Poll: Official 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Race Thread - Baku City Circuit, Baku- Race 4/23

[mushtafa]

F1:

-Two teams finally get their cars within sort of equal performance of each other by 2021 making for a genuinely great title fight.
-Race director totally bungles the last race and fixes the championship
-New regs come along to try and make the races more exciting..
-One team builds a car miles faster than the rest of the field again

...Profit?

Happens all the time. New regs, one team pulls out miles, every other team spend 3+ years catching up. Once they've almost caught up, change the regs again.
It's just like a dice throw to see which team will be leading for the next 3-5 years.

I also wonder if the cost cap has made it worse. Take Mercedes for example, they messed the design up. They have resources, money, people, etc to fix it, just not allowed to. Must be so frustrating.

 

[Mesai]

I also wonder if the cost cap has made it worse. Take Mercedes for example, they messed the design up. They have resources, money, people, etc to fix it, just not allowed to. Must be so frustrating.

Definitely has. Ferrari and RB would have closed the gap on Merc way faster had they had their usual "unlimited" resources.

 

[Scam]

Unless you are in a Merc, in which case you still can't

Lol true dat

Also - Kravitz later confirmed that team's are allowed on the pitwall as long as they're standing on the concrete wall but not climbing the fence like the old days

Fair enough. I thought Crofty or whoever was commentating was initially going nuts because RB were in the pit wall at first (saying they weren’t supposed to climb around anymore) then it escalated when they realised even the photographers etc were out as well.

I’m not going to sit here looking for pics to see if their feet were on the ground. Life’s too short!

 

[Jono8]

Would it not have been better if they had kept the same reg in 2021 for the next 3-5 years?

I don't know, but it just seems like whenever new regs come in, one team totally nails them and becomes dominant for a while (ie Merc with the new engines and now Red Bull with their aero)

 

[Jono8]

Lol true dat

It is crazy how when the RB's were within about half a second at turn 16, they totally breezed past Lecerc's Ferrari on the main straight well before turn 1, yet when Hamilton was about half a second behind Sainz at turn 16 (which he was multiple times), he barely gained on him and had no chance of overtaking. Lewis was clearly faster than Sainz in the race but just had no hope of getting past.

That straight yesterday highlighted more than ever just how good that RB is in straight line.

It is very frustrating as Merc have arguably one of the strongest driver line ups on the grid and i think they can make a difference in the corners/technical bits, but there is literally nothing they can do if the car is a lemon on the straights.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Maybe they didn’t broadcast the radio but Horner congratulating Max on 2nd but no radio to Perez?

When Horner was interviewed after the race by CH4, he said he’d couldn’t congratulate Perez as first as Perez was transmitting for over a minute yelling and thanking everyone, so he spoke to Verstappen first and then Perez once his channel cleared.

 

[Scam]

That straight yesterday highlighted more than ever just how good that RB is in straight line.

I like Russell’s recent quote that Merc have actually worked out they could take their rear wing completely off and they’d still not be as fast as RB on the straights. That’s insane.

I honestly think Newey and co just sat there and thought what’s the point in making a car fast around the corners when there’s all these massive straights on the calendar *and* DRS.. Lets just bang it down the straights and be done with it. Lol

 

[jonneymendoza]

I like Russell’s recent quote that Merc have actually worked out they could take their rear wing completely off and they’d still not be as fast as RB on the straights. That’s insane.

I honestly think Newey and co just sat there and thought what’s the point in making a car fast around the corners when there’s all these massive straights on the calendar *and* DRS.. Lets just bang it down the straights and be done with it. Lol

Yea red bull is smashing it right now

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

F1 racing hasn't been good good for how many years now? We all just watch for the rare occasion that it isn't a **** show.
I think the management, and marshalling of the sport is far worse than the poor racing lately. The racing is the same as always, just some people aren't happy with the team in the lead.

Unfortunately, all F1 is now is Netflix drama. The motorsport part comes a distant second.

 

[mushtafa]

I like Russell’s recent quote that Merc have actually worked out they could take their rear wing completely off and they’d still not be as fast as RB on the straights. That’s insane.

I honestly think Newey and co just sat there and thought what’s the point in making a car fast around the corners when there’s all these massive straights on the calendar *and* DRS.. Lets just bang it down the straights and be done with it. Lol

Wow! I didn't realise that was that much in it!

Can't blame RB for taking that decision, it's obviously working. F1 seem to be removing more of the proper tracks with high speed corners and replacing them with street circuits.

