[Mgs] OT - 2014 F1

[Rick Lindsay]

Hey Friends,

What are your thoughts regarding the 2014 F1 season? Lots of rules changes. Some are okay, some are stupid. I'm okay with the okay ones. Not fond of the stupid ones.

Emphasis has changed from agressive driving to conservative driving, with the engineers calling the shots. Perhaps I'm wrong. I hope so. But when races are to be won by tire and fuel management rather than agressive overtaking, I wonder how exciting a race can be. Perhaps timid overtaking will be the norm because everyone is over their lap's fuel allotment.B 

Here's a thought: For those of us who have followed F1 for decades, we know the circus is a complex interplay of team strategy and driver skill. With the emphasis shifting to pit wall from cockpit, the balance seems to be shifting in favor of strategy (over cockpit). For us seasoned fans (read: old farts) that may be okay, because we follow both race strategy and cockpit testicles magnitude. But what about the new fan, the guy fresh from NASCAR or WRC, who just tuned in? Is he going to understand lifting and allowing a pass because the driver used too much fuel on the previous lap? And unlike tires 'going off', how is the driver going to know if he's been using too much fuel by driving competitively? A: advice from the pit wall.B 

Yes, I know its a team sport and I know I'm going to enjoy it. In fact, I may enjoy it just a little bit more this year, but the new viewer may not. It is after all, 'entertainment', not 'sport'.

Why might I enjoy this season more? Because I follow F1 for the cars and the technology. I really don't care about the drivers' championship. They're just the meaty part of the package. I just want the drivers to function and get 100% out of the machine. And when I write 'technology' I mean technology that makes the cars quicker, not 'greener'. A green F1 car is an oxymoron. B Screw green. If they really wanted green they should convert their transporters to electric (and burn coal like other electric cars). Don't get me wrong, I think electric cars are cool because they're forward-looking technology, not because they're green. They're not green. They just push the emissions out of public view. I'm okay with that but the average human is pretty uninformed - and that implues that half the population is dumber than that.

So yes, I am really ready for the season to begin. I love seeing Williams performing well. They were overdue. Nice to see our favorite red cars doing well too. It will be an uphill challenge against the mighty Mercedes technical empire, but with Ferrari's win-at-all-costs attitude, they should be winning races this season. We shall see - and that's what I'm waithing for!

What are YOU waiting for?

-rick