F1 Reloaded - Drive of the machines

And that's when the machines became self-aware...

ChatGPT is not exactly a new thing but here at the Dirty Side we hadn't really had a play with it.

If you are not familiar with the concept then here is a summary of exactly what it is courtesy of ChatGPT itself when we asked it "What is ChatGPT?":

"ChatGPT is a conversational language model developed by OpenAI. It is trained on a large dataset of human-generated text, and is able to understand and respond to text input in a manner similar to a human. It can be used to generate human-like responses in a variety of contexts, such as chatbots, language translation, and text summarization."

You cannot ask it for opinions as it will state that it is a language model and as such cannot have personal preferences.

It comes into it's own when you ask it for more fact driven responses.

With that in mind we decided to ask it some F1 based questions.  

We decided to ease our way in with a chat regarding the Netflix show, Drive to Survive.

Coming soon but what does ChatGPT make of it?

Dirty Side: Please summarize Drive to Survive

ChatGPT: 

"Drive to Survive is a Netflix original documentary series that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of Formula One racing. It provides an in-depth look at the drivers, teams and personalities of the sport, and delves into the high-pressure environment of the F1 paddock. The series has been credited with bringing new fans to the sport by providing a unique and engaging perspective, making it more accessible to a wider audience and building excitement and anticipation around the races. It also provides an insight into the personal lives of the drivers and their teams, their struggles and triumphs throughout the season. The series gives a glimpse into the technical and tactical aspects of the sport as well, making it a must-watch for both F1 enthusiasts and those who are new to the sport."

Well we have to say that this seems a decent write up of the show.  What if we went for a technical subject and asked for it to be simplified?

Dirty Side: Can you explain the aerodynamics  of an F1 car for children?

ChatGPT: 

"F1 cars are special race cars that are built to go very fast. They have a special shape called an "aerodynamic" shape, which helps them cut through the air and go faster. Think of it like a boat in the water. The boat's shape helps it move through the water easily, and the F1 car's shape helps it move through the air easily."

With that in mind we decided to keep on going on the aero front...

The best use of DRS in our opinion

Dirty Side: Can you explain what DRS is?

ChatGPT: 

"DRS stands for Drag Reduction System, it is a device used in Formula One racing to temporarily reduce aerodynamic drag on a car and increase its speed. The system is only active in certain conditions, such as when a car is within one second of the car in front of it, during the race.

The DRS system is composed of two parts: a flap on the rear wing of the car, and a detection system. When the driver is within one second of the car in front of him and is on a designated DRS zone on the track, he can activate the DRS by pressing a button on the steering wheel. This causes the flap on the rear wing to open, reducing the amount of aerodynamic drag on the car and increasing its speed.

Once the driver has passed the DRS zone or the driver in front of him, the DRS system automatically closes and the car returns to its normal downforce configuration.

The use of DRS is meant to increase the chances of overtaking, making the races more exciting and unpredictable, it is widely used in the sport and is considered an important element in the current F1 car design."

Now we are not 100% sure this is correct as we're pretty sure its the application of the brakes that closes the flap, not the passing of the driver in front on him.

Anyway, the model is learning and the whole point is to help provide feedback to it.

So, we decided to move into the world of ChatGPT's view of historical moments in F1. We went for Spygate, Schumacher-Hill in 94, and the Brawn GP season.

Dirty Side: What is Spygate?

I spy with my little eye

ChatGPT:

"Spygate" is a term that was used to describe a controversy in Formula One racing that took place in 2007. The controversy involved allegations that the Ferrari team had illegally obtained confidential information from the McLaren team.

The scandal began when a McLaren employee was found to be in possession of a 780-page technical document belonging to Ferrari. McLaren was accused of using this information to gain an unfair advantage on the track. As a result, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) launched an investigation and ultimately found McLaren guilty of possessing confidential Ferrari information, but not guilty of using it to gain an advantage.

As a result, McLaren was handed a $100 million fine, the largest fine in the history of the sport and the team was stripped of all the constructors points in the championship.

