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

[Brainpox]

Wills2 said:

It's a pity there isn't an ignore button on this forum.

I usually refresh this page while watching the race but not sure I'll bother. This one is particularly nasty for no reason.

[oobster]

Quite liking this 5pm lights out thing, can eat dinner while watching and seems less of the day 'wasted'.

[Deesee]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Deesee said:

Good news, Max has had to change his gear box.. back to the one that had the issues with downshifting in Bahrain.. no penalties.. and no need to take one from Checo/AT/ catering van yet.


Edit rear suspension too, surprised at that.. MGUK may have been worth changing too if they are that concerned.

No penalties? Inconceivable!

What a crock of st.

At least give him a token nothing-penaly

And give $100Million back to McLaren

It’s ok they are currently stripping down checos rear end..

I’m sure it’s completely something separate.

[cgt2]

vaud said:

I don't recall that we did, I just don't think we had time to process it before the events of the Sunday.

This. It was so brutal that it really didn't sink in at all. Then the startline accident and then Senna. When his head twitched I thought it would be OK and my immediate thought in the moment was that he would start Monaco on zero points with a lot of work to do.

Even today that weekend seems surreal.

[Niponeoff]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Deesee said:

Good news, Max has had to change his gear box.. back to the one that had the issues with downshifting in Bahrain.. no penalties.. and no need to take one from Checo/AT/ catering van yet.


Edit rear suspension too, surprised at that.. MGUK may have been worth changing too if they are that concerned.

No penalties? Inconceivable!

What a crock of st.

At least give him a token nothing-penaly

And give $100Million back to McLaren

It's the same rules for everyone. He's obviously changed it for a pool gearbox, just let the adults administer the rules, without you spitting your dummy out

[Sandpit Steve]

paulguitar said:

I remember hearing about Roland's death on the radio. I couldn't process it, I didn't think it was possible anymore to die in an F1 car. Then we had Senna the next day and Wendlinger's accident at Monaco two weeks later. Suddenly everything felt very, very uncertain.

That was my memory too, as a 16-year-old karter with a Senna poster on his wall. His was my first experience of death and grief as a young adult, and it came totally out of the blue, in a sport we had all thought was now safe.

I also remember that fateful weekend had started with Rubens Barichello in the hospital, after a big crash on the Friday.

[Smollet]

WelshChris said:

I remember being upset by Jim Clark's death

Like wise. I was at the bottom of Paddock Hill @ the BOAC 500 when the announcement came over the Tannoy. A very eerie silence ensued (briefly).

[cgt2]

Sandpit Steve said:

That was my memory too, as a 16-year-old karter with a Senna poster on his wall. His was my first experience of death and grief as a young adult, and it came totally out of the blue, in a sport we had all thought was now safe.

I also remember that fateful weekend had started with Rubens Barichello in the hospital, after a big crash on the Friday.

I didn't know until several years later when I got acquainted with the great Prof Watkins (RIP) how much Barrichello and Ratzenberger affected Senna that weekend. He really was conflicted about participating after the events of Saturday. I thought his message to Prost on the Williams radio on Sunday was almost as if he was looking for his comfort zone to get in the right frame of mind for the race.

[paulguitar]

cgt2 said:

I didn't know until several years later when I got acquainted with the great Prof Watkins (RIP) how much Barrichello and Ratzenberger affected Senna that weekend. He really was conflicted about participating after the events of Saturday. I thought his message to Prost on the Williams radio on Sunday was almost as if he was looking for his comfort zone to get in the right frame of mind for the race.

I miss the prof, seemed a great guy.

[Stan the Bat]

Smollet said:

WelshChris said:

I remember being upset by Jim Clark's death

Like wise. I was at the bottom of Paddock Hill @ the BOAC 500 when the announcement came over the Tannoy. A very eerie silence ensued (briefly).

I must have been standing very close to you, that's where i was on that day.

[carlo996]

Wills2 said:

It's a pity there isn't an ignore button on this forum.

Run a script.

I was actually agreeing with you, because you correctly pointed out that whilst MV will be sneered at no matter if he has a good drive today or not, it would have been the same for LH if/when he was misplaced on the grid. That comes with the benefit of driving for a big team. And back in the day, it was Ferrari who were always the main benefactors.

But anyway.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Has the race started? I forgot to set a reminder

Genuine question BTW and not snarky

I guess I could go look

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Sunday 19th March 16:40

[cgt2]

paulguitar said:

I miss the prof, seemed a great guy.

My abiding memory of him is that his jacket was covered in dog hair. Such a contrast to the glamour of F1.

An absolutely lovely, warm, grounded man, no airs and graces.

[Sandpit Steve]

That’s a lot of cars ahead of Max there, on a very tight and narrow circuit.

[vulture1]

I think Will Smith was still drunk.

[paulguitar]

cgt2 said:

paulguitar said:

I miss the prof, seemed a great guy.

My abiding memory of him is that his jacket was covered in dog hair. Such a contrast to the glamour of F1.

An absolutely lovely, warm, grounded man, no airs and graces.

He came over very well in the books and interviews. It's really quite something to think he did his F1 job in addition to his 'real' job at The Royal London...

[Red9zero]

vulture1 said:

I think Will Smith was still drunk.

At least he didn't punch Brundle.

[sc0tt]

Brundle does a great job

[sc0tt]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Has the race started? I forgot to set a reminder

Genuine question BTW and not snarky

I guess I could go look

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Sunday 19th March 16:40

5pm

[cgt2]

paulguitar said:

He came over very well in the books and interviews. It's really quite something to think he did his F1 job in addition to his 'real' job at The Royal London...

Senna used to turn up on a Friday evening and the Prof told me they would head for a curry in Brick Lane. Even when Champion he said Senna would rarely be recognised there.