Grand Prix 2021 British Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Better late then never!

There is a Formula One Grand Prix this weekend. Now, let's take a step back and look at that sentence. We use some words without thinking about what they mean so why is it Formula One? My apologies if this seems a bit patronising but the Formula bit refers to the design specification for the car and engine around which the teams must design their car. It's One, because it is supposed to be the pinnacle of motor sport, the fastest, the toughest test of car and driver. And for this you win a grand prize, and although other races use the term Grand Prix, this is the only series which (I believe) is allowed to use the term.

So why am I going on about this? Well, this weekend the powers that run Formula One Grand Prix racing have given up trying to actually create a competitive race series and have decided that it is better that this series can be made more exciting by trying to get the drivers to crash in to one another in a "Sprint Race" on Saturday rather than than allowing the fastest car and driver combination to start from the front of the grid as has been the norm in virtually all forms of motor sport since people started racing cars.

I know motor racing is contrived and there is no such thing as "pure" motor sport, but there are a few norms which I believe should not be messed with, and the idea of a qualifying session which often pushes the driver to, and sometimes beyond, the limit is one. How that session works, what groups of cars go out when, whether drivers get one lap or one hundred I don't mind. I do object to trying to gerrymander the starting grid by running what I'm sure the power brokers in F1 hope will be a destruction derby to replace a qualifying session.

That's my two pence worth. I may be wrong, it may be a great success, it might be very exciting, I have no idea. I am really not that excited about the prospect of this experiment.

Anyway, here's the revised running order for this race:

Friday
14:30 to 15:30 F1 practice
18:00 to 19:00 Qualifying Session (for the sprint race)

Saturday
12:00 to 13:00 F1 Practice (yup, after the qualifying session)
16:30 to 17:00 Sprint "Qualifying"

Sunday
15:00 to 17:00 F1 race

So there you go. I shall rant about the 2022 car design elsewhere.

 

[FB]

Wow, it was just like an F1 race only shorter. I suppose there was less opportunity for us to get bored as it ended just as the mid-race lull started.

 

[F1Brits_90]

The turkeys would never vote for Christmas

spot on & the reason for majority of F1 problems last 15 years.

 

[Titch]

Wow, it was just like an F1 race only shorter. I suppose there was less opportunity for us to get bored as it ended just as the mid-race lull started.

The mid race lull started around lap 7

 

[olegg]

 

[F1Brits_90]

saw this at work & i found the full video very funny

https://twitter.com/x/status/1416745992003653641

 

[olegg]

So many fans...
That's cool

 

[olegg]

It is strange that many count that HAM is guilty in the first lap crash

 

[olegg]

The impact was delivered from the rear VER tyre to the front HAM tyre
and not vice versa

 

[Hamberg]

Have I dreamt this? I’m sure years ago after an aggressive incident involving Rosberg, that rules were clarified to state if a drivers’ front tyres are ahead of the lead drivers rear tyres that could be considered alongside therefore can claim the corner.

 

[Il_leone]

I am not sure what Red Bull are complaining about .. it looks like they have been hit hard by Hamilton in the punchbag so it seems

 

[Hamberg]

I guess you can overtake on the inside at Copse.

 

[olegg]

Hamilton deserved this victory

 

[olegg]

Verstappen is healthy after the incident and this is the main thing

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Once again Max Verstappen gambling on a driver backing out in a corner.

 

[Brogan]

The only surprising thing is it didn't happen sooner.

Now Verstappen knows that Hamilton isn't going to be bullied into backing out so he will be a little more circumspect the next time, one would think.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

I wouldn’t hold your breath Brogan .

 

[Brogan]

At the speed they were travelling, I doubt Hamilton had any time at all to react to the chop.

The wheel is hard to the right as it is.

 

[Il_leone]

Back in 1991 when the start line was there at Copse Patrese was hit by Berger in the inside..Patrese was out of the race Berger carried on and finished the race and was not puniished so really I thought the stewards bottled it in giving Hamilton a penalty.

So we are now going to see lap 1 incidents punished now

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Not sure they’ll be much use for this chassis.

 

[FB]

Red Bull have engaged maximum attack after the incident.

Helmut Marko wants Lewis Hamilton suspension after Verstappen crash | PlanetF1

A furious Helmut Marko believes Lewis Hamilton should get a one-race ban after the collision with Max Verstappen at Silverstone.

www.planetf1.com

‘It was a desperate move’ – Furious Horner hits out at Hamilton after Verstappen crash | Formula 1®

Christian Horner did not hold back in his criticism of Lewis Hamilton after the Mercedes driver’s clash with Max Verstappen at Silverstone, which put the Dutchman out of the race on the very first lap of the British Grand Prix, branding the eventual race winner's driving "desperate" and...

www.formula1.com

British Grand Prix: Max Verstappen labels Lewis Hamilton 'disrespectful' and 'unsportsmanlike'

Max Verstappen accuses Lewis Hamilton of being "disrespectful" and "unsportsmanlike" following their crash in the British Grand Prix.

www.bbc.co.uk

One thing which was obvious was that Max was right on the ragged edge trying to keep Lewis behind, he went off track at the first corner and stuck his rear wheel on the dirt more than once in the following corners trying to keep ahead. It's a shame it ended how it did as we could have actually had a race between the Championship leaders. At least the result closes the gap in the title race, regardless of the rights and wrongs of the incident.