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We thought of doing this fun little exercise where we hear from our readers and let them ask questions about F1.
It was nice to see the response and I hope I my answers don't disappoint. Since there were quite a few questions I've divided them on the basis of the theme the questions were about. (For instance, the sprint weekend is a contentious one for quite a few).
So let's not waste any more time and get straight to it.
#1 F1 Sprint races
What were the questions?
Sprint races seem to be a hot topic and quite a few have asked about it. There have been questions about the sprint format that is currently used, and there are questions about its relevance and whether I am a fan of it or not.
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What is my take on it?
As a purist when it comes to F1, I wasn't a fan of the sprint format because it took away from the 'grandness' of the 'Grand Prix' on Sunday. The new sprint format introduced this season feels chaotic at best and I find it a bit chaotic as well.
There is a caveat though, the changes in the format are not made for hardcore fans like me. They're made for the casuals who cannot wait until the 90 minutes spectacle on Sunday to be engaged. F1 wants to increase its footfall and enter new markets. By the looks of it, sprint races appear to be a pathway toward making it happen.
Coming to the format, no format from any other racing category can be copy-pasted to F1 because the sport is unique in so many ways. Stefano Domenicali is still in the process of finding the sweet spot and we might see a few iterations before we get the final product.
Who asked these questions?
Shaira Janina, Sreejith SV, Carl Bunter.
#2 Abu Dhabi 2021
What were the questions?
2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, a contentious one I must admit has been touched on by a few. In General, I've been asked to give my take on it (and an impassioned plea from one of our readers on why sports journalists don't talk about it).
What is my take on it?
What happened in Abu Dhabi in 2021 was arguably the worst way that a season could have ended. It arguably affected one fanbase more than any other and that's just not what the sport should be about.
Especially after an epic duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen for the entire season. Having said that, unfortunately, F1's history is filled with far too many instances where 'the right thing' did not happen. We have the 2008 F1 Crashgate controversy where the custodians of the sport did not do the right thing.
We had the 2007 F1 Spygate scandal where two McLaren drivers were fighting for a title, in a car built by a team that was disqualified from the championship. We have the 1994 F1 championship decider or the 1989 and 1990 crashes between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
What happened in Abu Dhabi in 2021 was not right, but it wasn't the first time something like this happened in F1's history.
Who asked these questions?
Dan Paul, Arki Dudz.
#3 Fallout of Felipe Massa's legal proceedings
What was the question?
Is there a possibility that Lewis Hamilton could have his championship title revoked due to an incident involving Felipe Massa? If such a scenario were to occur, what potential outcomes and ramifications might arise as a result?
What is my take on it?
Never say never, but there is next to no chance of Lewis Hamilton losing his 2008 F1 title. One of the major reasons behind it is the fact that every championship position has a certain prize money attached to it. For Lewis to lose his title, the Singapore GP would have to be voided/not included in the championship.
In that case, there will be wholesale changes in the championship standings and as a result, the prize money for each team will change. This is an operational nightmare that FOM cannot afford. Cognizant of the possible nightmare, Felipe Massa himself has only demanded compensation for what happened in 2008.
Who asked the question?
Clenie Varnakulasingham.
#4 Impact of Cost cap penalty on Red Bull
What was the question?
At what point will it be noticeable with Red Bull that the Cost cap penalty will take effect?
What is my take on it?
We would have seen the impact much earlier if both Ferrari and Mercedes did not have such poor off-seasons. A major misstep by both of these teams is the reason why Red Bull appears more dominant than it should be.
At this stage, both Ferrari and Mercedes are looking to adapt their concepts to make it more coherent with what Red Bull is doing. The restrictive nature of these regulations means the gap should start to decrease in the second half of the season.
We cannot however rule out the possibility of Red Bull continuing to be the fastest package in F1 in 2024 as well.
Who asked the question?
Paula Jean.
#5 Nico Hulkenberg in a top team?
What was the question?
Will Hulkenberg ever get into a top team? I hope he gets a top drive for once in his career.
What is my take on it?
I'm going to suggest you do this little exercise.
