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26 Jun 2017, 15:25 (Ref:3746982) | #1 | ||
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Baku Beyond.
Last weekend the City of Baku held a race around the streets of the town (if you get my meaning), and I have to admit that I could not put my finger on Azerbaijan on a map of Azerbaijan, in fact I thought Azerbaijan was something from a Disney film.
Never mind my ignorance of European geography, let's get to the race, which in itself was a most unusual affair as it was exclusively for Prams! Now the circuit itself is quite narrow in many places and with so many excitable children involved it was no great surprise that a great many toys were thrown out of so many prams! Indeed the track was often littered with them even to the extent that Mummy and Daddy had to step in to clear up the mess on more than one occasion, in fact they had to suspend the competition at one stage so dire was the state of the roads. Some of the kiddies indulged in a friendly game of 'bumper cars', thoroughly enjoying the chance no knock lumps out of each other, and see their friends crashing into walls. Even the best of friends were at it, not that the parents were tickled pink about it, as at one stage it produce an ocon effect, causing one's best friend to leave the party entirely. Two of the roughest boys started a fight, and blows were exchanged, so one had to spend time on the naughty step for being really naughty. At the end of it all Ricky Teeth managed to pass all of the other prams even though he was one of the first to indulge in some biff bang, biff. With the second little boy also having bashed into a rather nice red pram at the beginning of the race, it would seem that a bit of rough and tumble was the way to go after all. The littlest little boy was very well behaved and unlucky to only end up third when a bigger boy pushed him over at the end. When it was all over, it seemed that the 'Very Naughty Boy' had wheeled his pram better than the other, 'Not Me Guv' youngster so got more brownie points, which made Little Master Innocent quite cross. " He deserves a weally good spanking." So while some Dads went home glowing with pride at their kids having shone, probably the only truly happy people were the Baku street sweepers, who must have been of overtime rates. Did anyone else see the race? |
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26 Jun 2017, 15:29 (Ref:3746983) | #2 | ||
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This is by far the best track they visit on the calendar, imo. It's absolutely wild.
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26 Jun 2017, 15:32 (Ref:3746985) | #3 | ||
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Nice one Bauble..
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26 Jun 2017, 15:32 (Ref:3746986) | #4 | ||
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It certainly was fun to watch which is something I don't say very often.....
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26 Jun 2017, 20:41 (Ref:3747110) | #5 | |
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It was fun, but I still think things need to improve, they were a bit slow at getting cars away at times. And I still think turn 8 is too narrow
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26 Jun 2017, 23:07 (Ref:3747129) | #6 | ||
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Brilliant race report Bauble - I think that you should do these more regularly.
I really like the track and the choice of tyres added to the weekend's shenanigans. Wonder if those naughty boys will come out to play again? Maybe not for a few races I suspect - then again, there may be some pouting and payback to come. |
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27 Jun 2017, 06:57 (Ref:3747196) | #7 | ||
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It's a joke track in a country most of us haven't heard of , with zero motor sport heritage. Race attendance looks comparable with a Snetterton club meeting , as was so apparent on the parade lap , where the only things drivers had to wave at were miles of catch fencing and empty buildings. Still we had that well known racing fan Mariah Carey's gracious attendance to make up for that but even this diva couldn't compete with the surreal grid ceremony involving the woman on the giant tea cosy.
Race was entertaining, if partly for the wrong reasons - hissy fits - but the boy Stroll done good and how delightful to see three drivers on the podium who were having the time of their lives instead of looking like smacked arses |
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27 Jun 2017, 16:12 (Ref:3747354) | #8 | ||
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i wouldnt say its a joke track in that it presents a unique challenge for the teams and drivers. one they clearly have not gotten to grips with so its worth being on the calendar imo.
