[Official] Rate the Grand Prix: Singapore Grand Prix 2023

[Born Racer]

What score do you go for?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Great to see someone else other than Verstappen win, putting and end to RBR's 15 consecutive wins. Initially the race was like, who is going to blink first and come in for tyres but the SC, after Sargeant went off, made the decision but not for all the teams, which added to the intrigue. 9.

[bathurst77]

Sorry guys
If this race (and whole weekend) didnt entertain you, you need to find another new interest 10/10 from me

[GT6]

a solid 8 from me, exciting race

[Plantagenet]

For me, easily the best race of the year so far.

[Aysedasi]

Best race of the season by a long way and won by the best drive of the season. What racing we could have if RBR could struggle a bit more over the remaining races. 9 for me.

[bathurst77]

maybe rbr/max should be forced to give everyone a head start from now on .hheehehee

[Born Racer]

8. Tricky enough to overtake and nice to see a scrap for the lead.

[steve_r]

9. Enthralling race, especially the last 15 laps.

[TrapezeArtist]

I gave it 8 and was expecting to be one of the highest scorers, as I usually am. Surprised to find myself being one of the lower scorers.

It's rather sad that most of the interest in the race was initiated by a safety car, and then topped up by a VSC. I thought the VSC was a good call, but I couldn't understand why a few bits of debris required a safety car.

[BTCC frog]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

I gave it 8 and was expecting to be one of the highest scorers, as I usually am. Surprised to find myself being one of the lower scorers.

It's rather sad that most of the interest in the race was initiated by a safety car, and then topped up by a VSC. I thought the VSC was a good call, but I couldn't understand why a few bits of debris required a safety car.

I totally agree about the first safety car. Yes it is unlucky if someone goes over some debris and picks up a puncture, but that isn't particularly likely and isn't bad luck any more than a rally car hitting a rock on the road; they usually could have avoided it. A badly-timed safety car brings luck far more into the equation, and for me it was unfair on Red Bull that their race was so compromised by a pointless safety car. In recent years, the safety car and red flag have been used far too often and keep putting luck into play too much. I don't actually think the safety car spiced up the race. The cars were running close together before, and all it did was shuffle the pack slightly and force them to have to overtake the Red Bulls. It actually made that part of the race less exciting because everyone pitted on the same lap and strategy disappeared from the equation.

The VSC did indeed spice the race up massively. I don't like that they can pit behind it because of situations like Australia 2018 when Vettel got a cheap pitstop to take the lead, but this time, all of the top five had the exact same opportunity to pit, two of them did, and that created a thrilling chase at the end of the race with no luck involved at all.

For me, the first part of the race was really interesting because of the strategy element and any of the top five plus Verstappen could have found themselves with a great chance to win. The part between the safety car and VSC had some exciting non-DRS overtaking and there was still some tension at the front with Russell potentially mounting an attack on Sainz. The final part with the Mercedes hunting down Sainz, Norris and Leclerc was thrilling and I genuinely didn't know which of the top four would win until the final lap, or perhaps penultimate lap. And that, for me, is what makes a brilliant race. By far the best of the season and I gave it a 9.

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

I totally agree about the first safety car. Yes it is unlucky if someone goes over some debris and picks up a puncture, but that isn't particularly likely and isn't bad luck any more than a rally car hitting a rock on the road; they usually could have avoided it. A badly-timed safety car brings luck far more into the equation, and for me it was unfair on Red Bull that their race was so compromised by a pointless safety car. In recent years, the safety car and red flag have been used far too often and keep putting luck into play too much. I don't actually think the safety car spiced up the race. The cars were running close together before, and all it did was shuffle the pack slightly and force them to have to overtake the Red Bulls. It actually made that part of the race less exciting because everyone pitted on the same lap and strategy disappeared from the equation.

I very largely agree with you, though I would take a slightly different angle on it.

One of the major causes of unfairness is the lottery of pitstops. I would eradicate that by not allowing tyre changes during safety car, VSC or red flags. Occasionally that would be a problem (a car with a puncture, for instance) so I would allow exceptions: add a time penalty for changing tyres during a safety car of VSC, and in the case of a red flag restart, make a car start in the pitlane and only do the tyre change after the restart.

The other big iniquity is the eradication of hard-earned gaps with the safety car. This could be overcome by expanding the use of the VSC into what is now safety car territory and replacing lap deltas with a simple, low speed limit. Yes people will whinge about tyres getting cold: "It's the same for everyone; you're the best drivers in the world; get over it."

Safety cars and VSCs also deprive the paying public of racing laps. This could be partially overcome by adding extra laps to the race length (perhaps on a one-for-two basis so fuel allowance isn't affected). Formula E already does something similar.

Finally streamline the red flag and restart process so less time is lost. If necessary the team's operating procedures will have to change to suit the process, instead of the other way around.

[morninggents]

A 9 from me. One of the best F1 races I've seen for many years. Even though I am a Max fan it was good to see the Ferrari win. Sainz's strategy of letting Norris get within DRS range was brilliantly thought out and executed. Tough luck for Russell - the last lap could have been even more exciting.

