Rate the 2021 Bahrain GP

[Aty]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Race exhibited refreshing change at the front. I applaud that.

- The end of happiness -

A) Race was also demonstration of wrongs which should be denounced by everyone who loves to see more than just two cars in action.
B) I am not impressed by F1 management filling up a grid with cars which are unquestionably unprepared to race.
C)Why we should applaud pretences we have testing session dubbing as a race?
D) Why we should be happy with Ferrari declaring they are just about to stop ancillary racing activities and focusing on 2022?
E) Are we always going to live for next year, rather than deal with life we have today?
F)Tommorrow is important in planning, but it can't be more important than today.
G) Why we should be happy with shoddy stewardship? (Not that that's something new in the F1).
H) I have a lot on my mind associated with words like shameful... but I will stop right here.
I) Race is 6 for reasons stated above.

A) That's your opinion, of course.
B) It's not managements job to fill the grid with competitive cars. It's the teams respnonsiblity.
C) Simple.....don't.
D) "We" don't have to. Why do you?
E) Ditto.
F) Today's too late. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of time.
G) Repsonses C and D are applicable, again.
H) Good.
I) Answer A works.

Methinks you're not really into F1. I suggest a good movie on Sundays instead.....

It's complicated, and only a few like to go beyond headlines, but I do understand it's not everyone's cup of tea. I will however address one comment in you response:
"It's not managements job to fill the grid with competitive cars. It's the teams respnonsiblity."
My turn - if so, then get management out of the way, so people can actually discharge said responsibility. (Just a wild thought.)

[jimclark]

It's complicated, and only a few like to go beyond headlines, but I do understand it's not everyone's cup of tea. I will however address one comment in you response:
"It's not managements job to fill the grid with competitive cars. It's the teams respnonsiblity."
My turn - if so, then get management out of the way, so people can actually discharge said responsibility. (Just a wild thought.)

How is management in anyone's way??? You've lost me there.....
If anything, that's (sorrowfully) coming with cost caps and testing time handicaps.
It is the teams obligation to arrive with competitive cars, rules being the same for all; not FIA's or F1's to "level" the playing field to produce a better show (not sport)....... That's why it's called the sport of F1 (not the "F1 Show"), compete the best you can and may the best team and driver win their championships.
Example: McLaren way down and back up again without the aid of F1 management handicapping anyone. They just clawed there way back with their own efforts.

[PTRACER]

I rated it a 7. It was nice to see them much closer together during practice and qualifying, but the two leading cars finished 37 seconds ahead of everyone else, the tyres seemed to handle quite poorly and dropped off the pace too rapidly, the stewarding was inconsistent. I'm looking forward to the end of this current formula already.

[Aty]

It's complicated, and only a few like to go beyond headlines, but I do understand it's not everyone's cup of tea. I will however address one comment in you response:
"It's not managements job to fill the grid with competitive cars. It's the teams respnonsiblity."
My turn - if so, then get management out of the way, so people can actually discharge said responsibility. (Just a wild thought.)

How is management in anyone's way??? You've lost me there.....
If anything, that's (sorrowfully) coming with cost caps and testing time handicaps.

It is my opinion that teams had never entered in hybrid era from the same baseline, yet they faced the same regulatory conditions imposed by FiA / commercial rights holder. Teams had and still have hands tied behind their backs when it come recovery work. People should be allowed to make a mistake, and have opportunity to correct it as they see fit. That's how you make series shine, that's the way of engineering.

We don't have such conditions today IMO.

Alonso said something long time ago, which is worth repeating on this occasion. Paraphrasing, F1 is the only top sport, in which actors aren't allowed to train and hone their skills. Think about it and how we got here to this point. It was also Alonso, while still driving for McLaren, who came clean and said loudly what everyone on the inside knew all along, that his team was using races as substitute for testing grounds. They had to, for there was no other opportunity. Track data are still needed despite advanced sim technology at home. (It was on track when Honda discovered faulty calibration on their dyno, not before).

I am not sure anymore whether circulation around the track and flashing various decals with sponsors names is more important than racing itself, and that's where we are.

[erwin greven]

It is my opinion that teams had never entered in hybrid era from the same baseline, yet they faced the same regulatory conditions imposed by FiA / commercial rights holder. Teams had and still have hands tied behind their backs when it come recovery work. People should be allowed to make a mistake, and have opportunity to correct it as they see fit. That's how you make series shine, that's the way of engineering.

We don't have such conditions today IMO.

