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That 2002 video was awesome, but that doesn't change the fact that I wanted to shoot myself after every race.

For a long time I've thought that F1 by its very nature is not suited to good racing. You can't make a series about the best components and technology, on the cleanest tracks, at the fastest speeds, and expect a lot of dicing - it's just fiction.

Touring car series are great to watch because they're taking cars that aren't meant to go that fast and doing whatever it takes to speed them up, but they're still heavy and unwieldy. Rally (or rallycross at least) is great because they're going fast on unpredictable surfaces. Both introduce a good amount of the uncontrollable.

For F1 to do that it will always have to compromise its other principles, which I don't really have a problem with (although I still fucking hate DRS). But it will always have that flaw. You can have the pinnacle of racing or you can have entertaining racing, but you can't really have both.

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While I agree with your point and think the footage of Schumi's quali lap is great, the video you've used to highlight your point was from the F1 Digital broadcast. That channel you had to pay a significant amount per race for, in order to view. This makes your point less valid as F1's Digital channel didn't get enough subscribers to keep them in business. Instead, this is what the 2002 Monaco GP looked like to the majority of viewers...

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

I think it was a LOT easier to keep track and to broadcast what was happening on those days. Now there`s always a lot of things happening at the same time and they try to keep track of it....

F1 was a lot more unpredictable then, so it was hard to keep track of things that the broadcasters didn't know was going to happen... like how much Schumi would win by, or what lap a McLaren would break down on, or when and why Ralf would scream obscenities at his team over the radio, or at corner Taku would crash, or which races Alex Yoong would get within 107%.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

We get wide shots now to incorporate all the trackside advertising and CGI stuff FOM are adding (like the CGI Rolex logo's slapped all over the grass at some tracks).

TV coverage is no longer about conveying the speed/excitement of the event, but making sure X sponsor get's their allotted screen time.

This is also why sponsor logos are grouped together at circuits. So you get a full screen of ROLEX rather than 15 different ads that don't stand out.

For sure. And what's worth thinking about when mentioning these points are two things:

1) The circuits don't make money from the sponsors that are on circuit side advertising hoardings, that all goes to FOM
2) Bernie and FOM are competing with the teams to attract sponsors, in some cases stealing the sponsors (and prospective sponsors) from the teams

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Didn't know this, so are tickets their only income?

FOM takes the sponsors and even then the circuits have to pay..

This is perhaps the biggest issue for teams, especially with there being so much TV coverage nowadays.

McLaren was set for a major sponsor late 2012/early 2013 until Bernie offered said sponsor a better deal for trackside signage.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

@

Mika Kimi - Yes to both of those. Although the circuits do receive income from concession stands in terms of space rented out for the weekend.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Guessing that was Rolex then?

My understanding is that it has happened a few times in recent years. I think Allianz was due to sponsor a team (Sauber?) until they were unveiled as the sponsor on the safety car.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Just crazy..... The two biggest factors of having an actual race get the smallest share of the profits made.
Take away the tracks and the teams have no-where to race. Take away all the teams and the tracks have no-one to run on them. Take away the FOM and someone else will organize it.

No, think higher up in the sky...

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

I'm guessing Fly Emirates. They became a global sponsor from 2013 on.

or DHL?

Free Marijuana in California

Felipe....stop crying and go quicker....that's what Williams staff should've said....none of this discussion was necessary...and Bottas should be allowed to overtake in the end If he was quicker and he was.