[Official] Rate the race: Australian Grand Prix

[Lancsbreaker]

Gave it a 7 - tho only saw the Beeb highlights. Sound of the cars doesn't worry me - found it interesting to be able to hear the wheelspin as they pulled away from the pit-stops, for example. Shame about losing Lewis, Vettel and Massa early on......would doubtless have spiced it up some more.

Great credit to the Young guns for getting stuck in and making their mark. Shame for Ricciardo's DSQ but RBR can't make up the rules to suit themselves - they were given the opportunity during the race to adjust the fuel flow and took the attitude that they knew better than the FIA - doesn't appear to have been a good gamble....

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Gave it a 7 - tho only saw the Beeb highlights. Sound of the cars doesn't worry me - found it interesting to be able to hear the wheelspin as they pulled away from the pit-stops, for example. Shame about losing Lewis, Vettel and Massa early on......would doubtless have spiced it up some more.

Great credit to the Young guns for getting stuck in and making their mark. Shame for Ricciardo's DSQ but RBR can't make up the rules to suit themselves - they were given the opportunity during the race to adjust the fuel flow and took the attitude that they knew better than the FIA - doesn't appear to have been a good gamble....

I gave it a 7 too, and it was a good race.

I would have given it a 3 if the Ricciardo mess had boiled to the surface in time for my vote.

Law enforcement based on rubbish information ...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112967

"Red Bull has notified the FIA of its intention to appeal the decision, saying: "Inconsistencies with the FIA fuel flow meter have been prevalent all weekend up and down the pitlane."

Just smacks of result manipulation to me!

[Zico]

I was feeling generous and so gave it a 5. Interesting race and there were some great individual performances but unfortunately it was made a bit sterile due to the lack of sound which really reduced the spectacle for me... otherwise I'd probably have given it a 8 or 9.


Can really see myself only bothering to watch Spa, Monaco and one or two others this year - FIA please take note

[Tucky]

7/8. Only just got round to watching the race, it was hard enough trying to get stuff done today whilst trying to avoid anything on the internet that might tell me the result.

Gutted for Dan but great drives from both McLaren's and Bottas, Maldonado must be fuming after switching to lotus and having that race

[F1Pete]

I gave it a 6. I fell asleep with 20 laps left to go. Race started at 2am. I dislike the engine noise...very boring. Although, you can hear the crowd as loud as ever. The cars were a little more chaotic on the track, but again...I fell asleep.

[wnut]

Andrew Westacott of the Australian Grand Prix corporation says that they are thinking of suing on the grounds that the lack of noise from the cars means that they did not receive the product that they had bought!

[greentrumpet]

Can't see anything wrong with the noise, from the onboards sounds like a Ducati with a broken gearbox

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by F1Pete

I gave it a 6. I fell asleep with 20 laps left to go. Race started at 2am. I dislike the engine noise...very boring. Although, you can hear the crowd as loud as ever. The cars were a little more chaotic on the track, but again...I fell asleep.

They just need to put the mikes nearer the track. They are still loud. Just not as load.

Nice to hear tyre squeal I thought.

[Zico]

Originally Posted by JamesH

Nice to hear tyre squeal I thought.

I swear I heard Kamui fart when his rear brakes failed!

[Greem]

An objective 7 from me. I enjoyed it, but I've been waiting for what feels like months (what, it was?) for this race.

So from a base of 5:

+1 for Mercedes win
+1 for Ricciardo's performance
+1 for Magnussen's performance
+1 for Williams no longer being rubbish (phew)
+1 for more than half the field finishing
-1 for the mechanicals
-1 for the toy/pram from Vettel
-1 for Ferrari seeming to now occupy Williams' former position

[JeremySmith]

7 from me, solid start...

[chillibowl]

i'll stick with the masses and go for a 7. i enjoyed the race, its something sort of new and the racing was good highlighted by a couple of outstanding drives.

you could say it was spoiled by LH going out early although if he had stayed out it would have been scandalous when Mercedes decided to treat us to two cars holding station all race in the name of perusing reliability. blessing in disguise maybe.

they need to get rid of the pit to car radio imo. between the commentators getting caught out by it just popping up and the fact that its delayed (particularly during the call for LH to pit) it only leads to confusion imo.

