Formula One news

Irvine: F1 is becoming a game

Former Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine believes Formula One is becoming less and less interesting as the driver skill is becoming less important every year the sport develops. The former Ferrari driver has said the sport has been dumbed down and it's not the sport it used to be.

"There's a quote attributed to Ernest Hemingway when he said: 'There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games,'" Irvine wrote in his column for The Guardian. "Formula 1 seems intent on trying to become a game. By taking increasing measures to slow things down the FIA is turning Formula 1 into tiddlywinks. It is nearly impossible to have an accident in F1 now, you just go into the sand traps.

"The sport has been dumbed down and it's not Formula 1. Before, if you made a mistake while battling to overtake, you would be in danger of flying into a barrier. Now it's not much of a gladiatorial contest.

"In terms of reducing driver aids to increase the skills employed in a race, getting rid of traction control will make very little difference save in exceptionally wet conditions. The easiest thing to do is come out of a corner on the throttle; braking and turning is the hardest part. Yes, you need to concentrate a little bit more but for drivers at this level a lack of traction control won't be a major difficulty."

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• 06 Aug.
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• 05 Aug.
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  • Ferrari paranoid over Raikkonen engine
• 04 Aug.
  • Toyota now eyes first win in Formula One
  • Ferrari to focus on reliability
  • Ferrari hurting over engine blow
  • Hamilton - it could have been worse
  • Bridgestone suspects sidewall puncture for Hamilton
• 03 Aug.
  • Ferrari and Massa's hopes go up in smoke
  • Mixed emotions for Hamilton and McLaren
  • Disappointing day for Toro Rosso
  • Another pointless day for Force India
  • Photos: Sunday at Hungaroring
  • Difficult weekend comes to an end for BMW Sauber
  • No points for Honda
  • Important points for Renault
  • Disappointing race result for Red Bull drivers
  • Race soon to forget for Williams
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  • Glock enjoys 'unbelievable' race
  • Kovalainen hopes it's the first of many victories
  • Kovalainen scores maiden win in Hungary
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• 02 Aug.
  • Ferrari unhappy with qualifying result
  • Photos: Saturday at Hungaroring
  • Renault enjoy qualifying top ten
  • Hamilton enjoys 'great day'
  • Toro Rosso drivers hoped for more
  • Mixed feelings at Toyota
  • Kubica happy with 'one of best results in qualifying'
  • Heidfeld blames poor performance on traffic
  • Hydraulic problems halted Rosberg's session
  • Force India at the back of the grid

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