58 replies to this topic

[LolaB0860]

Ho, ho, ho.

 

 

It's almost Christmastime and Tiny Tim is in the oven or something, but before that we still have two more Grand Prix to go in the everlasting FIA Formula One World Championship calendar.

 

So how are you feeling.

 

I think the Middle-East races are always the best places to ask for opinions and feelings, which is why I often do just that. Especially now that they're the de facto openers and finales of every marathon season until the end of times (Melbourne 2025 being sole exception).

Edited by LolaB0860, 26 November 2024 - 19:35.

[Frood]

I’m actually more annoyed about the laughable 10-week gap since the last F2 race! How to kill any championship excitement 101.

[P123]

I can't vote- both forgettable, and a sign of the season overstaying it's welcome (even if it has been excellent).  I'm glad Max won't be clinching the title in the dark of the desert.  That reminds me... Green F1's obsession with night races.  That gimmick is well overdone now. 

[Analog]

I’m actually more annoyed about the laughable 10-week gap since the last F2 race! How to kill any championship excitement 101.

Yeah... it like finding a pizza in the sofa and you don't remember how it got there, how long it has been there or what kind of pizza it is. But you eat it anyway.

[ARTGP]

Yeah... it like finding a pizza in the sofa and you don't remember how it got there, how long it has been there or what kind of pizza it is. But you eat it anyway.

 

This is barbaric 

Edited by ARTGP, 26 November 2024 - 21:31.

[Analog]

I can't vote- both forgettable, and a sign of the season overstaying it's welcome (even if it has been excellent).  I'm glad Max won't be clinching the title in the dark of the desert.  That reminds me... Green F1's obsession with night races.  That gimmick is well overdone now. 

Definitely overdone! 

[LolaB0860]

I’m actually more annoyed about the laughable 10-week gap since the last F2 race! How to kill any championship excitement 101.

 

It's actually 11 weeks this year, next year "only" 10 weeks 

[Anderis]

I like Abu Dhabi for some reason.

[pdac]

I can't get excited or otherwise by the prospect of a race at a particular track. For me it's about the race, not the venue. Sure, some venues offer the likelihood of better races than others. But it's never guaranteed and so I'll always wait and see how it turns out rather than making assumptions that may or may not be dashed.

[Risil]

I'm glad Max won't be clinching the title in the dark of the desert.

 

The lush pastures of Clark Country, Nevada!
 

[Grippy]

This is barbaric 

Especially when you find piizza stains around the cat-flap and realise the cat dragged it in from parts unknown

[MikeTekRacing]

 I'm glad Max won't be clinching the title in the dark of the desert. 

the surprise you'll have when you'll realize where Las Vegas is located...

[jonklug]

Gotta say I love the "Lame Duck" expression, whoever came up with that originally, 10/10 

[Brawn BGP 001]

After Brazil I wanted that drivers title to be decided ASAP and I'm glad this title "race" was over last week, now we can just focus on the racing and not on a 0.1% chance of a title.

Edited by Brawn BGP 001, 26 November 2024 - 23:39.

[Fastcake]

After Brazil I wanted that drivers title to be decided ASAP and I'm glad this title "race" was over last week, now we can just focus on the racing and not on a 0.1% chance of a title.

Focusing on the racing at Qatar and Abu Dhabi is a tough prospect. If only we ended on two good circuits.

[P123]

The lush pastures of Clark Country, Nevada!
 

 

Beggars can't be choosers. 

[JimmyClark]

Qatar is going to be very dull this year. In 2021 it had the novelty interest and the title fight, and in 2023 the conditions made for a bit of drama. But this year, they've moved it to avoid any temperatures related dramas and it is just a very, very bland track.

As for Abu Dhabi, we've now had 15 races there and probably I can count memorable moments on one hand. Most of which were caused by it being the title deciding race rather than the circuit itself.

