Unpopular Motorsport Opinions

[RazorSharkz]

I mean if we talk about media bias, look at NBC and how they cover Romain Grosjean simply because he drives for Haas. I'm sure that bias is worse in courntries where they don't have a Nascar to take most of the casual motorsports fans away.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Australia used to get it pretty badly for Mark Webber, but only because they loved the conflict with Vettel. For the most part, we just stream the British stuff.

 

[Com Fox]

I think we get it really bad during the Australian GP still with Daniel Riccardo.

 

[Com Fox]

Alright who's footing the running bills for spare parts, expensive engine remaps and conversions? Nope.

F4 is only relevant now because F3 isn't anymore.

I have to agree on that, soon it'll fade and then F5 will come to be and the cycle will repeat itself all over.

 

[R5]

I have to agree on that, soon it'll fade and then F5 will come to be and the cycle will repeat itself all over.

That'll be refreshing.



As for media bias; everyone's guilty of it, some more than others.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Sebastien Ogier do not deserve to be road sweeper 80% of every rally

Road sweeping has always been a sticking point in rallying. The FIA has tried just about everything, from random draws at the end of each day, through to constantly reversing the top ten. It got so bad that drivers used to deliberately stop in the middle of a stage to get a better running order. The current regulations are designed to circumvent that as well as setting things up so that the best drivers have to contend with tougher conditions while others still stand a fighting chance. So I don't think that anyone disagrees with Ogier when he complains about the running order; rather, the issue is that if he had his way, he'd always have the optimal road position and dominate the sport because he complained the most.

 

[ScottPuss20]

Why? The ends justify the means and he's had a brilliant start to his RB career and even has a win already.

I'll explain why but it's rather cringe-worthy
My crazy-ass theory is that Verstappen was placed in a Red Bull to make Daniel Ricciardo look bad. Kvyat was told to ruin someone else's race at Sochi so Red Bull had an excuse to replace Verstappen's seat at Toro Rosso. I say this because Ricciardo should've won the Spanish GP - but lost it as a result of a bad strategy call. The error that took place in Monaco was a total joke for Ricciardo and I was so pissed when I found out that ANOTHER bad decision had ruined Ricciardo's race (my rant when dad was watching the race ended in a TV remote being thrown at me), and Canada wasn't any better. Baku didn't go Ricciardo's way either and I was convinced that Red Bull were making things difficult for Ricciardo and letting Verstappen get all the glory. Sorry, after what happened with Webber, I can't stand seeing this. That's why Verstappen shouldn't have been placed in a Red Bull.

 

[MatskiMonk]

I'll explain why but it's rather cringe-worthy
My crazy-ass theory is that Verstappen was placed in a Red Bull to make Daniel Ricciardo look bad. Kvyat was told to ruin someone else's race at Sochi so Red Bull had an excuse to replace Verstappen's seat at Toro Rosso. I say this because Ricciardo should've won the Spanish GP - but lost it as a result of a bad strategy call. The error that took place in Monaco was a total joke for Ricciardo and I was so pissed when I found out that ANOTHER bad decision had ruined Ricciardo's race (my rant when dad was watching the race ended in a TV remote being thrown at me), and Canada wasn't any better. Baku didn't go Ricciardo's way either and I was convinced that Red Bull were making things difficult for Ricciardo and letting Verstappen get all the glory. Sorry, after what happened with Webber, I can't stand seeing this. That's why Verstappen shouldn't have been placed in a Red Bull.

What is the benefit to Red Bull of making Ricciardo look bad? They spend €400,000,000 on trying to become WCC, why would they do anything other than try and optimise their performance? Admittedly they may fail sometimes, but I doubt the intention is anything other than to get points.

 

[Liquid]

I'll explain why but it's rather cringe-worthy
My crazy-ass theory is that Verstappen was placed in a Red Bull to make Daniel Ricciardo look bad. Kvyat was told to ruin someone else's race at Sochi so Red Bull had an excuse to replace Verstappen's seat at Toro Rosso. I say this because Ricciardo should've won the Spanish GP - but lost it as a result of a bad strategy call. The error that took place in Monaco was a total joke for Ricciardo and I was so pissed when I found out that ANOTHER bad decision had ruined Ricciardo's race (my rant when dad was watching the race ended in a TV remote being thrown at me), and Canada wasn't any better. Baku didn't go Ricciardo's way either and I was convinced that Red Bull were making things difficult for Ricciardo and letting Verstappen get all the glory. Sorry, after what happened with Webber, I can't stand seeing this. That's why Verstappen shouldn't have been placed in a Red Bull.

