Every once in a while I get fed up with being responsible, sober and serious. As an old hippy, I have a right to lament the passing of heady days when the word "alternative" referred to lifestyle rather than fuel. And today I feel like having a good moan about the state of F1 and where it is going.
Unashamed fuel burning
First of all, I want you to turn up your speakers and then watch this video. It's a demonstration run done by Red Bull Racing through the streets of Sao Paulo a couple of years ago. And what strikes us most in watching the video is not the wet streets nor the speed of the car (the driver is reining it in out of necessity); it is the sound, the scream of an engine that can rev to 20,000 rpm, echoing and reverberating off the surrounding buildings, a sound that can only be heard in F1.
I know that purists like Number 38 will take me to task for saying so, but the sound of a high performance engine is an important part of the magic of motor sport. Ask for the impressions of anyone who has just watched an F1 race for the first time and the noise of the cars will be mentioned - with a wild, gleeful look in the eye as likely as not. It is an assault on the senses that takes root in the heart and either makes you a fan forever or turns you off in pain. It captured me way back in the sixties and holds me fascinated still.
In my more responsible moments, I will tell you that, ultimately, F1 cars will be powered by electric motors that produce no emissions and hum contentedly at their highest revs. But that is not to say that I look forward to the day; it may be that the cars will have to carry some form of noise-making equipment so that the sound of F1 is not forgotten.
So I lament the passing of the day when engines would rev to ridiculous heights. They are curtailed to a minor degree now but the signpost to the future is clear for us to see: relevance to road cars is what matters now and there is no place for the ear-shattering crescendo that has been the signature of the sport for so long.
It may be that there is no option for F1 but to ensure its survival by becoming relevant and responsible. But that does not mean I have to like it. There is a glorious spirit of rebellion present within motor sport that tempts one to ignore the stuck up spoilsports of the environmental movement and to proclaim, "We do it because we love it, not because it benefits humanity or the planet."
But enough of my gripes - here's another video of an F1 engine at play. I challenge you not to join in with the mechanics' expression of joy at the end.
Unashamed fuel burning
First of all, I want you to turn up your speakers and then watch this video. It's a demonstration run done by Red Bull Racing through the streets of Sao Paulo a couple of years ago. And what strikes us most in watching the video is not the wet streets nor the speed of the car (the driver is reining it in out of necessity); it is the sound, the scream of an engine that can rev to 20,000 rpm, echoing and reverberating off the surrounding buildings, a sound that can only be heard in F1.
I know that purists like Number 38 will take me to task for saying so, but the sound of a high performance engine is an important part of the magic of motor sport. Ask for the impressions of anyone who has just watched an F1 race for the first time and the noise of the cars will be mentioned - with a wild, gleeful look in the eye as likely as not. It is an assault on the senses that takes root in the heart and either makes you a fan forever or turns you off in pain. It captured me way back in the sixties and holds me fascinated still.
In my more responsible moments, I will tell you that, ultimately, F1 cars will be powered by electric motors that produce no emissions and hum contentedly at their highest revs. But that is not to say that I look forward to the day; it may be that the cars will have to carry some form of noise-making equipment so that the sound of F1 is not forgotten.
So I lament the passing of the day when engines would rev to ridiculous heights. They are curtailed to a minor degree now but the signpost to the future is clear for us to see: relevance to road cars is what matters now and there is no place for the ear-shattering crescendo that has been the signature of the sport for so long.
It may be that there is no option for F1 but to ensure its survival by becoming relevant and responsible. But that does not mean I have to like it. There is a glorious spirit of rebellion present within motor sport that tempts one to ignore the stuck up spoilsports of the environmental movement and to proclaim, "We do it because we love it, not because it benefits humanity or the planet."
But enough of my gripes - here's another video of an F1 engine at play. I challenge you not to join in with the mechanics' expression of joy at the end.