[AndreasDavour]

I am not surprised there have been a couple of high rankings for this race. But, I wonder, is it for a genuinely good race, or for someone finally beating RBR? While I enjoyed it a lot, especially the last 15 laps, it was not exactly thrilling racing as much as it was entertainment by incidents. I expect some might not agree with me, but was it a great *race* all in all? But, maybe I'm just nitpicking. We had fun. Vamos!

[Aysedasi]

Actually I think it was. Yes, it was aided by some good close racing that we've been missing all season (right at the front), but I was thoroughly entertained, far more so than by any other race this season.

[Born Racer]

For me, it was partly the Red Bull factor, not because I was enjoying seeing them down the order (although the mean side of me did enjoy seeing them down there ), but because it meant that we had to see how far they could climb up the order and it opened up a potential win to three teams. However, it would have been just as exciting if Red Bull had been one of those teams in the direct wheel-to-wheel battle for the lead, or possibly more so. Can you imagine if Verstappen had been in among Hamilton, Russell, Norris and Sainz in his tricky-to-handle car? The 'will they won't they lose their streak' element would have been more alive too, as it was most likely since early on in this race that the answer to this was 'they will'.

However, on top of that, I concur with Aysedasi that it was simply good racing. For me, Monza was good too and DRS was usually not too dominant (like there).

[Aysedasi]

Perhaps the beauty for me was that, for once, I didn't even notice DRS.....

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by AndreasDavour

I am not surprised there have been a couple of high rankings for this race. But, I wonder, is it for a genuinely good race, or for someone finally beating RBR? While I enjoyed it a lot, especially the last 15 laps, it was not exactly thrilling racing as much as it was entertainment by incidents. I expect some might not agree with me, but was it a great *race* all in all? But, maybe I'm just nitpicking. We had fun. Vamos!

Jolyon Palmer summed it up C4. Something along the lines of "It was worth sitting through the first 40 laps for what came after." I maintained my interest throughout, but perhaps that is a credit to C4's editing of the highlights to subtly remove any boring bits.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by AndreasDavour

I am not surprised there have been a couple of high rankings for this race. But, I wonder, is it for a genuinely good race, or for someone finally beating RBR? While I enjoyed it a lot, especially the last 15 laps, it was not exactly thrilling racing as much as it was entertainment by incidents. I expect some might not agree with me, but was it a great *race* all in all? But, maybe I'm just nitpicking. We had fun. Vamos!

of a similar opinion.

but those last 15odd laps!!! wow good fun indeed!

i thought Sainz showed top level racecraft. for sure the use of DRS to affect a train or push you pursuer back into the person pursuing them is a known tactic but to actually pull it off while in the lead and on old and dying tires was imo a brilliant bit of driving.

and then Merc finally acting like a race team again! no conservative approach, no hedging of bets by spitting strategies just timely double stop and sent both drivers out to see if one of them could steal a win. maybe it was never going to happen but i loved the attempt. been a couple of years since a win was legit in their sights and to their credit they jumped at that tiny opportunity.

also those on board shots from Russell's front wing during his chase down of Leclerc and then Norris were beautiful....probably the clearest most stable images from that point of view we have ever been treated to?

8 for me. maybe a bit low but i was hoping to see the streak continue.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

8 for me. maybe a bit low but i was hoping to see the streak continue.

Seriously?

And prolong the monotony?

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Seriously?

And prolong the monotony?

indeed i do my friend. i love seeing streaks and periods of prolonged excellence in sports. maybe one of the chief reasons i tune into sports to be honest!

[brands]

Best race of the season, even if the first 40 odd laps were who could drive the slowest.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by brands

Best race of the season, even if the first 40 odd laps were who could drive the slowest.

The first 19 laps were like that. However, Logan Sargeant's excursion into the wall changed all that when the SC came out, with some teams deciding to pit and others staying out.

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

indeed i do my friend. i love seeing streaks and periods of prolonged excellence in sports. maybe one of the chief reasons i tune into sports to be honest!

I might have been able to deal with that if we'd witnessed the race we had, saw Russell pass Norris, go for the move on Sainz, tag the wall after passing Sainz, taking Sainz out with him, before Hamilton couldn't take avoiding action and sailed into the wall, leaving Verstappen, who had just pipped Leclerc for 5th on the final lap, to take the win. That would also have been an interesting end.

But I do appreciate your point about excellence. I can't agree with everything about the way Red Bull have gone about things (and I won't bore anyone with examples unless you request them), but there is no denying the team's excellence this year and we are witnessing a great achievement in Red Bull's dominance. It's also the only way to get through it if you are ever inclined to think it in the slightest tedious.

[AndreasDavour]

Jolyon Palmer did sum that up well. I didn't hear that, but well put. Good points well made by all of you.



Now if we can get the travesty of F1 cars trying to geo slow for 40 laps to go away, we might really be unto something!