Four Grand Prix races into the 2012 F1 season and there have been four different winners. Is it typical that now the BBC have effectively halved their commitment to showing races this is likely to be the most interesting season in years? I say this because, sadly, I don’t have Sky Sports. I am having to resort to the limited highlights show for every other race.
Not only have there been four different race winners but they have been racing for four different manufacturers. I hopefully suggest this means a number of teams all competing at a similar level which means the season will be competitive throughout and not a one-man walk-over as it was last year. Take nothing away from Sebastian Vettel. His achievements last year and the year before have been mightily impressive, however for the viewer it was mightily boring.
I have often complained that F1 is a bit of a procession and races are more often than not decided in the pits. I know there are other forms of motor sport to watch but I keep being drawn back to F1. There are more drivers who have been crowned World Champion competing this year than ever before and this has served to make the racing even more interesting. Whilst Michael Schumacher continues to struggle the returning Kimi Raikonnen has shown he has lost little of his skill behind the wheel.
When one person or team dominates a sport you have to doff you cap and applaud their achievement but as a sports fan it is much more interesting to have a number of challengers. For years the Premiership was dominated by Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal. It is now much more interesting to see the emergence of Man City (regardless of the financial input) as a challenger for the title and, this season, Newcastle who have impressively managed to maintain their push for Champions League football.
Many other sports are similar. Tennis over the last number of years largely dominated Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the men’s game and the Williams sisters in the women’s. The emergence of new players who are competing and wining titles, such as Novak Djokovic and several teenage Russian females whose names I can neither pronounce or spell, just make the whole game much more pleasurable to watch.
I can also appreciate that fans of said teams and individuals do not find this boring in the slightest. To this end, I am coming from a largely neutral sports fans perspective. Aside from Aston Villa and England Rugby, whom I follow and support with unwavering passion, I can watch most sports with my goal to enjoy the sport itself rather than one team over the other. I do of course have certain teams and sportsmen and women I would prefer to win. Worcester Warriors are my preferred Rugby Union club side, Jenson Button F1, LA Lakers Basketball, Jessica Ennis Athletics, and Warwickshire Cricket.
What impresses me about those competitors at the top of their sports is that even when they continue to win with little apparent challenge they still celebrate like its their first. Upon winning his umpteenth race last season Vettel could be heard on his pit-to-car radio celebrating like he had won the lottery. No boredom or complacency there! Congratulations to him, I just hope he isn’t doing it too much this year so I can get more satisfaction from the F1 season.
Fair play to those who dominate their sports. I just enjoy competition.
Excellent article, very well written :) I can't remember a season as competitive as this year's F1. I think part of this is due to rules stability (4th year of the current regulations) means all the teams are closer together, so the drivers performance has MORE of an effect on their overall result. Being 0.3s off your team mate can put you 10 places lower on the grid. Which brings the sporting element of driver skill and racing ability to the forefront, rather than technical superiority from being in the best car.
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