Who is to blame for how boring F1 has become?

Since I see some people blaming Max Mosley and others pinning this boring Formula 1 season on Michael Schumacher, we might as well just run a poll.

That poll is really just going to serve as a way to figure out who's a die-hard fan of the team and who's just along for the ride...

It’s a damn shame you can’t select more than one option in this poll.

There isn’t really one right answer here.

Personally, I tend to point the finger at the FIA and the way they handle the rulebook.
If they weren't so restrictive, we'd see more overtaking and actual excitement. If things stay on this path and Ferrari maintains their reliability, the rest of the field is going to be stuck struggling to stretch a single engine across two races... plus there are all those other regulations I've mentioned in my previous posts.

Sure, you could say Ferrari is part of the reason things feel a bit stale, but I don't see it that way. They're just doing what any top-tier team does—aiming for the win. That's the whole point of being in Formula 1.
I used to think the competition was to blame because they couldn't keep up, and instead of stepping up, they just spent their time complaining about Ferrari.

And yeah, Michael Schumacher is part of why it feels predictable too. If he wasn't such a powerhouse, we'd have a lot more drama on track.

But... even if Ferrari and Michael Schumacher are making things feel "boring," they aren't actually at fault. They’re just doing their jobs.

The responsibility for keeping the races entertaining lies with Bernie and the FIA. Bernie focuses on the media side, the money, and the business, while the FIA manages the rules.

So, when you break it down, the blame falls on the FIA and Bernie. It’s their job to make sure Formula 1 stays exciting to watch.

Charles Martin78 said:The poll is really just going to show who’s a die-hard fan and who isn't...

Maybe...
but you know as well as I do that you can't really blame the drivers when the racing gets boring...

Robin Fisher53 said:I used to think the competition was just making excuses because they couldn't keep up, rather than actually criticizing Ferrari...

Agreed. It’s not our fault if they can't perform. Look at Toyota—they have an unlimited Budget and still don't have a clue.
👎

Elizabeth Hughes said:Too bad you can't pick more than one option in this poll.

I’d definitely vote for a few different things too, but...

I don't find NASCAR boring at all; if you look back, last season was intense right up until the final turn.
As for the current options on the table, I feel they're all pretty much useless. It seems like the FIA—specifically through decisions made by Bernie and Max—has been playing favorites, shifting advantages between Ferrari, McLaren, and Williams. Everyone should have figured out how to adapt, but clearly, they haven't quite mastered it this year, even though things were incredibly unpredictable last season when we saw the championship battles go down to the wire for both drivers and teams.

James Roberts87 said:NASCAR isn't boring to me. Besides, last season was intense right down to the final turn.

You're joking. Remember when you last saw Schumacher spin out? There wasn't a single doubt about who was taking the title.

James Roberts87 said:You’ve got to be kidding me. Remember when Schumacher went off the track? There wasn't a single doubt in anyone's mind that he was taking the championship.

???
Are you serious?

If Rubens hadn't taken first place in that last race, or if Schumacher hadn't dropped down a spot—or maybe if he hadn't climbed one earlier—Kimi Raikkonen would have been the champion. It honestly feels undeserved. 🙂

Robin Fisher53 said:???
Is he kidding me?

If Rubens hadn't taken first place in that last race, and if Schumacher hadn't dropped a spot (or failed to gain one earlier), Kimi Raikkonen would have been the champion... it would've been totally undeserved. 🙂

Basically, Schumacher shouldn't have finished in the points if we wanted Kimi to have any real shot at the title.

James Roberts87 said:Schumacher really shouldn't have finished in the points if we wanted Kimi Raikkonen to actually have a shot at the championship.

True... though he certainly came close.🙂

Robin Fisher53 said:Yeah... but he was getting close.🙂

Kimi Raikkonen wasn't even close to being a threat. Besides, his goal was to finish high up, which clearly didn't happen. There wasn't a single moment during the race where anyone was actually in doubt.

James Roberts87 said:Kimi Raikkonen wasn't even close to threatening him; besides, he needed a high finish, which clearly didn't happen. There wasn't a single moment during the race where anyone was in doubt.

