2018 Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, May 24-27

[Manoah2u]

Definition of sport in English

"An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment."

Definition of motorsport

"any of several sports involving the racing or competitive driving of motor vehicles "

Definition of parade:

"A series of people or things appearing or being displayed one after the other."

I'll leave to the reader/viewer to make up their own minds about what they saw conciders under what definition.

as for me though;
motorsport and parades are eachother's opposites, and should be exactly that.
if some or multiple elements cause (a form of) motorsport to become a parade,
something is definately wrong and has to be dealt with.

whether the rules, whether the wishes of teams, whether the wishes of drivers, etc. etc.

if one manufacturer in particular always want to win no matter what, using it as promotion for the brand,
then you are not a motorsport enthusiast - you like a parade, so you can show off your brand/object.

motorsport is not about a parade, it's about competitiion. and quite frankly, that's exactly what has become less and less important
in F1 in the past decades - it's become much more of an economical and commercial means to promote a product - disguised as motorsport (racing),
but clearly exposed by it's key figures that use, abuse, and use any means - including corruption, disguised or not- to achieve their own goals and benefits,
without any (moral) sense or obligation to potential 'opponents' or the platform (motorsport) they are using to empower/enrich/promote themselves.

in the end though, it's clear as day though:

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely

Mercedes and Ferrari absolutely have a lot of power.
And Jean Todt, as head of the FIA, has absolute power.
So does Charlie Whiting.
etc. etc.

In all reality, it's a stinking bowl of corrupt power that shake hands on one side, stab on the other side, and lash out all around them.
Bernie was the king of them, but every king has it's reign - and then he dies. Physically or not, Bernie's reign has died. But his stinking corruption still smells
all the way around the world and throughout F1. It's only accepted and unpunished because essentialy, they are in total control - which makes F1 itself,
a totalitarian regime.

It's not something of the past years though, but it has grown into this huge, painful, wildgrowth. And it goes from the top all the way below.
Bernie (though out now), Todt, Whiting, formerly guys like Briatore, Dennis, Montezemolo, all the way to guys like Ericsson, Maldonado, Sirotkin, and
back to guys like Putin, Oil Sheikhs, and right back into the web with people like Claire Williams, Toto Wolff (despite being a amicle guy), Bottas, Suzie Wolff,
and their ties to eachother, including guys like Ocon, and thus Force India, but obviously also cases like Kaltenborn before, but clearly also Sauber, Ferrari,
Perez before @ Sauber.

It's a gigantic mass of connected dots, all shaking eachother hands, holding hands, protecting eachother, forming some cartel.

Interestingly, it kindof reminds me of F1 in the glory days when Senna adressed and exposed the blatant french corruption withing F1, the FIA, tracks like Monaco,
drivers like Prost, through people like Balestre and friends.

So has anything really and actually changed? no.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/13500 ... bery-trial

Bernie Ecclestone is facing a civil trial in London connected to the Gerhard Gribkowsky bribery case, following previous actions in the UK and Germany in 2014.

A starting date of October 1 2019 has been set for a high court action launched against Ecclestone by investment concern Bluewaters Communications Holdings LLC.

In 2016, bottom-feeders Sauber and Force India put in a formal complaint with the European Union over how Formula 1 doles out its fat stacks of cash, with the sport receiving upward of $1 billion dollars every year from business deals and partnerships. Apparently, only 60 percent goes to the racing teams, with the majority and minority owners—CVC Capital Partners and Bernie Ecclestone, respectively—stuffing the rest into their already fat pockets. Ecclestone also made the call to sign individual deals with the richest teams, leaving the least competitive to fend for themselves. For example, Ferrari's individually arranged participation fee totals more than the bottom five teams' combined earnings! That's not exactly the kind of practice that promotes fair competition.

Many human rights activists aren't particularly fond of Formula 1's decision to hold a race in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, paving over the fact that their prisons are packed full of dissenters, activists, and anyone else who throws a wrench in the autocrats' well-oiled propaganda machine. Azerbaijan hosts a whole plethora of social and political problems, including the steady devaluation of their currency, regular protests, increasing poverty, and gross corruption—all of which Ilham Aliyev aims to "sportwash," according to the Panama Papers, by hosting a relatively boring and unspectacular grand prix. By accepting the Aliyevs' lube jobs, Formula 1 is—like it or not—complicit in Azerbaijan's corruption. Sure, money talks, but a whole slew of countries are eager to join the Formula 1 circuit, countries that … you know … don't jail anyone who speaks out.

Aliyev is the man Bernie Ecclestone approached with a proposal to deliver unto Baku the European Grand Prix. Azerbaijan, where the average monthly wage is $300, is primarily an oil state, which is likely what drew oleaginous Ecclestone to it in the first place. All of the burden of hosting the event falls on the Azerbaijani people, who have spent well over $250 million for hosting rights and infrastructural improvements as part of the deal.

