Formula One: 2019 Chinese Grand Prix

[paracletus]

Re: Leclerk / Ferrari:
Having looked again, it wasn't initially too bad to let SV through to see if he could keep up with Merc (we've seen other teams do that), but when it was it clear that it made no difference the places should have been swapped back quickly.

 

[Nick Hill]

How much did Ferrari/LeClerc pay for the constant TV and broadcast coverage they got? Until lap 46 the announcer's and camera crew's stayed locked on that combo.

They were desperately hunting for a story line to materialize in what was an incredibly stale race, I think.

The powers that be aren't really thinking about those of us who watch every race no matter what; rather, they are aiming I think towards the casual and/or lapsed fan who might just sort of be keeping a watch on the series out of the corner of their eye. Those fans heard a lot of chatter about Leclerc coming out of last race and I suspect the hope was a few of them might have tuned in this week to see what was up.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

indycar is a spec series where all the cars are all artificially bunched up, like watching rental karts race in a parking lot with orange cones.

Spec series means all cars are equal, and there is no development on the cars from the teams.
As there are team development on the cars in IndyCar, it is factually not a spec series.
The cars are not artificially bunched up either...

 

[snyperal]

I'm not a fan of these early days team orders. Well done to LH though, took a lot to get the jump on the quick starting Bottas. I wonder if the pressure got to him?

 

[Paulo Ribeiro]

I am loving 2019 F1 season!

Thank you FIA F1 organizers.

Thanks to you, I'm saving money and saving my body from sleeping pills.
Everytime I need to sleep, just start watch an ultra 400 km/h straight speed and corners at 399 Km/h speed.

By far, the more boring autosport of all.
More of the same as usual....

Boring, boring and boring...

 

[Jack Straw]

Yep, another F1 "Pinnacle Of Motorsport" snooze fest. At least there's Indy Long Beach on TV in a couple of hours. My gripe from last season about the announcers persists this year. They are honestly awful but having Karun Chandok on pit duty helps as he is enthusiastic and has a great voice. I sure miss Will Buxton.

 

[bgil66]

What a tiring train of a race, again! Somebody please save F1!!
And get Crofty outta there, his voice just goes right threw me when he's yelling!! lol

 

[CreamyCornCob]

Spec series means all cars are equal, and there is no development on the cars from the teams.
As there are team development on the cars in IndyCar, it is factually not a spec series.
The cars are not artificially bunched up either...

Same tires, motors, chassis, bodywork, same uprights, same drive shafts, mandated wing angles, ZERO development of the car, no aero or chassis modification, same steering wheel, all parts must be purchased from Dallara (except dampers) - indycar is as SPEC as SPEC as it gets.

And with that, all the cars are identical (exception dampers) thus creating artificial 'good close racing' and all bunched up, its not, its only close because all the cars are the same.

Roger Penske even calls indycar spec.

 

[Michael Lowe]

I have to say, today was the first time in a while that I simply gave up on the race. Once the first round of pit stops were complete, that was it as a spectacle, and it wasnt really one before that. It's not the end of the world, it had actually been a very good start to the season.

 

[Slowdive]

What a snoozefest. Both my wife and I fell asleep. And that's something as usually at least one of us stays awake through an F1 race. This was like watching F1 Hotlap Simulator 1000. The Chinese GP of 2019 only felt like 1000 laps.

 

[Jack Straw]

So, who really cares if Indycar is a spec series? For most race fans what counts is competition between drivers and doubt about the outcome. I'd bet most viewers don't give a hoot about the "superior technology of F1" when the events are dull as dog dirt.

 

[CreamyCornCob]

So, who really cares if Indycar is a spec series? For most race fans what counts is competition between drivers and doubt about the outcome. I'd bet most viewers don't give a hoot about the "superior technology of F1" when the events are dull as dog dirt.

Its not about caring, if you would have read, it was artificial 'good racing' and 'bunched up' being a %99 spec series. I'd take that bet in a second, in the US, F1 is destroying indycar in TV ratings. China's race wasn't mind blowing, no. But one OK race doesn't equate to people not caring. 10's of millions of racing fans around the world care. Kinda shows here don't it?

 

[Celestiale]

Ferrari is just about to become Williams with more money. Apart from their drivers, mechanics and their engine they are just horrible in every department...
- horrible chassis
- horrible strategy(sts)
- horrible communication skills
- horrible people management skills

As a Ferrari fan the last 5 years have been such a disappointment...firing Arrivabene is not nearly enough, every one in the management and strategy department should get displaced.

 

[Enagee]

Ferrari is just about to become Williams with more money. Apart from their drivers, mechanics and their engine they are just horrible in every department...
- horrible chassis
- horrible strategy(sts)
- horrible communication skills
- horrible people management skills

As a Ferrari fan the last 5 years have been such a disappointment...firing Arrivabene is not nearly enough, every one in the management and strategy department should get displaced.

Lot of harsh words from Ferrari fans, it's only the third race ,last year Mercedes recovered half way in the season.. Support your team through the good and bad times....Definitely a boring race but some guys keep saying F1 is boring, I won't watch F1 .. You still end up watching the next race .. Just quit watching Already!!!!!

 

[CreamyCornCob]

So, who really cares if Indycar is a spec series? For most race fans what counts is competition between drivers and doubt about the outcome. I'd bet most viewers don't give a hoot about the "superior technology of F1" when the events are dull as dog dirt.

And heres the end of the indycar race theres been zero passes have been made on track for position. So, using your analogy, most fans don't give a hoot when the event is dull as dog dirt, correct? Zero passes is dull right?

 

[MoerasGrizzly]

Ferrari is just about to become Williams with more money.

Williams hasn't had engine failures or their car disintegrating on them mid race though

 

[Sasha Jednak]

Re: Leclerk / Ferrari:
Having looked again, it wasn't initially too bad to let SV through to see if he could keep up with Merc (we've seen other teams do that), but when it was it clear that it made no difference the places should have been swapped back quickly.

While I agree with your point, it was too risky to do the back-switch since Max was just 2sec behind Leclerc. And that would put him into DRS of Vettel for sure, and thus giving him chance to stay in contact in DRS train Leclerc-Vettel-Max. It was just poor reading of data before initial switch. Since Vettel was only faster in S2 because he probably used more battery to stay in DRS, and that helped him to stay close in S3 while saving battery.

 

[Sasha Jednak]

What a snoozefest. Both my wife and I fell asleep. And that's something as usually at least one of us stays awake through an F1 race. This was like watching F1 Hotlap Simulator 1000. The Chinese GP of 2019 only felt like 1000 laps.

Hotlap sounds like people driving on the edge all the time, this was more like F1 Cruising Simulator 1000.

 

[Pheebau]

What's beyond me is why did Ferrari waited so many laps ( I believe 10 ) to pit Leclerc!? Given the 5 secs difference with Verstappen at the end, it would have at least given him a chance to catch and pass him since he was faster in the last 15 laps - I see no rational for having waited that long in first and second pit stops. Am I missing something here?

I'd certainly be upset if I was Leclerc.

 

[kondor999]

Even the highlight vid on YT was boring.