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**peter** · 15-03-13, 04:38 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

Originally posted by Ian View Post

I

Vettel looks unbeatable again, while the Mercs of Rosberg and Hamilton (that still sounds odd!) are looking good. Ferrari are dark horses as well.

Further back - Caterham look like they have gone backwards. Getting rid of two experienced drivers and replacing them with rookies is looking decidedly dodgy.

Ian

Yes Vettel is flying again

I see Lewis was thinking about making sand castles

Masa looks like he may well be back in the game lets just hope he can keep it up. Cars look better this year without those step noses which is good. I have heard talk of rain for Sunday but I hope not lets see some racing this weekend as after all it been so long since we have seen any. Caterham will pay for this I think as the season goes on maybe its a cost thing but they should have kept one for sure. A lot of rookies this season it seems ?? This could be fun on some of the tighter tracks.

**Mrs T** · 15-03-13, 10:09 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

Yes, disappointing to see Button struggling, but maybe better that than the same as last year, when the mid season struggles cost him dear.

It would be great to see Massa have a good season too.

Some rain would be great as it makes it more interesting.

I do wish though the BBC had all the races and Jake Humprey still as Sky just doesn't quite do it for me, but is better than nothing!

Come on Jenson!

Amanda

**JSR** · 16-03-13, 01:29 AM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

As last year, I'm going to have to stay off this forum for most of the F1 weekends again this year.

I had a couple of races ruined last year because I was caught unawares of a post on a Facebook page or elsewhere that told me the outcome before the BBC could be bothered to get around to showing it.

Like now, it's the first race of the season - arguably one of the most important races because we need to catch up on what's been going on during the off-season, during testing, and to see the cars for the first time in the practice sessions, and to get a handle on the new drivers, and older drivers in new cars.

But what do we get? Sit around twiddling our fingers until the BBC can be bothered to show a couple of "highlights" from qualifying.

F1 was almost intolerable last year, only made marginally tolerable by the full races that we got. We'll only have 9 of them this year from what I've read. We're on highlights for the first two races, and for two of the last three races - so we're likely to miss out on the aftermath of the championship winning race, too.

It's almost as though the BBC don't want to show it at all.

I shall have to leave you all discussing how "Vettel's flying" and "Button's struggling" and "cars being better without stepped noses" because it's something I'm unable to watch.

**Ian** · 16-03-13, 01:40 AM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

Peter is watching on Sky but I can't justify the extra cost and from what I did see I wasn't impressed with the Sky presenters although scary Georgie Thompson has apparently jumped ship for this season.

Suzi Perry has big shoes to fill and I'll miss Jake Humphrey, but it will be interesting to see how Suzi manages

Rain will mix things up and of course Jenson can thrive in such conditions

Ian

**JSR** · 16-03-13, 01:57 AM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

My time off last year coincided with an F1 weekend and so I was able to watch a Sky broadcast (not the practices, I didn't have the time) at my sister's house.

It was okay, but I guess what makes it is all the extra stuff, not just the race/qualifying. After all, it's the build up and the aftermath of the race/qualifying that I enjoy in addition to the race on the BBC. When they're missing (as with highlights), it feels like a hollow race.

I really don't like the highlights of the qualifying because you can't keep track of the drivers. You think you know where they all are, then suddenly they're somewhere else and in a different order. It's kind of like with the race when the midfield appear to leap about all over the place. You don't realise how much you subconsciously keep track of them while watching, until you're unable to keep track of them and they appear to spontaneously leap about all over the place.

Yes, I get that we generally keep up with the front runners, but it's not all about the front runners. It's about all of the drivers because today's mid-fielder might be next year's front runner. Who could have predicted that Perez would have ended up in a McLaren?

**Graham_of_Rainham** · 16-03-13, 12:57 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

From all I have read and seen so far it looks like it will be something of a tyre choice season. With the weather playing such tricks; surface/track changes; compound formulations, and all the other tyre technology and innovations.

Then there's all the other technology changes that we only ever get tiny snippets of and have to guess about until it finally leaks out.

As for all the rest of the F1 drama, that too will always be worth watching...

