Shall we....? Doesn’t seem like 2 minutes ago we were debating Sir Lewis and his 7th title, but new season, new cars and it looks like the established order has been shaken up a bit - for the first couple of races at least! I think the tweaks to free practice duration and a couple of the qualifying sessions could add a little spice to the season too. Looking forward to it Que.... boring, repetitive, dishwater, millionaires, prefer BTTC, etc.
F1 is probably the most technically advanced but most boring of any form of motor racing. But I bet Murray could still make it sound exciting.
I had lost interest over the years, but in lockdown there is bigger all else to do on a Sunday afternoon so am awaiting GOGOGO with anticipation. even watched Q2&Q3 yesterday.
I'm with you on that one... Due to an absolute void in motorsport action over the last 6 months I've resorted to Radio5live coverage. Really can't be 'arrised watching 3 hours of 'highlights' tonight ... GO,GO,GO ..... Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Just finished the C4 highlights.... wow, great start to the season! Normally not a fan of Bahrain (or Bore-rain) but it looked like there were drivers all the way through the pack with a point to make! Let’s hope the rest of the season carries on in this vein!
First race I have watched in years, hope the season continues to be close, really need to tighten up on the track limits issue, clearly there is a benefit otherwise they wouldn't do it lap after lap, not just an issue for overtakes etc. A stop and go penalty for those seen to be doing it would soon get them to stay between the lines!
Agree - great start to the season despite the location - although i'm a hamilton fan i have to say i'm more excited at the prospect of a really good redbull/merc battle than i am at the prospect of another mercedes dominant season. To watch the best two drivers in the world going flat out in well matched machines right down to the flag is what the sport really needs, should be some exciting racing coming this year. After a shocker of a start looks like Perez got to grips with the red bull pretty quick (and did way more with it than albon would have been able to IMHO) which is great, Alonso made a good return too.. but Vettel - WTF! Could not have gone worse. He'd have been better off saying he's left his kit at home and sitting it out in the motorhome. Out in Qually 1, grid penalty for ignoring yellows, crashes into Ocon then blames Ocon for moving (which he patently did not) ends up finished lapped in 15th. 5 penalty points on his super-licence already - wow.
I agree with all that ^ Excellent start to the season at one of the (usually) least inspiring tracks, and even though I love Hamilton to win I felt gutted for Max They do need to sort out the rules on track limits though. That was ridiculous No-one has mentioned Mazespin yet. More crashes than laps completed. Not a good start
Great to see Verstappen and Hamilton racing but somewhat hampered with poor grip etc. So by virtue of the fact red bull had the fastest car then how come Stappo didn't win? By his standards he should have done shouldn't he? Wont shut the gobshoit up though id guess. No doubt he will be whinging he shouldn't have had to give up the place (wrong). I liked his comment that if he'd have been allowed to pass illegally then he would have taken a 5 second penalty as he'd have been able to open a gap up greater than 5 seconds. very sporting eh. I like watching him and he makes for some excitement but if that's his attitude... he's always had an underlying recklessness that showed in numerous entanglements as he's an "overtake at all costs merchant". Good for fans but doesn't win championships. I see nothing to indicate he's changed. Bottas got beaten up a few times but stayed at it with a very creditable 3 rd. Good start to the season id say. Id liked to have seen Vettel back to himself but he seems to make his own luck and its usually bad!
I was a bit baffled with the track limits thing. Apparently, a strict limit during qualifying but not during the race, unless someone was passed, it was okay to have an advantage if there was nobody about but the naughty step if there was. And it was amusing how quick Hamilton was to report Verstappen for going off the track after claiming there were no track limits earlier in the race. Still, it looks like it might be less boring than seeing Hamilton driving around on his own all the time. Bottas is in a class of his own, not as consistently quick as the best but quicker than the rest and if he has any luck it’s always bad. I used to like Vettal but his time is over and he should pack it in before he hurts someone. He can’t be doing it for the money and he can’t be doing it because he likes being at the back.
I also feel for Bottas, he looks like he's really fighting the urge to quite rightly in his case curse his bad luck. And Vettal? He's not a good driver. Was he ever more than average but in a good car? It doesn't look that way. I don't get why he got the seat this time after being hopelessly out-classed by leclerc at Ferrari.
Track limits - yes absolutely agree. One rule and apply it consistently. It was bonkers that they were allowing different approaches between qually and race day. The irony is though, red bull had complained earlier in the race that the mercedes were going off track at turn 4, race control told them to stop doing so.. and that was exactly the rule that max then broke himself when overtaking lewis. Was a shame that max didn't manage to do it legally as it was a great move... and it could have been a lot worse if stewards had not reacted so quickly (a penalty after the race would have been terrible) and i was also impressed how mature max was in accepting the rule and also being pretty philosophical about it after the race. Red bull are definitely v fast - they are going to be the car to beat if this one race is representative.
Got a spoiler text from my brother during the race renaming him "Hasaspin" perhaps being expanded to "Anotherspin"
I think Vettel has been flattered by good machinery, but also, when that machinery is tuned to him. Arguably the Ferrari wasn't and the Aston is possibly aimed at Stroll... that aside, he just doesn't do wheel to wheel well at any point in his career!
Yet other drivers jump from car to car and with 1.5 days to get the hang come 5th? Last year one nearly won with no practice at all in a car he had to be jammed into. Vettel is a very hard working driver for sure and he talks the talk, but he's in denial over his lack of brains, probably still claiming driving up the back of Ocon was Ocon's fault despite the clear evidence. He looks more and more desperate with every passing race, he should have retired. Maybe he's driving for free and we don't know, he doesn't need the money.
I'd be surprised if Vettel is still racing next season. There are so many good drivers that can't get a seat. I think his talent has waned, and his enthusiasm will be sorely tested this year
I expect lawrence stroll's phone will be ringing pretty regularly with the managers of the latest batch of new/ up and coming drivers wanting that seat. .. tbh stroll would be better of giving george a better machine than the williams he's currently in
