Five talking points from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

I don't even know if you're going to read this reply but here goes. Firstly, you think it's acceptable to use the word 'champ'? There is hypocrisy and double standards going on here. And I'm not afraid to point it out. If someone is condescending towards me then that's fine but if I'm perceived to be doing that to somebody else then the tables turn. Respect goes both ways. I'm more than happy to engage in civil discourse. In fact, that's what I feel I've been doing all along. We move on. No grudges held. Clean slate for all. But if I want to say something, I'm going to say it and if people think it's acceptable to disregard this site's comments policy and unleash personal insults then that's a shame.

I'm all for a more egalitarian Formula One. I wrote about it last year (https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/11/02/f1-is-about-to-go-through-a-massive-change/). I'm more than happy to debate about it with people like you who are respectful in their explanations. And I agree with everything that you say.

And actually it’s time for us to start talking about what’s going on out on track, not spend hours and hours debating whether the sport needs to change. But this is the point, Josh... there are many of us who watched F1 get irrepairably destroyed by big factory teams during the Schumacher-Ferrari era, when it was concluded the only way to win was to pour $$$$$ at it. It wasn't that way in the past. You do need to acknowledge that the are a lot of us who remember a fairer and more equal sport not driven by whose budget is bigger. Mercedes win because they spend more. The big three dominate because they spend more then threaten to quit the sport if financial rules are brought in. These are the challenges that didn't exist back in the day. That's why we aren't just looking at everything so positively You can't change the fact you were born in the 21st century but you do need to respect the fact that we've seen more change in the sport than you have and so we can yearn for a different way of running the sport. You may disagree, but it's genuinely horrifying to see that between 2011-2019, the world champion driver won a minimum of 9 races in all years but one. There was a time when winning 7 races in a year was a sign of greatness... now 10 wins may not even win the championship (Hamilton 2016) There's no equality. You can be positive, and please stay positive. But respect there is a larger fan base of disgruntled fans wanting to see a fair fight

I can only apologise for being born in 2002 :shocked: All I'm asking is that people actually bother to let me have my say. There seems to be a vendetta against anyone who strays against the status quo. Well, for saying stuff like this: there's plenty to talk about at the front, it just may not be wheel-to-wheel action per se, something which people seem to think I don't want to see, which is wrong of them. And actually it's time for us to start talking about what's going on out on track, not spend hours and hours debating whether the sport needs to change. But for the final two cents worth, what do people expect? F1 cannot control whether or not teams bring a competitive package to the table, which is what has happened this season for various reasons which I'm not allowed to point out because everything that I say appears to be automatically wrong... Who knows? The paddock could turn up at Melbourne next March and Red Bull could be closer to Mercedes and giving them more of a run for their money. That would be without any major changes. Major regulation changes have come in 2006 - 2010 - 2014 - 2017 - 2022 (delayed from 2021) - 2026 (expected) so these things take time to sort out. Things get tweaked year on year but a bit of patience is needed instead of throwing the toys out of the pram after every grand prix because the race wasn't to your satisfaction. I have followed Formula One for nine seasons. I've been through a range of competitive and non-competitive racing. It's not my fault that F1 brought in DRS the year before I started watching but apparently to some it is. I get the concerns out there. But the sport is being portrayed in too negative a light IMO. All I want to do is point out the good stuff and celebrate the teams and drivers who work within the regulations to deliver greatness. You'd think people would be happy that I love the sport that they love even when it's perhaps not the best it could be. But, alas, no, I don't have a proper appreciation for the sport, do I? Ah well, you can't please them all, can you?

oh, by all means do so...but there is a generation of fans, myself included, who can recall a time not too long ago when there was good action on the track without the need for artificial aids to induce overtaking. Sky, bless them, talk endlessly about one stop strategies, pit windows and the DRS zone because there is nothing for them to talk about at the front of the race track.

Ah well, something is always better than nothing.

Perhaps the wording was wrong but I don't apologise for pointing out that aero is indeed the issue rather than engines, as Ben suggests ("For the most part they are all about the aero and ‘improving overtaking’. The issue here is that aero isn’t the problem in this era."). If anybody thinks it's acceptable for someone to be insulted, then that's a sad indictment of the world we live in. I am gravely concerned that any time I speak out in positivity about Formula One, I am shot down. No debate, just automatically essentially being told to shut up. I'm not going to be silenced.

Sorry Josh, but Dex has a point here. "do I also need to explain" was an extraordinarily condescending comment...and that's coming from me. And when you lead of with condescension, you should expect patronising aged based comments in response. Both of you shake virtual hands and move on.

Yeah, we get the Sky feed in A-Pac. Unfortunately we only get it about 10 minutes before the race starts, otherwise we have to put up with the genuinely incompetent "experts" in the studio in HK.

Finally, some acknowledgement that this season is an anomaly! Love that last point about getting back to basics as it were, less data driven etc. I think they're trying that in Supercars. But fair warning they did try taking away instructions via team radio but Rosberg got penalised at the 2016 British Grand Prix for his race engineer answering Rosberg's question of whether he could use 6th gear or not. So problems there. And I think they banned traction control in the late 2000s? How keen are you on DRS, out of interest?

The loaded questions that Christian Horner couldn't avoid answering were brilliant from Martin. Impressive that you've got our coverage in your neck of the woods too!

See, there we go again! The we know better than you because you're young line! I have already been silly enough to let comments like this eat away at me and I'm not going to do it again. I'll carry on unleashing my inner Liam and Noel Gallagher, rolling with it, taking my time, saying what I say and not letting anybody get in my way. You're more than welcome to join me any time.

I generally love it when people are positive about sport and sportspeople. So I have no problem with that at all. However, when you speak of contempt, its weird that you throw that around. You have continually told us all that we should love F1 in its current format, regardless of our history and love of the sport. Despite the fact we love the sport, and have given up countless nights to watch races, long before you were born, before you could know what a competitive race and season is. The fact you feel OK to explain to Ben what Aero is. I mean really. Its really not OK. Please go on being positive, but do it in a way that improves the sport. Instead of just saying "nothing needs to be changed", because that really shows you are, like Hall and Oats, are Out of Touch.

I'm going to be blunt. Apologies in advance. What is your problem with me sharing my opinion and being positive about Formula One? You have shown nothing but contempt for the past two months or so when I voice an opinion. You insult me for no good reason.

Fair enough.

Oh Martin Brundle has basically filed Albon's P45 on behalf of RBR.

All week?? Well done. Didn't realise it was that easy to be an armchair expert....

Sorry Joshua, but your approach is, as usual, terrible. "Do I also need to explain..." sounds like my nana telling me off for sitting too close to the TV. You are speaking to Ben, who is a respected F1 pundit. A little respect goes a long way, even if you disagree. If he doesn't understand aero wake, I will eat my laptop. The fact that you think "nothing needs to change" means you are either a Merc employee or mega fan, or extremely unaware of how good F1 can be. I keep trying to ignore your comments, but you make it very hard. Maybe in 10 years or so, when you learn some manners, and some proper appreciation for the sport, we can engage in some proper dialogue. Until then.....

I was referring more to Bottas and Max, who had the early pit stops and still came out in front of the rest of the field.