Formula 1 2023 and general Motorsport

[Gaspode]

45 minutes ago, Alty_Ram said:

Exactly, same here. I've been looking forward to this for weeks but in the end, if it hadn't been for Alonso and the AM I've probably have wandered off and done some chores.

Don't get me wrong, I love F1 but without even vaguely competitive racing at the top, its just a noisy spectacle and currently not a very interesting one at that. It's just deja vu... RB fastest by a country mile, Perez not in the same league as Verstappen, Ferraris going pop (which at least saved them the bother of making a catastrophic tactical decision to destroy Leclerc's chances) and Mercedes just nowhere near being competitive (again).

I'll no doubt tune in to every race as usual but I think the sheer amount of time taken browsing my phone is usually an indicator with how engaged with it all I am.

Just hope that someone can come up with some meaningful upgrades or magic a decent car out of somewhere, There's only so much entertainment to be had watching the 'Battle for 10th'.

I thought Bernie Ecclestone was crackers when he suggested spraying water on the track 10 laps from the end of races to liven it up a bit - perhaps he simply had a premonition of the current issues.....

[RadioactiveWaste]

9 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

I thought Bernie Ecclestone was crackers when he suggested spraying water on the track 10 laps from the end of races to liven it up a bit - perhaps he simply had a premonition of the current issues.....

Ahhu Bernie. 4'0" of pure evil (maybe that's uncharitable, certainly unscrupulous in the extreme), but he knew how to sell F1.

To be fair, after he'd suggested short cuts to help drivers overtake they did invent drs for the same reason.

[Alph]

2 hours ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

Ahhu Bernie. 4'0" of pure evil (maybe that's uncharitable, certainly unscrupulous in the extreme), but he knew how to sell F1.

To be fair, after he'd suggested short cuts to help drivers overtake they did invent drs for the same reason.

'Evil' sounded fair to me

[RadioactiveWaste]

SO it's time for the formula 1 show to arrive in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Aramco Human Rights Grand Prix.

There are plenty of reasons to not watch it if you don't agree with the oppression of Sergio Perez (and some other issues). They've made the track slightly less of a death trap this year as well, which I'm sure Mick Schumacher appreciates.

However, eyeballs or not, the race will happen and the points will count.

So, will we see a different kind of track hamper Ferrari less, or help the Merc look a bit more competetive, will Alonso continue in happy Alonso mode, or will the return of the grumpster be shepparded in? WIll Alpine not be dumb? Will Haas be not dumb? All this and more and remember, if you try to view it from a non-athorised source without the express written consent of F1, Liberty media and SKy, you'll get your hands cut off.

 

[TimRam]

Went downhill when they changed the car sound.

[RadioactiveWaste]

And of course, if F1 isn't you bag, or you're objecting to having events in Saudi Arabia for whatever reason, there are other motorsports happening this weekend.

WRC Rally Mexico

WEC 1000 miles of Sebring (saturday)

IMSA 12 hours of Sebring (sunday)

Most serious national championships and MotoGP haven't kicked off yet, but they are getting closer.

 

[Andicis]

Verstappen has been ill this week and will only arrive in Saudi tomorrow, so maybe some time for Danny Ric in the rocket ship. If Perez can't beat an ill Verstappen he really has no hope! 

I hope to see Merc and Ferrari up their game a lot, but with Leclerc on a penalty it's already looking a bit bleak for them. 

[RadioactiveWaste]

2 hours ago, Andicis said:

Verstappen has been ill this week and will only arrive in Saudi tomorrow,

The cuts in the red bull catering budget really starting to hurt them...

"look Max, I can't get Marco to sign off any more expenses without a reciept. You know how mad everyone got about our catering department's carbon fibre fabrication last season. Look just go to a kabab shop and let me fix it. love, Karan."

[RadioactiveWaste]

Well, if you were excited...don't be. At the end of FP1 Max verstappen 4 tenths clear of Perez who was 3 thenths clear of Fernando. As you were.

There's not even a latifi or Mickster element this year to spice it up.

[RadioactiveWaste]

1000 miles of Sebring starts in a few minutes. Got my days mixed up as there's not normally a race on Friday usually.

You watch onboard from the Ferrari HyperCar on YouTube.

[Andicis]

2 hours ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

Well, if you were excited...don't be. At the end of FP1 Max verstappen 4 tenths clear of Perez who was 3 thenths clear of Fernando. As you were.

