2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit

[cider_and_toast]

At least one thing at this track reminded me of the good old days...... Just how rubbish were the camera angles?

It seemed like every camera was positioned low down and in the middle of each corner so the only view that the camera seemed to linger on was one of the cars dissapearing into the distance. When Button was all over the back of Webber in the last few laps we seemed to chop between rubbish angle and empty track every few seconds.

Legard capped off a pretty poor debut season with even more un-informed commentry than usual. It took the Radio 5 team about half a lap to figure that Algersquishy had misstook his own pit for the sister teams, I think it took Legard and Brundle about half the race to figure the same thing out. It really says something when I still think Legard is an improvement over Allen but please please could somebody give Ben Edwards the job. (Just my opinion of course)

As far as tracks go, if it didn't have 300 square miles of run off that has more grip than on the racing line then it could almost be considered a reasonable circuit.

 

[Speshal]

booooooooooooooooooooring

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

In the twilight I found it more difficult to figure which car was which (esp Red Bull/Toro Rosso) and determing the drivers was very hard, epsecially as I don't have the largest telly in the world.
Agree about the camera angles - and the commentary. The problem is Legard drones on so much that he usually talks over most of the actual action. He drove me nuts in the last 5 minutes of the Interlagos race eulogising about Jenson Button - well, muttering inane rubbish that only made sense to himself. I'd much prefer James Allen back - I actually prefer him even to Murray Walker.

 

[fedupwithuserids]

rufus_mcdufus said about Legard 'muttering inane rubbish that only made sense to himself.'

I look forward to the pit to driver transmissions to get a break from him.

Camera work dismal and poorly directed.

The race wasn't as good as what Bernie thought it would be, track looked quite impressive thou.

Hopefully overtaking can be sorted by next year.

 

[sobriety]

You know it's been a pretty boring race race when the highlight was Button saying a naughty word live on air...

Ho hum, roll on next year!

 

[veravista]

Visually stunning, unfortunately more like a travel doc. with a couple of F1 cars getting in the way. Half of the coverage appeared to be aerial shots of the hotel, B list celebs and the now obligatory pit lane monitor gazing.

So how can Bernie be happy with a race where any attempt to overtake was doomed to failure as all but 2 metres (of a 12m wide track) was covered in a very visible film of sand? Who could have foreseen that, staging a race in the desert and all.

 

[teabagyokel]

In the twilight I found it more difficult to figure which car was which (esp Red Bull/Toro Rosso)

The same can be said for pit crews! No, I saw no problem with this that wasn't caused in the daytime too...

I'd much prefer James Allen back - I actually prefer him even to Murray Walker.

Please, God, no!

Just how rubbish were the camera angles?

Saw some good shots of the Yas Hotel, Ferrari World, the grandstands, the pitlane tunnel. Just about everything we didn't want to see!

Like I say, I liked the track... sorry!

 

[cider_and_toast]

Like I say, I liked the track... sorry!

I agree with you mate, it actually has the potential to be a good track but for a couple of things. Stick the walls closer in or at least dirty great big gravel traps to punnish the driver who goes off line (isn't there some rule about driving off the circuit? Where did I see that one used before........ ) and show the track to it's fullest not all the trimmings around it.

On the whole it needs a tweek or two and you are never going to get over the fact that half the desert keeps blowing over the tarmac and making it ice rink slippy in places but it's got potential.

Still bloody boring to watch though.