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.

 

[Dartman]

Would it not be easier to introduce the yachting rules for rounding a bouy, but translated to cars: "If an overlap is gained within a cars length of the corner then the leading car must keep clear", the corner can be indicated with a marker, no arguments it becomes the leading cars responsibility to to avoid a collision within track limits, the overtaking car must be under enough control to avoid a collision within track limits minus a cars width.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Would it not be easier to introduce the yachting rules for rounding a bouy, but translated to cars: "If an overlap is gained within a cars length of the corner then the leading car must keep clear", the corner can be indicated with a marker, no arguments it becomes the leading cars responsibility to to avoid a collision within track limits, the overtaking car must be under enough control to avoid a collision within track limits minus a cars width.

From experience there can be differences of just where the buoy is and where one length is located in choppy conditions. Bot yes, I agree Dartman.

 

[Dartman]

Bill Boddy , the problem in yachts is that unless One Design the boat length varies, the bouy or marker is where it is, not as marked, however with motor racing they are all basically One Design in each formula, and any variation in length is in cms not feet as in yachts, so as everything is fixed then transferring the rule to motor racing is fairly simple.

 

[Brogan]

Good grief.

RB are still whining like a bunch of annoying ****s.

They claim they have data which proves the first lap was the fastest Hamilton took that corner during the race.

So fucking what.
It was also the fastest Verstappen took it during the race.

Just fuck off.

 

[olegg]

In the waiting of battle

 

[cider_and_toast]

View attachment 14721 In the waiting of battle

Christian Horner already has a legal team using this as proof that Verstappen had to defend himself from a brutal and unprovoked assault by Lewis Hamilton.

 

[sobriety]

[Pendant]Did he threaten him with a jar of golden(boy) syrup?[/Pedant]

 

[olegg]

I liked how Brandl announced a week ago that Red Bull has evidence
about deliberate actions by Hamilton ... and silence until now

 

[P1]

Red Bull lodge request for FIA to review Hamilton penalty following Silverstone clash with Verstappen | Formula 1

Red Bull have lodged a 'petition for review' with the FIA over the 10-second penalty Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton received for colliding with Max Verstappen at the British Grand Prix earlier this month.

www.formula1.com

What a waste of time. Wolff should give the title of team manager to the team's counsel and then let Horner spend his time in courtrooms instead of winning.

 

[Il_leone]

They can get a decision change if there is new conclusive evidence ie Hamilton drove into Verstappen like Schumacher

They are trying to dq Hamilton because time penalty would lose him 10pts by switching Leclerc and Bottas

Considering some of the dangerous things other drivers have done and not dq this is ridiculous

 

[sobriety]

Merc should just wheel in and old TV/VCR (like we had at school in the 80s/90s), play a clip of Verstappen on Stroll at Portimao last season, then play a clip of Horner defending his move, then shrug.

 

[Il_leone]

This is now becoming like 1976 when Hunt won but was disqualified because Ferrari protested but things did turn Hunt and Mclaren's way in the end although not the way it should have...so Red Bull should be careful what they wish for as things may come back and bite them

 

[F1Brits_90]

the sprint race is seemingly here to stay

Over 2 million viewers watch F1’s first Sprint in UK

F1’s new look format, trialled over the British Grand Prix weekend, helped audience figures improve in the UK, consolidated data released by BARB suggests. The Silverstone weekend was Channel 4’s o…

motorsportbroadcasting.com

 

[Andyoak]

I hope that they don't think it's because they introduced the sprint race.

They're getting good viewing figures because it actually looks like there's a competition for the championship this year.

 

[cider_and_toast]

There's a number of factors, it was something new, it was on free to air TV, it was shown later in the afternoon when more people were home and people are still not going out as much due to Covid.