[Official] Rate the Grand Prix: Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2017

[Born Racer]

What score does it get from you?

[Aysedasi]

9. Hugely enjoyable - plenty of drama and unexpected results. I stayed awake the whole race!

[marcel82]

It was highly enjoyable, got quite a few laughs in. But it was enjoyable because nobody thought of bringing their brains, wasn't it?

So.. 8?

[Richard C]

Some actual good racing and plenty of non-racing drama. I found it enjoyable and maybe the best that I can remember in recent history. A number of memorable moments. Vettel hitting Hamilton twice, Stroll on podium, Bottas drive from the rear to take 2nd, Bottas last second pass on Stroll, Hamilton holding his car together with one hand while driving with the other, Alonso scoring first points for McLaren this season. And that is just some of the memorable moments. I gave it a 9/10.

Richard

[Razor]

Very entertaining. Filled with drama, controversy and unexpected results. Stroll on podium, McLaren scoring points and to top it off Riccardo winning. And they said Baku was boring.

[bjohnsonsmith]

There I was thinking we were all in for the usual snooze fest as Hamilton drove off into the distance but no. Thisa was so much like an IndyCar street race. Cautions breeding cautions. Drivers banging wheels. Drivers getting themselves back on the lead lap. Three wide down the main straightaway on the restart. Drivers getting stop and go penalties for running over the tyre hose. No that didn't happen. It all made for a pleasant change.

8

[ASCII Man]

Very enjoyable race, Stroll trying to keep ahead of Bottas was very exciting stuff to watch, shame it ended in such an anticlimactic manner as Bottas just walked all over Stroll with a lame DRS pass at the finish line.

Gave it an 8.

[GT6]

Well that race had just about everything, best race so far by a mile so gets a 9 from me

[fieldodreams79]

Most entertaining F1 race I've seen in years. I'd give a 10 if not for the red flag. Good fun and interesting throughout!

[Lancsbreaker]

It was messy, and as many drivers commented "crazy", but by heaven's it was entertaining, and even gave me a break halfway through to make the bacon butties .

If there hadn't been some outbreaks of stupidity (Hello, Seb) and Max hadn't had a breakdown, it could have scored higher - but still an 8!

[steve_r]

8 - glorious chaos.

I'm sure last year was a snoozefest at this track (??), so this was unexpected.

[TrapezeArtist]

I gave it 7.

Obviously the entertainment value was way above that, but for all the wrong reasons.

When will someone realise that the safety car is incompatible with a sporting event? Kick it into touch and use the virtual safety car every time.

It also struck me that if they got rid of wings, barge boards, diffusers and any other appendages there would be much less debris on the track. Which on it's own would mean fewer safety car periods. And would mean that F1 cars could return to being cars instead of upside-down aeroplanes.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

I gave it 7.

Obviously the entertainment value was way above that, but for all the wrong reasons.

When will someone realise that the safety car is incompatible with a sporting event? Kick it into touch and use the virtual safety car every time.

It also struck me that if they got rid of wings, barge boards, diffusers and any other appendages there would be much less debris on the track. Which on it's own would mean fewer safety car periods. And would mean that F1 cars could return to being cars instead of upside-down aeroplanes.

They don't have this problem with the SC in IndyCar and 4 of the calendars venues are on street courses. The problem with the SC, as with this Sunday's race, is the lead driver sets the pace prior to the restart.

In IndyCar, after the starter gives the “one lap to go” before return to green-flag conditions signal, cars must line up in single-file formation with no gaps or lagging between cars. The leader of the field under the yellow condition, is required to maintain pace lap speed until reaching a designated point (restart cone) where the leader is required to accelerate smoothly back to racing speed and the green condition will be declared. If the leader or any other car accelerates before the restart cone, the restart may be waved off and/or cars may be penalized. Equally, If the leader or any other car accelerates before the restart cone, the restart may be waved off and/or cars may be penalized.

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

They don't have this problem with the SC in IndyCar and 4 of the calendars venues are on street courses. The problem with the SC, as with this Sunday's race, is the lead driver sets the pace prior to the restart.

In IndyCar, after the starter gives the “one lap to go” before return to green-flag conditions signal, cars must line up in single-file formation with no gaps or lagging between cars. The leader of the field under the yellow condition, is required to maintain pace lap speed until reaching a designated point (restart cone) where the leader is required to accelerate smoothly back to racing speed and the green condition will be declared. If the leader or any other car accelerates before the restart cone, the restart may be waved off and/or cars may be penalized. Equally, If the leader or any other car accelerates before the restart cone, the restart may be waved off and/or cars may be penalized.

Yes, of course the F1 safety car start procedure is appallingly bad and there must be numerous waysthat it could be better. It's not just Indycar that does it better, every non-gearbox kart race has a rolling start too.

My biggest gripe is with the concept of using a safety car at all. Allowing drivers to recover the ground they have lost to a faster car/driver is fundamentally counter to the concept of a sporting contest. The "virtual safety car" ispretty good and desperately under-utilised at the moment. I think perhaps it could be improved by adding a super-low speed limit (using an etension of the pitlane speed limiter) in any area that required it (ie where marshals are on track).

Sadly I have to conclude that the safety car is an ecuse for spicing up "the show" and we F1 fans used to be highly disparaging of Indycar and Nascar for using that method. Yesterday David Coulthard openly expressed the opinion that the safety car was being used that way.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

Yes, of course the F1 safety car start procedure is appallingly bad and there must be numerous waysthat it could be better. It's not just Indycar that does it better, every non-gearbox kart race has a rolling start too.

My biggest gripe is with the concept of using a safety car at all. Allowing drivers to recover the ground they have lost to a faster car/driver is fundamentally counter to the concept of a sporting contest. The "virtual safety car" ispretty good and desperately under-utilised at the moment. I think perhaps it could be improved by adding a super-low speed limit (using an etension of the pitlane speed limiter) in any area that required it (ie where marshals are on track).

Sadly I have to conclude that the safety car is an ecuse for spicing up "the show" and we F1 fans used to be highly disparaging of Indycar and Nascar for using that method. Yesterday David Coulthard openly expressed the opinion that the safety car was being used that way.

I'm not talking about the rolling start, at the beginning of the race but restarts under the SC.

[chillibowl]

9 for the drama....some good some bad but overall incredibly entertaining and unexpected for me.

[F1Pete]

It went from a 10 at the start to a 0 when Kimi got hit. It stayed at a 0 and started to claw its way up to a 5. The drama kept on happening and it eventually clawed its way to a 9.

Then when I reflect back on Kimi's outcome it goes back down the toilet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I'm not talking about the rolling start, at the beginning of the race but restarts under the SC.

I know. But I don't see any difference between a rolling start and a rolling restart.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

I know. But I don't see any difference between a rolling start and a rolling restart.

This will explain the difference in IndyCar. I'm not too sure about NASCAR but it's probably similar.

https://www.indycar.com/Fan-Info/IND...s-and-Restarts

[S griffin]

9

Got a bit cringeworthy at times, but it was never dull

[skycafe]

8 What a weird bit of chaos.

[Tourer]

8 - wonderful chaos and I really like the venue & track layout, it just seems like a special place.

[Neil22]

9, couldn't tear myself away.

[brands]

Manic but good race, not on the same level as the 2003 headrest GP though.

7

[Sodemo]

Pretty enjoyable race. I would give it an 8, but the poll has closed.