The golden era of Formula 1

[BTCC frog]

When was the golden era of Formula 1? I have defined the eras in the same way that Autosport did in 2018, but changed the recent seasons as I didn't like the way they had done those.

[Adam43]

Not a criticism as there is no perfect way.

I’d have split the 1.5 and 3l eras in the sixties and had the next change related to turbos (intro of them, or from first race win or championship). Then split the turbos from the 3.5l to the banning of active and driver aids.
However no need to split out the F1/F2 etc. stuff in the 50s.

[Greem]

I'll have 1950 to the present day thanks, Carol.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Greem

I'll have 1950 to the present day thanks, Carol.

Vorder's reign ended in 2008 - is that when the golden era ended?

[Adam43]

Susie Dent defines the golden era.

[Greem]

Which team did she drive for?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Susie Dent defines the golden era.

So '92 onwards then (or 2004 if you count when she became the permanent lexicographer.)

I think we've narrowed down the golden era to being 2004-2008.



Randomly - that period is an interesting time in F1. Schumacher's last title then saw Alonso king of the golden era, before Hamilton took over the reigns in 2008.

2004-2008, the era when Vorders and Whitely ended their time on Countdown and Dent became the cornerstone. And the era when Schumacher, Alonso, Räikkönen, Hamilton and Massa were title contenders in F1.

[crmalcolm]

How do I register a vote for 2004-2008?

[Adam43]

And the beginning of Countdown ushered in the turbo era where they were good enough to claim championships. And this era ended when they stopped using the old blocks set.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

When was the golden era of Formula 1? I have defined the eras in the same way that Autosport did in 2018, but changed the recent seasons as I didn't like the way they had done those.

Other way to phrase the question: "When were you born + 10 years"

[Adam43]

It seems I was born in 1945 then

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Greem

Which team did she drive for?

With a name like 'Dent', Haas, presumably......

[S griffin]

Hmm tough one. 1950-60 was a dangerous era, but also an era with cars and circuits that separated the men from the boys.

61-73 is one where so much changed first you had the 1.5 litre formula, then the 3 litre, then the introduction of wings.

74-82 was a really competitive era, although by 82 it had got really dangerous.

83-93 was also competitive, with safety a lot better than it had been and with refuelling banned in 84, was how racing should be.

94-2005 had it's moments, 97 was probably the best year of the bunch, but the racing was taken away by refuelling. And then there was the grooved tyres and reintroduction of TC

2006-13 saw the introduction of V8s. Not quite as exciting as the V10s, but at least the racing improved slightly when they got rid of refuelling and traction control and went back to slicks.

2014-21 the hybrid era. Hasn't exactly lived up to it's promise, mainly Merc dominating, although still had enough exciting racing going on, although the gimmicks have been a bit much

On balance I will go for 83-93

[Gerard C]

I went for 50/60 but cant really justify why. Heroic times may be?

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Other way to phrase the question: "When were you born + 10 years"

i think you nailed it
i picked late 70s.... yep i was born late 60s
love ho different the cars looked to each other
love ground effects cars and that sweet 3.5 cossy

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

I went for 50/60 but cant really justify why. Heroic times may be?

Similar 'plumping' for me. I should really have gone 83-93, but went in the end for 61-73, primarily for the front to rear engined transition and the glorious cars from circa 1967 that I used to relive so frequently in GPL....

[S griffin]

People say 67 was the last truly great season, before wings and sponsors came in. The only blip was the French GP being held at the Mickey Mouse Le Mans Bugatti circuit. No wonder GPL has Rouen instead! Great year, although Bandini’s fatal accident shows how lax safety standards were then

[crmalcolm]

Not a criticism, just an observation.

I have already noticed a certain trend in this thread, which seems to focus on the cars (and technology) rather than the drivers:

Originally Posted by Adam43

I’d have split the 1.5 and 3l [...] split the turbos from the 3.5l

Originally Posted by Adam43

ushered in the turbo era

Originally Posted by S griffin

2006-13 saw the introduction of V8s. Not quite as exciting as the V10s,

Originally Posted by bathurst77

love ho different the cars looked to each other
love ground effects cars and that sweet 3.5 cossy

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

went in the end for 61-73, primarily for the front to rear engined transition and the glorious cars

Originally Posted by S griffin

People say 67 was the last truly great season, before wings

Which leads me to the conclusion that many people (at least here) watch F1 for the cars, and not for the drivers?
Gerard may be the exception?

