F1 season start - Austria

Harika · 03-07-2020 9:38am #1

Race thread.
Bad weather expected for Friday, but nice and warm on Sunday.

skipper_G · 03-07-2020 10:04am

God it is good to see cars on track

Harika · 03-07-2020 10:37am

First flying lap for Perez engine smoking failure

pjohnson · 03-07-2020 10:42am

That Mercedes is fcuking gorgeous.

Harika · 03-07-2020 10:58am

Early indications: pink and black Mercedes fast. McLaren too. Williams back in midfield.

Petyr Baelish · 03-07-2020 11:30am

Croft and DiResta are very hard to listen to on Sky. I might try the BBC commentary in the next session.

Harika · 03-07-2020 11:37am

Hamilton with same time than last year, Ferrari a second slower than last year. Red Bull three tenths slower.
Still first training. Qualifying the reality will be seen

skipper_G · 03-07-2020 11:39am

Mercedes 1-2. Everyone's just finding the rhythm still but it's obvious that the Mercs are ahead. Bottas 4 tenths behind Hamilton

eviltimeban · 03-07-2020 11:44am

Petyr Baelish wrote: »

Croft and DiResta are very hard to listen to on Sky. I might try the BBC commentary in the next session.

I thought Croft was great when he started, probably because he replaced Leggard. Now I find him tough to listen to, he's just too "jocular" and radio DJ like. Di Resta is just boring.

Really the only one worth listening to is Brundle but he only really shines when he's got someone good beside him. The last really good pairing was Brundle / Coulthard.

flazio · 03-07-2020 1:39pm

Ben Edwards and David Coulthard are a great pairing IMO. Ben has been around about since the mid 90s and is an amateur race driver himself. Motorsports man through and through.
Sadly all of channel 4 are working remotely, presentation is coming from a museum in Silverstone.

Those who have practice on one screen and work on another. Shame on you.
You should have timing information on the second screen, not your job.

quokula · 03-07-2020 2:01pm

Ben Edwards is great and undisputedly my favourite main commentator, going all the way back to when he was teamed up with John Watson at Eurosport. Coulthard is good 95% of the time but every now and then he comes out with some sexist innuendo or toilet humour - I can't think of an example, but often enough that I've noticed it and it puts me right off. Mark Webber is the same, they play off each other like two teenage boys in the paddock.

Not a big fan of Crofty, a bit too much forced excitement, while Brundle sometimes seems to be heading into bitter old man territory - he's a great commentator but with each passing year he seems to get a bit more opinionated and a bit less knowledgeable.

I think Anthony Davidson is one of the best when he steps in. Like Di Resta, he has a bit more up to date and in depth knowledge about how recent F1 cars operate, but unlike Di Resta he's also got a bit of personality.

All of the F1 commentators pale in comparison to Davide Valsecchi in Formula 2 though.

Jordan 199 · 03-07-2020 2:11pm

Carroller16 · 03-07-2020 2:35pm

Alex Jacques and Martin Brundle would be the dream scenario

Check out Alex Jacques commentary on the last lap of last years Brazilian GP

https://streamable.com/c1ik1

eviltimeban · 03-07-2020 3:28pm

Carroller16 wrote: »

Alex Jacques and Martin Brundle would be the dream scenario

Check out Alex Jacques commentary on the last lap of last years Brazilian GP

https://streamable.com/c1ik1

Meh, he has the same overexcited quality that Croft brings.

I KNOW Murray was the same. But Murray was Murray.

HighLine · 03-07-2020 3:32pm

Sickened seeing Mercedes so far in front. As expected but still... :mad:

Inquitus · 03-07-2020 3:43pm

Free Practice 2 results:

#1 2020 Mercedes
#2 2019 Mercedes
#3 2020 Ferrari

BikeRacer · 03-07-2020 4:04pm

https://twitter.com/wearetherace/status/1279004315756175360

https://twitter.com/wearetherace/status/1279067548223451136

quokula · 03-07-2020 6:06pm

BikeRacer wrote: »

https://twitter.com/wearetherace/status/1279004315756175360

https://twitter.com/wearetherace/status/1279067548223451136

That's stark. The Mercedes car may as well be in a different formula to the rest. As usual.

quokula · 03-07-2020 6:08pm

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-lodges-protest-against-mercedes-das/4824313/

Red Bull are protesting Mercedes' steering system. It's hard to see how any objective reading of the rules can possibly define the system as legal, but we will see.

