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re: Are F1 drivers athletes?
Posted on 2/4/24 at 12:39 am to SG_Geaux
Posted on 2/4/24 at 12:39 am to SG_Geaux
quote:
I agree that you need physical stamina and a certain level of strength but those don't necessarily make you an athlete.
Dude I died on this hill and there's no arguing with F1 fans who seem to have an inferiority complex about every other sport.
I think most reasonable people know racing requires a certain level of fitness and athleticism. But let's be honest, the sport is mostly about engineering. Max Verstappen isn't winning 90% of the races because he can do more pushups than the other drivers or because his heartrate goes back to normal faster. He's winning because he has the best car and the best team of engineers in the garage. And yes, technical skill and reflexes play a big part (read: ordinary people can't do this), but it's still more about the car.
Do you think if Michael Jordan swapped shoes with another player or Mike Trout used a different bat the results would be noticeably different? If you made Max Verstappen and Valteri Bottas switch teams the standings would look completely different. Hell, Verstappen could have avoided exercise completely last year and he still probably would have won the championship in that car.
5
Posted on 2/4/24 at 12:42 am to AUFANATL
So do you think Pablo Sandoval is an athlete because he can hit a round ball with a round bat?
Posted on 2/4/24 at 1:13 am to AUFANATL
quote:
I think most reasonable people know racing requires a certain level of fitness and athleticism.
“Racing” is not all the same. The athleticism of F1, WEC, WRC, etc is insanely higher than nascar, NHRA, etc.
Lewis Hamilton = athlete
Tony Stewart/John Force = not athletes
Posted on 2/4/24 at 2:01 am to AUFANATL
quote:
I think most reasonable people know racing requires a certain level of fitness and athleticism. But let's be honest, the sport is mostly about engineering. Max Verstappen isn't winning 90% of the races because he can do more pushups than the other drivers or because his heartrate goes back to normal faster. He's winning because he has the best car and the best team of engineers in the garage. And yes, technical skill and reflexes play a big part (read: ordinary people can't do this), but it's still more about the car.
This is a massive red herring. Anyone who is even a casual fan of F1 knows that if Schumacher had stayed with Jordon he wouldn't have won 7 WDCs and likely wouldn't have won a single race unless it was an oddball where rain, pit stop strategy, safety cars etc jumbled up the order in some random fashion. The car is a huge part of the winning equation. That however has frickall to do with whether F1 drivers are athletes.
If someone only defines an athlete as a professional stick and ball sports player that's fine, moronic but fine. People who are supposed to know sports often show their ignorance. I remember one of the pundits that did a long form ESPN show back 20+ years ago opined that cycling was not a team sport: they just get on their bike and ride as fast as possible. Anyone remotely acquainted with bicycle road racing just sat and laughed, people who are acquainted with F1 are laughing at you too.
Posted on 2/4/24 at 7:50 am to AUFANATL
quote:
Do you think if Michael Jordan swapped shoes with another player or Mike Trout used a different bat the results would be noticeably different?
You are making two different arguments, conflating the two, and then pretending like you are making some profound point.
FWIW, you could tell immediately that someone like Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen were going to be elite drivers as soon as they made the paddock. You don't need to be in the best cars to see that.
Posted on 2/4/24 at 9:00 am to AUFANATL
quote:
Dude I died on this hill and there's no arguing with F1 fans who seem to have an inferiority complex about every other sport.
I think most reasonable people know racing requires a certain level of fitness and athleticism. But let's be honest, the sport is mostly about engineering. Max Verstappen isn't winning 90% of the races because he can do more pushups than the other drivers or because his heartrate goes back to normal faster. He's winning because he has the best car and the best team of engineers in the garage. And yes, technical skill and reflexes play a big part (read: ordinary people can't do this), but it's still more about the car.
Do you think if Michael Jordan swapped shoes with another player or Mike Trout used a different bat the results would be noticeably different? If you made Max Verstappen and Valteri Bottas switch teams the standings would look completely different. Hell, Verstappen could have avoided exercise completely last year and he still probably would have won the championship in that car.
Yikes.
Holy red herring.
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