Well after the outbreak that has happened over the past two pages, I appreciate you giving us your reasoning. 👍

I cannot say that I agree though. In Spain both Ferrari and Red Bull split their strategies; Vettel/Ricciardo and Räikkönnen/Verstappen. It was a calculated gamble which benefitted the #2 drivers: don't forget that Räikkönnen leapfrogged Vettel on merit too. There's no conspiracy here unless both Red Bull and Ferrari intentionally sabotaged their number one drivers.

As for the other races, like Monaco, they are inexcusable cock-ups but cock-ups none the less. As Matsi says above, why is it in Red Bull's interest to intentionally sabotage their own driver?

 

[ScottPuss20]

As for the other races, like Monaco, they are inexcusable cock-ups but cock-ups none the less. As Matsi says above, why is it in Red Bull's interest to intentionally sabotage their own driver?

Well, we should hope Red Bull isn't doing it.

 

[Bo]

Verstappen was placed in Red Bull because they're terrified of losing him to another team. There's no better way of warding everyone off than by getting proactive and plonking him in the top team straight away.

 

[TheCracker]

I get the impression that Red Bull like to have a good solid driver who can consistently finish races and score points and take wins when the opportunity arises. And another, younger driver who can potentially do even more but may lack the consistency, due to relative inexperience. In that respect, Ricciardo is filling Mark Webber's shoes, where as Verstappen has been brought in to be the next Vettel. Kvyat was given a chance to prove his worth in a potentially race-winning car, but has proven not to be quite up to it. Maybe he was only given the seat due to politics/marketing. Or maybe he was only ever there to keep the seat warm for Verstappen who they deemed to inexperienced at that point, yet they still saw massive potential in.

 

[FutureF1]

Sainz should have been in that Red Bull seat.

A lot more mature than Verstappen and very cool and collected both on and off the track. He would do well in a top team. I think Verstappen needed a bit more time

 

[Samus]

I'll explain why but it's rather cringe-worthy
My crazy-ass theory is that Verstappen was placed in a Red Bull to make Daniel Ricciardo look bad. Kvyat was told to ruin someone else's race at Sochi so Red Bull had an excuse to replace Verstappen's seat at Toro Rosso. I say this because Ricciardo should've won the Spanish GP - but lost it as a result of a bad strategy call. The error that took place in Monaco was a total joke for Ricciardo and I was so pissed when I found out that ANOTHER bad decision had ruined Ricciardo's race (my rant when dad was watching the race ended in a TV remote being thrown at me), and Canada wasn't any better. Baku didn't go Ricciardo's way either and I was convinced that Red Bull were making things difficult for Ricciardo and letting Verstappen get all the glory. Sorry, after what happened with Webber, I can't stand seeing this. That's why Verstappen shouldn't have been placed in a Red Bull.

Well, it's certainly cringe-worthy. Ricciardo signed on with a five year contract, Red Bull pay him a lot of money. Why on earth would they deliberately try to demoralise him and purposely make bad calls so he loses points for them? They don't care about drivers championships, they want to win the team championships and you don't do that with what you suggest they're doing.

Then why would Kvyat agree to such a plan? Was he paid off? Why would Red Bull risk such a plan and it coming out a la crashgate 08 when they could just do what they did anyway?

Sorry but your theory is lunacy and as bad as those who say Mercedes deliberately sabotage one of their drivers. You're obviously a fan of Daniel and it's clouding your judgement. Bad strategy calls and pit errors happen. There is no conspiracy.

 

[twitcher]

Sainz should have been in that Red Bull seat.

A lot more mature than Verstappen and very cool and collected both on and off the track. He would do well in a top team. I think Verstappen needed a bit more time

How can you say Verstappen needed more time when he has done nothing but deliver since moving to RB.

He won in Spain - conspiracy theories aside, he put in a monster final stint to make that strategy work.

He finished second in Austria, and again, put in a monster final stint, holding Kimi at bay.

He demonstrated his prowess in tricky conditions at Silverstone, showing he was one of if not the fastest car on track until things dried up enough for the Mercs to make use of their power advantage.

His only "immature" moment has been his crashes in Monaco. The only thing I say to that is that he's definitely not the first driver to crash in Monaco because he pushed things a little too far (I remember a certain Brazillian doing that one time...)

