- 22 May 08, 22:32#44312
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
What do you think ? I for one and sick of hearing this crap but then again I can see why some people on the outside would say it especially in the Shumy Ferrari years.
Is Formula One a boring sport?By Staff Sports Reporter
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/boltonsport/display.var.2291749.0.is_formula_one_a_boring_sport.php
Yes, says David Magilton
HOW on earth can anyone get revved up about the slow puncture that purports to be Formula One motor racing?
It should be a turbocharged high octane fuelled sport, full of thrills and spills, but instead we are left with a 200mph procession with car design instead of driver ability the key to reaching the chequered flag first.
F1 followers are faced with a line of cars going round and round with little chance of overtaking and this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix is the worst example, where the race will be won or lost on the practice laps.
Every driver knows he must get on the front of the grid, otherwise he will just have to play follow-my-leader with the rest of the cars, as passing is nigh on possible.
The Monaco weekend may be one of the most glamorous occasions in the sporting calendar, but that is down to the location and the "beautiful people", not, sadly, because of what is happening on the track.
Lewis Hamilton has been an absolute godsend to a sport that was dying on its feet through sheer boredom.
Armchair fans were defecting faster than Gordon Brown supporters before the cool-headed Brit changed all that with the way he rode into town like a knight in a shiny red and white McClaren. He took the sport by storm in his debut year and narrowly missed out on the world crown.
His is an exceptional story that continues to run and, coupled with the McClaren-gate scandal, put the sport back in the headlines in 2007 - but it still papered over the cracks.
Surprise, surprise - what has happened this season? Ferrari, who belatedly got their act together last season to win the world title, are back in pole position, and there is nothing Hamilton or anybody else can do about it.
Finnish World champion Kimi Raikkonen is a shoe-in to retain his title with the Italian team's number two Brazilian Felipe Massa hot favourite to finish in second place unless Hamilton's magic can somehow defy gravity.
It's not about the ability of the drivers, but the quality of the cars.
A sport that relies on the start, pit-stops and tyre compounds to provide the majority of the excitement and even the outcome of a race, needs a complete overhaul.
TV commentators get all excited about whether there will be a one, two or three pit-stop strategy and if a driver will have enough fuel. Well take it from me, he will have enough fuel as he has a computer on board that tells him to the mililitre how much is left in the tank. Have you ever seen car run out of fuel - no - and nor are you likely to.
Bernie Ecclestone, the owner of F1, is busy touting future grand prixs to the highest bidder. That has resulted in several famous circuits falling by the wayside.
Pity he is not concentrating his efforts on ensuring circuits provide passing places.
Now that would be interesting?
No, says Nick Jackson
IT always infuriates me when I hear people say Formula One is boring.
For me, it is probably one of the most fascinating events on the planet. I look forward the the start of each F1 season every year with eager anticipation, wondering which driver or team is going to dominate.
It is even better when there is a Briton vying for the title, which will hopefully continue to be the case this season with Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren.
But I know why it gets slagged off. It is like people who said Bob Dylan could not sing. Most of the people I know who come out with that sort of tripe have never listened to a Dylan album long enough to understand it. And don't get me started about the fools who think legendary 80s band The Smiths are miserable.
It's like any other sport you don't understand, or have not bothered to figure out the rules and nuances of. Lots of women do not like football because they don't get the offside rule, or why occasionally the ball has to be passed back to the goalkeeper.
Even more cannot stand cricket. I remember my sister telling me it was like watching paint dry.
It is - if you have no idea what the laws of the game are.
I remember watching rugby union in my teens and thinking to myself "why do they keep kicking the ball out of play?", certain that it was the most ludicrous spectacle I had ever seen.
Then the light came on, and I figured out that they were kicking for territory. Bingo. Suddenly it all made sense.
This weekend it is the Monaco Grand Prix, which is a highly glamorous event, through the twisting streets of Monte Carlo, and, admittedly, it will be the sort of race that gives fuel to F1's detractors, because overtaking on the circuit is extremely difficult. That said, having watched every one for a number of years, I have seen it done many times - mainly by Michael Schumacher.
But elsewhere circuits have been designed which allow a lot of overtaking opportunities for the drivers.
The key to finding entertainment in F1 is to comprehend what is going on with the pit-stopping strategy. All the cars must refuel and use hard and soft compound tyres. They can stop as many or as few times as possible to gain maximum possible advantage. Lewis Hamilton finished second in Turkey, splitting the two Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, as a result of a daring three-stop strategy.
I'll be switching my phone off and settling down in front of the telly on Sunday rooting for Hamilton, Jenson Button, and any other Brit in a car.
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
the last year for the McMarlboro partnership was in 1996, 1997 saw the West era begin.
i'm just kidding guys 
the boy has nice skills. I really enjoy his driving at Monaco. I've been saying this since last year. 
