Official 2021 French Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***
Discussion
I’m not expecting more exploding tyres. I tend to believe that the two we’ve seen so far this season in Baku were caused by some issue with the temporary circuit.
I hope I’m wrong but I don’t have much hope for an exciting race here. It’s a low-stakes circuit where, unless you manage to hit another car, the consequences of an off are a ruined set of tyres at worst. Masi is going to need to be very trigger happy with the red flags / standing restarts to liven this one up.
I hope I’m wrong but I don’t have much hope for an exciting race here. It’s a low-stakes circuit where, unless you manage to hit another car, the consequences of an off are a ruined set of tyres at worst. Masi is going to need to be very trigger happy with the red flags / standing restarts to liven this one up.
To me Paul Ricard looks just like a Scalextric circuit that someone chalked on his garage floor ... then decided it would be crap so never bothered building it. Track limits are going to be fun.
Even the Le Mans Bugatti circuit would be more interesting than this travesty - if I were French, I'd be ashamed. A truly awful, hateful circuit.
Even the Le Mans Bugatti circuit would be more interesting than this travesty - if I were French, I'd be ashamed. A truly awful, hateful circuit.
TheDeuce said:
Fair enough.
So... why are the politicians so willing to continue to support the groups involvement in F1 - via whichever brand? Either the politicians believe a decent number of voters want to country to remain 'in F1' or the bosses at Renault have done a good job convincing them that on some level the cost is worth it from a marketing perspective - hard to believe on either count but who knows. Someone is clearly making an argument that's convincing enough to keep the millions flowing each season.
If you follow French politics I assume you know a fair few natives - do they like Paul Ricard?
You still have a few people beleiving in Motorsports and luckily for the French fans one of the ministers (sports I think), as a big ego and want to maintain the f1 gp. Problem is you just need a change in the hierarchy and the GP or Renault will be off like Peugeot did in endurance racing just before Lemans. So... why are the politicians so willing to continue to support the groups involvement in F1 - via whichever brand? Either the politicians believe a decent number of voters want to country to remain 'in F1' or the bosses at Renault have done a good job convincing them that on some level the cost is worth it from a marketing perspective - hard to believe on either count but who knows. Someone is clearly making an argument that's convincing enough to keep the millions flowing each season.
If you follow French politics I assume you know a fair few natives - do they like Paul Ricard?
I only know people who race and test at Paul ricard so I don't really know about what the general fans think of their GP. To me, I don't mind, prefer that to Monaco.
TheDeuce said:
I genuinely don't know. A comment made about flakey F1 tyres perhaps struggling on a fast circuit in the heat and you say that some other tyres are fine.
Fair enough.. but why is that relevant? Is there an aspect of wear you saw on the same tyres there two years ago that mirrored what we saw from the F1 tyres at the time?
I'm genuinely interested.
My first post and subsequent post was pretty bloody clear in it's content.Fair enough.. but why is that relevant? Is there an aspect of wear you saw on the same tyres there two years ago that mirrored what we saw from the F1 tyres at the time?
I'm genuinely interested.
M5-911 said:
You still have a few people beleiving in Motorsports and luckily for the French fans one of the ministers (sports I think), as a big ego and want to maintain the f1 gp. Problem is you just need a change in the hierarchy and the GP or Renault will be off like Peugeot did in endurance racing just before Lemans.
I only know people who race and test at Paul ricard so I don't really know about what the general fans think of their GP. To me, I don't mind, prefer that to Monaco.
All correct.I only know people who race and test at Paul ricard so I don't really know about what the general fans think of their GP. To me, I don't mind, prefer that to Monaco.
The French know the "race" is a joke but it doesn't really matter, as Paul Ricard is part of the social calender.
For the actual "race" our favourite area is La Pinede which has good atmopshere and our local grape specialists are generous with hospitality.
It's a more laid back affair compared with Monaco, think Sade gig compared to AC/DC.
After the "race" more partying continues back down the hill in Toulon.
Sprinkler system during the race could be a distraction from the festivities though
sparta6 said:
All correct.
The French know the "race" is a joke but it doesn't really matter, as Paul Ricard is part of the social calender.
For the actual "race" our favourite area is La Pinede which has good atmopshere and our local grape specialists are generous with hospitality.
It's a more laid back affair compared with Monaco, think Sade gig compared to AC/DC.
After the "race" more partying continues back down the hill in Toulon.
Sprinkler system during the race could be a distraction from the festivities though
I haven't been for years since I used to travel down by bike in the early 80s for the Bol d'Or ... the atmosphere then was definitely more "very large and slightly scary drunken biker party" than Sade The French know the "race" is a joke but it doesn't really matter, as Paul Ricard is part of the social calender.
For the actual "race" our favourite area is La Pinede which has good atmopshere and our local grape specialists are generous with hospitality.
It's a more laid back affair compared with Monaco, think Sade gig compared to AC/DC.
After the "race" more partying continues back down the hill in Toulon.
Sprinkler system during the race could be a distraction from the festivities though
sparta6 said:
All correct.
The French know the "race" is a joke but it doesn't really matter, as Paul Ricard is part of the social calender.
For the actual "race" our favourite area is La Pinede which has good atmopshere and our local grape specialists are generous with hospitality.
It's a more laid back affair compared with Monaco, think Sade gig compared to AC/DC.
After the "race" more partying continues back down the hill in Toulon.
Sprinkler system during the race could be a distraction from the festivities though
There’s already one race, in what’s basically France, that’s the social event and a crap race. It happened four weeks ago. The French know the "race" is a joke but it doesn't really matter, as Paul Ricard is part of the social calender.
For the actual "race" our favourite area is La Pinede which has good atmopshere and our local grape specialists are generous with hospitality.
It's a more laid back affair compared with Monaco, think Sade gig compared to AC/DC.
After the "race" more partying continues back down the hill in Toulon.
Sprinkler system during the race could be a distraction from the festivities though
Maybe they can make this one actually a good race. On the with sprinklers!
HustleRussell said:
HustleRussell said:
I’m not expecting more exploding tyres. I tend to believe that the two we’ve seen so far this season in Baku were caused by some issue with the temporary circuit.
So, Pirelli pointing the finger at the teams for circumventing minimum tyre pressure directives. 
Shall we have a sweepstake on what Mercedes have done to Lewis’s “Brake Magic” system, to stop it being inadvertently activated at the start?
Have they:
1. Moved the button
2. Changed the operation (a long press, or double press)
3. Wired it to an alarm
4. Big flashing light on the screen when it’s active
5. Some sort of inhibit software, that restricts it to out laps and SC/VSC laps
6. All of the above!
Have they:
1. Moved the button
2. Changed the operation (a long press, or double press)
3. Wired it to an alarm
4. Big flashing light on the screen when it’s active
5. Some sort of inhibit software, that restricts it to out laps and SC/VSC laps
6. All of the above!
Sandpit Steve said:
Shall we have a sweepstake on what Mercedes have done to Lewis’s “Brake Magic” system, to stop it being inadvertently activated at the start?
Have they:
1. Moved the button
2. Changed the operation (a long press, or double press)
3. Wired it to an alarm
4. Big flashing light on the screen when it’s active
5. Some sort of inhibit software, that restricts it to out laps and SC/VSC laps
6. All of the above!
I'd bet it's 2 or 4, both of which wouldn't require a physical change, just a software change, and the software change would IMO be easier than the one in option 5.Have they:
1. Moved the button
2. Changed the operation (a long press, or double press)
3. Wired it to an alarm
4. Big flashing light on the screen when it’s active
5. Some sort of inhibit software, that restricts it to out laps and SC/VSC laps
6. All of the above!
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff