin, Montreal and now Vegas, no excuses not to see a race. No comments on Indy.

 

[PAgeologist]

Trailer looks great....
Brad Pitt was interviewed at several F1 stops.
It was great to see Hamilton win yesterday, Max is a great driver a great team but I was starting to suffer Red Bull burnout.
Big fan of Lando Norris and McLaren

Miami, Austin, Montreal and now Vegas, no excuses not to see a race. No comments on Indy.

Many of us suffered through the burnout of Mercedes and Hamilton as well. Plus it happens to coincide with when the FIA ruined the cars with the hybrid garbage. I really miss hearing the screaming V10 engines.

 

[Wandering Spectator]

Hamilton did a great interview with David Letterman on Netflix a few years ago. There was a moment in the show that was not kind to MB.

Then he did an interview on Hot Ones about wings and hot sauce. Two very good interviews.

He comes across as very likable in those interviews.

 

[87 Penn St8]

It is interesting to me that the sport struggles so much in the US for viewership. Most of the non-North American international kids we get transferring into our school identify as soccer and F1 fans.

Mostly Europeans and South Americans- Colombia and Venezuela especially. Had an Austrailian last Fall who lived near the track in Melbourne. Said the race paralyzed the city for a week. Like the Bloomsburg Fair- school is closed. Nobody he knows actually can afford to go to the race- but the sounds are omnipresent.

Maybe it is just a matter of exposure? I remember thinking that Fox was crazy paying the high rights fees to broadcast Euro soccer here...but that strategy appears to have worked.

In 1996 I was invited to do the Skip Barber racing school in Lyme Rock, CT. The open wheeled configuration feels very unnatural. They did a lot of cone driving and people were always hitting their left sides. As a taller guy the cockpit was very small. The gearbox was a tiny shifter on the right next to the wheel- not on the floor.

Most important lesson was how to brake- which is not easy! Eventually they have a pace car lead the group through the course and there are 10 sections of the home straightaway that you gun it on. You needed to be at least 3 numbers behind the car in front of you. Thrilling! The combo of speed and proximity to the ground are mind blowing.

After awhile dude in front of me wiped out into hay bails on the curve coming out of home stretch. I spun out trying to avoid him. Scary. After a little more- when I felt myself more nervous than excited- I stopped. That was enough for me- spent rest of time as a passenger in the pace car (which was a Corvette).

If you've got the time and $ it is a really great experience- especially if you are a fan of the sport. I honestly wasn't that excited before I went- it was a business command performance on a weekday just before the Atlanta Olympics. I was stressed out and doing an overnight trip was not something I wanted to do. But once there- it was magical!

It gave me a great perspective to better appreciate all motorsports- which as a stick and ball guy I had always not considered to be "real" sports. I was wrong...

 

[PAgeologist]

It is interesting to me that the sport struggles so much in the US for viewership. Most of the non-North American international kids we get transferring into our school identify as soccer and F1 fans.

Mostly Europeans and South Americans- Colombia and Venezuela especially. Had an Austrailian last Fall who lived near the track in Melbourne. Said the race paralyzed the city for a week. Like the Bloomsburg Fair- school is closed. Nobody he knows actually can afford to go to the race- but the sounds are omnipresent.

Maybe it is just a matter of exposure? I remember thinking that Fox was crazy paying the high rights fees to broadcast Euro soccer here...but that strategy appears to have worked.

In 1996 I was invited to do the Skip Barber racing school in Lyme Rock, CT. The open wheeled configuration feels very unnatural. They did a lot of cone driving and people were always hitting their left sides. As a taller guy the cockpit was very small. The gearbox was a tiny shifter on the right next to the wheel- not on the floor.

Most important lesson was how to brake- which is not easy! Eventually they have a pace car lead the group through the course and there are 10 sections of the home straightaway that you gun it on. You needed to be at least 3 numbers behind the car in front of you. Thrilling! The combo of speed and proximity to the ground are mind blowing.