Ecclestone, who surely pocketed many millions more from Azerbaijan in personal baksheesh, responded last year to complaints from human rights organizations that Formula One has a "clear conscience."

When Bahrain erupted in the Arab Spring, F1 blithely rolled into the center of a burning city and unfurled its checkered flag. Nothing to see here, Charlie Whiting. Russia hosts a GP in Sochi, despite the fact that its president jails and murders dissidents and journalists. So what's the big deal?

Ecclestone has famously shitty opinions. He is a staunch supporter of murderous strongman Vladimir Putin and mouthy defender of Sepp Blatter, the infamously corrupt former head of FIFA. He told a Russian TV station that he didn't “think there’s any place for democracy, full stop. Anywhere.

and then i can start talking about Guy Ligier.......

but really, i'm wandering off quite far.

[zac510]

No circuit is immune to a processional race. A lot of factors have to come together to make an exciting race, not just the circuit.

A bump against the barrier by a backmarker (earlier in the race) would have been enough to bring out a safety car, trigger some pitstops and perhaps ruin Ricciardo's race. He's extremely lucky nobody binned it into the barrier earlier in the race and hence we were extremely unlucky to see a processional race (although I enjoyed it anyway).

[Mamba]

No circuit is immune to a processional race. A lot of factors have to come together to make an exciting race, not just the circuit.

A bump against the barrier by a backmarker (earlier in the race) would have been enough to bring out a safety car, trigger some pitstops and perhaps ruin Ricciardo's race. He's extremely lucky nobody binned it into the barrier earlier in the race and hence we were extremely unlucky to see a processional race (although I enjoyed it anyway).

I agree with you. Not every race can be an exciting one or the excitement will dull itself down and before long we will be asking for infra-red missiles on the cars to bring excitement back. Barcelona this year was boring. Last year it was a cracker. Two years - total opposites.

And as stated - the drivers keeping the race clean is what made it dull. A safety car at about the time they were all complaining about graining would have triggered a massive rush to the pits while others would gamble on staying out. I personally enjoyed the tension with the unknown of if Riccardo can finish or not. Hundreds of people would have been up in arms had Vettel risked it and it went wrong, but yet I read some people wanting him to at least try. Seems he can please nobody. Yes I know about his tyres but he is only an example from the race.

Monaco is special and personally I think the tyres ruined it. Had the tyres been able to hold better, then Vettel and Ham would have been better able to swerve all around Ric and pressure him into overheating his brakes or what-not. But no - graining.

Don't cry murder over one race. Austrailia was even worse and the next few were crackers. Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing!

[notsofast]

Monaco is special and personally I think the tyres ruined it. Had the tyres been able to hold better, then Vettel and Ham would have been better able to swerve all around Ric and pressure him into overheating his brakes or what-not. But no - graining.

Ricciardo drove a car that had a bad engine but good tyre management. Hamilton and Vettel drove a car with a good engine, but with bad tyre management. Yes, if Hamilton and Vettel had a car with better tyre management, they would have been able to attack Ricciardo. But in that case Hamilton or Vettel might very well have ended up on pole anyway.

Sure, the tyres were the big variable. All teams had the option to play different strategies, but Mercedes and Ferrari chose not to. Instead they waited for a safety car that never came.

[Jolle]

Monaco is special and personally I think the tyres ruined it. Had the tyres been able to hold better, then Vettel and Ham would have been better able to swerve all around Ric and pressure him into overheating his brakes or what-not. But no - graining.

Ricciardo drove a car that had a bad engine but good tyre management. Hamilton and Vettel drove a car with a good engine, but with bad tyre management. Yes, if Hamilton and Vettel had a car with better tyre management, they would have been able to attack Ricciardo. But in that case Hamilton or Vettel might very well have ended up on pole anyway.

Sure, the tyres were the big variable. All teams had the option to play different strategies, but Mercedes and Ferrari chose not to. Instead they waited for a safety car that never came.

I also think part of the Hamilton complaining was to have the competition considering stopping one more time.

[NathanOlder]

He's been on the podium in every race this year and that consistency is what will win him the championship if it continues.

Apart from China

[Dazed1]

Headline: "Ricciardo “a very good teacher” for Verstappen – Horner"
Ow! That's gonna leave a mark.

[J.A.W.]

But 'trouble with that is.. 'Teflon Max'.. likely ain't about to be showing - any marks.. L.o.l...

& anyhow.. as the wise old Buddhist saw goes.. "One is taught in accordance.. with one's capacity to learn."

