[Official] Rate the race- European Grand Prix

[willb]

Gave it a 9. Would have made it a ten if it wasn't for the questionable penalties.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Spritle

The usual rubbish: ladies in bikinis in a swimming pool...

Oh wait, the bikinis were a little frustrating.




...



Watched the race in a beach, can't help comparing...

[TrapezeArtist]

It would have been a 9 for me, but there was a safety car. So 8.

(The safety car system has been tinkered with again this year to make it even worse. Not only do we have to watch the cars trundling round while they clear up the mess, but we also have to watch the cars trundling round while the lapped cars are being given a lap that they haven't earned.

[stripedcat]

An 8. Pretty entertaining. Plus, there were overtakes without DRS as well. The best Valencia race I have ever seen. Will I be sad to see it alternate - No! It is still a dull track. Sorry Bernie. Give us back proper tracks!

[AussieTimmeh]

Expected a borefest, instead I was interested pretty much the whole time. 8

[wnut]

Great race - GP racing at its best - gave it a 9. Particularly enjoyed the mid race battle with Schumacher holding up the middle of the field and the passing that was going on behind him, including Alonso passing 4 cars including TGF and going on to win! Great stuff!
Feel sorry for Vettel who did everything perfectly, and a pity Hamilton and Maldanado tangled.
Great podium Alonso, Kimi and Schumacher.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Came home from BSB meeting, expecting to Fast Forward through most of it, but Geez, what a race.

A definite 8. Vettel running away with it from the start until the Safety Car prevented it scoring higher.

[craigd]

9, though almost tempted to give it 10, not because it was the perfect race but because I was not expecting that from Valencia! So was a pleasant surprise!

[Spritle]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Oh wait, the bikinis were a little frustrating.

It's really sad that all it takes is bikinis to push a race from a hum-drum 5 to an 8 or 9 in my world but...

...I'm easily swayed in the name of sport.

[Tourer]

Very enjoyable - completely unexpected from Valencia and shows what a couple of wild cards thrown into the mix can do.

Really enjoyed Schummi & Pottsy ripping through the field near the end there.

9 from me - roll on Silverstone!

[IceMan_PJN]

9

I was gutted by Hamilton's crash, which not only cost him a podium but possibly the entire championship, wherein every possible point is of enormous importance this year. That aside, it would be hard for it to have been more interesting. I normally hate Valencia but enjoyed it this time.

[pach233]

I gave it a 9 for a couple of reasons. Vettel taking off the way he did lowered my expectations for the rest of the race and made for a pretty boring first part of the race despite the mid field battles. Then a SC and all of a sudden we have retirements from front runners (so rare these days), differing strategies, a flurry of action at the near front and Alonso with an absolute genius drive to win at home from 11th in a not so great car. Was exciting and kept me interested all the way through. Schumacher on the podium after 6 years, with Kimi and Alonso no less topped it off.

[steve_r]

Surprisingly good - 7

Still hate the track though...

[chillibowl]

niner for me.

a good old fashion race. Alonso put himself into contention by not giving up, great pitstops, great in laps and/laps, lap after lap of no mistakes, passing when he needed to, great SC restart, and in the end found that he had done enough to take advantage of the attrition ahead of him.

but i was even enjoying it when Vettel was laying a beatdown on everyone. new tire rules and DRS blah blah blah aside it looks like someone has finally figured it all out and was dropping the competition at 1 second a lap. they didnt show much of it on TV but Vettel owned the live timing screens.

[Aysedasi]

I doubt he owns that set of driving gloves any more though..........

[Hesketh]

Fun, gave it a 9

[JeremySmith]

Very entertaining race, I gave it a 9.....

I like this track...

[Notso Swift]

If anyone had told me on Sunday Morning I would give this race a 9 I would have slapped them

[GT6]

another good race at this rate F1 is beginning to show consistent excitement and seems unlikely to slip back into the processions of last few years

[werner]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

It would have been a 9 for me, but there was a safety car. So 8.

(The safety car system has been tinkered with again this year to make it even worse. Not only do we have to watch the cars trundling round while they clear up the mess, but we also have to watch the cars trundling round while the lapped cars are being given a lap that they haven't earned.

I noticed that to. It's horrible. Why have they done that?

[JamesH]

I'm not sure why they need to let the back markers all the way round to join the rear of the queue. Why not let them get half a lap ahead then do the release? or even a quarter. Just needs to be enough so it doesn't affect the restart.

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by JamesH

I'm not sure why they need to let the back markers all the way round to join the rear of the queue. Why not let them get half a lap ahead then do the release? or even a quarter. Just needs to be enough so it doesn't affect the restart.

The current arrangement has the advantage that any gap they make is lost again when they come round to the back of the train so they pick up the pace but don't try to race each other until the actual restart. If you let them pass the lead lap cars and just wait 30 or 40 seconds before the actual restart they will all try to go off like scalded cats and worst case may cause an accident either whilst passing the leaders or immediately in front of the safety car.

[Mekola]

7/10 Best Valencia race, as many said.

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by fourWheelDrift

The current arrangement has the advantage that any gap they make is lost again when they come round to the back of the train so they pick up the pace but don't try to race each other until the actual restart. If you let them pass the lead lap cars and just wait 30 or 40 seconds before the actual restart they will all try to go off like scalded cats and worst case may cause an accident either whilst passing the leaders or immediately in front of the safety car.

Scalded cats? Like HRT you mean!

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by nicanary

Scalded cats? Like HRT you mean!

Relatively speaking.

The HRT's may get slagged off for being too slow, but they're probably the hardest cars to drive that are currently on the grid. They must be really bloody scary on occasion, so all the more reason to keep them away from the other 'glued-to-the-road' F1 cars.