Mansell calls F1 boring !!!!

"A fundamental problem is that the cars are too easy to drive," the 50-year-old told the Times. "The most inexperienced young driver can climb into a Formula One car and drive it competently."

I like that statement. Does that mean I can get a job on one of the teams?

But I think he's saing that F1 is boring, because F1 is boring. I watch the entire race when I can, but not so much because its intersting, but because it is F1.

 

Totally agree with Nigel Mansell!

Fuel stops have killed the passing manevour (sp?) ... why take a risks, just wait for them to pit. And it was supposed to make it interesting ... have these rule makers ever seen a race, ever pulled their head out of their arse.

Pete

 

Hopefully Max's replacement will actually be able to negotiate with the team owners and get something done. All of the things that could have been good for the sport (such as getting rid of traction control and making the drivers shift and clutch again) that were suggested last season or the season before fell through. Someone needs to take charge and get something accomplished.

 

I have no problem with the semi-automatic gearboxes but I definately think they should get rid of traction control.

 

I hope Nige was watching the French GP.

I don't really agree with removing any technology from F1 that has a place on production cars. Traction control, semi-auto gearboxes, etc., are all streetable technology. Let the guys with the big salaries work the bugs out of it before it gets on my new ride.

Here's a thought: If they want to cut costs: for every million your team spends, your cars carry an extra 50 lbs of dead weight.

But even that I can't really agree with. It's not really about making racing cheap. This is a manufacturers' series.

It's about what the manufacturers get for their money, in new technology.

The advances in tire technology in the last ten years makes me not want to see a single "spec" tire in F1.

FIA has been acting as though street and racing cars are completely different animals. But they both go, stop, and turn.

I don't really care whether Peugeot's or Citroen's Frankenmobiles win WRC, as long as we get EVOs and WRXs to drive in the winter. Look at the list of cars built to homologation specs, back when it was "race what you sell": 250GTO, 288GTO, F40, F50, Lancia Stratos, Toyota Celica GT-Four, Mitsu EVO, Scooby WRX -- the list defines most of the finest street cars every sold. And that's why I was still rooting for Ferrari, even when they were getting spanked -- because they were the only ones (at the time) that were actually building street cars to put the technology into.

I actually didn't mind the "no refuel" restrictions, because fuel economy is significant to street cars (and they didn't have hassles with the FIA mandated fuel rigs). I approve of the "pump gas" restriction.

Heck, maybe they ought to make them pass an emissions test. LE(FQ)V specs?

But if you want to see cars banging past each other: -- Fenders!
... e.g. NASCAR (aak!)

 

DGS,

That is actually a great idea. Imagine how quickly this technology would develop ... but make them pass it at the end of the race , then the technology would be useful on the old real world bangers that most people drive.

Pete

 

I think Nigel's statement was based on his day of practice with the Jordan team leading up to today's F1 hoopla in the streets of London where he'll drive.

We'll see how "boring" it's gonna be. I bet after a few donuts around Picadilly Circus even Nige' will have a smile on his face.

I know I will, cause I'll be watching him...

 

Too Bad that Mansell was not even half the driver that Michael Schumacher is. I smell Jealousy, Mansell can't stomach the fact that Michael is te greatest driver to have ever stepped into an F1 car.

Mansell is trying to undermine the great Michael Schumachers performance and driving abilities by say the cars are too easy to drive. It will be funny to see him wreck that Jordan in the streets of London because he could not control it.

 

Good chance on that: Regent street is rather narrow for two lane traffic. Doing a donut in there could get ugly.

 

Although i wasn't watching racing back in say the early 90's or late 80's.From the races I've seen on speed and elsewhere it really didn't look much more exciting than it is today.Seems like it was a little easier to pass back then.Other than that i don't see much of a difference.Drivers would take more chances back then it seems.

 

I would disagree. True, the Mc Laren dominance crushed everything to the point of boredom, but there was still lots of cool stuff going on. Turbos belched fire, drivers were shaking the last dripplets of fuel out of their cars in the last lap of the race (remember Imola?), qualifying meant something.

A team dominating the sport is one problem and will always be there. But making it close to impossible to pass due to nervous tires, short braking distances and castrated tracks is a bigger issue now than it ever was.

 

The French GP was better than some this year, but without a pass for the lead on the track... they should re-name F1 to "worlds fastest pit stop challenge"

Pit stop passing sucks

 

Actually, when Nigel won his WC, it wasn't very easy at all to pass ... a Williams. They had those rocket fuel propelled engines and often wound up with only the two Williams cars on the lead lap.

