Is there much of a following of F1 in Canada?
I know there is a Canadian Grand Prix but that isn't indicative of a huge following.
I know there is a Canadian Grand Prix but that isn't indicative of a huge following.
How big is Formula 1 in Canada?
- Thread starter Frappuccino Dibs
- Start date
Sorry Dibbs I know a lot and those cars suck .They really don't need drivers anymore there just face men.I can tell you that not to many people care about F1 here .Theres probably more fans in Montreal than anywhere else in Canada.Thay are the only ones that get to see the cars up close :wink: By they way my uncle is a big wig at Bridgestone tire and he's the one that told me the cars don't relly need drivers :lol:
Each to their own I guess.
Ensuring your tyres last the entire race and your engine lasts two races takes skill though.
At least it doesn't suck as much as 400 laps of an Oval.
I'm surprised your Uncle has such low opinions of the drivers considering Bridgestones finest is Michael Schumacher. I know a lot of Schumacher fans that would argue heatedly about that. Not me though, I think he's seriously overrated.
Ensuring your tyres last the entire race and your engine lasts two races takes skill though.
At least it doesn't suck as much as 400 laps of an Oval.
I'm surprised your Uncle has such low opinions of the drivers considering Bridgestones finest is Michael Schumacher. I know a lot of Schumacher fans that would argue heatedly about that. Not me though, I think he's seriously overrated.
RE: How big is Formula 1
F-1 has a pretty big following in Quebec, Dibs. Outside of Quebec it drops off considerably.
CART used to be the major form of open wheel in North America. Rightly so too...big ovals, little ovals, road courses, and street races...all in the same cars with the same drivers. Tony George buggered that up for us though.
NASCAR is the biggest form of racing here now, at least if you go by the TV ratings. It's not as easy as it looks either. It takes a considerable amount of skill to win a NASCAR race.
The thing is that the skills required for NASCAR have about as much to do with the skills required for F-1 as wombats have to do with elephants. Two completely different animals.
That's why I still consider Mario Andretti to be the greatest all around driver ever...he could do it all. Nobody else has won in everything from open-wheel dirt tracks to F-1. There have been better drivers than him in every series, but there's never been anybody who did as well as him in NASCAR, CART and F-1.
As for Schui...I remember him winning in a Benneton when that wasn't even considered possible. I wonder if he's still that sharp. Then again, I caught part of the race on the weekend and he was lapping two seconds faster than everybody else.
F-1 has a pretty big following in Quebec, Dibs. Outside of Quebec it drops off considerably.
CART used to be the major form of open wheel in North America. Rightly so too...big ovals, little ovals, road courses, and street races...all in the same cars with the same drivers. Tony George buggered that up for us though.
NASCAR is the biggest form of racing here now, at least if you go by the TV ratings. It's not as easy as it looks either. It takes a considerable amount of skill to win a NASCAR race.
The thing is that the skills required for NASCAR have about as much to do with the skills required for F-1 as wombats have to do with elephants. Two completely different animals.
That's why I still consider Mario Andretti to be the greatest all around driver ever...he could do it all. Nobody else has won in everything from open-wheel dirt tracks to F-1. There have been better drivers than him in every series, but there's never been anybody who did as well as him in NASCAR, CART and F-1.
As for Schui...I remember him winning in a Benneton when that wasn't even considered possible. I wonder if he's still that sharp. Then again, I caught part of the race on the weekend and he was lapping two seconds faster than everybody else.
Formula 1 is indeed pretty big here. and with the new rules this years, it's more interresting. And well, the computer take less and less place now. look at Villeneuve this week-end, he had his onboard almost disconnected and he get better times because of that...
RE: How big is Formula 1
The new rules do seem to have brought it back to the drivers more, that's for sure.
Do they still race Corvettes and Porsches in Quebec? I can't remember the name of the series, but TSN used to carry it about 15 years ago. It was basically showroom stock racing and it was very competitive. I miss that.
The new rules do seem to have brought it back to the drivers more, that's for sure.
Do they still race Corvettes and Porsches in Quebec? I can't remember the name of the series, but TSN used to carry it about 15 years ago. It was basically showroom stock racing and it was very competitive. I miss that.
Airintake,
Villeneuves car may have been able to drive itself in 98 or 99, but his cars were still crappy then and he didn't acheive anything.