- Open the F1TV app
- Go to Archives
- Open the 2013 F1 Korean GP and go to Lap 49
You will hear Martin Brundle almost shout these words:
"For how many years are we going to have to say, why won't they put Nico Hulkenberg in a race-winning car?"
It's been a decade since that quote from Martin! I've followed Nico Hulkenberg's career even when he was in A1GP. At 36 years of age, I fear the clock has run out (unless Red Bull gives him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity).
Who asked the question?
Vivek Raj Dewangan.
#6 New teams in F1
What was the question?
Do you feel F1 was better for new entries in the Bernie Ecclestone era compared to the Liberty groups money based approach?
What is my take on it?
There are pros and cons to both approaches. The Bernie approach meant that having new teams on the F1 grid was not that tough. The issue was the sustainability of those teams that were never addressed. We had three new teams enter the sport in 2010 and they never could even reach the midfield level before collapsing altogether.
The new franchise model of the sport means we have 10 healthy teams. Every team has reached a valuation of close to $1 billion (almost tripled the amount in the last few years) and the annual revenue has shot up significantly. Bringing an 11th or a 12th team means a smaller share of the revenue for the incumbent teams and unsurprisingly that has faced opposition.
As a fan, I'd love to see all 13 spots on the grid occupied but I can understand a team like Haas or a Mercedes would oppose such a move.
Who asked the question?
Martin Kay.
#7 The return of Formula 1 to India
What was the question?
"When will we have F1 back in India?", "Any distant chance of a return of the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit?"
What is my take on it?
In short, yes. Formula One could return to India at the Buddh International Circuit but it might hinge on what happens in another racing category. MotoGP will have the Bharat GP in September and that is a showcase event for India.
The taxation issues, the infrastructure (including the preparations and the condition of the track), and the ability to bring a huge crowd are going to be important. With the Chinese GP in Shanghai becoming more and more uncertain every season, the other large market could be looked at as a possible avenue.
The Formula-E event was a success this year if the MotoGP race proves to be a success, things could change.
Who asked the question?
Siddharth Kumar, Shachi Chaudhary.
#8 The tough-to-drive McLaren cars
What was the question?
What causes the McLaren to be a tricky car to drive and what is the fix?
What is my take on it?
This might have something to do with James Key, the technical director at McLaren for all these years. Key moved to the team in 2018 and since 2019 he had his imprints on every car that hit the track.
Since 2019, the McLarens have had a certain DNA that both Sainz and Norris at the time learned to deal with. That DNA has continued to be a part of the cars for all these years as Lando's complaints have remained consistent.
While Key has left for Sauber this season, it will be very interesting to see whether we see a change in car characteristics next season.
Who asked the question?
Joy Black.
#9 Progression of F2 champions into F1
What was the question?
Do you also think that there should be a rule in F1 when the F2 Champion will automatically be absorbed by an F1 team for at least a year?
What is my take on it?
I think if they are good enough, more often than not they are absorbed by F1 teams anyway, If there is one change that I would make is allow these drivers to defend their F2 titles the next season as well.
At the moment, an F2 champion cannot compete in the series once he's won the title.
Who asked the question?
Shaira Janina.
#10 How long have I been watching F1?
What was the question?
How long has the senior writer been watching, and which season was their favorite and why?
My Answer
The first ever race I saw was the 2005 F1 Monaco GP. Watching Kimi Raikkonen decimate the field with pure talent is something that I still remember from that race.
My favorite season was the 2021 F1 season. Keeping aside the mess made in Abu Dhabi, the raw emotion emanating from that season and elite tenacious driving from both Max and Lewis was just captivating.
If we ignore Abu Dhabi for a moment, 2021 was a gift from the racing gods. We had drama, we had surprise winners/podium finishers/polesitters and so much more. The kind of relentless emotional engagement that season had, I've not felt in my 18 or so years of following the sport.
Who asked the question?
Andrew Candelario.
Writer's note:
First of all, thank you for the response. I hope I was able to answer your questions in the best possible manner. I wanted to interact more with my readers and help improve their experience with our publication. Hope this was the first step in doing that. You can connect with me on social media as well.
Twitter: twitter.com/ThecasualfanF1
YouTube: youtube.com/@TheCasualF1Fan
