[Official] Rate the Grand Prix: Australian Grand Prix 2015

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

I enjoyed it. Am I the only F1 fan who enjoys the sport for what it is, rather than look for something to complain about? Because often I feel that way...

No, I enjoy it always.

Last year was one of my favourite seasons in ages.

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by Dave_G

3, which is the lowest score I've ever given a race. The best that can be said about this soporific excuse for a race is that it can only can better from here.

Sounds like you have not watched F1 for a long while...back in the days of Michael Schmaccer we often had races where the cars started and finished in the same order and there was nothing happening on track at all.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by djinvicta

I cringed when Martin Brundle live on Sky gave it a 5 out of 10, and Damon a 6 out of 10. Ouch..

They're paid to say that aren't they?

[bjohnsonsmith]

I missed the race but saw the extended highlights on BBC iplayer and it was a lack lustre affair and not what you for the season opener. The best bit was the podium interview with the Terminator. Otherwise, nothing really stood out though there were quite a number of pitstop errors and it was fairly attritional. I'm glad I didn't get up early or stay up late to watch it live. 2.

[Neil22]

Gave it a six, the Silver Arrow March is getting a bit old.

[wnut]

Start with 15 cars, 13 before end of first lap.

Lulu drives off into the sunset, game over!

Nothing much else happens.

1 for me.

Trivia question:

When last did a race start with only 15 cars?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by wnut

Start with 15 cars, 13 before end of first lap.

Lulu drives off into the sunset, game over!

Nothing much else happens.

1 for me.

Trivia question:

When last did a race start with only 15 cars?

The 1982 San Marino GP started with 14 and the 2005 US GP, only started with 6.

[Taxi645]

To people saying "what about the time that Ferrari and Schmacher dominated" I say this, what was the same back then what is different?

What was different was the technical regulations. What was the same? The unequal distribution of funds between the teams. So anyone trying to suggest (like Red Bull are doing) it's a technical regulation problem is trying to channel the dissatisfaction in their favour. It's not the technical regulations which are the main problem, it is and has always been the inequal distribution of funds why an average European F3 race last season was way more interesting from a motorsport perspective than an average F1 race of the last couple of years. The financial crisis just added to the problem that teams at the bottom are in critical financial problem. Sauber may have done well but if vd Garde held firm they wouldn't even have started.

In F1 the big money are lured in with beneficiary conditions (perhaps that makes some people rich?), which pulls the field way apart. On top of that you have the problem that you need to be the fastest so you need the aero, but that same aero makes it very hard to overtake.

The end result is a torn apart field and the rare chance cars do happen to meet on the track you need a flippin gimmick to be able to overtake. That's not motorsport that's a freaking circus.

From a motorsport fan perspective F1 only needs: the fastest cars, the fastest drivers and a reasonably sized closely packed field. That's all you need the rest is not in the interest of motorsport.




I say, fully equal distribution of funds between the teams and sure a technical regulation that increases mechanical grip to the max so the dependance on aero can be reduced would be a welcome addition.

[Deleted]

I didn't watch any of it again but just read the results. And was immensely bored by that alone. But I won't rate it because of it.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that at least in the Schumacher dominance (2002 & 2004) with also admittely-not-that-exciting-races you still had

A) Good looking cars
B) Good sounding cars
C) Traditional tracks weren't ruined by miles and miles of asphalt runoffs
D) Relative lack of Tilke influence and reliance
E) Calendar not focused on oil/government money or third world locations, also less can be more
F) Tire war and development!!!!
G) Unlimited testing which eased off things
H) Less spec crap components
I) No DRS and artificial overtaking gadgets
J) Wet races existed and they didn't use SC + red flag it as soon as you had one drop of rain
K) Epic Minardi vs Jordan

All of that taken away, plus the boringness = don't care

[Dave_G]

Originally Posted by alan1302

Sounds like you have not watched F1 for a long while...back in the days of Michael Schmaccer we often had races where the cars started and finished in the same order and there was nothing happening on track at all.

Well, let's see now... I attended my first GP in 1970 (won by then-rookie Emerson Fittipaldi). Is 45 years long enough for you? I saw the Schumacher years, and in my book, what we saw yesterday is far worse, not only because of the processional nature of the race, but because of the rules that aggravated a bad situation and made it even worse.

