Just watched the last 10 or so laps that I missed, so epic! Fab to see lots of teams right up there, especially Williams

Reckon McLaren will dominate again in Bahrain (too hot for Mercedes) followed by Lotus and Red Bull, with Merc and Sauber just behind them. Slightly disappointed with Force India's pace there, expecting Di Resta to get into the points in the race.

Sauber were by far the fastest in a straight line on the back straight, can't decide if that's aero efficiency (would explain Perez's pace in Malaysia) or just low downforce

Everyone seemed to be limited by there 7th gear length with the DRS, so probably that

epic race, with such a mix you had no idea what was happening till the last 15 laps.

Kimis strategy was screwed badly, should of just pit when button did, because the 2 stopper couldn't work with that many laps left for the final stint.

Sauber where pretty slow though, i expected better from Perez that wide momment cost him about 4 places in the long run, Kobayashi did good despite 3 stops.

The two stopper was definetly the best for this race, mainly because it was alot colder then last year but it was crucial to make sure you didn't do your last stop too late.

I must say that I was impressed with the quality of racing from F1. The race was alot more agressive than what I've saw from it in the past, and it was a good bit more exciting. The leader was in a class of his own it appeared (or strategy), but behind him as everybody else saw it was pretty close. That's what F1 had been missing in my opinion was the agressive battling for positions.

The different tire compounds added a dimension to the race that made the event difficult to follow. I know that's how it always is, but it's just something that made the event harder to follow for a fan just trying to get into the series. It did seem to make for some good racing though, so I guess I shouldn't complain about it.

I liked the track configuration though . One of the few unique courses that I've seen in a while. It just needed some more elevation changes (of course that's always an issue with F1 tracks that I've seen).

Quote from J@tko :

Yeah, just like he did in Valencia

The one where he crashed into Kovalainen? That counts as 'bumbing tyres'.

Quote from Cornys :

Of course it can. What would prevent it from doing so?

I dunno, I thought maybe the slim front wing and open wheel configuration would let enough air through when the nose is raised so not there wouldn't be enough lift (and drag once the nose raises enough?) for a full flipout like the Le Manse touring cars with longer floors without openings.

Damn, they ruined Schumi's race!

At least the Mercedes had pace though. What a performance by Rosberg.

I think the 'racing' is shit. DRS, undercut, shit tyres etc... it's all bollocks. Not once have I watched a DRS overtake and been on the edge of my seat. I'd rather nothing than that because as a spectator you're being patronised. You're expected to think it's real. shhheetttiiiieee

There were plenty of overtakes that didnt use DRS.

Having just watched it from start to finish, one thing struck me. Very bad track design. I know car's evolve and the track can't, but quite frankly for a track that was built tailored for F1, it really does not do the cars justice. From bad exits to that stupidly long straight. You had pretty much all the top ten nose to tail at the end of the race, and whilst for some that may be a result all I saw was processional racing. Yes, some great moves where made and yes it's F1 and these things are do be expected. But how much better that would have been with a lot more give and take on the corner exits. There was just no room for manoeuvring there, once the overtake was made and made to stick that was it. The 'overtaken' where put on so much of a back foot by being forced out of position that they had no chance of keeping up or even of defending from the guy behind. Whilst Raikonnens tyres where obviously well past their best he was completly mugged by being forced defensive and that was reflected time and time again especially at turn six with the following sweeper that if you managed to keep alongside you lost it all on the marbles as Alonso and Hulkenburg demonstrated.

I hope Bernie takes a few things from that race, whilst it was great spectacle wise, racing it was not. Too much marbling making off the racing line just undrivable meaning that no driver in his right mind would make a go of it except for in a very few 'safe' places. And when they found themselves in a fighting situation, as Webber found himself, there was nothing they could do. And better corner exits, let the cars and the drivers battle out of the corner as well as into it.

And just get rid of that ridiculous turn one. You could fit another Grand Prix into the time it takes for them to get around just that one corner. Might have been alright if they could drive out of it, but your face to face with a bus stop at the end . . . .

And I think DRS was less successful purely because of hitting the top seventh ratio limit. Don't matter how little DF you have if the gearbox won't give any more, you ain't going any more. Maybe if it had an earlier activation it might have made more of an effect, but it was too little too far down that stupid straight when the cars had already maxed out before they even reached the DRS line.

Good race let down by the track and the marbles.

Quote from Funnybear :

Too much marbling making off the racing line just undrivable meaning that no driver in his right mind would make a go of it except for in a very few 'safe' places. And when they found themselves in a fighting situation, as Webber found himself, there was nothing they could do. And better corner exits, let the cars and the drivers battle out of the corner as well as into it.

Yes, this. So many people tried the cutback at the T5 hairpin but just couldn't go around the outside at the next corner because of the huge amount of marbles. I think that's more the Pirelli tyres specifically rather than a general characteristic though

At one point I gazed into the emptiness whilst the cars were coming towards us down that ridiculously long straight, noticed all the marbles left and right and apart from the obvious how difficult it makes life for overtaking I thought to myself Pirelli is really making fool of themselves. Just look at all that shit. What will their customers think when they see all that deteriorated tire. Certainly nothing of the sort, now that tire is amazing, I gotta have that.

