[Official] Rate the Grand Prix: Russian Grand Prix 2019

[Born Racer]

What's your score?

[chillibowl]

8. Things dont always play out in the most exciting way but the ongoing strategy implication that ran through this race were great. More of a cerebral race then a visual one and i liked that. Very Russian i guess.

Also like how race control kept us involved.

Plus MiGs.

[Akrapovic]

3. It looked like it was about to be a great battle between team mates for the lead. That didn't happen and nothing happened after that.

[Neil22]

6, not the best and not the worst race so far.

[bjohnsonsmith]

As a race, I didn't think it was particularly good but I thought it was intriguing, in that Ferrari had got themselves into this mess and it became a matter of how are they were going to rectify this. When it looked like they had, Vettel's engine went, causing him to stop on the track and bringing out the VSC. Lewis and Mercedes, who were hoping for such an opportunity, got lucky and took advantage of it. 6

[gert]

4.

It had potential for a nice battle but that never materialized after the SC and Mercedes lucking in on the top 2 positions. It was all stale from that point on

[GT6]

5 from me

[Aysedasi]

7. Would have been 6 but I added another one on for Albon's performance.

[Alan52]

Compared to most of the previous snoozefests at Sochi it was a 10.Compared to most of the races after Paul Ricard it was a 6.Split the difference and gave it an 8.

[Casper]

I think Ferrari's new game plan is an interesting approach. It seems to me they don't have the confidence to back themselves to run away at the front preferring to instead place MB in particular at a disadvantage by manipulating positions and restricting the race pace but this is only the second race where they have very visibly tried this sort of tactic. It will be interesting to see if they continue to pursue this policy of restrict and contain other teams in this manner. I suspect they still cannot get their heads around the idea that they might have a faster or at least equal car at last and their team tactics also have Italian confusion built in which lets them down. An interesting race from that POV and I bet Mercedes are still shaking their heads and wondering how a team can stuff up so badly so many times.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Casper

I think Ferrari's new game plan is an interesting approach. It seems to me they don't have the confidence to back themselves to run away at the front preferring to instead place MB in particular at a disadvantage by manipulating positions and restricting the race pace but this is only the second race where they have very visibly tried this sort of tactic. It will be interesting to see if they continue to pursue this policy of restrict and contain other teams in this manner. I suspect they still cannot get their heads around the idea that they might have a faster or at least equal car at last and their team tactics also have Italian confusion built in which lets them down. An interesting race from that POV and I bet Mercedes are still shaking their heads and wondering how a team can stuff up so badly so many times.

I think they may have damaged their driver relationship beyond redemption too. Well done Ferrari.

[Casper]

That could well be but as the drivers don't have a choice of moving teams due to very few if any options they will all have to get over it and march on so to speak. I doubt if anyone will say exactly what happened and all the speculation is just pointless but the internet is the internet and in the end all we do is speculate without facts 99% of the time.

[TrapezeArtist]

7. I almost gave it an extra point for the delicious irony of a broken Ferrari causing a safety car which gave Mercedes just the opportunity they needed to jump the other Ferrari.

BTW, the post-race stuff on C4 was full of comments about who was lucky or unlucky with the safety car. Teams spend all those millions and it comes down to luck! It's time to ditch the safety car and find a better solution.

[S griffin]

6. Some interesting strategy, mid race drama and some great overtakes by the RBRs

[S griffin]

To be fair the VSC isn’t the most artificial thing to decide races. Besides it’s always nice to see a few surprises

[Adam43]

Minus 72,000 for a level of dullard we haven’t seen commentary since 2008.