Poll: Official 2023 United States Grand Prix Thread - Circuit of the Americas, Austin - Round 19

[bayo000]

Yeah Max's was checked. This is why I asked earlier how they randomly select cars. If they don't randomly select, and it is who they want to chose, I'd like more info on what they are allowed to do. i.e. Can they just pick Car 01 because they feel like it? Do they have to have data backed evidence as to why a car might be in breach of something and therefore is allowed to be called for check? Or is truly meant to be random? How do they randomise it? Does someone literally pull names from a hat? Computerised? This will all be black box internal FIA stuff where we have to place trust I guess. And we all know we can trust the FIA.

Going back to fuel samples, in the past FIA have indeed selectively picked cars they thought may be in breach for sampling. This happened to Vettel when the team told him to stop straight after the race. I think this was why they brought in the rule that the car had to get back to the pits under its own power. Basically in the end I don't think they could provide a sample of the 1 litre requirement. So in that circumstance, FIA deliberately selected the car.

Watch the start of the video I posted. Go to 3rd time stamp, about 3min 30sec in.

 

[jaybee]

Pretty good video on this

Top video. They answer in there that basically they normally do it at random, but can pick cars based on ones that look close to legality of something. Hmm.

 

[Jono8]

It is bizarre that they don't intermediately check the teammate of a driver's car which is found in breach of the ride height regs. You would think that it is highly likely that if one car is in breach, the other one would be too.

 

[turbot1984]

Easily the best Max win this month 6/10

 

[KiNgPiN83]

I always thought the plank was a spec part that was the same for all cars? So it surely shouldn't be that hard to unscrew them from every car and bung them through a machine that measures how thick they are?..

Saying this though you can be sure that if an F1 team gets told you can have 5mm max wear to your plank they'll make sure they use 4.9mm if it gives them a speed advantage over the race!

 

[Mr Jack]

It is bizarre that they don't intermediately check the teammate of a driver's car which is found in breach of the ride height regs. You would think that it is highly likely that if one car is in breach, the other one would be too.

As @Mesai pointed out upthread, they probably can't. As soon as the cars are released from scrutineering, the teams start disassembling them for shipping. Once the cars are out of the FIA's view, there's no chain of verification on anything so they can't usefully be checked, and they can't wait on the checks before releasing the cars to the teams because they're already pressed on the logistics of getting everything torn down, disassembled, and shipped to the next race (especially when it's a double or triple header).

 

[KiNgPiN83]

Enjoyed that one. Couple more laps and Lewis might have pinched it. Lando did OK but not driver of the day for me.

Shame for Alonso, I was enjoying his progress until he had to retire. Felt a bit sorry for Piastri too.

I voted 9 but now I've had a minute I'd probably dial it back to 8.

9 or 8 is wild. You would've exploded watching Button win from the back of the grid at Canada in 2011!

 

[Cadder]

9 or 8 is wild. You would've exploded watching Button win from the back of the grid at Canada in 2011!

You're probably right. It was only the middle of last year when I got into F1 and it appears I've picked a bad time to do so with how boring it is for the long-term fans. So it's an 8 from my point of view based on the races within that short time frame.

 

[Jono8]

Easily the best Max win this month 6/10

At least it was the first one he actually had to kind of work for. He didn't sound very comfortable.

 

[KiNgPiN83]

You're probably right. It was only the middle of last year when I got into F1 and it appears I've picked a bad time to do so with how boring it is for the long-term fans. So it's an 8 from my point of view based on the races within that short time frame.

Don't get me wrong, races like that are extremely rare! Lol! I'm just a jaded long term viewer that's watched since the during Sunday roasts in the 90's.

For me its frustrating as the best racing usually occurs right at the point cars gain parity with each other. Which usually coincides with a rule change where it all gets reset again... Aka 2021.

 

[Mr Jack]

You're probably right. It was only the middle of last year when I got into F1 and it appears I've picked a bad time to do so with how boring it is for the long-term fans. So it's an 8 from my point of view based on the races within that short time frame.

It's a period of extreme domination at the front; but I don't think it's the most boring era. While it's better when the races are for the win, there's still a lot of entertainment to be had lower down the field.

 

[AlphariusOmegan]

You're probably right. It was only the middle of last year when I got into F1 and it appears I've picked a bad time to do so with how boring it is for the long-term fans. So it's an 8 from my point of view based on the races within that short time frame.

quite a few people seem to find it boring because their team/driver isnt winning, personally i enjoy it for the technical accomplishments, engineering and speed of the cars, i've followed Mclaren since the 80's. with the exception of a couple of years they've been a top 3 team from the early 80's right up to 2014 then they dropped to the mid field, usually the low end of the mid field but i still enjoyed the spectacle. find your own enjoyment in the sport not the enjoyment others think you should have

 

[413x]

Not sure why anyone cares, we have thoroughly established in recent years that F1 is not a sport, and merely entertainment that makes rich people richer. Stop watching it if you think it is fair and follows it's own rules, as it isn't, doesn't and it never, ever, will.

Agreed. F1 isn't a sport. It's entertainment.
That's why I'm not bothered about reverse grids etc. Just make it better to watch.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

F1 is so much more than a "sport" really.

It's a travelling community, more akin to a soap with cast of well known stars and many equally important supporting roles and plot lines.

If you are only in it to see "your driver" win, you are missing most of the entertainment, intrigue and nuance of the "show".

It's very rare for me to ever find a race weekend boring, as there is so much more to it than just the result.

 

[Bug One]

Are there any equivalent photos of the other cars going round the same corner to the Leclerc, Hamilton, Max comparison posted earlier?

 

[Scam]

Are there any equivalent photos of the other cars going round the same corner to the Leclerc, Hamilton, Max comparison posted earlier?

Has it been proven those pics were even from the same corner? Because you know.. internet.

Seems Brundle agrees with those suggesting a 50% fail rate should have rung alarm bells and prompted them to test more cars.

 

[Mr Jack]

Are there any equivalent photos of the other cars going round the same corner to the Leclerc, Hamilton, Max comparison posted earlier?

Apparently the photographer who took them commented that he also had photos of Max and Pérez hitting the floor on that corner, not sure we should be reading anything into them.

 

[Mesai]

Apparently the photographer who took them commented that he also had photos of Max and Pérez hitting the floor on that corner, not sure we should be reading anything into them.

You’d likely need video evidence to understand the exact situation, but even then that doesn’t tell you enough as there’s more than one corner.

The data that the FIA have likely paints a clearer picture. The fact that 2/4 inspected cars were out of spec, hints at that.

 

[Feek]

Am I the only person who doesn't really care about this?

Parts of some cars tested were found to be out of spec and as a result, the drivers were punished.

It's done, move on.

 

[Scam]

The data that the FIA have likely paints a clearer picture. The fact that 2/4 inspected cars were out of spec, hints at that.

But that itself hints at a problem with the system. To @Feek’s question - either it’s random or it’s not. If it’s not random then we’ve seen how in the past team principals (and presumably others in less visible roles) in all teams have swayed the decision making process. The FIA can’t sit there and say it’s “random testing” on one hand then take pointers, or pull out specific cars as they wish. Because that’s not a fair system, as it puts the onus on the FIA to notice potential violations in the first place. Which in turn means that (1) if your team is very good at hiding things you could get away with it or (2) it’s directly in your interest to call out the opposition to get the FIA to investigate them. Neither of which should be the process.

It matters because yes it’s just one race, but as usual the FIA are affecting more than they realise with Hamilton now looking nigh on impossible to win P2 in the WDC. When he was stood on the podium with P2 you would have bet on him to take it otherwise.