[Official] Rate the race: Bahrain Grand Prix

[Adam43]

Maybe he's right. After all we enjoyed it. That isn't what most people watch F1 for.

[mattt]

i give it a 9, was right up there with the recent great races. the interteam battles especially the mercedes were breathtaking

[Alfaholic]

Proper racing - team mates battling each other and inter team battles throughout the field.

Plus team orders: "Sebastian can you let Ricciardo past, he is faster than you". I never thought I would hear that this year!

[cobraRed01]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

Up until that point a good solid 7 was on the cards as there was still racing through the field.

Yeah, it's interesting to note that the way the full course caution bunched everyone up at the end really made for a nail-biter finish. Great fun. Ironically, this is exactly how Nascrap tries to engineer many finishes. Granted the full course here wasn't engineered and is actually a demonstrative example of the capricious nature of the fortunes of auto racing... but anyone who wants to see more F1 races like this one should be careful what they wish for. ;-) A full course yellow is an ugly thing. Regardless, it was a really exceptional race throughout.

[wnut]

Gave it an 8. Think it may be a bit generous!

Anyway, I have been banging on for years, that everyone would actually enjoy watching wheel to wheel racing, and the technical regulations should do everything possible to facilitate it!

Pity nobody but Merc really showed up, bit worried about the integrity of the duel for first following Paddy Lowe's message. Why was it necessary for someone that senior to get on the radio to make such a limp wristed statement? "Bring it home" sounded like hold your positions. What ensued was good if slightly confusing to watch nevertheless.
I suspect the real race for first was completed before the first pit stop!

I am sure Maldonado just had a "serious technical problem" like we saw with Kobayashi who actually admitted to screwing it all up on the back of Massa's car in Melbourne!

How much less dangerous are these two incidents than Ricciardo being allowed to drive 5 meters with a loose wheel for a ten place grid penalty?


P.S. Felipe - epic start!

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by wnut

How much less dangerous are these two incidents than Ricciardo being allowed to drive 5 meters with a loose wheel for a ten place grid penalty?

Much less dangerous. But is that the point?

Drivers take the risk of being in the car, which has an immensely strong crash structure.

Wheel coming off at speed in pitlane = incredibly dangerous for pit crew, wall crew, camera crew. Anyone in the lane, and also outside the lane depending on how far it goes.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by JamesH

Much less dangerous. But is that the point?

Drivers take the risk of being in the car, which has an immensely strong crash structure.

Wheel coming off at speed in pitlane = incredibly dangerous for pit crew, wall crew, camera crew. Anyone in the lane, and also outside the lane depending on how far it goes.

I don't subscribe to the whole "Drivers take the risk of being in the car" thing!
I still think that Massa getting struck in the head by the spring dropped from the Brawn never received the attention it should have - talk about reckless endangerment!

However: If the wheel had come off James, I would have no argument that the penalty should have been incurred, but it did not!

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by wnut

I don't subscribe to the whole "Drivers take the risk of being in the car" thing!
I still think that Massa getting struck in the head by the spring dropped from the Brawn never received the attention it should have - talk about reckless endangerment!

However: If the wheel had come off James, I would have no argument that the penalty should have been incurred, but it did not!

So, and I'm going to bring in an analogy here....

If you try to kill someone, but fail, that's OK? "It's fine, I know he tried to cut your head off with a chainsaw, but he missed, so he's free to go"

Just because something didn't happen, doesn't mean the circumstance that might cause it can be ignored.

As for drivers in cars - in the pitlane, being in the car is the safest place....nicely wrapped in carbon fibre crash structure, surrounded by fire extinguishers, no free wheel is going to hit you. On the track, its another story, but that is what the drivers sign on the dotted line for.

[pauln]

The rule on wheels and the pitlane has to be hard and fast - like the wheel should be.

Otherwise you get into interpretation and trying to judge subtle degrees of difference, which would lead to more complaint. This way, the wheel is either secure or it's not and everybody knows the consequences if they get it wrong.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by JamesH

So, and I'm going to bring in an analogy here....

If you try to kill someone, but fail, that's OK? "It's fine, I know he tried to cut your head off with a chainsaw, but he missed, so he's free to go"

Just because something didn't happen, doesn't mean the circumstance that might cause it can be ignored.

As for drivers in cars - in the pitlane, being in the car is the safest place....nicely wrapped in carbon fibre crash structure, surrounded by fire extinguishers, no free wheel is going to hit you. On the track, its another story, but that is what the drivers sign on the dotted line for.

I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure the analogy here is quite right. This was an accident without consequences as opposed to an accident with consequences. It's a bit like the difference between a fatal or non-fatal RTA that was caused when you didn't see an oncoming car on exiting a junction. The penalty for one is far greater than for the other. Red Bull didn't mean to let him go, it was an accident, a mistake if you will. That's possibly the point wnut was trying to make.

[canamman]

Originally Posted by F1Pete

Back to the Brian Johnson thing.....I have been watching F1 since the GV days. When an old driver like Jackie Stewart or Niki Lauda does an interview....sure us guys who have been following F1 have an idea who these people are. For new fans, these guys don't mean a thing. I will read on F1 news somewhere about the answers to the important questions. Having a celeb who a lot of people can relate to interview the drivers to me is a cool thing or at least a change from the norm (I guess I was just Thunderstruck like the other guy who posted). Every podium interview is mostly a post celebration and congratulatory so there hasn't been too many tough questions asked that require answers. Gone are the Peter Windsor interview days in the serious setting post race (We don't get post race interviews (the serious ones) on tv anymore.

I agree. It makes it that much more legit when the celeb is a car guy/racer like Brian. We still get the serious interviews at post quali.