There's not even a latifi or Mickster element this year to spice it up.

By this point for the Mercs, F1 were actively changing rules to slow them down. Let's see if the same happens for Karen & co. 

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

On 16/03/2023 at 13:35, RadioactiveWaste said:

SO it's time for the formula 1 show to arrive in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Aramco Human Rights Grand Prix.

There are plenty of reasons to not watch it if you don't agree with the oppression of Sergio Perez (and some other issues). They've made the track slightly less of a death trap this year as well, which I'm sure Mick Schumacher appreciates.

However, eyeballs or not, the race will happen and the points will count.

So, will we see a different kind of track hamper Ferrari less, or help the Merc look a bit more competetive, will Alonso continue in happy Alonso mode, or will the return of the grumpster be shepparded in? WIll Alpine not be dumb? Will Haas be not dumb? All this and more and remember, if you try to view it from a non-athorised source without the express written consent of F1, Liberty media and SKy, you'll get your hands cut off.

 

You need to share your amusing, mildly cynical yet knowledgeable motorsports analysis to a wider audience. Your running commentary of the the F1 season might turn out to be the most entertainment we get all season. Thank you.

[RadioactiveWaste]

4 hours ago, Andicis said:

By this point for the Mercs, F1 were actively changing rules to slow them down. Let's see if the same happens for Karen & co. 

Spoiler, no, they won't. Ross Brawn spent years writing this set of regulations and everyone involved from F1/FIA have already declared them a stunning success because they had to be a success, so that's settled.

If it gets to 26 and the teams have not caught up with red bull they'll try to hobble them with regualtion changes, but until then it'll just be tweaking things around the edges and red bull are usually good at overcoming things like that.

[RadioactiveWaste]

IMSA 12 hours of Sebring for when you're done with the Fleetwood game.

Live, free to watch. Strong field of hypercar (well GTP which is "same but different" because reasons) entries as well as the usual LMP2 and GT fields. You can marathon it if you want but i tend to dip in and out of endurance races and hopefully catch the bits where interesting phases of the race bubble up (bit like with test cricket).

https://www.imsa.com/tvlive/

Edited March 18, 2023 by RadioactiveWaste

[RadioactiveWaste]

Well, just caught up with the qualification highlights and all I can say is god bless whoever put the duff driveshaft on Max's car. Single handedly made tomorrow worth watching.

Now, I do really like Checo, but, I'd lump my money on Alonso leading the race by the end of lap one.

 

[Comrade 86]

The absolute state of Nico Rosberg ?

 

[RadioactiveWaste]

Good on you Checo. I and everyone else I'm sure thought that as soon as Verstappen cleasred Alonso that was going to be game over either by pace or by Red Bull being Red Bull (Jos will no doubt be bollocking Horner for not allowing Max to win). Shame he nicked the fastest lap at the end.

Another podium for Fernando, clearly best of the rest.

Can you imagine if Benotto had still been at Ferrari after these two races? There'd be a lynch mob at the factory by now.

Merc 3rd fastest and can't do anything about it much.

Alpine a bit nearer where they were supposed to be this race but no drama I'm afraid.

Spirited drive from Yuki and K-Mag

Another dreadful weekend for McLaren. The voodoo doll Danny Ric made out of Lando, Zac and Oscars hair has probably got a few extra pins in it tonight.

Well, depressingly, I'm seeing the same dull season of Max destroying everyone manifesting, they let Checo have this one but I doubt he can sustaon a Rosberg like campaign or that red bull would let him (they'd just threaten to put Danny in the car if he really annoyed Max).

Alonso v Mercedes seems set to be the most amusment this season.

Oh well, MotoGP looks like it might be good as long as you love Ducati.

[RadioactiveWaste]

1 hour ago, 86 Hair Islands said:

The absolute state of Nico Rosberg ?

 

What's he said now? They should sack Lewis and put his wee cousin into the car?

[Alph]

Zzzz. 

It's not even competitive 

[Gaspode]

2 races in and it's as dull as ditchwater...The only excitement each race is in trying to guess which novel way the FIA can find to help Max - today it was the absolutely unncecessary safety car which took him from 20+ seconds adrift to right back into contention - as for the excuse that the GPS said Stroll's car was still on the track, do they not have radios? (or better yet, they could try looking at the damn cameras....). F1 is dying in front of our eyes and they don't seem to realise it..