I'm not saying Max is the next greatest thing since sliced bread, and I'm not saying he's "a gaurenteed future WDC", but he has more than put up the results to justify the move.

There is no concrete evidence that suggesta Sainz would be achieving the same results. All there is, is noise on the Internet.

Also don't forget that there were rumors of Max switching teams before Russia, since it was part of his 3 year deal that he signed in 2014. Either he was in the big team by the end, or he was an unrestricted free agent. You'd be mad to think that RB would simply let Max walk away to Merc or Ferrari.


In regards to @CLowndes888's theory about Kvyat crashing on purpose in Russia and RB purposely ruining Ricciardo's career. Absurd!

Redbull orderes Kvyat to ruin his F1 career by crashing on the opening lap of the Russian GP, just so RB had an excuse (even though they didn't need an excuse, they can do what they want, it's business) to move Max to the big team with the ultimate goal being to ruin Ricciardo's career.

That's suggesting that RB are willing to spend 10s of millions of dollars developing drivers just so they can ruin their careers.....

I love a good conspiracy theory, but this one has more holes than a cheese grater.

 

[epic_apri_39]

On another note...

I think that motorsports is fine as it is concerning emissions and damage to the enviroment, as well as noise.

As it was mentioned a few pages ago, if you move to a house near a racing circuit then you shouldn't be allowed to complain about the noise. You are the one moving house and you should check the local area. If I moved into the industrial side of Crawley, (Not likely but just for example) I wouldn't (And technically shouldn't) complain about Gatwick Airport unless they added another runway.

As for the UK, emissions are perfectly fine as they are. For example, according to Wikipedia there are 27 permanent racing circuits and 5 street circuits. Look how green the United Kingdom is and compare emissions to somewhere like Beijing.

 

[Bo]

As for the UK, emissions are perfectly fine as they are. For example, according to Wikipedia there are 27 permanent racing circuits and 5 street circuits. Look how green the United Kingdom is and compare emissions to somewhere like Beijing.

Isn't that specious reasoning? There are many reasons that come to mind why China will have greater net emissions than somewhere like the UK, and the amount of motorsport that takes place isn't very far up on the list.

 

[R5]

On that note, I think F1 should aim to transition to fully electric power in the next decade. Formula E has shown the advantages of reduced noise in terms of where one can hold races, and if motor racing wishes to remain relevant it must be at the forefront of new technology. There's also the not so small matter of the environment

The problem with F1 going full EV is F1 would lose viewers (as they did in the hop from V8 to V6) and Formula E would end up being an unattractive proposition for manufacturers who could get masses of media coverage in F1 while also developing their EV technology so it's a lose-lose situation.

The argument of technology is already being covered by Formula E as it moves towards full development of the powertrains in the near future, so why not let F1 focus on making hybrids more efficient over that decade you want it to aim for? They're not going anywhere, and neither are ICEs so why turn your back on their development?

As for the environmental argument, teams and media and fans would still have to fly all over the world, and planes aren't exactly clean.

 

[Eh Team]

Kissing the yard of bricks is ridiculous.

Booing is totally okay if the race doesn't live up to the advertisement.

TCR International is the best front drive touring car racing and in a couple years will probably be the best touring car racing full stop.

 

[Suzumiya]

Just all racing is cool. Get over it. I know people love to **** on this and **** on that, ooohhhh I don't like this one series because of the fans, or the cars are dumb or the drivers aren't talented enough, the driving standards...

I make this opinion and I think it's unpopular because people love to argue, love to hate, and at the end of the day I'm just happy to watch a race with cars on the television. Motorsports is such a divided category, and that's why it's so hard to get into.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

There is one thing I've never understood with NASCAR and IndyCar/CART.

Why is a driver labelled a champion as he's won one race? Example, Alex Rossi won this year's Indy 500, why is he labelled as the Indy 500 champion rather than the Indy 500 winner? Same goes for the Daytona 500 in NASCAR.

 

[RazorSharkz]

There is one thing I've never understood with NASCAR and IndyCar/CART.

Why is a driver labelled a champion as he's won one race? Example, Alex Rossi won this year's Indy 500, why is he labelled as the Indy 500 champion rather than the Indy 500 winner? Same goes for the Daytona 500 in NASCAR.

I agree, the fact that Ward Burton and Trevor Bayne are considered champions of anything is insulting to guys Terry Labonte who never won it.

Speaking of Terry Labonte, he is the most underrated driver in Nascar history, 2 championships and the guy hardly gets talked anymore. He was one of the few guys who could beat Jeff Gordon in his prime too.

