Official 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

[sandman77]

paulguitar said:

Not sure there was much of a rivalry since Häkkinen was retired.

Whoops, meant Räikkönen.

[paulguitar]

sandman77 said:

paulguitar said:

Not sure there was much of a rivalry since Häkkinen was retired.

Whoops, meant Räikkönen.

Kimi was in his prime back then. Hell of a driver in his McLaren years.

[HardtopManual]

sandman77 said:

That’s the most condescending thing anyone has said to me for quite some time. For info I have watched every GP for the last 28 years and have attended dozens in person (all over the world).

Years where there gas been a genuine WDC battle since I have been watching are-
94 - battle between Schumacher and hill
96 - Schumacher and hill
98 - Schumacher and Häkkinen
99 - Häkkinen and Irvine (Schumacher broke his leg)
03 - Schumacher and Häkkinen
08 - Hamilton and Massa
09 - button and Vettel
10 - Vettel and Alonso
12 - Vettel and Alonso
16 - Rosberg and Hamilton
21 - Verstappen and Hamilton

Outwith these seasons there are plenty others where there has been more than two or three good races per year.

Mika retired in 02, but still...

10 was a 4 or 5 way scrap for WDC.

14 went down to the last race because double points.

You've forgotten the Ham vs Vet Ferrari fuel flow cheat years.

[Gad-Westy]

HardtopManual said:

sandman77 said:

That’s the most condescending thing anyone has said to me for quite some time. For info I have watched every GP for the last 28 years and have attended dozens in person (all over the world).

Years where there gas been a genuine WDC battle since I have been watching are-
94 - battle between Schumacher and hill
96 - Schumacher and hill
98 - Schumacher and Häkkinen
99 - Häkkinen and Irvine (Schumacher broke his leg)
03 - Schumacher and Häkkinen
08 - Hamilton and Massa
09 - button and Vettel
10 - Vettel and Alonso
12 - Vettel and Alonso
16 - Rosberg and Hamilton
21 - Verstappen and Hamilton

Outwith these seasons there are plenty others where there has been more than two or three good races per year.

Mika retired in 02, but still...

10 was a 4 or 5 way scrap for WDC.

14 went down to the last race because double points.

You've forgotten the Ham vs Vet Ferrari fuel flow cheat years.

2007 was a three way fight as well.

[sandman77]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

sandman77 said:

That’s the most condescending thing anyone has said to me for quite some time.

If that's how it came across then I apologise, because that's not how it was intended. It was meant with humour and a wink.

No apology required.

[sandman77]

Gad-Westy said:

HardtopManual said:

sandman77 said:

That’s the most condescending thing anyone has said to me for quite some time. For info I have watched every GP for the last 28 years and have attended dozens in person (all over the world).

Years where there gas been a genuine WDC battle since I have been watching are-
94 - battle between Schumacher and hill
96 - Schumacher and hill
98 - Schumacher and Häkkinen
99 - Häkkinen and Irvine (Schumacher broke his leg)
03 - Schumacher and Häkkinen
08 - Hamilton and Massa
09 - button and Vettel
10 - Vettel and Alonso
12 - Vettel and Alonso
16 - Rosberg and Hamilton
21 - Verstappen and Hamilton

Outwith these seasons there are plenty others where there has been more than two or three good races per year.

Mika retired in 02, but still...

10 was a 4 or 5 way scrap for WDC.

14 went down to the last race because double points.

You've forgotten the Ham vs Vet Ferrari fuel flow cheat years.

2007 was a three way fight as well.

I don’t know how I managed to forget about 2007. But if you add that, 2014 and the Ferrari fuel cheat years then that’s half the seasons in the last 28 years that have had a decent WDC battle.

[Sandpit Steve]

“One of the most dangerous [tracks] I’ve ever seen” - Nico Rosberg on Sky.

[Sandpit Steve]

Bernie Collins thinks that Ferrari were sandbagging yesterday.

By the way, a massive big up to whoever at Sky thought to hire her. A revelation.

[Niponeoff]

I see we have a beardy oldsweat F1 nerd-off in full swing.

[Sandpit Steve]

Rosberg saying that the ECU issue with Leclerc was a custom Ferrari part, that sits behind the standardised engine ECU supplied to all teams. Others have suggested it was a wiring loom fire, due to poor design.

[Sandpit Steve]

The 2023 version of the helmet-cam is brilliant, as close as we’ll get to seeing what the driver sees.

Very quiet here today, everyone else watching the rugby?

[Gweeds]

So RB’s on hards about as quick as Mercs on softs.

Oy. Vey.

[Smollet]

Croft:” I feel 60% cleverer just sitting here next to Bernie for the past two days”. It’s low base point to start from though

[Smollet]

Sandpit Steve said:

The 2023 version of the helmet-cam is brilliant, as close as we’ll get to seeing what the driver sees.

Very quiet here today, everyone else watching the rugby?

Hopping between the two

[Sandpit Steve]

Smollet said:

Sandpit Steve said:

The 2023 version of the helmet-cam is brilliant, as close as we’ll get to seeing what the driver sees.

Very quiet here today, everyone else watching the rugby?

Hopping between the two

I’ve got the rugby on the TV, the F1 on the laptop, the F1 timing app on the ipad, and this forum on the phone!

Last day of the Six Nations is one of the sporting days of the year.

Edited by Sandpit Steve on Saturday 18th March 14:01

[Snappy89]

Gweeds said:

So RB’s on hards about as quick as Mercs on softs.

Oy. Vey.

Based on the speed traps, RB have the wick turned up at the moment.

[ZX10R NIN]

PhilAsia said:

suffolk009 said:

Pflanzgarten said:

Aids0G said:

Blimey Andrew Benson in the BBC Sport coverage claiming he believes Mercedes will not win another championship until 2026 at the earliest and that liberty media will push the FIA for rule changes if the gaps don't reduce by mid season, punchy stuff.

As I posted in another thread, it took Newey nine years and two (sort of) engine swaps to win another constructors after 2013.

It also took quite a bit of help from Massi for Newey to break his losing streak...

......and the FIA hacking away at the Merc aero...

It's funny how fast people forget Mercedes had the same advantage as RB do now for 7 years.

I don't remember quite as much wailing as I see now.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Sandpit Steve said:

Very quiet here today, everyone else watching the rugby?

In fairness, it is only FP3. Quali isn't until later this afternoon

[Sandpit Steve]

ZX10R NIN said:

It's funny how fast people forget Mercedes had the same advantage as RB do now for 7 years.

I don't remember quite as much wailing as I see now.

The difference is the dominant team having two drivers that are allowed to fight. Lewis vs Nico was great to watch, as was Prost and Senna in 1998.

This is like the Schumacher dominance years, when millions of people tuned out. Liberty will quiclkly get the message.

That said, the last race was one of the closest races ever, across the whole field, that didn’t involve a safety car.

[mids]

Sandpit Steve said:

Bernie Collins thinks that Ferrari were sandbagging yesterday.

By the way, a massive big up to whoever at Sky thought to hire her. A revelation.

Yep, great decision, especially when compared to who they introduced last year.