**David M** · 16-03-13, 04:02 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

Formula 1 coverage is spotty in Canada and we appear to have lost World Superbikes coverage this year. I can't find the England v Wales game on either. This morning I've got the choice of the Sebring 12 hour endurance race or the Liverpool v Southampton game.

**Ian** · 17-03-13, 10:44 AM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

McLaren has followed Ferrari and switched their front suspension to pull-rod configuration for this year. I think these two teams are the only ones to do this. Pull-rod can mean better centre of gravity but is technically difficult to design and implement because modern F1 cars have very high noses. It looks like McLaren have a lot of work to do to develop the new suspension but on top of that there is talk that the new McLaren lacks downforce (again!).

Ian

**Graham_of_Rainham** · 17-03-13, 11:18 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

I'm interested in hearing more about the new Formula E Championship to be held in London.

**devilgas** · 18-03-13, 09:50 AM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

the best thing from the weekend was that Vet didn't drive off into the distance. after the practice sessions, i feared it was going to be very one sided. hopefully mclaren can get the car sorted as seeing them 'doing a williams' isn't nice. would also be nice to max chilton getting into a decent ride sooner rather than later.

**Ian** · 18-03-13, 11:09 AM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

Yup - Red Bull have the pace on fresh tyres but the car eats them up. Got to say well done to Lotus for being easy on the tyres and quick. Lotus seem to think Sepang, where it's hotter, will favour them even more. Ferrari did well - I feel a little sorry for Massa who was out-smarted on strategy by the other side of the Ferrari garage! What can McLaren do? They need to make big aero and suspension changes to move the car forward. Can't wait for next weekend

Ian

**Graham_of_Rainham** · 18-03-13, 04:59 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

Being so local this has to be a unique photo opportunity

http://formula-e-news.com/

**Ian** · 18-03-13, 09:40 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

Originally posted by Graham_of_Rainham View Post

Being so local this has to be a unique photo opportunity

http://formula-e-news.com/

Interesting - electric racing cars?

Ian

**JSR** · 19-03-13, 04:12 PM

Re: Formula 1 is back!

I found the BBC coverage this weekend to be very unsatisfactory. I spent most of the race glued to the graphics at the bottom of the screen because, other than the few at the front, I had no idea how anyone else was getting on.

In particular, the McLaren team and their two drivers might as well have not bothered showing up.

It would have been handy to have some kind of "driver tracker" available to keep track of the drivers, but with the BBC not showing it until several hours after everyone's gone home, that'd be no help either.

The "highlights" were often confusing. I think it was Sutil who put on the supersofts towards the end. I know they're not supposed to last many laps, but no sooner had he come out than the tyres had gone off and he'd been caught. What on Earth was that all about? Of course, we'd skipped about five laps - that's what it was all about.

I think I'd prefer the "highlights" if they just acknowledged it more. "...and here we skip ahead five laps to when his tyres went off..." from the commentators would be more helpful than trying to figure out what we're missing, and what's going on with the drivers.

It was the same with the qualifying. I had to spend more time hoping and praying for a list of positions than I did watching the "action" on-track. We barely saw Button - yet his times jumped up and down the chart like it was having a fit. Several times I thought he was out of the running because no better time was set even though others had set several better times - there was no indication of him being in the pits, no way of knowing if he was in traffic (no one told us), and I kept wondering if he'd crashed out. Then suddenly, a time would pop up well into the top 10.

Also, because we've had no practice sessions, no build-up, and no aftermath, I have absolutely no clue who these new drivers are. We had a very brief "stick a microphone under their nose and tell us their name" bit, but that's no way to get an understanding of what car they're in, or how they're doing.

We not even told what choice of tyres are available - we have to figure it out as and when the drivers use them.

The next race will be "highlights only", too, so I don't expect it to be any better this weekend either. No amount of Suzi Perry saying "join us for all of the action" makes up for us NOT seeing "all" of the action at all. She can say it all she likes, but that doesn't make it so.

In short, the start of the season has been a complete and utter shambles IMHO. I am very definitely NOT enjoying F1 at present.

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Formula 1 is back!

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