Poll Out of Ten - 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix

[Kamui-FastestChefInTheWorld]

Yep, think so. Apart from the last few laps, that was a great race wasn't it?

 

[FB]

As Monaco races go it wasn't too bad.

 

[mjo]

Exciting down to crashes and Hamilton's implosion really - although even without those it would have been more thrilling than other Monaco races anyway.

 

[gethinceri]

"extra things to think about besides the pedals and the steering wheel"
I'm sure other formulae he's driven in have additional controls ExtremeNinja

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Senna said that the purest racing he was ever involved in was karting. It is natural that more than raw driving ability is challenged at the premier racing series. The demand on the driver increases as you go up through single-seater series and this is theoretically how drivers progress, or not, to F1. Pure racing ability isn't and shouldn't be enough in F1. Sorry, gethinceri, that I exaggerated Perez's point a little with my choice of words.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well I saw a preview of "Rush." So now I'm an expert in pure racing

 

[teabagyokel]

Hmmm... I can't give it more than a 7, I'm afraid. I don't know why, there was just a feeling in my gut that wasn't quite right in comparison to last season's end races. Perhaps it is because the race win was decided by FIA incompetence - i.e. the DRS automation system did not work, allowing Alonso's DRS to fail open. Perhaps I thought we were robbed of an epic battle for a race win there, and some idea of who was on top this season.

Down the field, the racing was very good (although Webber was taking swipes defending, as per...) but it just felt wrong somehow.

 

[sushifiesta]

Why does Alonso's DRS failure have anything to do with the FIA?

 

[teabagyokel]

DRS should not have failed in the open position, and the automated system (as I understand it) enforces that.

 

[Brogan]

I believe it was a mechanical failure with how the actuator was fixed to the wing.

There's not much that can be done about that.

 

[sushifiesta]

The teams all have their own systems though don't they? It was a mechanical failure not an electronics failure.

 

[pirateplunder]

It also didn't 'fail in the open position' by which i assume you mean locked open - it broke mechanically, and went beyond open. Completely Ferrari's fauly and nothing to do with the FIA.

 

[Fenderman]

I think you hit the nail on the head again teabagyokel. Alonso's DisasteRouS device, Massa's punctures, Hamilton's grid penalty and McLaren's inept teamwork provided some of the entertainment. Quite a few notably good drives and a handful of classy overtakes provided some more. Some mickey mouse DRS zone overtakes added to the fun ... but. The artificially-induced-nondurable tyres (so obviously compromised by the high temperatures ) delaminated Hamilton into 9th on the grid before the race even started and screwed Massa's easily punctured race after he'd made a respectable start.

Vettel slithered through to take the lead and apart from one classyish overtake that seems to have convinced the commentators that he is now God, cruises to an easy win. The only surprise to me is how over-excited about that the commentators and pundits got. It seems to have escaped their notice that none of his competition were compromised by poor driving or a comparative lack of skill. Whilst I take nothing away from the lad for achieving another fine victory, Seb' had a walk in the park. His key challengers were, IMHO, all compromised one way or another by a combination of penalties, tyre bollocks and DRosS.

The key ingredient that I, personally, require of a race before it gets more than a 7 out of me is a right royal dust up for the lead in the final stint of the race. Yes, I enjoyed it as a spectacle but without that last critical piece of tasty pie a 7 it is.

Sorry to repeat myself but, hey,

 

[teabagyokel]

In that case Brogan, sushifiesta and pirateplunder I humbly retract that criticism of the FIA. I hereby submit the new criticism that if it is possible for DRS to fail open, it should be banned for safety reasons.

 

[Brogan]

I fully support that

 

[Fenderman]

It also didn't 'fail in the open position' by which i assume you mean locked open - it broke mechanically, and went beyond open. Completely Ferrari's fauly and nothing to do with the FIA.

With respect, it failed whilst fully open. The fact that it had apparently flipped up beyond the "stops" (designed to prevent such a thing happening) meant that it failed in an open position and was clearly not shut. i get what you mean, though.

Regarding the failure with regard to the FIA, whilst not exactly relevant it should be noted that since Australia, the telemetry from race control to the cars has been disabled due to an as yet unidentified problem with the communication software. This means that all notifications from race control with regard flags and DRS enabling/disabling are done by the trackside marshalling system. The cockpit warning lights that back up the signalling system have been disabled. Since no-one has paid any real attention to that we have no idea whether or not this has adversely affected the drivers. That is, apart from the recent chucklesome multiple_driver_Yellow_Flag_under_DRS_incident.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I totally agree with teabagyokel's comments about the gut feeling and have also awarded this race a "Seven". Maybe it was just the BBC coverage which seemed a bit flat and lackluster or maybe it was something else but afterwards I could barely get a feeling more than a "Meh" out of it. Shame really because the ingredients were there for a fantastic race but ho hum.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I hereby submit the new criticism that if it is possible for DRS to fail open, it should be banned for safety reasons.

I pointed this possibility out when DRS was first introduced and I was shouted down by people saying that it was impossible for it to happen I also said it again when Schumacher's DRS failed open and people said it was an anomaly due to the merc's double DRS I suppose it is just as well it didn't happen to Alonso at the end of the long straight in China doing 200mph into a hairpin....

 

[Mephistopheles]

Due to recent comments I reiterate my 6 as a reasonable score for the race...

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

And someone could get hurt by these stupid disintegrating tyres too...