Misc thoughts on Monaco

Monaco

As usual, I'm very much looking forward to Monaco.    I'm glad world titles aren't ultimately decided there, but the F1 mecca certainly encompasses everything that is F1: the glamour of the Mediterranean,  cars sliding around impossibly tight corners, and dozens of internet posts about  . . . you guessed it . . . a general lack of overtaking.

When I think back over the memorable moments Monaco has provided  . . . Niki Lauda's remarkable recovery from a puncture to finish 2nd in an era when a single pit stop virtually assured one's doom . . . the nose to gearbox fight between Senna and Mansell for victory in the closing laps of '92 . . . I relish the potential these insanely tight, winding, steeply rising and falling streets have to surprise and astonish.

Perhaps then Monaco transcends annual regulation tinkering and is more about history and anticipation than the latest debate du jour.    It is a spectacle . . . one that I hope to experience very much in person one day.

Spain

Fernando Alonso's start and fight to steal the lead into turn 1 was one of the most inspired displays of raw talent I have seen in a long time.     Given Alonso's knowledge that his car could not keep pace with Red Bull and McLaren on the extremely technical Catalan circuit, I find his fighting spirit rare indeed.    There is no doubt in my mind that he is the best.    Ferrari have their man, and I can only hope that they will provide him with a capable car soon.

Barcelona certainly appeared less chaotic than the prior two Grands Prix.    I'm guessing that this is because Pirelli served up a more stable compound?    Thoughts?  

Where O' where has Kimi Raikkonen gone?

I watched my very first NASCAR Truck race . . . well let's be honest, I fast forwarded through it.    That just about sums up anything that I have to offer on the topic.

Cheers

Enjoy it while you can

While careful to not read too much into quotations published with little context, this report strikes several tightly wound cords in my F1 psyche.

Immoderate service to TV ratings is an insult to anyone or anything unique in our world.     Ratings crave the most common denominator . . . and in all bio or mechanical machines, the most common of denominators is usually the lowest.

I must ask, however, why does the FIA care about TV ratings?    I thought that was Bernie's gig . . . his impulse to artificially tweak the entertainment factor . . . from medals to shortcuts to faux rain showers . . . are tough enough pills to swallow already.

I'd love to lay all of the blame at NASCAR's feet, but I can't.     F1 as a whole has spent too much effort in recent years hot after NASCAR's tail.    It is becoming increasingly clear that those who manage F1 may be losing sight of their true audience . . . and more importantly the sport itself.  

Every year we get a new round of massive regulation overhauls alleged to improve a show which used to play just fine on it's own.    Although I think we've been very fortunate to enjoy some exciting seasons of late, I fail to see how today's F1 is better than it was in the 90's, the 80's, the 70's . . . I can keep going back.  

If the ratings are falling, it might be because instead of focusing on F1, these powers are trying too hard to remake F1 in the NASCAR mold.    F1 and NASCAR are very different.    They attract different audiences because of those distinct differences, and if I were invited to the next meeting I might remind Mr. Todt that:

The only car number that should matter in F1 is the number 1.  

Overtaking should be difficult . . . and rare.    It means something in F1.     (I'm so tired of this battle.)

F1 remains the best arena for technical innovation; if the FIA intends to use this fertile ground to sway public opinion, it best do so with a looser grip that allows for more creative ingenuity, and unique variations on the theme.

Simple concern over ratings prioritizes the casual . . . those who arrive late, leave early, and might not come back . . . above a historically astute worldwide audience that will not be fooled.    It's hard to fathom building audiences on a watered down iteration of what I hope won't one day be described as a formerly grand pursuit.

my tower is wobbling . . .

Thought I'd highlight this morning's post from The Axis

This additional article  . . . if true . . . only further confuses me.     Wha . . . ?

I remain completely baffled.    It's tough being a closed minded elitist these days . . .

Mystery man to NASCAR?

Kimi Raikkonen marches to his own engine map, no matter how far off tune it may be from what most expect and where those who appreciate his innate skill prefer.

I was alerted to this report in Autoweek by a good friend and often sparring partner in the business of comprehending the sensationally talented yet mysterious Finn.   Proven accurate it would be the latest in a series of puzzling turns in a career which has seen more chicanes than Hermann Tilke's dreamscape. 

Take a look at this feature from Motors TV WRC coverage from Portugal (make sure to catch the clip's closing flyby . . . Whoa!):

Kimi in Portugal

Raikkonen struggled with consistent pace in last year's WRC campaign.    He was quick but crashed a lot, sometimes heavily.    In the two events he's competed this year, he's demonstrated remarkable maturity and appears poised to exploit his driving skill to the fullest.

I submit that it would be a shame to see him shift focus to another very different form of motor sport at a time when he seems to be getting a handle on the lessons of the prior 14 months.