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

[sparkione]

Originally Posted by greentrumpet

Truly horrible circuit. The "racing" wasn't much better or worse than many other GPs, with some great drives by sportsmen at the top of a game that has lost it's way.

OK I'm wallowing in nostalgia and any passion held for 50 odd years may well pall but, looking at races at Clermont-Ferrand, Nurburgring, Watkins Glen, Brands etc with 4pots, V6s, V8s, V12s all easily identifiable by sound and colour makes the current "sport" look like slot racing.

Couldn't have put it better myself. So I won't try. Oi'll give it 2 (remember her?) which is being generous.

[GT6]

Blimey i thought it was just me thinking this race was bad, the points are showing just how poorly people thought the race was and even the motoring press has been less than polite about it

[Lancsbreaker]

Pretty boring for sure - although I'm not sure Lando Norris would agree - but I can't see how anyone can claim "Mercedes - killing F1 a race at a time" - what are they supposed to do, lose deliberately? The fact that LeClerc was apparently able to pressurise Bottas in the last couple of laps shows that there should have been the possibility of tighter competition, maybe if Vettel hadn't let his head go down after his qualifying issues......

[greentrumpet]

Originally Posted by sparkione

Couldn't have put it better myself. So I won't try. Oi'll give it 2 (remember her?) which is being generous.

Janice Nicholls! I remember h-er!

[Notso Swift]

Ouch, my 3 looks generous!

[GORDON STREETER]

Maybe they should liven it up and start the race like an oval circuit race with the faster guys at the back !

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Pretty boring for sure - although I'm not sure Lando Norris would agree - but I can't see how anyone can claim "Mercedes - killing F1 a race at a time" - what are they supposed to do, lose deliberately? The fact that LeClerc was apparently able to pressurise Bottas in the last couple of laps shows that there should have been the possibility of tighter competition, maybe if Vettel hadn't let his head go down after his qualifying issues......

I’m not trying to blame Mercedes or say they can do anything about it.Any sport where you pretty much know who is going to win before the contest starts gets people tuning out.That is F1 2019.

[gert]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

I can't see how anyone can claim "Mercedes - killing F1 a race at a time" - what are they supposed to do, lose deliberately?

It's not all Mercedes' fault. Even without the Mercedes in the race, there was no battle for 1st (Leclerc) or 2nd (Verstappen). Just Vettel moved from 5th to 3rd because he was out of position after qualifying and had a faster car. After that the top 5 (Sainz and Norris) stayed intact until Norris lost 5th on the last lap, because his car developed a problem.

Not that much better, is it?

[steve_r]

I've seen so many races that were much worse than this. There were fights for position, but in midfield. The press are latching onto this race to have a good moan about F1, which I admit is far from perfect. However, does absolutely no one care about the midfield battle?

[chunterer]

I actually gave it 5, far better racing down the field than Montreal and some other races this year, for example.

Are we just judging things on the procession at the front of the field?!

Plus I am a bit biased by the track, it's an 'old school' circuit that looks great on tv. But I agree with a certain team boss currently holding the F1 regulators to ransom ober the '21 regs when he said they should use the whole of the Mistral!

[morninggents]

It is an 'old school' circuit but I don't think it looks good on TV. I think the blue and red markings look absolutely crap. Much like the race.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by morninggents

It is an 'old school' circuit but I don't think it looks good on TV. I think the blue and red markings look absolutely crap.

The circuit layout and the surroundings are fabulous.

Write to the circuit owner and ask them to paint the stripes?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by steve_r

I've seen so many races that were much worse than this. There were fights for position, but in midfield. The press are latching onto this race to have a good moan about F1, which I admit is far from perfect. However, does absolutely no one care about the midfield battle?

I don't remember seeing too many mid-field battles and that was another problem, the actual TV coverage itself, with too much focus on the leaders.

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't remember seeing too many mid-field battles and that was another problem, the actual TV coverage itself, with too much focus on the leaders.

Off the top of my head, we had battles between -
Sainz and Verstappen (early on)
Ricciardo / Grosejean (Although Ricciardo himself forgot about this).
Both Williams (including an epic attempt by Russell)
Both Torro Rossos duelling over a few laps
The last lap overtakes betweeen both Renaults and Norris and Kimi.
Various overtakes on Giovanazzi, who was gradually going backwards
Stroll made up some places
Vettel made up a couple of spots.

In all, it was far from stagnant. Murray Walker would have loved it.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The circuit layout and the surroundings are fabulous.

I reckon Paul Ricard has a bigger gap between how it looks when you are there and how it looks on TV, than any other circuit.

It's a lovely place to visit. Beautiful setting, great viewing (albeit not all the way round most of the time), the stripes offer great angles and odd views. Weather is great. It's just terrific.

Almost none of that comes across on TV. The stripes whizzing by as the camera pans hurts the eyes, one corner looks exactly like another, you get no sensation of speed. It's just dull.

I see also that the French public decided to sort the traffic problems out by largely staying away - half empty stands and far-from-packed standing areas compared to last year.

[morninggents]

No, Murray Walker would have hated it. Even he wouldn't be able to see any good in current F1.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The circuit layout and the surroundings are fabulous.

Write to the circuit owner and ask them to paint the stripes?

Each to his own. I hate it.

[S griffin]

At least the runoffs are better looking than most seas of tarmac. And the abrasive runoff means you can't use it too often

[gert]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Various overtakes on Giovanazzi, who was gradually going backwards

Giovinazzi was on softs, clearly the wrong tire to be on, the car behind had DRS and just sailed by on the first attempt. And this repeated a few times until he pitted.

Originally Posted by steve_r

Vettel made up a couple of spots

2, indeed. Both on McLarens who chose not to fight him, in order not to compromise their own race.

So, I admit something actually happened, but I would call none of those a battle.

I agree on the Torro Rosso's and the last lap battles though.
But that's still not much, and the last one wouldn't have happened if Norris wouldn't have had a problem.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

I reckon Paul Ricard has a bigger gap between how it looks when you are there and how it looks on TV, than any other circuit.
It's a lovely place to visit. Beautiful setting, great viewing (albeit not all the way round most of the time), the stripes offer great angles and odd views. Weather is great. It's just terrific.
Almost none of that comes across on TV. The stripes whizzing by as the camera pans hurts the eyes, one corner looks exactly like another, you get no sensation of speed. It's just dull.
I see also that the French public decided to sort the traffic problems out by largely staying away - half empty stands and far-from-packed standing areas compared to last year.

I've not been but it does look to be a good circuit and the setting looks great. Agree that the red and blue lines may look different in the flesh but look crap on TV.

[chillibowl]

i felt it looked bad on my TV as well but thats because i watched the race replay via my broadcaster's online service which is only 720p @30fps...for me that quality (more so the frame rate im assuming) created a lot of blurring and even this strobe like effect as the camera panned across the blue lines.

obviously everyone has a different home set up and of course some may just dislike the lines regardless of the picture quality but i do wonder how much of the irritation at the look of the race was down to each of our own setups?

that aside the race was boring for sure but after a few days i think im more upset by the lack of creativity the organizers show here.

this track has a myriad of layout options and they really need to be...well more creative in the track layout they choose and in addition more aggressive with the tire compound selections. cant expect something different if they try the same thing every time right!

i also know this is not a popular idea but turn the damn sprinklers on!!!

i dont care if they know in advance when the water works will start or if some random number generator decides but they must try something somewhat different other then just blindly accepting these processions where 14 out of the 20 runners are essentially guaranteed to be lapped.

missed opportunities!

[JeremySmith]

A major yawn fest, what a terrible idea racing at this place ...