 

[daan]

All British competitors are overrated.

Whether it's Ted Kravitz calling for Mercedes to issue team orders to benefit Hamilton (having previously praised Hamilton for defying orders that would benefit Rosberg), Sky giving more airtime to Jolyon Palmer than to the pole-sitter, or the MotoGP commentators expecting competitors who are faster than Danny Kent to back off and let him hold position because he is competing for the Moto3 title, the abilities of British competitors are grossly misrepresented. We are led to believe that British competitors are the best when their actual performances do not mirror this. I believe that this is an extension of the curiously British attitude that motorsport somehow owes Britain something, and that it is entirely reasonable to hold British competitors to a different standard. After all, I have only ever heard British fans call for Red Bull to be recognised as a British team on the grounds that they are based in Britain.

What's more, I think this attitude undermines motorsport as a whole.

Australia used to get it pretty badly for Mark Webber, but only because they loved the conflict with Vettel.

National broadcaster promotes competitors of its own nationality. Quelle surprise.

For the most part, we just stream the British stuff.

Well, there's your problem.

 

[Barra333]

@-Fred- I've seen you call IndyCar a joke a couple of times in this thread. Why? Not looking for an argument, just genuinely curious.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

National broadcaster promotes competitors of its own nationality. Quelle surprise.

It's one thing to promote a driver of your own nationality. It's another thing entirely to blatantly misrepresent them - which is exactly what Sky do. Case in point, the Austrian Grand Prix, where Ted Kravitz repeatedly claimed that Mercedes were going to issue team orders to Rosberg for the benefit of Hamilton, despite it being clear to anyone watching that no such order had been issued (and, in previous cases, Kravitz had defended Hamilton defying orders that would have benefited Rosberg).

To my mind, a sports commentator is like any other journalist. By all means, promote local drivers for a local audience. But is it too much to ask that they be fair, accurate and balanced in their reporting? If Mercedes aren't going to issue a team order, don't tell us that they're about to - least of all if you're basing the claim on nothing more than a desire to see a preferred driver win. At the very least, it's unprofessional; to me, it's a sackable offence.

 

[jake2013guy]

Now onto my own opinions without countering another's:

• Roborace is a good concept.
• Elimination Qualifying was excellent and provided for an exciting qualifying session
• TCR is a good series. What is needed is more cars but that will come in the future.
• I rather like the V6 Hybrid engines and if you focus on the racing, why does it matter?

Spoiler: One

One of these is not my actual opinion. Guess which one.

 

[Bo]

@-Fred- I've seen you call IndyCar a joke a couple of times in this thread. Why? Not looking for an argument, just genuinely curious.

I'd guess due to the incompetence of the people involved in the series. The likes of Randy Bernard didn't exactly do their image any good.

 

[Simmpa]

Road sweeping has always been a sticking point in rallying. The FIA has tried just about everything, from random draws at the end of each day, through to constantly reversing the top ten. It got so bad that drivers used to deliberately stop in the middle of a stage to get a better running order. The current regulations are designed to circumvent that as well as setting things up so that the best drivers have to contend with tougher conditions while others still stand a fighting chance. So I don't think that anyone disagrees with Ogier when he complains about the running order; rather, the issue is that if he had his way, he'd always have the optimal road position and dominate the sport because he complained the most.

How about qualify? They had that in 2012-13. I think It´s a very good solution so road position is something you earn and not just get gifted, I get so sick and tired of seeing a lousy driver getting rewarded an optimal road position if he screwed up. Latvalas wins in Portugal and Mexico would be impossible same thing with Meekes victory in Portugal. 13th position, Ogier was chanceless. I do not like se Ogier win everytime but It´s not fun now because I know It´s artificial. Imagine if Rosberg or Hamilton always had to start at the back of the grid because they win? Does that make any sense?

 

[twitcher]

I'd guess due to the incompetence of the people involved in the series. The likes of Randy Bernard didn't exactly do their image any good.

Not arguing with what you're saying...people can dislike what they want for whatever reasons.

All I know is that I just watched the race from Toronto, and it was great. Absolutely no idea what there is to hate about racing like that.

It's like @Suzumiya just said...in motorsports, people hate this and that just 'cause.

 

[Barra333]

All I know is that I just watched the race from Toronto, and it was great. Absolutely no idea what there is to hate about racing like that.

I was also impressed by the accessibility of the drivers and cars.