The view from the outside

[Belatti]

I`ll give you an interesting article about an experiment:

Sitting a sports fan (not a racing fan) who knows nothing about tyres or motorsports or aerodynamics or engines in front of a TV to watch a NASCAR race, an Indy Speedway race, an Indy street race and a F1 race.

The man gave his opinions, now what do you think?

http://www.popoffvalve.com/2010/4/5/140 ... he-outside

[roost89]

I quite liked that article. It's quite a refreshing read. The enthusiasm, instantly, for the speed of F1 cars I think shows that the race shouldn't be slowed down, as that's one of the main draws in.
Also, the stories bit, that was more interesting. By stories I assume what was meant was how the teams began and how they got to the grid. So for the likes of Merc and Sauber their manufacturer ditching them and then having to survive by themselves.

I'd agree with what Dave (not his real name) said.

[Belatti]

Also, the stories bit, that was more interesting. By stories I assume what was meant was how the teams began and how they got to the grid. So for the likes of Merc and Sauber their manufacturer ditching them and then having to survive by themselves.

I also think that "the stories" includes how each team builds a different car with the same rules, the features each car has and the things that teams has to do with engineers, sponsors and drivers to have the budget and develop the car. Something quite unique in F1.

[DaveKillens]

This is one article I appreciate because it's an unbiased opinion from a complete outsider, someone without an agenda. It's also a reality check.

One interesting thing is that although "Dave" appreciated many virtues about Formula One, the fact they spend so much money wasn't important to him.

[Scotracer]

He's damn right about F1 cars looking goofy. Bring back proportioned bodywork!

[jon-mullen]

Wow, that is a great article. The narratives in F1 is really what attracts me to it more than any other racing series. You've got the battle between teammates, between teams on the same "tier" of the grid, the development battle that rages all season, the eureka advances like the F-duct or the first of the turbos, and all that.

At first glance, NASCAR has a more compelling story within each race, you don't get drivers leading from pole and building up a 25 second gap before their first stop, but really after a while it gets to be the same. They just tick down the laps for most of it, then they get a bunch of cautions towards the end and then Jimmy Johnson sneaks out front. End of story, repeat.

F1 races don't tend to be action-packed start to finish, but the narrative over the course of a championship, to me, is really unparalleled in any other sport.