[Andres125sx]

I like Monaco. It's just different. Overtaking or not, seeing F1 cars fly through those narrow streets is a spectacle in and of itself. The driving skill required is insane.

That´s my problem with Monaco nowadays, that´s not true anymore, only on saturdays. But on sundays they´re lapping 2-3 seconds off the pace intentionally, wich means they´re so far from the limit they don´t need any special skill. If Stroll would start on pole, he´d win the race, sundays are useless in Monaco. Even the unpredictability wich reliability usually brings is nullified, look at Ricciardo and Vettel with no electrical power and huge graining, but none of them had the slightest problem to keep the highest positions on the podium


To me Monaco is just a parody, current cars should never race here

[Phil]

Just because they are lapping 2-3 seconds of the pace, doesn't mean they are not driving at the limit or that they don't need special skill. The special skill they required was to nurse the tires to the end, in the case of Daniel specifically to nurse his engine and still retain enough advantage to not get under threat by Vettel. That also included changing the brake balance to make sure they are not overheating.

IMO - they should bring back refueling and light cars, but since cars are starting at 100+kg of fuel, they are always going to be driving to different limits rather than pure pace. And given Monaco was always difficult to pass, I'm not sure the drivers ever had to push 100% for the entirety of the race.

[santos]

Best video onboard of this race…

[zeph]

I like Monaco. It's just different. Overtaking or not, seeing F1 cars fly through those narrow streets is a spectacle in and of itself. The driving skill required is insane.

That´s my problem with Monaco nowadays, that´s not true anymore, only on saturdays. But on sundays they´re lapping 2-3 seconds off the pace intentionally, wich means they´re so far from the limit they don´t need any special skill.

I'd like to see you drive an F1 car around Monaco, or even just in a straight line
Seriously, though, I don't think you fully appreciate just what a rare beast a modern F1 car is. To give you an idea, here is Richard Hammond trying it out for you:



And here is a dude who had mastered super-cars and felt he was ready to try an F1 car:



However, I do agree it sucks to have drivers lap 2-3 secs off the pace, but that's not because of Monaco. That's because of the tires. The current tires and mandatory stop are detrimental to racing, and that needs to change.

But Monaco is a great event, even if the on-track action isn't always compelling.

[Vasconia]

I like Monaco. It's just different. Overtaking or not, seeing F1 cars fly through those narrow streets is a spectacle in and of itself. The driving skill required is insane.

That´s my problem with Monaco nowadays, that´s not true anymore, only on saturdays. But on sundays they´re lapping 2-3 seconds off the pace intentionally, wich means they´re so far from the limit they don´t need any special skill. If Stroll would start on pole, he´d win the race, sundays are useless in Monaco. Even the unpredictability wich reliability usually brings is nullified, look at Ricciardo and Vettel with no electrical power and huge graining, but none of them had the slightest problem to keep the highest positions on the podium


To me Monaco is just a parody, current cars should never race here

Tyres and strategy are the problem here. They need to change this and race will improve.

[Andres125sx]

I like Monaco. It's just different. Overtaking or not, seeing F1 cars fly through those narrow streets is a spectacle in and of itself. The driving skill required is insane.

That´s my problem with Monaco nowadays, that´s not true anymore, only on saturdays. But on sundays they´re lapping 2-3 seconds off the pace intentionally, wich means they´re so far from the limit they don´t need any special skill.

I'd like to see you drive an F1 car around Monaco, or even just in a straight line

Me too, at least at an infinite straight with warm tires and brakes just to test the braking forces once

Seriously, though, I don't think you fully appreciate just what a rare beast a modern F1 car is. To give you an idea, here is Richard Hammond trying it out for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUZJVY-sHo

And here is a dude who had mastered super-cars and felt he was ready to try an F1 car:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUAnq4LnkbY

Wrong, I know, but that´s irrelevant. Will we watch a full race under SC because driving a F1 car around Monaco is dangerous? If F1 is too dangerous for Monaco (IMHO it is, we´ve been lucky to not see any car getting airbone, if that happens...) then remove the GP from the calendar, but going there to race well under the limits is against F1 spirit

Thanks for the videos btw, I had watched the crash, but not that test Hammond was allowed to do

However, I do agree it sucks to have drivers lap 2-3 secs off the pace, but that's not because of Monaco. That's because of the tires. The current tires and mandatory stop are detrimental to racing, and that needs to change.

But Monaco is a great event, even if the on-track action isn't always compelling.

I don´t think that´s the problem but I specially disagree with that "Monaco is a great even" philosophy. F1 should be racing, then an event, not the other way around and keeping a dull race because the event is great.

It drive me nuts when I remind tracks like Magny-Cours wich are out of the calendar, but Monaco is still there...

[NL_Fer]

Hypersoft only for next year.