Niki Lauda: Moto GP is better than F1 at the moment!

[I am Tifosi]

Interesting read, he does have a point!!

''Niki Lauda was in Valencia at the weekend to witness his second live MotoGP race of the season, having also been at the Sachsenring in July. One of over 120,000 fans packed into the circuit to witness Valentino Rossi’s latest triumph, the former F1 World Champion was left in no doubts as to the distinction of the series and of its current star performer.

“MotoGP is at the moment leading Formula 1 as a spectacle because it’s much better” said Lauda. “You can see more racing… it’s just better – it’s incredible. In a way the two sports are not different from the point of view that you always have to go to the limit and some guys can do that better than the others.”

“ Rossi is outstanding at it – like Schumacher in that respect – but it’s very close up at the front. Sete, for example, I appreciate, Max Biaggi… there is a good group of famous people fighting each other and I think it’s the best you could have. You see the spectators here, the interest is huge so you couldn’t hope for more.”




“I think Rossi is incredible. It is going to be interesting to see now where he changes to because he is starting all over again, but I understand why he is doing it. It is a new motivation for him.”

Lauda added that he enjoyed watching every round of the series in the comfort of his own home, but admitted that there is nothing quite like being at trackside on race day.

“I really like watching the braking – they way they slide. On television it is covered really well, I must say. You can see they way they are fighting with the machine - that’s what makes it so interesting. But the most incredible thing is being here and listening to the sound. They don’t sound like motorcycles – they sound like hell machines! You can see the power when they accelerate – they can barely keep the front wheel on the ground. I also enjoy watching the smaller classes – 125 and 250. From very aspect it’s just a great spectacle to watch

[Muzza]

Good point, Tif...

In my opinion, from a strictly racing/competitiveness perspective, motorcycle GPs have always been better than Formula 1, no question about it.

[gttouring]

yeah but why would anyone report what Lauda has to say on this? It is good but we all watch F1 like addicts, and we follow the post race/ season scene like a soap opera, its a problem- Lauda Like to get reported and be in the news, He wasa great driver, not a manager (jaguar) or even a commentator or a pundit on the sport like he tries to be-

[Bononi]

Ern...

Not wanting to spoil the party, but please, always provide the link of the article.


Here it is :Lauda:Bikes more exciting than F1



The good old Niki...

[Glen]

That's the same guy that reckoned a monkey could drive modern F1... before he spun repeatedly whilst barely managing to get within eight seconds of his driver's times.

He's entitled to his opinion, but I know what I'd rather watch.

[429CJ]

Don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth...

[bumpsteer]

I think Lauda is spot on. Considering there is so many clever people in F1 they are so stupid not see that what MotoGP is doing is better than what they are doing. In a couple of years it will be as popular as F1 if its popularity continues to grow as it does now.

[Knowlesy]

Well MotoGP bloody should be more competitive. It never changes......year after year the bikes are the same.

Anyways, from a team point of view, it is highly uncompetitive. Honda win after Honda win......yawn.

I watch both cars and motorcycles and have to say that F1 is more enjoyable than GP bikes. It has new cars every year and sustains far more interest for me. I love watching the cars develop over a season for example......

And Lauda is an idiot.

[Sodemo]

Honda's dominance has only become common though in the last few years.

[Damon]

This is the same guy that's just said he thinks Ralf will win the title next year! You can't what he has to say seriously.

[I am Tifosi]

I hate to say it, but the fact is the soap opera in the winter has been more interesting than the season in recent years. F1 needs a kick in the pants to get some racing to occur. It has been better this year, but far from what it can be.

Lauda has the biggest balls of all!

[gfm]

I think Niki is right. These guys power slide the bike, blue smoke and all. Wonderfully close stuff and not that predictable.

[jetsetter]

I don't see any difference at the moment between the way Rossi is dominating the Moto GP & the way Schumacher is dominating F1 so i don't see how that's any less repetitive.

[fordtc87]

Bike racing....Yawn, bike racing is far different though. Bikes are nimble and agile, a race car is far different. It has more variables and requires more engineering and should be respected from that aspect. I'll take F1, CART, IRL, NASCAR anyday over bikes.

[BootsOntheSide]

In 2002 MotoGP was defiantely better than 2002 F1. Last year, it was more even. F1 had more variety of winners (driver and especially hardware), plenty of close and surprising races, and obviously less tragedy.