Still, I hold out hope that the season can only get better.

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by Dave_G

Well, let's see now... I attended my first GP in 1970 (won by then-rookie Emerson Fittipaldi). Is 45 years long enough for you? I saw the Schumacher years, and in my book, what we saw yesterday is far worse, not only because of the processional nature of the race, but because of the rules that aggravated a bad situation and made it even worse.

Still, I hold out hope that the season can only get better.

Which rules in the race would have made a difference to how the race was?

I still can't understand why you would rather have a processional race back in the Schummacer era than yesterdays race. At least there was some on track happenings and for me the pace of the Saubers was encouraging. Certainly not a classic race or a particularly good race but no where near the worst.

[Pure Fiater]

That was the first time I fell asleep watching a F1 race.
Lets hope it gets better.
A race series I used to race in was canned when the starters fell to 14

[Cynic]

I would give it a six, but only because the also-rans battle between Ferrari, Sauber and Williams showed promise. As far as the win went, they may as well have had Lewis and Nico toss a coin at the start. It would have provided about the same level of interest and excitement.

[JeremySmith]

I watched the race twice mainly because the original broadcast time was later than I could stay awake for...

Considering the attrition, I thought it was not a bad race ..
The rookies proved why they are there and did a great job ..
I gave the race a 6....

[Paradise City]

I've occasionally nodded off watching these races at lunch time in blazing, broad daylight.

But this Sunday I got up at exactly YouGottaBeJokinMe O'Clock in the morning. No bother. Watched the race - wide awake. Went back to bed as happy as a clam.

It was nostalgic watching Nasr shadow Wendlinger from 22 years ago. It certainly didn't gel but it was a cool race.

I think part of the appeal for me was that it escaped modern F1. High attrition and there was sporadic battling going on down the field. I didn't see stupid penelope pitstop garbage like DRS too much in evidence. Hambo and Rosberg made off like Hill and Villeneuve. And Albert Park isn't a Tilke Turkey.

You guys saw modern F1 at its nadir. I saw F1 as it used to be. An optical illusion OK but I was happy enough with my decision to get up.

[Wild Dog]

3 "points" from me.

Mercedes dominating and as such no fight for the win.

An awful lot of cars retiring with technical issues. Some even before the race resulting in just 15 cars taking the start - that's not what we'd like to see!!

KMag didn't race...

Not many fights. Not even the expected battle between Williams and Ferrari for third position.

[old man]

5 because I wanted to see, and did see some interesting things but the race as such was a bore. The three most interesting things were the way Ferrari and Sauber performed for different reasons and how Honda would turn out. Sauber because they were under such pressure, Ferrari because they have new management and need to justify the claim to be essential to the very existence of F1. Honda coming in is such a big deal it is interesting to see the result after what must be years of planning.

The fact is that whenever Mercedes enter F1 they dominate. With 1300 staff and their resources that is inevitable and with Lewis they have every chance of winning all the races. IMO he simply controlled the gap and unless he has technical problems Nico will have to find some more speed to beat him.

I did record the whole thing so I could watch it when I wanted and after the chores were done because it was a foregone conclusion. The main interest overall was in the imponderables and how they worked out.

[Notso Swift]

4

Generous

[TrapezeArtist]

5. Which seems a middle-of-the-road score if you ignore all the whingers who probably should give up and watch golf or something.

It was a shame Manor couldn't run, or couldn't have just stayed home and saved some money. It is ridiculously wasteful to drag a team halfway round the world just to be seen and scrutineered.

It was even more of a shame that Valtteri Bottas hurt his back and couldn't race, but just one of those things.

Sadly, one expired Honda was pretty much to be expected, and one car having gearbox failure on the way to the grid seemed like bad luck.

Pastor Maldonado crashed on the first lap. Anyone surprised by that? Though to be fair, it was not all that much his fault.

The other retirements were all unsurprising in isolation, but regrettably combined with the above to make a pretty thin race. However I enjoyed it (in a calm and measured sort of way) and I stayed awake despite an extremely tiring previous 24 hours with minimal sleep. Now I'm looking forward to Malaysia.

[Born Racer]

5. A little below average in reality, so maybe a 4, but upped to 5 because I was delighted to see Formula 1 back and I didn't not enjoy the race. Actually, 6.