Inquitus · 03-07-2020 6:35pm

quokula wrote: »

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-lodges-protest-against-mercedes-das/4824313/

Red Bull are protesting Mercedes' steering system. It's hard to see how any objective reading of the rules can possibly define the system as legal, but we will see.

It was developed with the knowledge and feedback from the FIA, hard to see how it can be banned given it already has been for 2021.

Top Dog · 03-07-2020 7:15pm

Inquitus wrote: »

It was developed with the knowledge and feedback from the FIA, hard to see how it can be banned given it already has been for 2021.

As it was banned due to new regulations, which have now been postponed for a year to 2022, would that not suggest that if its legal this year then it will still be legal next year? Or have I missed something?

03-07-2020 9:04pm

Probably said it most of the last 5 years but I can't get excited about the start of this season at all. Looks like it's going to be an even clearer run for Mercedes this year if they're well clear in Austria of all places.

Hijpo · 03-07-2020 9:50pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Probably said it most of the last 5 years but I can't get excited about the start of this season at all. Looks like it's going to be an even clearer run for Mercedes this year if they're well clear in Austria of all places.

Can you read that much into the cars so early?
Surely they will be tweaking this and that to find the right setup, is it a case that they just want the drivers to get the cars around the track while they gather data before a good stint in FP3 but with the reluctance of showing their hand early?

*relatively new to motorsport*

03-07-2020 10:15pm

Hijpo wrote: »

Can you read that much into the cars so early?
Surely they will be tweaking this and that to find the right setup, is it a case that they just want the drivers to get the cars around the track while they gather data before a good stint in FP3 but with the reluctance of showing their hand early?

*relatively new to motorsport*

Well Ferrari sound like they've written off this year and next year already. Mercedes usually hold back at least as much as anyone so if everyone else has time in their pockets Merc likely do too.

Frank Bullitt · 03-07-2020 10:44pm

Carroller16 · 03-07-2020 11:15pm

eviltimeban wrote: »

Meh, he has the same overexcited quality that Croft brings.

I KNOW Murray was the same. But Murray was Murray.

Unpopular Opinion.

Murray Walker is/was overrated.

Rodney Bathgate · 03-07-2020 11:19pm

Carroller16 wrote: »

Unpopular Opinion.

Murray Walker is/was overrated.

Agreed, he made far too many mistakes in his later years. He should have retired 5 years earlier.

03-07-2020 11:22pm

Gintonious wrote: »

Watching it right now, uncanny. :L

Frank Bullitt · 03-07-2020 11:29pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Watching it right now, uncanny. :L

The midfield is tighter, but Hamilton will waltz this season.

H3llR4iser · 03-07-2020 11:40pm

quokula wrote: »

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-lodges-protest-against-mercedes-das/4824313/

Red Bull are protesting Mercedes' steering system. It's hard to see how any objective reading of the rules can possibly define the system as legal, but we will see.

Well that didn't take long.

Roll on tomorrow and see what happens in qualifying - if Perez sticks it in second / third row, wait for Renault and McLaren to lodge their own protest against the Pink Mercedes...off to a great start we are.

seamusk84 · 03-07-2020 11:41pm

With the short length of the track I think the question now is how far up the field will Hamilton put a lap on the rest of the field on Sunday.

Watched P2....Merc are streets ahead. Even Merc Junior (Racing Point) look more hooked up than the rest!

Tea drinker · 03-07-2020 11:48pm

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

Agreed, he made far too many mistakes in his later years. He should have retired 5 years earlier.

Maybe you are right about retiring but he wasn't performing brain surgery, his mistakes had little consequence and were mostly humorous.

Inquitus · 04-07-2020 12:19am

Redbull protest rejected:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53285413

H3llR4iser · 04-07-2020 12:41am

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

Agreed, he made far too many mistakes in his later years. He should have retired 5 years earlier.