It was considered one of the biggest scandals in the sport's history and it tarnished the image of the sport and caused a rift between the teams and the governing body of the sport, the FIA.

Seems a pretty decent summary to us.  

Moving onto 94 and we got a "small" issue.

Did Schuey get DQ'd for this?

Dirty Side: What happened in the F1 1994 season finale?

ChatGPT: 

"In the 1994 Formula One season, Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were the two main competitors for the World Championship. Schumacher, who was driving for the Benetton team, and Hill, who was driving for Williams, were both very competitive and had several close battles throughout the season.

The season came to a climax in the final race of the year, the Australian Grand Prix. Schumacher led the championship by one point going into the race, and Hill needed to win to take the title. However, on the seventh lap, the two drivers collided, with Schumacher crashing out of the race and Hill being forced to retire.

The incident was controversial as it was deemed by many that Schumacher had deliberately caused the collision, Schumacher was disqualified from the championship and Hill was declared the champion.

It was a dramatic end to an exciting season and it was the first of 7 World championships for Michael Schumacher."

Now the observant among you will notice that it both claims that Schumacher was disqualified handing the title to Hill, yet also states that it was the first of Schumacher's seven titles.  We sent some feedback to help correct the model but overall this was a pretty good synopsis of events.

Last not not least we asked it about Brawn GP.

One of our fav episodes, but what will ChatGPT say?

Dirty Side: Please create a three part summary of the Brawn GP season

ChatGPT:

"The 2009 Formula One season was marked by the surprise emergence of Brawn GP as a dominant force in the sport. The team, led by Ross Brawn and powered by Mercedes engines, took the sport by storm with their innovative design and strategy, ultimately winning both the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships.

Part 1: The Emergence of Brawn GP

Brawn GP was formed in early 2009, following the purchase of the Honda Racing F1 Team by a group led by Ross Brawn. The team had a difficult start to the season, struggling with reliability issues and a lack of pace in the early races. However, they quickly turned things around with the introduction of their revolutionary "double diffuser" design. This design, which allowed for more efficient airflow under the car, gave the team a significant performance boost and allowed them to take advantage of a loophole in the regulations.

Part 2: The Dominance of Brawn GP

With their new design, Brawn GP quickly established themselves as the team to beat in the 2009 season. They won six of the first seven races, with drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello taking multiple victories. The team's dominance was further solidified by their strategic brilliance, as they were able to make the most out of their tire choices and pit stops. This allowed them to consistently finish on the podium and rack up a large number of points.

Part 3: The Championship Win

By the halfway point of the season, Brawn GP had built up a comfortable lead in the Constructors' Championship and their drivers were first and second in the Drivers' Championship. The team continued to perform well in the second half of the season, with Button and Barrichello each taking a few more wins. In the end, Brawn GP won the Constructors' Championship by a massive 72 points, while Button won the Drivers' Championship by 11 points.

The 2009 Brawn GP season was a remarkable achievement and a testament to the team's innovative design and strategy. The team's success marked a turning point in the sport, showing that even a team with a small budget and limited resources could compete at the highest level. It was a season that will be remembered for a long time as one of the most remarkable in F1 history"

ChatGPT missed this man out!

Well apart from not a single mention for Pit-lane Paul, we think this is a superb write up.

So, what do we think of ChatGPT's potential here at the Dirty Side?

Well, Google must be worried as surely this is a much better search engine than theirs in some respects.  Why do you want to wade through page after page of search results when you can simply ask for an answer like those above?  

These were not long complex questions needed to drive out full answers.  

Yes there are still issues with it, but once they are ironed out then content creators (real ones, not us) will be able to leverage this to cut down creation time.  

We still think that content will need the personal touch but why write a whole blog when you can have it generated and edit it?

In fact, did we even write this?

Is any of this real?

Oof, leaving you on a full Matrix moment! 

Or is it a spinning top moment from Incep...