[jonklug]

How can you vote "Santa is stupid" what has happened to the children inside our souls 

[Okyo]

I used to like Abu Dhabi in a way, the vibe it had as a night race in the desert. 

Now it's just another night race in the middle east built with oil money.

F1 really having a hard time at letting go of that nipple. 

Edited by Okyo, 27 November 2024 - 07:33.

[PayasYouRace]

the surprise you'll have when you'll realize where Las Vegas is located...

I thought that was the joke.

[Clatter]

After Brazil I wanted that drivers title to be decided ASAP and I'm glad this title "race" was over last week, now we can just focus on the racing and not on a 0.1% chance of a title.

The WCC is still in play.

[Spillage]

The season should really end at Interlagos or Suzuka. Apart from anything else the F1 season ending just before Christmas is a joke. It should end in October.

[PayasYouRace]

Qatar is probably the best of the sorry bunch, aside from Bahrain’s outer circuit which needs to host their Grand Prix every time.

And there’s some consolation in Abu Dhabi having those modifications made to remove some of the worst corners, but it’s still a soulless oversize go-kart track. Just shows that money can’t buy class.

[LolaB0860]

Now it's just another night race in the middle east built with oil money.

If even one of the Middle East races would be held in daylight, even that little thing would make them seem slightly less samey.

But no. Even the Qatar Sprint ™ is the same.

Edited by LolaB0860, 27 November 2024 - 09:11.

[Stephane]

Half of Abu-Dabi is in the day, so there's that. Same for Bahrein.

[Anderis]

It should end in October.

I beg to differ. I remember when it ended in October and I felt the off-season was too long by about a month.

 

But 16-17 races and season end in October was how it was when most of you were young so that's what you'll be always advocating for, won't you? And it can't end in the Middle East either because it didn't back then.
 

Edited by Anderis, 27 November 2024 - 09:49.

[BRG]

Gotta say I love the "Lame Duck" expression, whoever came up with that originally, 10/10 

It is said to have first been used on the London Stock Exchange to describe a stock broker unable to cover his debts.  It now describes politicians competing their terms having lost the last election, or of course pointless desert night races loathed by all true race fans.

[Alexis*27]

I hope the last two races have that 1995 "end of term" vibe where none of the drivers really cared and threw caution to the wind.

Edited by Alexis*27, 27 November 2024 - 09:57.

[Sterzo]

Gotta say I love the "Lame Duck" expression, whoever came up with that originally, 10/10 

Already in use in London by the mid eighteenth century. England's first Prime Minister used the expression.

[JeePee]

And it can't end in the Middle East either because it didn't back then.

 

No crowds, no heritage, no unique tracks. Just oil money and sportswashing. We like the opener and closer to be something special, and these middle east tracks just ain't that.

[LolaB0860]

Half of Abu-Dabi is in the day, so there's that. Same for Bahrein.

There's like 20 minutes of sunset conditions at Abu Dhabi before the floodlights overpower everything.

And Bahrain is fully in the dark???

Edited by LolaB0860, 27 November 2024 - 15:18.

[jonpollak]

I’d be ok with the Bahrain oval configuration ..
What a tasty race that was.

Jp

[LolaB0860]

I’d be ok with the Bahrain oval configuration ..
What a tasty race that was.

Jp

Yes Bahrain oval in daylight would be fine, as the sole ME GP

[LolaB0860]

Eh JP, the word 'tasty' combined with my memory of Grosjean being almost burned alive gives me the most unpleasant connotations. Besides: without crashes and pit-stop mistakes this race could be a bore-fest of following cars for 1,5 hours.

The Grosjean crash was in the regular GP layout race, not the oval one

[PayasYouRace]

Eh JP, the word 'tasty' combined with my memory of Grosjean being almost burned alive gives me the most unpleasant connotations. Besides: without crashes and pit-stop mistakes this race could be a bore-fest of following cars for 1,5 hours.

Grosjean’s crash happened in the race on the full circuit.

The race on the outer circuit was the dramatic one which Perez won.