[JeremySmith]

I agree, I don't want to hear about Yellow 7 and K green..

[alfettafan]

A 4 for me, found this totally DULL….

[Adam43]

Shame really, because that is probably how it is going to stay. With the exception that it will develop into something more predictable.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by wnut

Andrew Westacott of the Australian Grand Prix corporation says that they are thinking of suing on the grounds that the lack of noise from the cars means that they did not receive the product that they had bought!

They better shut their mouth before King Bernie finds out and replaces Melbourne with a Grand Prix in Sudan or Sri Lanka.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

They better shut their mouth before King Bernie finds out and replaces Melbourne with a Grand Prix in Sudan or Sri Lanka.

I think the complaint about the lack of noise is an association between Bernie and his good friend Mr Walker as a mark against the new formula.
Bernie has always been against it and campaigned with a little vigour over the noise issue last year. He'll gather as many allies as he can toward his cause.

[nkoske]

I went with a 6...may have been a bit generous. I don't like that the car's neck can't be wrung for the entirety of the race, because they don't give them enough gas. Watching Mags pace behind Daniel was excruciating. Seriously racing is already about efficiency, why are we introducing arbitrary things. I'm pretty sure not a single tree hugger started watching F1 because they're limiting the cars to 100kg per race and 100 kg/hr.

I like that the cars seem to be moving around a bit more, but that needs to be happening from the start to the end.

The fastest race lap was by Nico on lap 19. When was the last time the fastest lap of a Grand Prix happened so early on? Mags fastest lap was on lap 39. 4 of the top 10 had fast laps 8 laps or greater from the end.

The sound is uninspiring on TV, sounds like they're short shifting. During the race they probably are to save fuel.

In the end the sound doesn't make or break it fr me, but if they don't sound fast (they don't) and they don't look fast (Car not moving around, because they're in fuel save mode), then it loses a lot of my interest.

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by Zico

I swear I heard Kamui fart when his rear brakes failed!

That wasn't a fart....

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

I think the complaint about the lack of noise is an association between Bernie and his good friend Mr Walker as a mark against the new formula.
Bernie has always been against it and campaigned with a little vigour over the noise issue last year. He'll gather as many allies as he can toward his cause.

I think you have something here T.

[Neil22]

Gave it an 8, but it has been a long winter.

[Grandpa_Rob]

For the first time in 14 years l didn't need to use ear plugs but l must say the engines sounded a lot better at the track than on the TV . l gave the race a 7 it seems F1 has has really had a shake up but l like the nervous new cars they out a drivers ability . Not a great race but l enjoy being trackside for the first look at the new cars and l left with a smile as big as Dans.

[aki13]

I can understand people being sad or annoyed by the sound of the new cars, but the amount of people saying they wont bother watching the sport just because they don't like the sound baffles me to be honest.

Is that all we watch F1 for? The sound. Fair enough if that's the case, but seems a bit over sensitive to me.

[Mekola]

Apart for Bottas heroic race, the excellent performances of the McLarens and the Toro Rossos, and the (disappointingly disqualified) second place of Ricciardo, the race was pretty dull at moments. I give it a 6.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Grandpa_Rob

For the first time in 14 years l didn't need to use ear plugs but l must say the engines sounded a lot better at the track than on the TV . l gave the race a 7 it seems F1 has has really had a shake up but l like the nervous new cars they out a drivers ability . Not a great race but l enjoy being trackside for the first look at the new cars and l left with a smile as big as Dans.

Strange that, as I watched it on the TV and frankly enjoyed the sound over the shrill whine of the previous engines, all of which sounded exactly the same. However, having seen a direct comparison on some grandstand-shot footage on YouTube between '13 and '14, the new engines did sound very limp. Somewhere in between would have been good for me....