MotoGP was thrilling though, and watching the bikes go round is more of a thrill than the F1 cars. The bikes slide, slip and bump their way through while the F1 cars just have that flat acceleration and whiny traction control noise (that's happily gone for 2004) and the lack of lock-ups under braking.

Rossi and Schumacher are both supreme talents, no question. But for sheer charisma and individuality, plus reaching the top much more quickly and dominating well matched guys on similar equipment, without mistakes or dubious tactics, I prefer Rossi anyday.

[I am Tifosi]

Originally posted by fordtc87
It has more variables and requires more engineering and should be respected from that aspect.

Maybe from a technical standpoint, but from a driver/rider standpoint there are many more variables on a bike, particularly racing lines. Downforce is the one big variable that cars get, but it also is a factor leading to the boredom woes of F1.

I think World Superbike "was" far more competitive and a greater spectacle than MotoGP. But, it has turned into the Ducati Championship and certainly has been a loser to the MotoGP series when the factories jumped ship for 2003.

[jetsetter]

I think that Lauda has made this statement a year too late as F1 had eight winners & the championship went right down to the wire while MotoGP only had four winners & a runaway champion.

[RWC]

Bike racing has been better than f1 for YEARS.

[DavidStHubbins]

Ditto, that RWC. I must admit I am not too bothered by F1 anymore. GP bikes are awesome to behold, especially when you go to see them in person. Superbikes were awesome too but now it has gone down the toilet a bit. Seeing the GP bikes powerslide out of corners like at Donington was amazing to see, 100 times better than watching an F1 car "emerge" from a corner at Silverstone.

Plus there isn't the silly bickering on the Bikes Forum like on this one!

[ASCII Man]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
... The bikes slide, slip and bump their way through while the F1 cars just have that flat acceleration and whiny traction control noise (that's happily gone for 2004) and the lack of lock-ups under braking. ...

In case you haven't heard, traction control stays for 2004 and probably for the years to come too...

[kdr]

Originally posted by DavidStHubbins
Plus there isn't the silly bickering on the Bikes Forum like on this one!

yes but wait till schumacher or villeneuve declare they'd like to try their hands on bikes!

[I am Tifosi]

They couldn't cut it!

[Pitbabe]

Lauda is quite right, I think. MotoGP IS a much better spectacle than F1. Watching Rossi and Gibernau (and others, too) racing within millimetres of each other, with total respect, has been just stunning.

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide

Rossi and Schumacher are both supreme talents, no question. But for sheer charisma and individuality, plus reaching the top much more quickly and dominating well matched guys on similar equipment, without mistakes or dubious tactics, I prefer Rossi anyday.

Hear hear. Rossi is brilliant!!!

[KC]

Its hard to compare bikes and cars, but I do tend to agree with Lauda. The bikes offer a much more visceral and exciting spectacle. You can see the guy at his work, moving about, urging more from the machine, looking over his shoulder at his opponents. All of that stuff is hidden and homogenized in F1. Its hard to tell if an F1 driver is giving 110% unless he jumping curbs and flinging up dust at every turn. Its very easy to see with the bikes.

Another aspect that bikes offer that has been successfully removed from F1 is that a good racer can carry the day. That has not happened in 15 years in F1 where even a journeyman driver has a good day at the track and makes his car competitive. That happens on the bikes at least four of five times a season. In F1, the car has far too much importance in the equation. We don't have any more Sennas blowing away the field at Donington in the rain in a lesser car.

I also think that Rossi is a much more sympathetic hero than Schumacher is. He is enjoying it and his enthusiasm is infectuous. He has fun just riding and competing, whereas Schumacher only seems to be having fun when he dominates. He seems cold and aloof compared to Rossi. This tends to polarize as many against Schumacher as it does for him.

Also, I think Rossi is far more confident in his abilities than Schumacher is. His team does not hold him above his teammates as much as Ferrari does for Schumacher. Rossi does not require total and unyielding support from Honda the way that Schumacher does from Ferrari. He knows on any given day on any given track he can destroy the field and not even break a sweat doing it, no matter who his teammate is.

I also think that racing bikes is far mroe difficult than racing an F1 car and many fans realize this. Make a little mistake and you get tossed on the ground at 160mph. The stakes are quite higher on a bike.

[Dani Filth]

I partly disagree with Lauda .. the MotoGP is great ... and also .... F1 is great ... ... btw .. sportscars are great .... touring cars are great ....
but every one is different ... and the followers are not the same ones ( me excluded )