2024 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX (STC=Sportswash 'Till Clean)

[erwin greven]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Stroll out! Crashes after an unforced error: hitting the barrier inside, damaging the suspension. Smashes into the Techpro barrier

[Aty]

Wow - Bearman! beats Norris and Hamilton in his first race.

Half of the field is living in no man's land, hoplessly behind. (Thank you FiA for your style of governance.)

Sergio had somewhat a better day. (Until penalty 5 sec)

Sauber needs something. I am not sure what it is, but curent configuration is good for crying loud. Alpine the same.

Ferrari is after Pierre Waché. RB will be in trouble if he leaves. Newey would have to return to car design.

[White six]

twenty years time 'about time that fecking bearman retired'

[White six]

Red bull ordering another truckload of cigars for max

Not needing to try

[PTRACER]

The thread is empty of comments after Stroll's crash. No comment about the rest of the race at all while it was happening. That says it all.

[P. Cornelius Scipio]

The thread is empty of comments after Stroll's crash. No comment about the rest of the race at all while it was happening. That says it all.

sadly there is not much to say after yesterday's race apart from the fact that it proved once again that the result is 95% car 5% driver so I wish all the luck in the world to Max if he wants to move to Mercedes. I'd say that with Max's car any driver on the grid would win the WDC

Other than that good effort from Bearman

[PTRACER]

The thread is empty of comments after Stroll's crash. No comment about the rest of the race at all while it was happening. That says it all.

sadly there is not much to say after yesterday's race apart from the fact that it proved once again that the result is 95% car 5% driver so I wish all the luck in the world to Max if he wants to move to Mercedes. I'd say that with Max's car any driver on the grid would win the WDC

Other than that good effort from Bearman

What about the people say "if it's 95% the car, why doesn't Perez win half the races?"?

[P. Cornelius Scipio]

The thread is empty of comments after Stroll's crash. No comment about the rest of the race at all while it was happening. That says it all.

sadly there is not much to say after yesterday's race apart from the fact that it proved once again that the result is 95% car 5% driver so I wish all the luck in the world to Max if he wants to move to Mercedes. I'd say that with Max's car any driver on the grid would win the WDC

Other than that good effort from Bearman

What about the people say "if it's 95% the car, why doesn't Perez win half the races?"?

because when two drivers are in an equal car the remaining 5% means that the best driver wins, and Max is better than Perez

on top of that the Red Bull is designed around Max (quite obviously as he's the best of their drivers), it's a car designed to suit Max's use of rotation and that doesn't suit Perez

yesterday no one from the other teams could touch Perez despite the fact that Perez is certainly a better driver than some people seem to think but I have no doubt whatsoever than people like Leclerc, Piastri, Norris, Hamilton etc are better than him

[MonteCristo]

Turn 1 while watching race highlights.

My brain: "Wait, is this Singapore? Am I watching the right highlights?"

[Aty]

JV commented that last year the championship was won by a driver (Max), not a car. This year Max just continues where he left it in Dec. I am not convinced that "anyone" can win with that car. Max doesn't makes too many mistakes, if any, but the others they do. Max said, they (team) give me a car, ask me to drive it and that's what I do. There are no discussion from my side how to design car. (As it's habit in recent time at Mercedes.)

[Star]

Well I completely chuffed up and set the recorder for Sunday night for the highlights, great except they were on Saturday night, duh!! My daughter found some highlights for me on You Tube, and hooked them up to the tv for me to watch but they were only 20 minutes so I didn't see that much of the race at all sadly. Anyway, here's what I thought of whatI actually got to see.

Norris made an awful start, he sort of jump started, realised he'd done it and stopped again then got bogged down so lost out big time sadly. Perez was feisty trying to get by Leclerc but he managed to hold him off. Bearman made a good and steady start, well done to the young lad, it had to be difficult for him being mid pack like that but he held his nerve.

Shame for Gasly that he had to retire the way he did and the Stroll just misjudged it and threw his car into the barrier. That's about what you'd expect from him sadly.
The safety car brought chaos into the pit lane and Alonso got held up, good work by the others though, including Red Bull who did a great job stacking their drivers and not losing places in the process. Hamilton and Norris chose to stay out and both lost out to some degree by doing so.

