I slept through 75% of it (missed the Finn on Finn violence, had to watch clips of it from Jalopnik). I do like the stadium portion of the track and it was cool that the podium ceremonies are held there!
Actually was very impressed with the circuit and the massive crowd that attended!!! The wheels really fell off for Ferrari with Kimi proving he should not have gotten a contract extension and Vettel putting in possibly the worst performance of his F1 career, definitely the worst in the red car. With that went any chance of a race at the front.... Red Bull's recent performance leaves me wondering what might have been had they worked with Renault instead of throwing them under the bus publicly, isn't a partnership one where each party helps the other? Over all we enjoyed the race, of course whenever Hamilton doesn't take the checkered flag we usually do!! Looking forward to the next race!!
haven't bothered to tune into an F1 race since Monaco and looking back at what I learned online about this season, I think that's also going to be the proper approach for me going forward. F1, for the first time since about 1975, has dropped off my radar. "Yawn" doesn't even begin to describe this sanitized form of corporate showcasing. I think they totally lost me when the engines lost their scream and they strapped dildos to the nose of these cars. But it actually is worse than the regulations: the entire package has been on a path to sterile sanitized boredom for a while now, all driven by the interests of the mega car makers who need a show that is a reality version of a well crafted car commercial, and the closer they get to that, the less drama is left anyone can get excited about. Predictability is important to the corporates, but racing is supposed to be the total opposite of that. Sadly, it looks like nothing will change next season.
I agree with you minimark. Great venue for a race & amazing fan attendance. For me the race was an entertaining one. The whole red car thing was amazing. What happened to kimi didn't surprise me & I actually laughed out loud when I saw it. Wonder if Bottas laughed as well. Was that Vettel or an impostor in a red suit? He drove like Maldonato. :crazy: I'll keep watching. Yes they have buggered things up, but it is still racing & I love that stuff. If someone makes a time machine I'm willing to go back a few decades for better racing & a younger me.
Vettel's performance has been like that when the car isn't handling well. He doesn't have the best talent for getting the best from a poor handling car.
I think Vettel has a huge load of talent good car or not. Spinning & then not pitting for tires surely contributed, but that was his teams call. Most likely it was cooked brakes that finally did him in. He kept trying to pass Maldanoto & I'm sure that took a toll on his brakes. There could have been a bit of red mist thrown in there as well. It was strange to watch him spin & then crash out. Not like him at all to do that.
I got the distinct feeling Vettel's car was set up for straight line speed so slippery but sacrificing down force. Speed trap classification (here) seems to confirm...or am I wrong? BTW, 366.2kph converts to 227.5mph. Even so, after his first lap drop through the field he was keeping pace with the Mercs, or better, for quite a while...until he caught up with the more difficult to pass rear-mid field drivers. I'm guessing he was driving the wheels off a car that was a handful with relatively little down force to help him deal with that slippery track. Push a car like that too hard and what happens?
I'd rather see Vettel put forth 110% effort and wreck out than settle for a middle of the pack finish. Kudos to him.
I liked how Vettel came on the radio to say he crashed, and apologized to the team without any drama or excuses.
I like drivers charging hard. Bet the team wishes he'd not have shunted. Yes no excuses to be made by Vettel, he was the captain of his ship & it is all on him. Although I think the teams strategy played a not small part.
I might actually pay to watch their new series if they make "Star in a Tumbling Ball of Burning Wreckage" a regular feature. I mean, you know, as long as it's not simulated...
I think Renault is still their best bet, given the MBZ and Ferrari both said a resounding Nyet! but Honda is still in there pitching, and I still think at some point Honda will get it right and become a force at the front...... I don't know why I think this considering the might and money of Toyota never did......maybe because Honda has been successful in F1 in the past?