I just wanted to mention that back in the middle of the season, I actually predicted Schumacher would struggle to clinch the title. We all remember how much he was trailing before that new Ferrari car arrived. As for challenging for first place, Schumacher wouldn't have become champion if the officials hadn't pushed him back onto the track from the gravel at that famous race—something I find myself repeating constantly. He had his nose poking onto the track and ended up retiring instead of pushing through to score points (which, thanks to the new scoring system you Ferrari fans love to complain about, would have mattered). Kimi was convincingly leading that race until his engine gave out. Honestly, nobody would have helped Schumacher if the McLaren had just been more reliable.

Anđeo said:I just wanted to point out that back mid-season, I mentioned how tough it would be for Schumacher to grab the title. If you recall, he was trailing by quite a bit until that new Ferrari car showed up. And regarding whether anyone actually helped him secure first place—honestly, Schumacher wouldn't have been champion if the officials hadn't pushed him back onto the track after he went off into the gravel at that famous race. I know I have to keep repeating this, but his nose was practically sticking out over the edge of the track, and he chose to retire instead of pushing through to score points (which, by the way, would have mattered more under the new scoring system you Ferrari fans keep complaining about). In that same race, Kimi Raikkonen was convincingly leading before he had to pull out due to a mechanical failure. So, really, nobody was handing anything to Schumacher; things just might have gone differently if the McLaren had been more reliable.

Look, I’m not arguing against the scoring system just because of Ferrari... it's more that it cheapens a win. It gives someone like Barrichello a shot at the championship even if, say, SCH and Kimi Raikkonen🙂 are fighting for the title and doing miracles... and then suddenly... boom... there's Barrichello with enough points to take it.🙂

Now tell me that rewards excellence?

No way. Everyone is going to start using the Schumacher tactic... just sit behind them and wait for the right moment...
At least the title contenders will...

Anđeo said:I just wanted to point out that mid-season, I mentioned Schumacher would struggle for the title because we all remember how far behind he was before that new Ferrari car arrived. As for his grip on first place, Schumacher wouldn't have been champion if the officials hadn't pushed him back onto the track during that famous race—it’s something I have to keep repeating since his nose was practically hanging off the car. He had to retire then instead of continuing and scoring points (thanks to that new scoring system you Ferrari fans love to complain about). Kimi was convincingly leading that race until his car broke down. Nobody helped Schumacher; if only the McLaren had been more reliable.

How much was he actually trailing? Regarding the officiating, I don't see an issue. They would have pushed Kimi back too if half his nose had been sticking out onto the track; he barely stayed on. Of course, Schumacher has that reputation, and in any sport, the legends get a little help with the small stuff.
And I'm not complaining about the scoring system at all, even if it feels "anti-Ferrari." It definitely devalues winning. Just look at how many races Kimi won that season compared to Schumacher. Tell me, is that system really fair? But hey, we aren't complaining.
It's not Kimi's fault his car gave out; he should take it up with his mechanics. Montoya was also in the running for the title, but he completely embarrassed himself at Indianapolis when he didn't even finish the same lap as Schumacher in the rain.

James Roberts87 said:Schumacher shouldn't have finished in the points if they wanted Kimi Raikkonen to actually have a shot at the title.

Exactly. Kimi's chances were basically non-existent anyway.

James Roberts87 said:Exactly. Kimi really only had a theoretical shot at the title.

And honestly, it was even slimmer than that...
SCH started in 14th and ended up 8th after dealing with a ton of issues...

Meanwhile, Kimi managed to start 8th and fight his way up to 2nd...

Robin Fisher53 said:And then some...
Schumacher started 14th and finished 8th while dealing with a ton of issues....

Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen started 8th and climbed all the way to 2nd...

If I remember correctly, Kimi was trailing by 8 points, so he HAD to take the win.

Robin Fisher53 said:From what I recall, Kimi was trailing by 8 points, so he absolutely HAD to take the win.

Exactly... and leaving SCH without any points at all...
It was always a toss-up whether SCH would make the podium... or if Rubens would pull off something crazy...
you really have to secure the championship early on, ideally by the mid-season point.🙂