Talk about boring.

Come to think of it, didn't those cars also have a lot of traction control and dynamic suspension stuff that's been banned, since?

 

Ive been watching F1 for decades, and watched the Honda dominance, and the McCleren dominance all for years while ferrari was 10th and even didint finish races in most cases. Now ferrari finally puts something together in the last 4 yrs and everyone says its boring to watch. I smell a jealous bitter old englishman....He couldnt do half the things with that car that Micheal can do.Nigel should really concentrate on his golf game and leave the driving up to the others.

 

... banned technology.

Aha: When you fiddle with the technical regs to "slow down" the F1 cars, you slow them all down to about the same level of traction and performance -- and it's really hard to pass a car that has the same kinds of performance without banging wheels and even more fragile parts.

So less passing on-track, and more passing "in the pits", where the rules allow you to run your tires off just before your own pit stop.

Eh?

Look at Canada, where Williams and Toyota were DQ'd because their brake ducts were too close to the wheels. That's a heckuvalotta rulemaker micro-management for a manufacturers' series.
Now look at other series or older racing, where, for example, the 250TR would power down the straight, then get passed under braking by the D-type, because the TR still had drum brakes. Those cars had different performance levels at different things. (cf European sports coupes, where the BMW out-corners the FWD Alfas, but gets smoked on the straights.)

 

Calm Down imperial83, he did not even mention MS in the article. I know that you will not take this well but Mansell was quite a driver in his day. I am sure that you will still find many folks @ the factory who will tell you so. Please turn your MS Rant mode to off please.

 

You know what? F1 HAS gotten boring. Part of the problem is that Schumi has no one to race with. He's one of the greatest drivers ever, Ferrari CLEARLY has the best car by a wide margin, and he's got no on to race with since Mika Hakkinnen retired. For whatever reason Montoya can't get it done, Coulthard doesn't care enough anymore, Button may have some of it, Raikkonen may as well.

Think back to the last exciting pass you saw on track in an F1 race. Have to go back quite a way, don't you? Probably Hakinnen taking Schumacher at Spa in that Banzai pass where the two of them split another car.

Everybody knows what needs to be done to have competitive F1 races; the whole problem is aerodynamics and tires.

Although Mansell ought to be careful what he says about current cars and drivers. Niki Lauda mouthed off similarly when he was in Jaguar, so they put him in one of the cars to see what he could do. He couldn't get within 10 or 12 seconds of a qualifying lap time. He was somewhat (but never completely) humbled over this.

 

I have been watching the F1 for the last 30 years. The last couple of seasons I simply look at the start and then fall slolwly asleep on the sofa...
OK,I am getting older, but perhaps boredom has something to do with it...

Ciao

Eugenio

 

He may be right, then again he may not but Nigel has certainly earned the right to opine.

DL

 

Out of 187 GP starts
Mansell won 31 GPs
Had Pole position in 32 GPs
He won 1 World Drivers championship

Yes he has the right to an opinion. Yes he was a great driver.

I remember the 92 season. That was a boring season. His Williams car was the fastest on the track. It was pointless even to try to race the Williams cars. He had 14 poles from 16 races. It was an open and shut season. That was boring formula 1.

That BUMBLING FOOL is just jealous that he is not even half the driver Michael Schumacher is.

OH!!!!! and now he is SICK to his stomach with how boring F1 is. I bet he was not so SICK to his stomach when he was winning in 1992!!!! I have lost all respect for this man because he cannot even share in the joy of witnessing the greatest racer with the greatest team being rewarded for their hard work and determination

He was all fine and happy when his boring 1992 season was taking place. But now he is bored to his stomach!!!

hypocrite!!!!!!

 

he lived over here for a few years (pop 60k)......nobody liked him here either !

 

No...not a hypocrite. In any sport, its fun to watch one guy sweep everything for a season or even two seasons.

But 4, 5, or 6 seasons in a row? That's enough to make fans wish for the news that MS isn't coming back next year.

 

I am enjoying this season. I think that Ferrari and Michael deserve to win. They are simply the best racing team ever to have built an F1 car and the best driver to have stepped in an F1 car. I hope the Michael wins this season and comes back for two more seasons and wins those too. Then if Michael wants to come back after that and still keep winning he has my support.

There is no shoratage of critics and hypocrites in the world.

On to silverstone and more Ferrari victories!!!

 

You do seem to be proving this point.