In all fairness, I've watched a lot of races from the 70s and 80s "in absentia", and he did the same mistakes even then - sometimes egregious, like mistaking anything vaguely red/orange on track for a Ferrari. I, watching a Youtube compressed video made of a degraded tape from the 1970s, recorded off of a 240i signal of questionable quality, could see it was NOT a Ferrari...

Faugheen · 04-07-2020 10:43am

Inquitus wrote: »

Redbull protest rejected:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/53285413

I was thinking this was ridiculous. Every man and his mother knew Mercedes were going to use this system from as far back as pre-season testing, yet Red Bull wait until now to kick up about it.

Chancers being chancers. If they had any genuine concerns they would have flagged it during pre-season testing.

duploelabs · 04-07-2020 10:52am

H3llR4iser wrote: »

In all fairness, I've watched a lot of races from the 70s and 80s "in absentia", and he did the same mistakes even then - sometimes egregious, like mistaking anything vaguely red/orange on track for a Ferrari. I, watching a Youtube compressed video made of a degraded tape from the 1970s, recorded off of a 240i signal of questionable quality, could see it was NOT a Ferrari...

Irregardless of his mistakes, I'd take Murray's enthusiasm over the 'top lad banter' that exists today with the current crop of commentators

SureYWouldntYa · 04-07-2020 10:56am

Wonder now will we really see Ferrari down the field, or if they were sandbagging all along

Red Bull being a bit coy hopefully means Max will be up and around the Mercs later on

skipper_G · 04-07-2020 11:31am

Red flag in FP3 as Latifi bins it into the barriers. Not the start he needed on his first qualifying day

Dont be at yourself · 04-07-2020 1:25pm

Grid predictions? I’ll go:

1. HAM
2. BOT
3. VER
4. PER
5. LEC
6. VET
7. ALB
8. SAI
9. STR
10. RIC

antodeco · 04-07-2020 1:32pm

Is Quali at 2 or 3?

jammiedodgers · 04-07-2020 1:37pm

2 I think

eviltimeban · 04-07-2020 1:49pm

Carroller16 wrote: »

Unpopular Opinion.

Murray Walker is/was overrated.

I never said he was one thing or another, under or over rated. He was just Murray Walker, and was the "voice of F1" for generations of people. For many, his voice on the TV was synonymous with Sunday afternoons.

Sure he made mistakes, and he had Brundle there to help him in the later years. But that was the point - we'd see a Ferrari go off and immediately think "was that Schumacher???" and Murray would vocalise that until he was corrected by Brundle or saw himself that it was, actually, Irvine.

Anyway back on topic. Mercedes running away with it, yawn. This is worse than the Vettel / Red Bull years as at least that went down to the wire most of the time.

BikeRacer · 04-07-2020 1:55pm

antodeco wrote: »

Is Quali at 2 or 3?

Starts in 5 mins

Top Dog · 04-07-2020 1:58pm

Faugheen wrote: »

I was thinking this was ridiculous. Every man and his mother knew Mercedes were going to use this system from as far back as pre-season testing, yet Red Bull wait until now to kick up about it.

Chancers being chancers. If they had any genuine concerns they would have flagged it during pre-season testing.

I don't think they were able to lodge a complaint until it was an actual race weekend.

Jordan 199 · 04-07-2020 2:08pm

The Alpha Tauri is beautiful.

BikeRacer · 04-07-2020 2:20pm

Russell almost into Q2. Williams making progress, great stuff.

skipper_G · 04-07-2020 2:20pm

Russell out, but smashed his rookie teammate and faster than both Alfa Romeos

04-07-2020 2:21pm

They go on about the environment, they should look at the waste of tyre rubber at the end of Q1 there.

Harika · 04-07-2020 2:22pm

Q2 will be a nailbiter, teams are so close together.

weekaizer · 04-07-2020 2:23pm

Harika wrote: »

Q2 will be a nailbiter, teams are so close together.

Except when merc turn on their engine everyone else is close together.

Faugheen · 04-07-2020 2:24pm

That’s a tremendous effort from Russell.

F1 season start - Austria

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