schmoell:
I have to admit, that I find F1 boring and rather watch VLN and WEC races. But I learned that this is part due to my ignorance towards the exceptional skills of some drivers.
For once we got a little of topic...
I am fully in line with your first statement, but for me I am not sure it is because of ignorance towards today's drivers and their skills. I simply find it to predictable who will win and who will end last, and this lack of excitement is a killer for me. The driving itself is relatively boring due to the lack of overtakes on the majority of the tracks and it seems that the changes F1 have been able to get through with the teams, have a minimal impact. The fact that the topteams decide and have veto etc, is in my view the killer in the sport, and as long as the top teams are not willing to let go, we will continue to see what we see today.
The cars are now a days so reliable that even the top teams, who one should imagine being driven on the edge, rarely see mechanical defects. Mercedes had 2, I repeat 2 retirements in the entire 2019, and I do not even remember if these were crashes or mechanical !!
Pit stops are all between 2 and 3 seconds and have close to zero impact anymore. There are more staff around a pitstop in F1 one than on a football team (at least soccer...)
The tyre strategies are all the same. It is rare that a driver who qualified in top 10 is on a radical different strategy that any of the others etc etc.
I very rarely see a full F1 race, I simply find it boring, whereas I watch a lot of endurance. Le Mans 24h, NBR 24H, SPA 24H, VLN but also Blancpain endurance can from time to time attract me. I am very curious as to how F1 will get through the current Covid-19 situation, and I hope that we will not see any of the teams having to give up, or see little reason for continuing. It is likely not a good time to sell a team either. Hass comes to mind as a team whom I could fear would not see the idea in continuing with an F1 team.
Let us all hope for the best when it comes to F1, but I remain sceptical.