Mercedes dominance is hurting Formula 1...

[st13phil]

... according to Christian Horner.

While I agree with him that there are many things wrong with F1 today, Mr Horner seems to be developing a particular skill in whinging and sour grapes.

There have been many periods of dominance in F1 by a single team, be it Williams, McLaren, Ferrari, or - dare I say it - Red Bull, but I don't recall any of the other teams whining so loudly and so often. They just got their heads down and did everything they could to end the dominance by becoming more competitive themselves.

Perhaps if RBR (Mr Horner) had not had such a public spat with Renault, they may have been in a better position to secure an alternative, more competitive, engine for 2016. However, he chose to use a megaphone with which to communicate and as a result found that no-one else was prepared to potentially put themselves in the firing line at some time in the future. Cue embarrassing, cap-in-hand, return to Renault and in all probability another year where RBR are consigned to grubbing around in the midfield.

The tragedy in all this is that there is a good deal of relevance in his comments about the current rules driving F1 into a cul-de-sac, but the wheat of that argument is being lost under a big heap of sour grapes chaff.

 

[automaniaman]

And he married a Ginger whinger...

 

[Red C220]

There have been many periods of dominance in F1 by a single team, be it Williams, McLaren, Ferrari, or - dare I say it - Red Bull, but I don't recall any of the other teams whining so loudly and so often. They just got their heads down and did everything they could to end the dominance by becoming more competitive themselves.

Never has development been so tightly reined in as it is now.

The problem is other teams ability to catch up is so heavily regulated they can't possibly catch up without a complete redesign or major rule change. Hence Mercedes will continue to dominate the sport until the rules change. Unless Honda get it right or Haas (by circumventing the rules and testing lots of Ferrari parts whilst not technically under the rules - sneaky buggers that Ferrari lot) have helped Ferrari or themselves catch up outside of the restrictive rule regime.

So in a nutshell Horner is right, it's hurting the sport but it just comes across a big whinge.

The difference between McLaren, Ferrari, Williams et all and then Red Bull is Red Bull are a marketing company just in this for the advertising opportunity. The others are formula one teams.

De-trick Massive$hits could just get fed up with the politics and bugger off. Result - two teams and 4 cars gone and F1 in an even worse state.

It needs a shake up big time.

 

[Bellow]

Separate from the apparent impossibility of following a car within 1.5s without destroying tyres is the absurd over regulation of the sport. Just what is the point of mandating the height of the engine's centre of gravity?
The fragile tyre was an attempt to inject excitement - epic fail.
This could be a good time to unearth the original set of regulations as it was in 1950 and apply it. 3.0 litre NA, 1.5 forced induction - and just leave the teams to get on with building the cars.

 

[Red C220]

Never mind the absurd licence points system and the "excuse me - no excuse you" rules of overtaking.

Are we racing or driving to the supermarket?

 

[ChrisEdu]

Fit guns and rocket launchers to the cars. Have random power-ups and booby traps scattered around the track and have random trachea wetting and wind machines. Allow gloves-off fighting to overtake and get the show back on the road.

Oh! Did I mention lasers?!

 

[wongl]

Since they banned refuelling F1 has been reduced to mainly the cars following each other round the track. There is little opportunity to leapfrog your competitor by using a different strategy that would maximise the strength, and minimise the weakness of one's car.

 

[NDFR]

Christian wasn't complaining when Red Bull and Vettel were wining titles. He should shut up or get out if it's too much for him.

The tide will turn in a few years and another team will be on top. Hopefully after Lewis has claimed a few more titles.

 

[brucemillar]

I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the, then, British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. This was when men were men and sheep were very frightened.

This was an event. Something that you looked forward too months in advance. You could hear the cars as you walked to the circuit and you smell the burnt oil and fuel in the air. Pit walk-a-bouts were an extra £5.00 and guess what? Yes the drivers were in the pits and would (wait for this) well they would actually talk to you. Signing an autograph was seen as good thing and was done with courtesy and grace.

Standing out at Dingle Dell watching the cars get airborne made your stomach churn with excitement. You came home and talked about the race for weeks, you still smell the fuel in your clothes. Alessandro Nannini climbed out the remnants of his destroyed car dusted himself off before climbing over the fence, helped by us and some marshall's. He then stood and watched the race signing autographs and happily posing for pictures. My Son (now in his thirties) still talks fondly of that day and produces the program with his autograph.

Go to a Grand Prix now and and try to get that atmosphere? No you won't. Hamilton is surly at best (I asked for his autograph at Silverstone and was shoved aside by a minder). The smell of electric motors and sound of young girls farting does just not cut it. Then you have team orders. Holy Moly just as you eventually get to something approaching an overtake!! You get team orders. FAIL.

 

[Simon_M]

Maybe Channel4 will revamp the program with a 'Come Drive With Me in a bed-ogglebox' style reality program out of it...