The Sky panels Top 5 drivers.

[Pyrone89]

Unfortunately in this day and age of data and high-tech the car is like 90% of the job. Whereas in previous generations a driver was way more important. This makes it even harder to compare generations.

[izzy]

Unfortunately in this day and age of data and high-tech the car is like 90% of the job. Whereas in previous generations a driver was way more important. This makes it even harder to compare generations.

i don't think this is any worse now than it used to be, if you think of when McLaren or Williams or Ferrari or Brawn or Red Bull were by miles the best car, so Damon could win or a 39-year-old or a 23-year-old who now doesn't look quite that special in another car, or Danny Ric the same. It's always been a (car+driver) equation. And there are examples of teams going into a slump when a top driver leaves, like Renault, or rising when one joins, like Mansell at Williams

and it's so hard to separate them anyway, the driver makes such a difference to the team as well as vice-versa. Lewis could've won 2017 and 18 for Ferrari, or Fernando could have.

[Wass85]

Unfortunately in this day and age of data and high-tech the car is like 90% of the job. Whereas in previous generations a driver was way more important. This makes it even harder to compare generations.

In a way then it's harder for drivers to shine against their teammate. It would have been much easier to dominate your lesser talented teammate when they didn't really have the telemetry to show him where he's losing out and how to rectify it.

[Jolle]

Unfortunately in this day and age of data and high-tech the car is like 90% of the job. Whereas in previous generations a driver was way more important. This makes it even harder to compare generations.

In a way then it's harder for drivers to shine against their teammate. It would have been much easier to dominate your lesser talented teammate when they didn't really have the telemetry to show him where he's losing out and how to rectify it.

I even think that 99% of the setup of the car (at the big teams) is done by the engineers, computer simulations and the sim driver. Friday practices are more about syncing the data then actual trying out setups. With Friday data back in the factory the team pulls an all nighter actually setting up the car and finalising race strategies.

[ENGINE TUNER]

would be fun to make a list of which driver drives with what body part. like:

Head:
- Prost
- Lauda
- Schumacher
- Alonso

Heart:
- Senna
- Verstappen
- Hamilton

Balls:
- Hunt
- G. Villeneuve
- Mansell



etc etc etc

Apparently, since the 1930s or so, the young test drivers of Alfa Romeo have been taught by their mentors that "you drive the car with your butt". So, you may want to add that body part to your filing system, and it's not even gender-specific

Hamilton claims that he drives with his gut, his core, moreso than with his butt. Maybe he is saying the same thing in a different way(which wouldn't be abnormal for him) or maybe he is different. It would be interesting to find out.

[ENGINE TUNER]

I wish FIA/FOM put out numbers like 0-100km time, best drivers in and out of the pits, fastest drivers thru crucial corners, etc... instead we get nonsense numbers like tire life percentage and probability of overtake.

those sponsored dumb figures are just annoying aren't they. They could do so much, if they weren't focused on dumbing it down. Tyre and brake temperatures, what a difference they'd make! They could just free stream the GPS and let independent web wizards run amazing sites with all those ideas you say and more

I doubt team would want their tire and brake temps broadcasted, especially live, but maybe,but they change so much and so quickly that it wouldn't tell us much as live viewers, but would be interesting on re-watch.

[Just_a_fan]

Unfortunately in this day and age of data and high-tech the car is like 90% of the job. Whereas in previous generations a driver was way more important. This makes it even harder to compare generations.

In a way then it's harder for drivers to shine against their teammate. It would have been much easier to dominate your lesser talented teammate when they didn't really have the telemetry to show him where he's losing out and how to rectify it.

I even think that 99% of the setup of the car (at the big teams) is done by the engineers, computer simulations and the sim driver. Friday practices are more about syncing the data then actual trying out setups. With Friday data back in the factory the team pulls an all nighter actually setting up the car and finalising race strategies.

Indeed so. Friday is about micro changes to get it to the individual driver's preference and to obtain tyre data on the track as it is that weekend. It's about finding the last tenth or two.

[izzy]

I doubt team would want their tire and brake temps broadcasted, especially live, but maybe,but they change so much and so quickly that it wouldn't tell us much as live viewers, but would be interesting on re-watch.

No but they'd love seeing their rivals' temperatures and as long as it's the same for everyone it'd be fair. Yes they might need a rolling average, good point, over 2s or something, then it'd give the pundits something to talk about

[PlatinumZealot]

Everybody knows the other guys tyre temps and what the optimal temperature is. The issue is how to get it there!
Remember when F1 used to show random IR images of the cars as they come through the pits? I wonder why they stopped?

[izzy]

Everybody knows the other guys tyre temps and what the optimal temperature is. The issue is how to get it there!
Remember when F1 used to show random IR images of the cars as they come through the pits? I wonder why they stopped?

i've seen the tyre and brake temps on the steering wheel in the Mercedes, it's super useful data, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the only people who don't know is us! You think they fire some kind of focussed infra red at each others' cars or something? and now Liberty have started showing us tyre state but as usual in a dumbed down form

and yes they used to show us a tyre colour map didn't they, and also BATTERY STATE and usage and fuel used % as well. I thought Ross Brawn would improve things but it's got worse instead of better. In testing a guy called Kruvas used to do a live spreadsheet with all the laps, from a Williams timing feed, but they've stopped that too

[GPR-A]

I think they should remove Tyre sensors and driver's telemetry tracking. Drivers have to develop feel for the car on their own for both tyres and their own driving pattern. Neither of these two are available for viewers in real time, so wouldn't hurt the viewing experience.

[nzjrs]

I think they should remove Tyre sensors and driver's telemetry tracking. Drivers have to develop feel for the car on their own for both tyres and their own driving pattern. Neither of these two are available for viewers in real time, so wouldn't hurt the viewing experience.

I don't think that will be fair to all the simracing kids that have grown up with that stuff.

[proteus]

F1 has lost many talented drivers before they had the chance to become famous and immortal. To me Stefan Bellof comes to mind, a man that was much quicker than Senna in rain soaked Monaco and who would have almost certanly won that race if it would be continuing, or he might crash with Senna since both of them had too much courage and pride.

Got himself killed because he tried to push over the limit in his pursuit of being the best.

[Just_a_fan]

Jackie Stewart always reckoned Cevert was one for the future. Again, killed before he had proved himself.

[GPR-A]

I think they should remove Tyre sensors and driver's telemetry tracking. Drivers have to develop feel for the car on their own for both tyres and their own driving pattern. Neither of these two are available for viewers in real time, so wouldn't hurt the viewing experience.

I don't think that will be fair to all the simracing kids that have grown up with that stuff.

I have never watched Sim Racing and I don't know what % of F1 audience watch sim racing around the world. From that perspective, I don't think F1 as challenge for drivers and as sports entertainment for people who watch F1, shouldn't be driven by what the kids at sim racing would do.