Ross Brawn says criticism of last weekend's Monaco grand prix is "naive".
F1 fans but also drivers lashed out after last Sunday's race in the Principality -- Fernando Alonso called it "probably the most boring race in the history of F1".
Brawn, F1's sporting boss for Liberty Media, agrees that Monaco 2018 "wasn't action packed, all the more so as the tyres were the key factor".
"But it's a bit naive to expect lots of duels and passing moves in Monaco," he added.
"It's such a special race that it should not be judged by the same criteria as the others. Naturally, the opinion of the drivers is welcome and our door is always open.
"However, in Monaco you'd need to reclaim land from the sea to do something (about the circuit) and that's definitely not up to us," Brawn said.
Replies (11)
Login to replyHombibi
Posts: 137
C'mon Mr Brawn, the client is always right, always. Calling your clients naive is exactly that... So if you can't fix the track you do have another option don't you, I mean, you are Mr Ross Brawn after all aren't you?
I'll give you a few ideas: Narrower cars, narrower wheels, less total horizontal and vertical surface, no drs. This will work on all circuits by the way. And then for Monaco and the like: multiple sprints during the weekend, consider cancelling the track position race in Monaco and just run multiple sprints shortly after another.
Then going forward, release the rules. Non of the restrictions have leveled the playing field. Set length, width, engine capacity and wing surface and leave the rest up to the engineers. Level the playing field with weight handicaps in exchange for constructor points, and limit the number of people in a team, on track and in the factory. And if none of this works you go for one-design..
xoya
Posts: 583
Say that to F2 mr. Brawn.
blade
Posts: 341
Just pure bullshit. What is it about this race that makes it the flagship jewel in the crown - its not even a race. Brawn - I suspect you are voicing a different opinion now you are in this role. I hear far many more voices espousing change. Get a grip and do it for the sake of the race.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
F1 fans in a nutshell... We've had a pretty amazing season so far. We had a slow Monaco GP and now we're talking about scrapping the whole thing. People whined about the tyres a few years ago because they disintegrated after 8 laps, now people whine because they last too long.
xoya
Posts: 583
This was more than "slow".
This was a "race" where a guy with a broken engine won, having led the race from beggining to the end and no one could've done anything about it, except maybe throw a spike strip on track in front of him.
This wasn't a race, it was a traffic jam during rush hour.
It would've been more spectacular to watch regular traffic on cctv. Maybe someone would get pissed off and step on the gas, even.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
@Xoya I don't think anyone is arguing that this was a fascinating race. But saying that we need to drop it because of a bad race is an overreaction. We've had some pretty boring races at Suzuka, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi, Spain, Hungary, Russia and Germany. In fact we can probably point out only a handful of venues that always seem to deliver great races such as Canada, Brazil, and Austin. I do agree there are changes that could be made on the tyres to mix the show up, but nothing too dramatic.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
We've had boring races at every current track so far. And honestly I dont think this is one of them, I loved it and I know plenty of others who did...And didnt, of course.
xoya
Posts: 583
For a number of years now, I believe that Monaco GP has no place on an F1 calendar. It's not a fresh mindset for me. This last one has put a nail in the coffin for it, in my book at least. I don't even care about glamour aspect of it, since I am into F1 for racing and not champagne chuging and yachting, plus
If F1 cars had a tendency to get smaller, then ok, but it will not happen.
F2 cars also have trouble passing on this track, hence the high accident rate on it.
xoya
Posts: 583
Anyhow, I am not trying to get you on my bandwagon, just trying to point out why I am on it. :) Everyone has right to their opinion and to be perfectly honest I don't expect for Momaco GP to be dropped anyhow since it's a marketing platform and a cash cow more than anything else.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Fair enough, Im not trying to convert you to the one true faith either, but my final point is this: I think the variation tracks like Singapore and Monaco provide are important for the sport. There is no track like them, and while very similar the two are pretty different. They provide different racing and different experiences altogether compared to the rest of the calendar.
Freguz
Posts: 160
I like Monaco even though overtaking is rarely seen.
But, I do want the drivers to be pushing, and pushing very hard at times.
This weekend they were more or less cruising down to the pool and then up to the casino again ...not so much pushing was it? I don't think it is whining when you just want the drivers to give all they've got.