After awhile dude in front of me wiped out into hay bails on the curve coming out of home stretch. I spun out trying to avoid him. Scary. After a little more- when I felt myself more nervous than excited- I stopped. That was enough for me- spent rest of time as a passenger in the pace car (which was a Corvette).

If you've got the time and $ it is a really great experience- especially if you are a fan of the sport. I honestly wasn't that excited before I went- it was a business command performance on a weekday just before the Atlanta Olympics. I was stressed out and doing an overnight trip was not something I wanted to do. But once there- it was magical!

It gave me a great perspective to better appreciate all motorsports- which as a stick and ball guy I had always not considered to be "real" sports. I was wrong...

F1 was always snubbed as an elite European sport here. Even though they have had a race here most years. We ended up with the coma inducing NASCAR.

The movies and documentaries that have recently come out have increased its popularity here. Plus ESPN picking up the Sky Sports broadcast will help. With three races here plus Canada not far from us in the NE, I'm sure it will grow even more.

 

[Wandering Spectator]

It is interesting to me that the sport struggles so much in the US for viewership. Most of the non-North American international kids we get transferring into our school identify as soccer and F1 fans.

Mostly Europeans and South Americans- Colombia and Venezuela especially. Had an Austrailian last Fall who lived near the track in Melbourne. Said the race paralyzed the city for a week. Like the Bloomsburg Fair- school is closed. Nobody he knows actually can afford to go to the race- but the sounds are omnipresent.

Maybe it is just a matter of exposure? I remember thinking that Fox was crazy paying the high rights fees to broadcast Euro soccer here...but that strategy appears to have worked.

In 1996 I was invited to do the Skip Barber racing school in Lyme Rock, CT. The open wheeled configuration feels very unnatural. They did a lot of cone driving and people were always hitting their left sides. As a taller guy the cockpit was very small. The gearbox was a tiny shifter on the right next to the wheel- not on the floor.

Most important lesson was how to brake- which is not easy! Eventually they have a pace car lead the group through the course and there are 10 sections of the home straightaway that you gun it on. You needed to be at least 3 numbers behind the car in front of you. Thrilling! The combo of speed and proximity to the ground are mind blowing.

After awhile dude in front of me wiped out into hay bails on the curve coming out of home stretch. I spun out trying to avoid him. Scary. After a little more- when I felt myself more nervous than excited- I stopped. That was enough for me- spent rest of time as a passenger in the pace car (which was a Corvette).

If you've got the time and $ it is a really great experience- especially if you are a fan of the sport. I honestly wasn't that excited before I went- it was a business command performance on a weekday just before the Atlanta Olympics. I was stressed out and doing an overnight trip was not something I wanted to do. But once there- it was magical!

It gave me a great perspective to better appreciate all motorsports- which as a stick and ball guy I had always not considered to be "real" sports. I was wrong...

I did the Bertil Roos Formula Ford open wheel driving school at Pocono in the early 1990s. It was fantastic. I’ve since done the BMW Driving School in South Carolina and another “Taste of Bondurant” event in Phoenix. In that one we drive Cadillac CTS on a road course. Corvettes on a skid pad. Mazda Miatas on a quick lane change drill and Go Karts on a track. I love to drive so these schools were fun and educational. Highly recommend.

 

[Ian]

F1 doesn’t struggle in the states anymore because of the NetFlix series. New formula will reduce the size and weight of the cars in 2026. Monaco is not going anywhere. I’m a veteran on the Watkins Glen and Detroit GP weekends… then Montréal for many years. Indycar is very competitive, too. Have been to Indy, LB, etc…

Psst… heard from a little birdie that there are some local folks looking to bring a major racing event to HV. Very early in discussions as these talks take years but the logistical framework is pretty much in place. Very interesting from what I was told and not out of the realm of possibility after the idea marinates a bit. The weekend would be larger than a football game!

 

[Strick73]

why is this post in the football forum?

Just thought I’d react like some of you sensitive guys do some posts that trigger yourselves.

 

[LionDeNittany]

A good description of both current and next gen cars...