 

[Scam]

Can't blame RB for taking that decision, it's obviously working. F1 seem to be removing more of the proper tracks with high speed corners and replacing them with street circuits.

Yeah I meant to say it’s a double whammy because with all the street circuits it’s impossible to pass, so the only overtaking spots are in the straights. Doesn’t matter if you’re slow in the corners (not saying RB are particularly but the Ferraris def seem to gain on them when the road ain’t straight) when you can breeze by on the straights. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

Not a lot going on there other than confirming Red Bull are just ridiculously fast compared to everyone else. No team is even close. I noted a couple of off the cuff comments recently that are reminiscent of Ferrari’s performance a few years back that may or may not have been related to naughty engine shenanigans!! Not always what is said, but the way it is said.

Really happy for Perez but Horner’s soothing of Max where he basically said Perez only won because he got lucky with the SC was totally cringeworthy. I just hope Perez is allowed to continue racing and challenging for the WDC and isn’t gimped by “performance issues” with his car or stupid stuff like that.

 

[ci_newman]

Not a lot going on there other than confirming Red Bull are just ridiculously fast compared to everyone else. No team is even close. I noted a couple of off the cuff comments recently that are reminiscent of Ferrari’s performance a few years back that may or may not have been related to naughty engine shenanigans!! Not always what is said, but the way it is said.

Really happy for Perez but Horner’s soothing of Max where he basically said Perez only won because he got lucky with the SC was totally cringeworthy. I just hope Perez is allowed to continue racing and challenging for the WDC and isn’t gimped by “performance issues” with his car or stupid stuff like that.

You know, I don't actually care if RBR win this year or not - I just don't want Max to win. I'd be quite happy for Perez to take the championship similar to Rosberg beating Hamilton over a single year.

 

[Journey]

Be interesting to see if Perez and Max get in any tangles that take them both out, that could put Alonso at the top of the table. I mean you never know a season of squabbling could lead to a final race decider where the officials get to make up a new rule for ever more entertainment!

 

[BuffetSlayer]

You know, I don't actually care if RBR win this year or not - I just don't want Max to win. I'd be quite happy for Perez to take the championship similar to Rosberg beating Hamilton over a single year.

My preferred outcome is for Aston Martin to bring some serious upgrades so Alonso can storm into the lead with the WDC whilst Red Bull implode with internal squabbles. High hopes, but we all gotta dream right!?

But a close second is Perez to comprehensively out perform Max who already seems to be on the brink of throwing all of his toys out of the pram!

I would also be happy to see Merc coming through but meh, I think it will be another year or two until they are anything like on form.

 

[Scam]

But a close second is Perez to comprehensively out perform Max who already seems to be on the brink of throwing all of his toys out of the pram!

I wonder if it’s all getting to Max already. His outburst against Russell was completely bizarre

If Perez gets a bit of a lead on him past Miami somehow then it’s be very interesting to see if desperate Max circa ‘21 returns to the grid…

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

I wonder if it’s all getting to Max already. His outburst against Russell was completely bizarre

If Perez gets a bit of a lead on him past Miami somehow then it’s be very interesting to see if desperate Max circa ‘21 returns to the grid…

I don’t think he’s losing it, but his focus is questionable. Why give so much airtime to retirement thoughts and the format of a weekend. Just get your head down and focus on the job at hand, it’s the same for all of them.

I genuinely think he’s incapable of open self criticism, he just cannot fathom being in the wrong, especially considering the moves he’s put on people.

Sainz perfectly demonstrated when to know you’re done on the outside and yield to Alonso.

 

[Mesai]

I don’t think he’s losing it, but his focus is questionable. Why give so much airtime to retirement thoughts and the format of a weekend. Just get your head down and focus on the job at hand, it’s the same for all of them.

I genuinely think he’s incapable of open self criticism, he just cannot fathom being in the wrong, especially considering the moves he’s put on people.

Sainz perfectly demonstrated when to know you’re done on the outside and yield to Alonso.

You’re basically summarising every world champion. They’re all like that at some point in their career.

 

[bayo000]

Yeah the Ocon onboard is scary.

Have to admit I kinda enjoyed it as it reminded me of the old days. These days it shouldn't have happened and lessons should be learned.

 

[iamtheoneneo]

LOL we all really doing the Perez can win the championship arc already..

He isn't a championship winning driver, Dude gets caught napping by mid season.