Alonso said something long time ago, which is worth repeating on this occasion. Paraphrasing, F1 is the only top sport, in which actors aren't allowed to train and hone their skills. Think about it and how we got here to this point. It was also Alonso, while still driving for McLaren, who came clean and said loudly what everyone on the inside knew all along, that his team was using races as substitute for testing grounds. They had to, for there was no other opportunity. Track data are still needed despite advanced sim technology at home. (It was on track when Honda discovered faulty calibration on their dyno, not before).

I am not sure anymore whether circulation around the track and flashing various decals with sponsors names is more important than racing itself, and that's where we are.

[jimclark]

I am not sure anymore whether circulation around the track and flashing various decals with sponsors names is more important than racing itself, and that's where we are.

Finally, we agree on something.

I've been saying that for years and been admonished for doing so. Worse, there are the "fans" of auto "racing" that don't realize that rarely, in any real race, are there so many cars that run so close together as there are now. Yet they want them to be even closer, race in and race out.
It's shear folly to think that teams should all show up with cars that that run at exactly the same quickness.....for those "fans" enjoyment of a good race (actual correct vocabulary is close show...). I guess that has it's place for those that don't wish to see the best rise to the top, rather, to see that good show.

My problem is, as always (and I expect so more razzing), there are so many other venues that have been ruined by the "scripting" of the show.....oooopppss.....I mean "race" .....(IndyCar's single, spec, cars; NASCAR's nearly the same; Sports cars BoPing. "Longevity of equipment" rules for lower cost? Horse feathers.....guarantee that those mobile billboards have a better chance to last the whole races for the sponsors benefit. 'Got to protect the revenue...)

I know, my same old story. Just having competed in many different competitions....different sports....I didn't/don't believe in degrading a "sport" by "leveling the playing field" for the entertainment of those that don't appreciate/understand what goes on behind the scene's to make a real sport real competition, rather than just another (fictional) live "Grand Prix", "Days of Thunder", or "Driven".

It was said best on Earnhardt Junior's show....I forget the interviewee....(paraphrasing) "I was called to the office after the race and was told that I 'was welcome to race here' but if I didn't stop winning by so much, I wouldn't be allowed back. 'You're ruining our business'. I stopped winning by so much to put on the show."

Is that what "we" want? Apparently so.....just well disguised so "we" can fool "ourselves" into believing it's not entertaining fantasy, it's sport .

Sad.

I digress.

[StargazerGaul]

7/10

I disliked that when Hamilton and Verstappen were to "meet" on the track Hamilton, I think it was him, went to the box. No fight, booo. Also, good fight in the midfield, but I think that those pit stops are ruining the flow. Else than that, quite a solid race, wish to see more fights between the backmarkers. I haven't seen MSC at all, except for his spin.

[Circuitmaster]

If there's any good to come from the pit strategy (Who's gonna jump first) situation, it means that when we do get on track action, it tends to happen at the end of the race.

Silver lining I guess. But I'd rather have more on track action, naturally!

[Kai-Star]

Finally got around to watching and went with an 8. The midfield is going to be crazy this year. The upfront battle was poised for that finale but the track limits is souring in my mind. Surely with the reliability of the cars, the way they are, that we can go back to some form of penalty for leaving the track, ala gravel or something similar.

[Ruslan]

Finally got around to watching and went with an 8. The midfield is going to be crazy this year. The upfront battle was poised for that finale but the track limits is souring in my mind. Surely with the reliability of the cars, the way they are, that we can go back to some form of penalty for leaving the track, ala gravel or something similar.

Well, gravel has problems. I was wondering if they could just sculpt the off track areas with initially a slight downward slope before it levels off. I think that would be enough to guarantee that you cannot get an advantage from exiting the track without creating more hazards.

[Circuitmaster]

Strip of grass/gravel/anything that would damage the floor. Tarmac beyond that.

[Ruslan]

Strip of grass/gravel/anything that would damage the floor. Tarmac beyond that.

I don't want to damage anyone...I just don't want them to get an advantage from exiting the track.

[MonteCristo]

Strip of grass/gravel/anything that would damage the floor. Tarmac beyond that.

I don't want to damage anyone...I just don't want them to get an advantage from exiting the track.

Giving them enough of a disincentive (aka: threat of damage) will keep most of them away (apart from somebody like Mazepin ).

[Michkov]

I find Goodwoods solution for that good. Still got your tarmac runoff to keep the car under some control if you overcook the corner, bu there is a distinct change in surface at the entry and exit that forces you to keep on the track.