2026 F1 Season

[Jason Moyer]

McLaren are kinda stuck because of having 1 car. Ferrari really should have stopped a car under one of the VSC's to keep Mercedes honest.

[Westheim]

Forget victories, forget podiums, Lando is back to squabbling for best-of-the-rest

At least he got that tenner. Better than wrecking on the installation lap, like certain other orange car drivers.

[Jason Moyer]

Man I think the last time I didn't really watch F1 every week was maybe 1992. I'm gonna need to find a new hobby this year.

[Westheim]

I've been watching (almost) every race since 1998. And I will continue to watch. What else is there to do on Sundays?

But I reserve the right to bitch and moan about it!!

[low]

Same. Been watching since about '99. This is not the "pinnacle of motorsport" right now. This battery charging garbage needs to go.

Good news, at least. Perez finished the race so that's one minor achievement for Cadillac. Just have to soldier on through this new horsecrap era.

[Jordan]

Count me as one willing to give it more than one race with the new specs.

Could not possibly be worse viewing than 2023 F1 season

[low]

I just wonder how bad it's going to be once they get to Spa and Monza.

[Jason Moyer]

Originally Posted by Jordan

Could not possibly be worse viewing than 2023 F1 season

In 2023 Red Bull had 1-2 tenths on the field at their best and qualified 1-2 once. Right now Mercedes have almost a full second. Unless other teams make significant progress they could lock out the front row every race barring reliability issues.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Jason Moyer

In 2023 Red Bull had 1-2 tenths on the field at their best and qualified 1-2 once.

[emphasis mine] To be fair, the problem there was Perez / Red Bull actively developing the car into something Perez couldn't drive.

Meanwhile, Benz easily clear in China practice. Team Orange closer than Team Red.

I won't be able to watch qualifying for the stupid Sprint this week, as I'll be in the office, and the stupid Sprint is at 4 in the ******* morning tomorrow. Not sure I want to get up for that either.....

[Jordan]

Originally Posted by Jason Moyer

In 2023 Red Bull had 1-2 tenths on the field at their best and qualified 1-2 once. Right now Mercedes have almost a full second. Unless other teams make significant progress they could lock out the front row every race barring reliability issues.

You referred to qualifying. What about the vast majority of the races from that season? Thats what I referred to. One team won 21/22

[Jason Moyer]

Originally Posted by Jordan

You referred to qualifying. What about the vast majority of the races from that season? Thats what I referred to. One team won 21/22

They finished 1-2 6 times. Mercedes had more dominant seasons in their 2014-2020 run.

Max won 19 races but just 12 poles. 2023 was about a guy with a 2-3 tenths advantage in skill having the best car on the grid for the first time.

[Hageneezz]

Originally Posted by Westheim

I am super unimpressed by "super-clipping".



I thought they always cry about the new regulations, but seeing cars lose 45 km/h at the end of the bendy bits while giving it full throttle is absolutely shambolic.



Bring back V10s.

This!

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[Jason Moyer]

Suzuka is going to be hilarious this year. Flat out well under the limit on all the challenging parts while the battery is charging, full power on the straights.

[LD84]

Bahrain and Saudi races are to be canceled.
This is shaping up to be one of the strangest seasons in decades.

[low]

Originally Posted by LD84

Bahrain and Saudi races are to be canceled.
This is shaping up to be one of the strangest seasons in decades.

You can thank the terrorist states... err, I mean countries, of Israel and the US for that. It was inevitable. I hate it here.

[Westheim]

...aaaaand I missed the sprint. Zzzzzzzz.

And in my infinite wisdom, yesterday I made an appointment for a haircut for today, had completely forgotten about qualifying again, and of course the appointment cancels qualifying for me.

I am well and truly useless.

Doesn't look like I missed major Lando heroics from the results screen.

Originally Posted by LD84

Bahrain and Saudi races are to be canceled.
This is shaping up to be one of the strangest seasons in decades.

2020 feels like it was decades ago, yes.

[Jordan]

Sprint race should maybe assuage some fears. One of the better sprint races that has ever been contested. Ferrari look to be not so far away hopefully

[Westheim]

One car zipping past the other on a 25mph speed and 300hp power difference does not equal "good racing". It's very much the opposite.

The red car going past the silver car on one side of the circuit, and the silver car going past the red car on the other side of the circuit, lap after lap, does not equal "good racing". It's very much just different battery deployment mapping.

In fact, it could not be much worse than this.

There is NO driver skill involved in this.

The Almighty Ayrton Senna wouldn't be able to defend himself from Sir Lancelot (assuming the car even works) in these very thirsty RC cars.

It is the very worst set of regulations I have ever seen in F1.

It is a more stupider form of racing than NASCAR at Talladega.

Bring back V10s.

[Jason Moyer]

I don't care if they want to have a 50/50 hybrid formula, I care about how stupid the energy management is. They could create rules that gave the drivers consistent torque/power across an entire lap while still being relevant to modern automotive technology.

[low]

Originally Posted by Westheim

One car zipping past the other on a 25mph speed and 300hp power difference does not equal "good racing". It's very much the opposite.

The red car going past the silver car on one side of the circuit, and the silver car going past the red car on the other side of the circuit, lap after lap, does not equal "good racing". It's very much just different battery deployment mapping.

In fact, it could not be much worse than this.

There is NO driver skill involved in this.

The Almighty Ayrton Senna wouldn't be able to defend himself from Sir Lancelot (assuming the car even works) in these very thirsty RC cars.

It is the very worst set of regulations I have ever seen in F1.

It is a more stupider form of racing than NASCAR at Talladega.

Bring back V10s.

100% agree with you.