I'll get back to you on this, haven't got the time right now, but I rarely witnessed so much nonsense in one post... 
May I answer this, BFM?
The real shitty thing about F1 is that it burns up so much useful energy, thereby also fucking up the atmosphere.
WRONG: F1 has already proved itself to The Green Party, and with the help of The Green Party (EU & Global Wide!), to be Carbon NEUTRAL! This has been achieved by careful analysis, not only of the emissions of the actual 22 cars-per-race + qually + practice + testing, but also of the TOTAL Carbon Footprint of the ENTIRE F1 Paddock. This includes not only all of the global transportation of the 11 Teams’ Equipment, the FIA equipment, the tyres (Bridgestone from Japan), the fuel (global various) – but also of each-and-every member of each-and-every team, from driver through to cook’s assistant!
F1 has HAD to do this; firstly because it is obviously straight in the firing-line of every sofa-sitting, beer-swigging, tree-hugger with an axe to grind.
But secondly, because F1, being a truly GLOBAL / INTERNATIONAL exercise, therefore CAN and SHOULD be an opportunity to lead-by-example!
Through the TECHNOLOGY of F1, fuel that you and I now buy at the petrol pump is significantly more free-of-emissions than previously considered by “normal” (read
commercial) research to be possible. Ditto Engine Technology. KERS will be next (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems).
It has also been proved that spectator sports such as Football, Golf, Tennis etc, attract as many audience / spectator members driving a car to each sport-type meeting PER WEEK, PER COUNTRY, as F1 attracts PER COUNTRY, PER YEAR! And yet Football & Tennis don’t do anything towards off-setting the Carbon Footprint of the TEAMS & OFFICIALS, let alone of the spectators – and Golf is even worse, by chopping down trees to form open grass playing areas – and then denying overall public access to them!
And I think that many of the people (read: men) dozily gaping at the screen and slinging down their lousy beers are just waiting for one of the drivers to smash thru a railing into a group of spectators and closeups showing blood and brain matter splattered all over the place.
WRONG: F1 has lead the way in adopting as safe-as-possible racing environments, largely thanks to Max Mosley, Jackie Stewart, the GPDA, and Dr. Sid Watkins. Impact Tests carried out on F1 cars are the strictest in the world – and that technology has filtered down to the design of YOUR car – making YOU less likely to suffer physical harm in the event of an accident.
I personally (and others of my ilk) enjoy a spectacle. BUT we don’t enjoy seeing anybody getting hurt – that’s NOT entertainment! Good driving, good teamwork, good use of strategy, good use of bravery – that’s the attraction of F1 to a Motor racing fan.
The “Soap-Opera” of F1 POLITICS is also attractive to some of us (myself included) – who deserves a Racing seat, who deserves a Testing seat, who’s a crap Team Principle, who’s been done by TNOTW for having a Nazi-styleé Orgy, who’s spying on whom for technological advantages, which governments are FINANCIALLY supporting Race Tracks and which ones aren’t – and yet Government Ministers of the UNsupportive governments still insist on getting free tickets!
Nope, not a speck of sympathy here for such nonsense.
Each to their own.
Football and golf in the media are pretty dumbass too, but at least there's a bit of creativity in them and the spectators arent waiting for gore.
I’ve already answered this one. But I will add that I used to play County Level Rugger (not Rugby!). I’ve never found much use in my “normal” life for Hard-Tackling, Line-Outs, or Mauling. BUT, by watching Motor Racing, I’ve learned to ENJOY my daily commute to work – how to approach an apex depending on how I wish to exit the corner, the difference that tyre pressures make, short-shifting and left-foot braking, oversteer versus understeer versus road conditions. More importantly however, I’ve learned to observe Vehicle Body-Language, and then correctly anticipate how another driver is going to accelerate / brake / corner / pull-out onto oncoming traffic BEFORE he / she does it! THIS has prevented me being involved in another person’s accident on more than one occasion - and has enabled me to overtake other vehicles perfectly safely – and helped me pass my Advanced Driving Test with 97%!
Strangely, I am unable to listen to music or the radio or any passenger whilst I’m driving, or I lose my focus!
Man, there's so much beauty in the world, i.a. prog, and so much to ponder over, and people are frittering away their time on such useless stuff.
And what's makes it utterly absurd, as Paco notes, is that the sports heroes are asked about culture and politics. Well, expect any mentioning of sublime culture 
Nice analysis, Paco 
So much beauty – Mika overtaking Michael with Ricardo Zonta stuck in the middle, at Spa....crap, that beat Supper’s Ready into second place my friend!
The excitement of a good race, against Pink Floyd at Wembley 1988 – Even-Steven’s!
Mad, this thread calls for honest opinions, and here ya gotit
Nicky.
Yup...’tis a shame that you feel that way, Nicky. Nick Mason (I met him at a race meeting when he was driving his Porsche in the SuperCup as a guest) is “prog”. Heikki Kovalainen listens to Nightwish.
Whatever – I enjoy the music that I enjoy, and the Motor racing that I enjoy – and you ain’t gonna persuade me otherwise. Much like that I ain’t gonna persuade you!
Ciao bene.
Gelert.
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