There were a few overtakes I did see, Magnussen was over optimistic on that move on Tsunoda and Piastri did such a great job then couldn't hold onto the place after he passed Hamilton sadly.

Max scampered off and had his 100th podium finish, another win chalked up for him, but he didn't get the fastest lap as Leclerc managed to steal that from him.

Bearman getting that Ferrari up to 7th and holding off Norris and Hamilton at the end of the race was amazing. He should be super proud of himself for that and no wonder he got driver of the day. Seeing his dad in the pits was sweet, the poor man couldn't stand still, but his son did him proud. He's a young man to watch for the future that's for sure.

[Everso Biggyballies]

I wasnt able to watch the race live but did managed to watch highlights this morning. I knew I couldnt spend the day amongst racing friends and not one of them spoil the result for me so chose to watch highlights.... just the 10 minute version though. I got back from Phillip Island and have now watched the recording.



Some odds and sods.....


4 British drivers in the points, Russell, Bearman, Norris and Hamilton in 6th 7th , 8th and 9th respectively..
The last time that happened was I believe France 1968 when Surtees, Stewart, Elford, and Courage all finished in the points. (2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th respectively. Points were only 1st-6th then. Another Brit, Dickie Atwood came 7th and missed out.

Bearman also became the third youngest GP starter and also third youngest pointscorer.... both instances behind Max and Stroll.
He also became the 68th driver to score points on debut.
Last Brit to score on debut was Paul di Resta in Australia 2011.

Red Bull went to 4th in the all-time winners. Their 114th win takes them past Williams and. behind only Mercedes (125) McLaren (183) and Ferrari (243)

Max took his 100th podium today.... only 6 others have scored more: Lewis, Schu, Seb, Alain Prost, Fernando and Kimi.
He has now led the drivers’ championship for a greater percentage of his career than did Ayrton Senna (29.81%).
It was also his 9th consecutive win tie-ing him for 2nd with Vettel. Of course Max also has the outright lead with the 10 consecutive wins from Miami to Italy last year (2023) He could go 1st= with himself in Australia, next race.

Only two team have graced the podium this year, Red Bull with 2 x 1-2s and Ferrari with 2x 3rds, one each for Sainz and Leclerc.

[Star]

Given the Australian race is two weeks away, I am guessing Sainz will be fit to race. Albon came back quite quickly as I recall and he had complications after his operation. Sainz had no such complications as far as I know so it could be that the two weeks break is long enough for him. Only time will tell on that one I guess.

Like most driver I suspect he'll be itching to get back into the car, especially after that drive by Bearman.

[Vassago]

The thread is empty of comments after Stroll's crash. No comment about the rest of the race at all while it was happening. That says it all.

F2 feature race was easily the best race of the weekend

[DoubleFart]

Given the Australian race is two weeks away, I am guessing Sainz will be fit to race. Albon came back quite quickly as I recall and he had complications after his operation. Sainz had no such complications as far as I know so it could be that the two weeks break is long enough for him. Only time will tell on that one I guess.

Like most driver I suspect he'll be itching to get back into the car, especially after that drive by Bearman.

I was told nothing strenuous for 4 weeks after I had mine removed. I couldn't believe it when Albon returned at Singapore of all places just 3 weeks post-op.

Sainz will probably be confirmed for the weekend after first practice.

[Star]

Given the Australian race is two weeks away, I am guessing Sainz will be fit to race. Albon came back quite quickly as I recall and he had complications after his operation. Sainz had no such complications as far as I know so it could be that the two weeks break is long enough for him. Only time will tell on that one I guess.

Like most driver I suspect he'll be itching to get back into the car, especially after that drive by Bearman.

I was told nothing strenuous for 4 weeks after I had mine removed. I couldn't believe it when Albon returned at Singapore of all places just 3 weeks post-op.

Sainz will probably be confirmed for the weekend after first practice.

Ahh but we're mere mortals, F1 drivers are a whole other breed when it comes to things like this

You're probably right, he'll try FP1 and then he and the team will see if he's fit enough to race.