To those that think F1 cars are easy to drive:
Most road cars that you and I drive nowdays have on board computers with traction control, cruise control, parking sensors, automatic window wipers, airbags for each testicle and heated seats etc. But we still crash them. It takes skill to drive any car, not least one thats capable of well over 200mph.
Don't sell those guys short, just because they need different skills to a rally driver of a NASCAR driver etc, doesn't mean they have no skill.
Villeneuves car may have been able to drive itself in 98 or 99, but his cars were still crappy then and he didn't acheive anything.
To those that think F1 cars are easy to drive:
Most road cars that you and I drive nowdays have on board computers with traction control, cruise control, parking sensors, automatic window wipers, airbags for each testicle and heated seats etc. But we still crash them. It takes skill to drive any car, not least one thats capable of well over 200mph.
Don't sell those guys short, just because they need different skills to a rally driver of a NASCAR driver etc, doesn't mean they have no skill.
My truck has none of those things.
Consider Michael Andretti's F-1 experience. He was one of the top drivers in CART when he went to F-1 and he never did get the hang of the cars. Of course he did induce a couple of CART-style crashes, which spiced things up a bit.
Oh, F1 drivers sure don't lack skill, but I still think the cars are too computerized. I heard that the cars are able to brake automatically before corners based on GPS data, as well as shift. I don't think a car should 'know' the track, that should be left to the driver's skill. I don't mind automated help like ABS, TC, and SC, because they have no foreknowledge of the track, they just know driver inputs and some onboard sensor inputs.
The cars certainly do not break automatically. If they did we would never see people outbreaking people into corners ar running wide because they broke to late.
Drivers can set the brake biase from controls on the steering wheel.
Imagine being in a race situation and having to make adjustments to the cars handling whilst your going. F1 drivers have to control a computer as well as a very fast race car.
You and I do not have to make adjustments to ECU's whilst we're driving. The technicle aspect of F1 is just another reason why it is so good. Unfortunately many people cannot appreciate the technicle aspect and they just want to see constant overtaking and big crashes.
I actually wish F1 cars would lose TC now. I believe the plan is to lose it in the next year or so.
Drivers can set the brake biase from controls on the steering wheel.
Imagine being in a race situation and having to make adjustments to the cars handling whilst your going. F1 drivers have to control a computer as well as a very fast race car.
You and I do not have to make adjustments to ECU's whilst we're driving. The technicle aspect of F1 is just another reason why it is so good. Unfortunately many people cannot appreciate the technicle aspect and they just want to see constant overtaking and big crashes.
I actually wish F1 cars would lose TC now. I believe the plan is to lose it in the next year or so.
Frappuccino Dibs said:
There a lots of us 'closet' F1 fans hiding in the woods. I'm a Trains, Planes and Automobiles freak from birth. My Dad had the first Triumph Twin in Canada in the mid-thirties and raced it, so Moto GP and WSB are also on my list of must-watch. I prefer the Speed Channel version of F1 races with their announce crew over the ITV crew on TSN despite the fact that they are just watching the International TV feed and not really at the race.
The FIA have changed enough of the rules to put the driver back in the driver's seat, but some of their qualifying and engine/tire rule changes defy explanation. But there's no point in whining. After all, they'll probably change them before the Canadian GP.
My one hope is that the dissenting teams (everyone but Ferrari and Red Bull) stick together and force a new series to show the Red Devil that it doesn't run the show. Bernie and Ross are going to be lonely, with any luck.
Although I realize it's done for a purpose (disperse the forces involved, ergo safety), I can't abide the way open-wheel cars just "disintegrate" with the slightest bump with another car -
"girly-cars". NOT the drivers - the cars.
Give me the door-banging, fender-bashing, paint-trading action of NASCAR or BUSCH anyday.....
"girly-cars". NOT the drivers - the cars.
Give me the door-banging, fender-bashing, paint-trading action of NASCAR or BUSCH anyday.....
My niece is driving in the demolition derby again this year, Ten Packs...let me know if you'll be in Saskatchewan, I'll see if I can get you a pit pass. :wink:
I like F1 for the sheer amount of RPM's those motors turn nothing like that sound 8)But give me Nascar Those boys really know how to stick their cars up in the open holes :wink:
Hey Dibbs did you see the show down at Indy between Jeff Gordon and one of the BMW drivers?Theyswapped cars and had some fun Gordon was the supieror driver by far after a few laps he turned them faster than the F1 guy did!The guy from F1 could not drive the Nascar no matter what changes they made to it
