FLOYD ON F1: It’s only boring at the front end of the race

This weekend’s F1 Grand Prix at the Imola circuit is the first of three races in three weeks, the others being Monaco and Barcelona.

The media has been busy predicting the arrival of many upgrades, particularly for the Mercedes-Petronas team. Is this the turning point for the beleaguered W14, the car referred to as “rubbish” by team Chief Toto Wolff?

Many seem to think so, but Wolff himself has been playing down the chances of challenging teams such as Red Bull and even Aston Martin for the championship.

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Yawn fest

I wrote, back in April regarding the dominance of one team and apparently it is still a cause of concern among many of the drivers. Now, after a recent website survey, it seems a large percentage of fans also believe this is making the sport boring.

But do we change this by introducing penalties for the winning team – surely not? The fact they are at the front is due to having a car that ticks all the right boxes regarding competitive design and manufacturing standards. The very essence of any sport is to win.

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All forms of competition require dedication, planning, training, practice and achieving the highest standards that result in being at the top. So let us not continue the barely concealed call for handicapping winners, but rather encouraging greater achievement and that is a factor well demonstrated so far this season.

Aston Martin are second on the log, agreed a long way back but ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari, quite an achievement.

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Hot track action

The Brackley and Maranello teams are not happy with this and are pushing very hard to change the situation – that will create some hotly contested track action. Although not right at the front, it will still produce great spectacle.

After all there are three world champions, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton battling for honours. No one in any sport is happy to be last in the championship and despite overwhelming odds teams still chase the dream of moving up the ladder.

Dictionaries tell all, defining competition as: “The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others”.

Fascinating F1 team battles

I think the “striving to gain” is what it is all about. Watch the efforts of teams in the lower half of the field as they race to beat their rivals and the joy when they win their particular battle, or when scoring a solitary point, it means success.

For the next three races, keep your eye on that mid-field. I guarantee you will be watching great racing, as there are three former world champions here as well, in the form of McLaren, Renault (now Alpine) and Williams.

Now that is what motorsport and particularly F1 is all about.