Poll: Official 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Thread - Sakhir Circuit - Race 1/23

[GravyMonster]

Alonso's charge was the only interest in the race. Voted a 3.

Really wish that the FIA would stop going to these middle east tracks for the season opener. May as well have the race in space for the amount of atmosphere.

 

[Jono8]

Max and RB's pace was just silly. No one is going to catch up that sort of gulf in performance. It's going to be a very dull season.

Also Merc should be embarrassed. The Aston genuinely looks like the faster race car.

Ferrari only look marginally faster than the Aston , if that (and maybe even slower!)

 

[Psycho Ned]

The first Indycar race of the season is a right demolition derby

 

[chrismscotland]

The first Indycar race of the season is a right demolition derby

Some finish for Grosjean

 

[mid_gen]

Formula ones fundamental issue is almost always that there is a team that is far better than the rest and its dull. Good sport requires genuine competition at the top.

That isn't the problem.

The problem is that the cars have ended up so big with so much aero that they still can't actually overtake each other without fake go faster buttons like DRS.

You get 30 seconds of excitement at the start of the race. If you're really lucky there'll be some pit strategy midway through that'll change the field a bit, there'll be a couple of snooze shots of DRS overtakes, and if it's one of the absolute highlights of the season, you'll have someone up front with their deliberately **** tyres degrading more than the guy behind....all while Andrew Benson wets himself at the mediocrity of it all.

I appreciate they've tried to change, but it hasn't worked.

 

[scarps]

Not sure what they can do to make it more exciting but currently Nascar is more fun than this.

Today the only highlight was Alonso passing Hamilton and Stroll going off on the warm up lap

 

[Kanpai]

uhh?

Toto Wolff VS Christian Horner ð | Drive To Survive

#shorts #formula1 #toto #totowolff #christianhorner #mercedesamgf1 #redbullracing #drivetosurvive

www.youtube.com

 

[imtoooldforthis]

That isn't the problem.

The problem is that the cars have ended up so big with so much aero that they still can't actually overtake each other without fake go faster buttons like DRS.

You get 30 seconds of excitement at the start of the race. If you're really lucky there'll be some pit strategy midway through that'll change the field a bit, there'll be a couple of snooze shots of DRS overtakes, and if it's one of the absolute highlights of the season, you'll have someone up front with their deliberately **** tyres degrading more than the guy behind....all while Andrew Benson wets himself at the mediocrity of it all.

I appreciate they've tried to change, but it hasn't worked.

No one is overtaking a Red Bull even with smaller cars. The problem is one team usually aces regs and others then play catchup. Smaller cars would help the racing in certain situations but do nothing to get rid of the long standing problem of one team domination. The problem is made worse by the fact that one driver in the dominant team is usually comfortably better than their team mate... meaning you don't often get intense battles between team mates. Hamilton & Bottas was boring for F1 just as Verstappen & Perez is boring for F1... only way its not boring is if multiple teams have cars that can win or the dominant team has two drivers who are on a similar level talent wise.

I know there is more to F1 than winning but ultimately that's what people tune in to watch, midfield battles are all good but it's hard to care that much about them unless you are a proper F1 nerd.

 

[SKILL]

Well, that was dull. Voted it 2 for Alonso's race basically, not his biggest fan but the overtakes were good and really nice to see drivers battling without pushing each other off the track, old school right there

Still kinda surprised the AM actually has genuine pace, I mean they showed it all through testing and the weekend but still...

McLaren though.

 

[Jono8]

The whole reg change to increase competitiveness thing seems to not really work.

I mean Ferrari nipped at the Mercs for a year or two and then the RB was an equal to the Merc in 2021.

Then they have introduced reg changes and likely just started years of one sided dominance, just with a different team.

Honestly, these reg changes just seem to come when things start getting competitive again and do the opposite of what they are supposedly intending to do.

 

[Scam]

I said it last year but if the whole point of these new regs was to allow cars to follow better, then DRS must go.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

What the blinking flip was Ocon and Alpine thinking?

The Stewards will want a word…

 

[cu3ed]

I said it last year but if the whole point of these new regs was to allow cars to follow better, then DRS must go.

I got shouted at here for saying that the new regs have done little if notthing to make it more fun to watch. Sure, cars can follow closer to each other, and that's it. No over taking without DRS being made powerful.

 

[jonneymendoza]

I got shouted at here for saying that the new regs have done little if notthing to make it more fun to watch. Sure, cars can follow closer to each other, and that's it. No over taking without DRS being made powerful.

Agreed.

DRS needs to go basically. No use for it now

 

[jonneymendoza]

The whole reg change to increase competitiveness thing seems to not really work.

I mean Ferrari nipped at the Mercs for a year or two and then the RB was an equal to the Merc in 2021.

Then they have introduced reg changes and likely just started years of one sided dominance, just with a different team.

Honestly, these reg changes just seem to come when things start getting competitive again and do the opposite of what they are supposedly intending to do.

Well said.

Plus checo seems like a way worse driver than bottas and Roseberg who basically challenged for the title with Hamilton throughout most of the season in the same car.

You would have at least thought that even if everyone else is no match for RB/MAX, at least Checo will give Max a fight but nope…..

 

[Bug One]

I got shouted at here for saying that the new regs have done little if notthing to make it more fun to watch. Sure, cars can follow closer to each other, and that's it. No over taking without DRS being made powerful.

I disagree. The cars are clearly able to race closer. There's far more action and overtaking than before.

I think some of you only remember past races for their highlights.

 

[Slam62]

This year is going to be worse than last for Max dominance, the only interest will be AM versus ferrari.
Merc have just wasted at least another year. Lord knows how McLaren and alpine have become so bad.
Almost feel sorry for Fred at ferrari, he's such a jolly chap, he'll be a wreck in a couple of months, I hope he has a very good financial package,

 

[Bug One]

What the blinking flip was Ocon and Alpine thinking?

The Stewards will want a word…

I'm still not a sure what the original penalty that kicked it all off was for. The replay didn't seem to show anything out of the ordinary.

It was like a comedy of errors.

 

[Jono8]

I disagree. The cars are clearly able to race closer. There's far more action and overtaking than before.

I think some of you only remember past races for their highlights.

I disagree. I think it's largely made little difference.

 

[Mr Jack]

Rated it a 6. Ordinary level of interest. Great battles with Alonso, and Sainz against Checo and Lewis, as well as stuff further down the field.

Going to be a season to watch for what happens behind the leaders.

I disagree. The cars are clearly able to race closer. There's far more action and overtaking than before.

Indeed. The new rules have made a big difference to how many close battles we have. Trouble is that DRS has also been ramped up and so, naturally, the drivers mostly use easy and boring DRS passes.