[Nemo1965]

I like Abu Dhabi for some reason.

 

Me too. I really like to drive it in the sim. Probably because I'm pretty bad at sim-racing (always about seven seconds from the world leading times) but also because at least you can see the damn apexes from cockpit-view. (That corner 8/9 combo at Austin just drives me crazy, for example.) The fast sweep through 10,11 and then braking for 12 is a nice challenge. 

 

EDIT: I deleted the post about Grosjean's crash. What-a-mistake-to-make!

Edited by Nemo1965, 27 November 2024 - 15:28.

[Stephane]

There's like 20 minutes of sunset conditions at Abu Dhabi before the floodlights overpower everything.

And Bahrain is fully in the dark???

 

I don't know why but i was sure for Bahrain. Isn't there another 'transitionnal" race ? 

[JHSingo]

Qatar's not a bad track. It's high-speed and you can see the cars really on the limit, unlike Abu Dhabi. Plus, I remember last year's races there were pretty decent. 

[LolaB0860]

I don't know why but i was sure for Bahrain. Isn't there another 'transitionnal" race ?

No, but the F2 races at Jeddah are

[Risil]

Qatar's not a bad track. It's high-speed and you can see the cars really on the limit, unlike Abu Dhabi. Plus, I remember last year's races there were pretty decent.

It feels vaguely treacherous to say it but Qatar is usually one of the best MotoGP races of the year

[registered]

It feels vaguely treacherous to say it but Qatar is usually one of the best MotoGP races of the year

Treacherous indeed when we have Philipp Island on the calendar!

[IrvTheSwerve]

Me too. I really like to drive it in the sim. Probably because I'm pretty bad at sim-racing (always about seven seconds from the world leading times) but also because at least you can see the damn apexes from cockpit-view. (That corner 8/9 combo at Austin just drives me crazy, for example.) The fast sweep through 10,11 and then braking for 12 is a nice challenge. 

 

EDIT: I deleted the post about Grosjean's crash. What-a-mistake-to-make!

That part of the circuit is the same for either configuration anyway.

[flymo]

I like the Qatar circuit; feels like a proper test and I enjoy the desert ambiance.  Abu Dhabi just doesn't do it for me; track is a bit dull, setting seems overwrought with opulence, weird proboscis hotel thingy is just absurd.

[Goron3]

Qatar is probably the best of the sorry bunch, aside from Bahrain’s outer circuit which needs to host their Grand Prix every time.

And there’s some consolation in Abu Dhabi having those modifications made to remove some of the worst corners, but it’s still a soulless oversize go-kart track. Just shows that money can’t buy class.

If they just introduced some proper gravel traps at AD I think I'd love it much more. It still feels like a test circuit.

 

(Funnily enough I'll actually be there for the test after the race. Probably the least excited I've been about visiting a new track but I've heard the restaurent that overlooks the track is excellent).

[Risil]

If they just introduced some proper gravel traps at AD I think I'd love it much more. It still feels like a test circuit.

 

(Funnily enough I'll actually be there for the test after the race. Probably the least excited I've been about visiting a new track but I've heard the restaurent that overlooks the track is excellent).

 

Restaurant review please

[MikeTekRacing]

I thought that was the joke.

my brain didn't catch that....   on me

[Brawn BGP 001]

The WCC is still in play.

That is actually an interesting and quite close title battle and not mentioned too much by the media, hopefully they will hype it up a bit more.

[Risil]

That is actually an interesting and quite close title battle and not mentioned too much by the media, hopefully they will hype it up a bit more.

I'm onboard for over the top WCC hype. Max who??? You must mean Red Bull driving employee A.

[FirstnameLastname]

I'm onboard for over the top WCC hype. Max who??? You must mean Red Bull driving employee A.

The Double Desert Duel 2024

EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE!

[FirstnameLastname]

‘The battle for 6th in the constructors is at BOILING POINT in the desert heat’