My first post here at 360 Sports Network serves a dual purpose; it is an introduction to myself, and also an introduction to the sport that I love -- Formula 1. I was invited to come onboard for this project to issue commentary on racing generally, and F1 in particular. Here’s a bit of a primer for those not yet familiar with the sport.
Formula One is an open-wheel racing series held on road and street courses around the world. F1 possesses a certain purity in its heritage – it derives its ancestry from European Grand Prix racing which began in the opening years of the 20th century. The first world championship season under the contemporary name “Formula One” was held in 1950. Now in its 62nd season, Formula One has undergone some drastic changes throughout its history, but several major tenets of the sport remain unchanged since its inception. These traits differentiate it from almost all other forms of motorsport.
Foremost, Formula One is not just a measure of driving skill. Each car is designed and built from scratch beginning midway through the preceding season. Each team’s design must adhere to a certain set of technical regulations issued by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), but within these rules there is room for multiple interpretations. The result is that every season begins with multiple superficially similar cars that possess varying levels of performance and technical complexity. Throughout the year, modifications are made to improve the performance of the car, and in addition to being a championship contest, each weekend is something of a test session to evaluate the effects of parts being developed for later events.
This may seem somewhat counterintuitive to those unfamiliar with the sport – won’t a driver’s potential be limited by his machine? In a sense, yes, but a driver’s skill will always find ways to shine through in spite of disadvantage. Take, for instance, Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi. The 2010 season saw Kamui’s first full year in F1 competition with Peter Sauber’s beleaguered outfit. The C29 chassis the team ran that year proved to be a dog from the opener in Australia. In late October, Kobayashi qualified a depressing yet predictable 14th for his home race at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. The next day, however, Kobayashi drove the wheels off of the car (though not literally, as in Robert Kubica’s case). After a string of impressive overtaking maneuvers, he finished seventh and turned the heads of many in the pitlane (securing his place at Sauber for the 2011 season in the process).
In a way, Formula One presents far more stimuli than most other racing series. There are driver rivalries, as in any other racing series’; there are technical developments; there are political dramas. I hope that some of you who may already be watching American motorsport series’ such as NASCAR and Indy may make the leap and give F1 a shot. Qualifying for the 2011 Australian Grand Prix begins tomorrow morning (Saturday, March 26) at 2AM. The race is the same time on Sunday. Most cable providers rebroadcast one or both events at a time more suited to European and American audiences so check your channel guide or set your DVR accordingly.
-Ryan Mooney
I don't watch too much race car driving etc...but I will say that I do prefer the bootleggers
ReplyDeleteI really do not know how popular auto racing is in NE Ohio. I know we have the soap box derby stuff, but i dont recall people being involved in this stuff in NE Ohio the way they are in parts of the South, or in Indy, parts of California.
ReplyDeleteI am still curious if people on this site are interested in auto racing or not.
^ I watch it a little bit, and listen to them talk about it on the radio....but I used to work with a lot of Nascar fans years ago. Back then I was more into the rqace car driving.
ReplyDeleteMy dad and his brother love it though(but they don't wear the gear or anything lol) They are just huge car guys.
My dad is 74, and records everything on the Speed Channel lol
You should have your dad read rich's post and let us know what he thinks of Forumla One racing.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to figure out what name he would post under on this site. Is there a word for the elder of a pack of deers; the group's leader? That would be the cool name for him here! :)
ryan's post is very well written and actually makes this stuff sound interesting to me, even tho i am totally clueless about cars and auto racing.
Thank you for FINALLY being the person to introduce F1. As an F1 fan i prefer it over nascar. Honestly i am not big on Nascar as some people are but i really prefer F1 as i feel it is a true auto racing sport!
ReplyDeletep.s good write up
Hey thanks for the really positive responses.
ReplyDelete@John: People follow F1 nationally, but there really isn't any local involvement anywhere due there usually only being one race held in America each season (and in the last few years, not any!) but the viewership numbers are pretty strong. F1 has lately been looking at itself and wondering how it can call itself a worldwide sport without American involvement, and frankly, it's difficult to see how they can. If you're interested, there's a dedicated Grand Prix circuit under construction in Austin, TX as we speak. A race should be held there yearly starting in 2012. Think about looking into tickets! I know I'll be there.
@anonymous: I've tried a few times to get into NASCAR and just can't quite manage. The cars have the aerodynamic properties of bricks, and when you put them on an oval track, it means that nobody gets out in front. I've seen guys running at the front of the field until the last 1/3 to 1/4 of the race and drop back into irrelevance. There are deeper reasons for what happens on track, but it often appears random, especially with 12 cautions per race. What would really get me into NASCAR is if they raced more road courses. Watkins Glenn is fine, but those cars would be fascinating to watch at Barber Motorsport Park or even Laguna Seca. NASCAR would draw plenty of people who follow other racing series', but with such a packed calender, they'd have to sacrifice existing venues. That's a big no-no as far as they're concerned.
I don't like NASCAR at all, and may watch the Indy 500 a little bit on TV, but if I were to follow a motor sport, it would be F1. It looks more interesting, and frankly, more glamorous than popular American forms of racing.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that being said, I watch waaaay too many sports as it is, and probably won't pick up another one any time soon.
Side note: If Ryans wrote updates on the F1 season in this thread, I'd read them. He seems very knowledgeable.