Originally Posted by Gerard C

I went for 50/60 but cant really justify why. Heroic times may be?

It is also interesting to observe, when you have comments made in the COAT thread(s) that suggested the greatness of cars was (in part) down to the drivers.

I guess it is another factor to consider - does the car, or the driver, make for the best sporting spectacle?

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I have already noticed a certain trend in this thread, which seems to focus on the cars (and technology) rather than the drivers:

….

I guess it is another factor to consider - does the car, or the driver, make for the best sporting spectacle?

I think there is a certain practicality to that. And I didn’t do cars as such, more regulations (which has a major influence on cars I have to point out as this is the internet and someone else will )

Drivers overlap, merge from one to the other. A driver enters, grows, peaks and then, maybe, ages. That last one can be dependent on era

You could have the Fangio era, Clark era, Stewart era, Lauda era, Prost Senna era, Schumacher era, Hamilton era. Perhaps.

The drivers span eras for me. Of course they contributed to making an era great.

But I do also think it is the cars that define an era really. It’s what you look at and what makes it motorsport. The participants are what makes it tense, but that is the case in every sport.

The cars in the ‘50s needed those drivers to drive them. But it’s the cars that are the lookers, that needed driving, that evoke a golden age of Motorsport, not just F1.

[Adam43]

Not even the car that you would say defined the era, but very much of it.

https://twitter.com/goodwoodrrc/stat...257620488?s=21

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by S griffin

People say 67 was the last truly great season, before wings and sponsors came in. The only blip was the French GP being held at the Mickey Mouse Le Mans Bugatti circuit. No wonder GPL has Rouen instead! Great year, although Bandini’s fatal accident shows how lax safety standards were then

It does, but the Bugatti is available, as well as the full Le Mans circuit as at 1967 and hundreds of others.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Which leads me to the conclusion that many people (at least here) watch F1 for the cars, and not for the drivers?
Gerard may be the exception?

Interesting thought. That wasn't necessarily the case 30 odd years ago and I'm not entirely sure it is now as there are always drivers I look out for, particularly Norris at the moment but I can't say I watch F1 for the cars which I find really quite dull, to be honest.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Which leads me to the conclusion that many people (at least here) watch F1 for the cars, and not for the drivers?

The drivers are the same all along though -- a mixed bunch of people who like driving cars fast: some techy, some natural talents, a lot from wealthy backgrounds, the odd engineer, the odd playboy, the odd joker with a wry smile etc -- they don't change by era. Only their safety equipment changes.

Engineers don't change by era either for that matter. There are just more of them now, with more powerful computers and more powerful tools to help optimise things. Sadly this means an F1 engineer is more likely to work on some tiny component of the car, then have the chance to do a holistic design these days.

Originally Posted by S griffin

People say 67 was the last truly great season, before wings and sponsors came in.

But the engineers will do whatever it takes to make the car faster, and the team owners will do whatever it takes to get the dollars to make the car faster. This is the very foundation of Grand Prix racing after all...

Whatever hare-brained scheme it may be -- like fitting wings, using the engine as a structural component of the car, building a car out of exotic carbon-fibre reinforced plastic -- it's all on the table in Grand Prix racing.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

The drivers are the same all along though -- a mixed bunch of people who like driving cars fast: some techy, some natural talents, a lot from wealthy backgrounds, the odd engineer, the odd playboy, the odd joker with a wry smile etc -- they don't change by era. Only their safety equipment changes.

One thing that has changed is that back in the earlier years we had quite a few drivers from a fairly wealthy background, including some playboys, who were quite exception-ably talented pilots. People like James Hunt, for example.

This appears to be no longer the case.

[Gerard C]

May be each suggested era could be said equally "golden" after all… Which makes the comparison difficult if not impossible!