Just watching the news and see that some chap called Hamilton has won something or other connected to motorsport in Instanbul. Am I the only one who has totally lost interest in these Grand Prix processions. Maybe I'm getting old, but it just doesn't hold my interest any more. Most of the drivers are no longer 'characters' like back in the days of folks like Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Lorenzo Bandini, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, etc. etc. Ah! Yes it's that old nostalgia again ........... back when I was a lad they still had events like the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio ............ And as for Istanbul - back when I were a lad my Geography teacher still had Constantinople on the map hanging on the wall. Of course he was perhaps old enough to have remembered it as Byzantium, when they had chariot races.
To be fair there was some relative excitement in the Istanbul race, a newly laid track that was still leeching oil and a great deluge of rain made for some unpredictable outcomes. Qualifying 6th Hamilton was still there or there abouts, but he drove an impeccable race to finish first. And if you saw his intermediate tyres at the end you can begin to see what a skill full driver he, and many of the others, is. Agree that it has lost its thrill and days of matched teams who were at each other on the track, today’s F1 is all about strategy. Oh, and having a Merc that is ahead of all others helps. BTCC was interesting today, Turkington just couldn’t get his BMW to work in the rain.
I used to watch the full race but just of late i have just been watching the 7 minute highlight you can get shortly after the race on the net. Must admit yesterday did look interesting due to the new track + rain i might watch it on catch-up.
Since 1960 I have been following F1. The first being the British Grand Prix with the likes of Jack Brabham. When in Germany I went to many races across the continent when on occasions the track was opened up to the general public afterwards. Sometimes it can be processional, but yesterday's race IMO was intriguing and interesting and showed off the skills of the top drivers.
So much is computer controlled and designed now, all the teams will have very similar technology, yet Hamilton is so far ahead of the rest. Makes you wonder how he would have fared back in the 50s and 60s....or how drivers from that era would fare today
Totally agree @Singvogel. Formula 1 has become totally boring. I would much rather watch a round of MotoGP any day - far more exciting, and more impressive as far as the riders' talents are concerned. But even the motorcycles are now plastered with complex electronics to aid the riders. Modern technology.
F1 has become tedious but this season due to covid has been great. Better tracks have been raced on and Istanbul was fantastic. Hamilton basically showed every single driver up and absolutely proved why no one can touch him when conditions become very tricky. He was mesmerizing to watch in the second half. Bottas (the new Coultard) couldn't go straight at times and must have been crushed to see his team mate up his trumpet and then lap him!!!
How many times did Bottas spin out? It must have been 4 Entertaining race, shame Max couldn't do better, he's usually one to watch in those conditions. I've only been watching since the 90s so more Damon Hill than Graham Hill
