The best we can say is this game is a random bitch:
I've tested it for a full week with the patch (no decrypted exe so no one can blame the modders).
My result is that the patch actually increases a lot the chances of crashes.
While for me the unpatched game was maybe once in 100 runs, with the patch is almost 50/50 especially when you try to quit free practice or qualify.
But I read that for sasjag the patched game never crashed so far.
Also I never experienced skymessages slowdowns or car getting stuck in pits since I bought the game, while almost everyone is complaining for those.
Yet new strange bugs pop up once in a while (see the "mr. Briatore" post).
So all I can say is that we cannot really advice other than ourselves about the patch.
Only by our OWN tests we can decide if patched is better than original or the other way around IMO.
My specs anyway:
Athlon XP 2000+
Gigabyte 7VRX with VIA KT333 chipset (4.43 4in1 drivers)
512 DDR2700 Corsair ram cas2
SBLive 5.1 (latest XP drivers, july 2002)
Visiontek Ti4400 (30.82 detonators - quincux antialiasing on)
Win XP pro SP1
Game runs all maxed except:
environ map = off
reflections = low
shadows = low
mirrors = near objects
f1graphics.cfg = unmodified
performances = 41FPS suggested 37FPS actually used
PO max 75/80%