[Official] Rate the race - Chinese Grand Prix

[Born Racer]

What score do you give it?

[ECW Dan Selby]

Terrible ‘race’.

No actual battles until the final 6-7 laps.

Teams are now in a situation where there’s no point racing until the final laps, as it just does damage to their race.

I can’t remember the last time I saw so many non-battles. Drivers are no longer making any attempt to defend a position.

I have to do a complete u-turn on my philosophy. I gave the tyres a chance, and i’m all for aggressive strategies, but it’s officially killed the idea of an on-track battle.

Let’s please be sensible with DRS, too. Why stick it on a 1km long straight?! Zero common sense being applied. Let’s create another overtaking spot, surely.

I say we go back to last year’s tyres and be super aggressive with the compound choice (ie. using softs/super softs for 90% of the remaining races), and let’s be sensible about DRS placement.

I honestly could have done without 48 of those laps today, and that’s really sad.

(I voted a 3)

Selby

[b1ackcr0w]

Not bad, some interesting moments, but not a classic. 7

[Grandpa_Rob]

Excitement factor 8 for me.

[ECW Dan Selby]

I'm not meaning to ***** or anything, but honestly, does anyone remember a race with such little wheel to wheel battles?

Now i'm not talking in the refuelling era where no one had an opportunity to, I mean as far as having the opportunity to, but opting out?

I've been a fan for 15 years, and I can't remember the last time that every overtake looked like it was under a blue flag.

There was one real overtake, and that was Vettel on Massa in to the non-DRS hairpin.

Selby

[Tourer]

6 for me - not a great race by any means - plenty going on but it was too much like one of Mosely's "chess games" than a motor race. Gets a 6 for the anticipation of what would happen in the last few laps - turned out to be pretty good but take the whole weekend as a package and the path taken with tyres is not doing the sport any favours.

[Teretonga]

A bit of a yawn race but there were some good strategic battles so its at 7

[awrb]

I gave it an 8. exciting and tactical, I honestly dont get what people are moaning about.

thank you pirelli. and anyone who thimks otherwise, go back and rewatch 2004

[MCWB]

I actually thought it was brilliant. The DRS zones were a bit too long, but the strategy battle was intriguing. Start on options or primes, two stops or three stops, where are you going to drop in on the next stop, how many laps before the end should you put on the options and how much can you gain on them? If I didn't have the live timing in front of me it would have been a bit too much though!

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by awrb

I gave it an 8. exciting and tactical, I honestly dont get what people are moaning about.

thank you pirelli. and anyone who thimks otherwise, go back and rewatch 2004

I was just like you before this race.

Completely didn't get what all the moaning was about. I don't know what happened, but I just suddenly noticed we had zero on-track battles anymore.

No wheel to wheel. It all looked like blue flags, and that really, really sucks.

I think it's more of a 'me' thing. I just suddenly noticed and joined the dark side, I think

Selby

[awrb]

But Dan, if that's the case, that you enjoyed all this before but not this race, could it not just be this race rather than an overall F1 problem. Today was tactical and had very marginal tyres, but there will be other races that are different, races where there will be more aggressive battles. They can't be wheel to wheel every lap of every race, sometimes its a bit of tension from these differing strategies that make the race enjoyable.

[ECW Dan Selby]

I think more reasonable tyres (ie. not using the softs) would have helped. Better DRS placement, also.

But you're right. I've been cool with the first two races, but this one really took the biscuit, and more importantly, took the enjoyment out of it for me.

I just knew any time someone was cruising up behind someone, that was it. Game over.

That's not entertaining or even real really, is it?

The balance just felt so off today that it left me with such a bitter taste in my mouth.

Selby

[Knowlesy]

Another race spoiled by the tyre situation I am afraid. 6.

[awrb]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

I think more reasonable tyres (ie. not using the softs) would have helped. Better DRS placement, also.

But you're right. I've been cool with the first two races, but this one really took the biscuit, and more importantly, took the enjoyment out of it for me.

I just knew any time someone was cruising up behind someone, that was it. Game over.

That's not entertaining or even real really, is it?

The balance just felt so off today that it left me with such a bitter taste in my mouth.

Selby

I do agree actually. DRS needs to be a bit shorter, i like it when DRS brings the car behind close but not past. And yes the tyres were extreme and could have done with being just a bit more hard wearing. But then in Korea last year the tyres were a little on the conservative side and the race was particularly dull! I dont think we can ever be pleased.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Oh we can man! Most races since Pirelli have arrived have been great!

I just think some common sense often gets overlooked.

Selby

[ECW Dan Selby]

Today, they basically told the drivers 'don't bother racing'.

I mean, why would they? Why screw up your tyres when you could breeze past, with no resistance from matey in front?

The DRS zones were just plain dumb, I can't think of any other way of putting it. It's not fair on the spectators to see drivers not bothering to have a race.

It felt like a series of time-trials where everyone moved out of eachother's way, and that's sad.

Selby

[Catingaround]

4

below average because of the tire situation, too many drivers laying down because of it

[Bononi]

6. Average...

[Aysedasi]

5 - and that's generous. Just lucky I'm sitting at Club at Silverstone watching something far more interesting.

[JohnSSC]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

I was just like you before this race.

Completely didn't get what all the moaning was about. I don't know what happened, but I just suddenly noticed we had zero on-track battles anymore.

No wheel to wheel. It all looked like blue flags, and that really, really sucks.

I think it's more of a 'me' thing. I just suddenly noticed and joined the dark side, I think

Selby

I have to agree with you, Selby. The radio comm traffic we heard in the States here centered around asking for permission to race, defend or hold position. Responses came from the various team's Department of Tyre Compound Longevity and so the drivers were (imho) kept on rather tight leashes.

Qualies were a bit of a joke as teams attempted to NOT go out, which Mc and RBR managed to avoid doing in Q3. I can't wait till a team discovers that intermediate rains are "better" than a particular compound selection brought by Pirelli (at the behest of FOMA) and run them in the dry...

While Alonso won, how do we know he was really the fastest as opposed to being the least limited by the tyres?

[JohnSSC]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

Today, they basically told the drivers 'don't bother racing'.

I mean, why would they? Why screw up your tyres when you could breeze past, with no resistance from matey in front?

The DRS zones were just plain dumb, I can't think of any other way of putting it. It's not fair on the spectators to see drivers not bothering to have a race.

It felt like a series of time-trials where everyone moved out of eachother's way, and that's sad.

Selby

Exactly.

[JohnSSC]

I'll go out on a limb and give it a 3 just because of the sheer drama involved in finding out what might go wrong with Webbo's car next...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Not the best race I've seen. The first 5 laps were good as were the last 5 otherwise nothing else to say. 5

[nicanary]

It seemed to go on forever. I thought it must be over soon and then noticed it was lap 28/56. May be the last one I watch. Sorry.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

I'm so tired I rated it wrong. Gave it a seven by accident when I was giving it a 4.

Honestly I was half asleep between lap 30 and 50. Complete lack of overtaking as expected just like the re-fuelling days, but with slower more boring, ugly cars racing at five tenths for most of the run. The same people criticising the refuelling days and claiming how ''boring'' it was are the same people acting like Pirelli is the best thing to ever happen to the sport and Paul Hembery is the second coming of Christ.

Some good battles early made it decent and the last lap with Vettel and Hamilton was cool, but still below average. 4