attendance is poor though but a race with this level of drama could change that if marketed and priced correctly...hopefully we start seeing larger and larger crowds as the years go on. |
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27 Jun 2017, 16:31 (Ref:3747356) | #9 | |||
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Quote:
There are only spaces for around a maximum of 20,000 spectators - both standing and seated - (up from the initial 10,000), but more importantly, there are only about 5,000 hotel beds, a good number of which are taken up by the F1 circus and groupies. So where are the spectators going to stay, assuming that the locals have no interest (as in so many of these new tracks - no motor racing heritage). And for travellers, there are very few direct flights from countries that do support foreign F1 races, and what flights are available are very expensive. And Baku is hardly a tourist destination. |
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27 Jun 2017, 17:37 (Ref:3747368) | #10 | ||
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wow!
didnt realize it was that low...i was thinking it attracted numbers along the lines of Bahrain which i believe is still also on the low side but not all together dire. shame as i am, because of this years race, really starting to like this circuit a lot. |
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27 Jun 2017, 17:37 (Ref:3747369) | #11 | |||
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All of which clearly makes it a perfect choice for a series where decisions are primarily dictated by TV revenue, rather than the needs of paying punters........... |
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27 Jun 2017, 17:40 (Ref:3747371) | #12 | ||
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It's the best circuit on the calendar, imo.
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27 Jun 2017, 17:54 (Ref:3747377) | #13 | ||
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280 days...... |
27 Jun 2017, 21:15 (Ref:3747466) | #14 | ||
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I like a circuit that punishes mistakes, and concrete walls have a tendency to do that, I also liked the mix of wide fast sections with some very nadgery stuff.
Downside is what the heck are we doing in a motor sport wasteland like Azerbaijan in the first place? Total lack of atmosphere, I watched the MotoGP from Assen, the crowds were phenomenal and obviously enjoyed the action. How inspiring to see spectators getting excited, at Baku you could have held a 'spot the spectator' competition. Close proximity to hard objects does add a degree of interest to even a turgid race. |
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28 Jun 2017, 06:33 (Ref:3747535) | #15 | ||
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It redeemed itself by being a good race - but as said above, WTF is F1 even doing there ? Watch Spa , Silverstone, Brazil or Monza and you will see countless thousands of enthusiasts having the time of their lives at proper circuits and adding hugely to the atmosphere. Great race in Baku , shame it was watched only by three men and a dog - and Mariah Carey of course .
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28 Jun 2017, 09:05 (Ref:3747554) | #16 | ||
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I enjoyed to watch the race, the track isn´t bad, that´s for sure! However, the lack of atmosphere is typical for Baku. I was there in may this year and almost everything in the city-centre is artificial. I doubt if there will ever be a kind of atmosphere. The facades are perfectly renovated, everything is clean and reminds you of other cities in Europe. It´s kind of soulless. That´s not bad, but it doesn´t fit when you consider that most people in Azerbaijan are still very, very poor (one of the reasons why there aren´t many spectators). I talked to some people and they didn´t care about F1 and/or aren´t able to afford the prices.
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28 Jun 2017, 09:16 (Ref:3747557) | #17 | |
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I agree, no matter how good the race, the lack of spectators are telling. That's something Liberty need to keep in mind with regards to which races go on the calendar
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28 Jun 2017, 11:42 (Ref:3747578) | #18 | ||
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Mind you, did someone mention Maria Carey? That would eliminate the cost savings. Sounds like the sort of place they should earmark for the first all electric F1 GP. Seek out a race strategy for recharging the batteries during one of the red flag periods .... having a 3 car team might be useful for that purpose. |
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28 Jun 2017, 21:28 (Ref:3747681) | #19 | ||
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Yes, I spotted Mariah Carey. At first I thought it was the Michelin Man.
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29 Jun 2017, 07:35 (Ref:3747745) | #20 | |
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Liberty have been mentioning getting more places where the spectators are and putting on good event for them too, so hopefully lessons are learned from Baku
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29 Jun 2017, 08:18 (Ref:3747753) | #21 | ||
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I believe that the manufacturers of baby carriages have been delighted with the coverage.
By the way who is Mariah Carey is she Chase's wife? |
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29 Jun 2017, 08:44 (Ref:3747756) | #22 | ||
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Shows yet again what happens when these prima donnas race at a track with no run off - they hit each other or the walls!
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29 Jun 2017, 14:50 (Ref:3747808) | #23 | ||
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