Quote from N I K I :

At one point I gazed into the emptiness whilst the cars were coming towards us down that ridiculously long straight, noticed all the marbles left and right and apart from the obvious how difficult it makes life for overtaking I thought to myself Pirelli is really making fool of themselves. Just look at all that shit. What will their customers think when they see all that deteriorated tire. Certainly nothing of the sort, now that tire is amazing, I gotta have that.

Yea, well if you think like that you're retarded. Pirelli were asked to design a specific type of tyre and they did it. That's why you should buy Pirelli in a marketing sense, because you are getting the tyre thats exactly what it's designed to do.


Anyone with a brain knows that Pirelli make decent tyres anyway.

Quote from N I K I :

At one point I gazed into the emptiness whilst the cars were coming towards us down that ridiculously long straight, noticed all the marbles left and right and apart from the obvious how difficult it makes life for overtaking I thought to myself Pirelli is really making fool of themselves. Just look at all that shit. What will their customers think when they see all that deteriorated tire. Certainly nothing of the sort, now that tire is amazing, I gotta have that.

Who drives an F1 car on the roads anyway?

Indeed, people bang on about road relevance but F1 cars look, and are, nothing like what you get on the road.

I prefer those Pirelli over the indestructable whole race lasting bridestones.
You have to be careful with the tires and can have different strategies. Nothing wrong with that.

Shanghai is probably the best dry race you will get, people will always winge but the tyres burn like a hot knife through butter there and it does wonders for the race.

Quote from three_jump :

You have to be careful with the tires and can have different strategies. Nothing wrong with that.

That's an oxymoron.

You HAVE to be careful with your tyres. yet can have different strategies? Can't one be aggressive on the tyres? Can't someone be medium aggressive with the tyres? NO, everyone has to do the same bloody strategy, and drive the same way. We even have Hamilton driving like Button. What the flying f*&k is THAT ABOUT?

Granted, we occasionally get 2 stop VS 3 stop but they always play out in a very very similar way. If it's a 3 stop it's all about the undercut and if it's a two stop it's all about whether you have any tyre left for the last 5 laps. Races are excruciatingly predictable once you have the numbers in front of you. That's really a consequence of spec rubber though. There's very little 'dynamic'.

I can't say I've watch a properly good 'real' battle in F1 for a long time. Thankfully I had some half decent WSK racing to watch today.

Though having said all that, I completely understand why there has been regulatory changes(it's a business first and foremost), I just don't like them. I can understand why the general public won't give two shits. Most of the general public think F1 represents the pinnacle of driving talent ffs, they'll believe and go along with anything.

Quote from BlueFlame :

Yea, well if you think like that you're retarded. Pirelli were asked to design a specific type of tyre and they did it. That's why you should buy Pirelli in a marketing sense, because you are getting the tyre thats exactly what it's designed to do.


Anyone with a brain knows that Pirelli make decent tyres anyway.

I doubt Pirelli was asked to design tires that make driving outside the racing line impossible

Personally, I don't like the way Pirelli designed the tires. Bridgestone's and Michelin's tires didn't create anything like these marbles so can't Pirelli make tires that wear out normally?

Pirelli was asked to create a tire that deteriorated faster. Every single tire manufacturer can do that. Bridgestone and Michelin were not interested and Pirelli was given a shot at it. Making bad tires isn't that hard, Bridgestone refused because it would've hurt their pride so it's really not that much of an achievement you make it sound like.

But surely if their tyres deteriorate faster the rubber has to go somewhere?

Quote from J@tko :

But surely if their tyres deteriorate faster the rubber has to go somewhere?

There are many ways to solve the performance loss. Loss of performance in the tires doesn't necessarily require tons of rubber lost. Besides, it's not that Prelli's tires create rubber on the track but the way the tires create these pieces of rubber that act like marbles when driven over.

Quote from Juzaa :

There are many ways to solve the performance loss. Loss of performance in the tires doesn't necessarily require tons of rubber lost. Besides, it's not that Prelli's tires create rubber on the track but the way the tires create these pieces of rubber that act like marbles when driven over.

Ah yes of course - I agree that the vast amount of marbles is annoying but surely it's going to be very difficult to create tyres that deteriorate quickly without creating more marbles than ones that deteriorate slowly. I even remember the rock solid Bridgestones creating quite a few marbles on some tracks

Quote from J@tko :

Ah yes of course - I agree that the vast amount of marbles is annoying but surely it's going to be very difficult to create tyres that deteriorate quickly without creating more marbles than ones that deteriorate slowly. I even remember the rock solid Bridgestones creating quite a few marbles on some tracks

True, but F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport and at the moment the tires provied by Pirelli are (my opinion) not at that level. I don't even remember Pirelli addressing the problems with the marbles which is probably the most frustrating thing since I have no idea if they are trying to fix the tires or even if they have an idea that the marbles are a problem.

Personally I can't remember the last time I saw so many marbles at a race, although maybe I've not been looking too hard

Quote from BlueFlame :

Yea, well if you think like that you're retarded.

Looks like people generally agree with what I had thought, are they retarded too?