We are way off topic here, but I will try to make this my last post (and a bit of a rant) on this derailment! I say this fits my theory that all threads in the F1 forum eventually gravitates and becomes "This is what is wrong with F1 and here is how you fix it"
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Originally Posted by Akrapovic
Dear lord that's awful. 1970s stuff and 2010 are the worst looking F1 cars of the lot. Could they not have made them look like 80s or 90s vehicles?
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Originally Posted by FormulaFox
It's actually based on the Swift Formula Nippon car - regarded by many people to be one of -if not THAT- best-looking open-wheelers of the modern age.
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See, that is also part of the problem. We as fan can't quite agree on what part of the past we want to replicate.
That is a challenge by itself.
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Originally Posted by FormulaFox
That giant airbox does ruin it, though. The old Lola T330/332 F5000 car was a really sharp looking car(particularly in the black Interscope colors), but that airbox was ridiculous.
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The airbox is ridiculous on the formula thunder car. Pure pandering to the fans, but in a japanese "bosozoku style" way with extreme exaggeration of real elements, but with them being so over the top as to be totally functionless. "Contrived" is the word I am looking for.
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Originally Posted by Akrapovic
Lots of problems with Historic Racing though - bad drivers, small grids, poor TV coverage, no live streams, no live timing, and bad racing. I'm sure it's lovely hearing the sound and seeing the cars, but really - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLqI7S6Cs7Y  |
Actually using historic racing as the baseline is unfair (and I am guilty of that). Historic racing (which I love) is a great way to see and hear the cars in person. But, yes, the quality of racing is just not there and that is fine as I frankly don't think anyone expects it to be. It is generally wealth gentleman drivers who are doing their best and having fun via their Walter Mitty moment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It fills a particular niche.
I think what people ask for is what I would call "professional vintage racing". They long for a top tier series which also has significant technical restrictions that define the look and sound of the cars (with the look and sound generally being something modeled upon a previous motorsports era). Everyone has their personal list of what is wrong with racing and some will attach those to this utopian ideal as well. Examples being lower costs, quality of racing, etc. This ideal becomes some sort of panacea.
My point is that...
If the spec is so tight that more money does not increase speed, then there is little reason to try to find money, which means no large sponsors, which means no prestige, which means no top level engineering and driver talent, which means that (broadly speaking) nobody would care or watch.
Or put another way...
This idyllic tightly controlled series would never be a top tier or prestigious series with a wide fanbase or viewership, but rather a niche product.
Hybrid versions work (such as NASCAR) in which the regulations are tight and looks and sound is preserved,
but spending money can equate to performance so the sponsorship and ultimately prestige exists. But those who like technological progress... NASCAR doesn't scratch our (or at least my) itch. Also... year after year those cars (at least to me) pretty much look/sound the same. I like to see something different other than new livery.
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Originally Posted by Akrapovic
When I asked for better looking cars, I'm not asking for technological throwbacks. I'm asking for the cars to look nice. And sound nice. You can do that whilst having technology too. I want to see the best drivers in the world, with awesome looking and sounding cars.
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I think that "beauty is speed" is a fine goal, but I have a hard time figuring out how to marry both a spec look and sound plus technological freedom.
Rant over.
Richard