Official 2024 Chinese Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

[MustangGT]

Byker28i said:

Oh God, it's the first sprint weekend.

I agree on this, total waste of time, the sprint races, just an excuse to award more points to RB and Max.

[Sandpit Steve]

MustangGT said:

Byker28i said:

Oh God, it's the first sprint weekend.

I agree on this, total waste of time, the sprint races, just an excuse to award more points to RB and Max.

It’s a slightly revised, and slightly more commonsensical format with two overnight Parc Fermé sessions, but changes allowed between the sprint and the main qualifying.

If they really want an audience they need to do something different, I’ve always said make it a separate championship and then properly play around with the format. You could do reverse grids based on the main championship, one-shot qualifying, upping fuel flow limits, in-race gimmicks - etc so long as it doesn’t affect the main championship results. It needs to be something that might encourage one of the midfielders to take a chance and potentially win. Make this the event for the tick-too generation, and give the rest of us back a World Championship.

[Jasandjules]

Sandpit Steve said:

It’s a slightly revised, and slightly more commonsensical format with two overnight Parc Fermé sessions, but changes allowed between the sprint and the main qualifying.
.

I think they should have non-F1 drivers in the Sprint races..... For a separate championship as such. Would be a great way to see who could make it in F1...

[Hustle_]

I think we could have an interesting qualifying here. Overcast and maybe a bit chilly. It must be an interesting circuit to get the tyres into the window and I can imagine Red Bull finding it a little tricky on a single lap. With the long straights and DRS zones it is tough to bet against Red Bull but I don't think they're getting a front row lock-out and for some reason I'm seeing Max starting from the second row, maybe a Leclerc pole? Wishful thinking I guess. Still, for the same reasons of tyre wear and DRS zones it is impossible to see past a Verstappen win in the grand prix, barring reliability.

[Supersam83]

The best thing about the sprint weekends is that they have only 1 free practice session.

Having FP1, FP2 and FP3 gives us predictability whereas just the 1 free practice session and straight into sprint qualifying throws up some variables that help to make it more exciting.

[Blink982]

Sprint races just spoil the result on a Sunday making it even more predictable.

[Forester1965]

How to make the sprint interesting...

- Reverse championship starting order
- A free engine/gearbox allowed to be turned up as high as teams want without affecting the WDC
- Hypersoft tyres with no changes
- Any damage/cost outside of budget cap

[Drew106]

What are the chances of switching on to watch the Qualy at 8am without finding out the Sprint race result. Zero I reckon.

Last race was a pain. Switch on to watch the re-run at 9.30am. Bloody Ted's Notebook's on with the results Luckily I'm wise to this now, so quickly turned off without seeing it and thankfully was able to avoid it. The re-run didn't start until 10am or so. Can they not update the schedule? It can't be that hard.

I know I'm complaining about stuff I could fix with; VPN, F1 TV, streaming etc etc. But I just couldn't be bothered lol. I just want to watch the race on my TV with minimal fuss and without knowing the result!

[Big Nanas]

Drew106 said:

What are the chances of switching on to watch the Qualy at 8am without finding out the Sprint race result. Zero I reckon.

Last race was a pain. Switch on to watch the re-run at 9.30am. Bloody Ted's Notebook's on with the results Luckily I'm wise to this now, so quickly turned off without seeing it and thankfully was able to avoid it. The re-run didn't start until 10am or so. Can they not update the schedule? It can't be that hard.

I know I'm complaining about stuff I could fix with; VPN, F1 TV, streaming etc etc. But I just couldn't be bothered lol. I just want to watch the race on my TV with minimal fuss and without knowing the result!

Can you record the race? That's what I do, then there's zero chance of seeing the result (unless you check your phone first thing and accidentally see the result!)

[Drew106]

Big Nanas said:

Drew106 said:

What are the chances of switching on to watch the Qualy at 8am without finding out the Sprint race result. Zero I reckon.

Last race was a pain. Switch on to watch the re-run at 9.30am. Bloody Ted's Notebook's on with the results Luckily I'm wise to this now, so quickly turned off without seeing it and thankfully was able to avoid it. The re-run didn't start until 10am or so. Can they not update the schedule? It can't be that hard.

I know I'm complaining about stuff I could fix with; VPN, F1 TV, streaming etc etc. But I just couldn't be bothered lol. I just want to watch the race on my TV with minimal fuss and without knowing the result!

Can you record the race? That's what I do, then there's zero chance of seeing the result (unless you check your phone first thing and accidentally see the result!)

Don't have that option available unfortunately, watching it on the NOW TV app, through my Xbox One.

The checking your phone thing is a pain though, isn't it! Happened with Australia. Open my phone automatically and before my brain knows what I'm doing, there's Sainz smiling at me with a big "WINNER" above him. Somewhat spoiled the surprise.

[RichB]

blackmme said:

Incredibly excited about next weekend in China, first Chinese Grand Prix in 5 years and if you were going to design one race track for this generation of F1 cars China would look like it. Obviously we know who’s going to win but behind that it will be epic

Let's come back to that post next Sunday afternoon...

[BrettMRC]

Forester1965 said:

How to make the sprint interesting...

- Reverse championship starting order
- A free engine/gearbox allowed to be turned up as high as teams want without affecting the WDC
- Hypersoft tyres with no changes
- Any damage/cost outside of budget cap

...only let the bottom 10 drivers enter.

[Derek Smith]

BrettMRC said:

...only let the bottom 10 drivers enter.

I like your thinking.

Perhaps just the top four being excluded. As their points drop to the same level as the lower 16, they then replace the top scorer.

Oh, wait. How about just the top 1?

[White-Noise]

I'm not a fan of the sprint either. To jazz it up a bit it could be run like your average kart event. 3 heats and a final. Heats with random grids 5 laps each heat 10 lap final.

[White-Noise]

One thing I would watch is a single make road car race with all drivers or a kart race. It's not f1 but it would be entertaining.

[Still Mulling]

White-Noise said:

One thing I would watch is a single make road car race with all drivers or a kart race. It's not f1 but it would be entertaining.

And therein lies the problem, and why Liberty won't permit it.

[thegreenhell]

White-Noise said:

It's not f1 but it would be entertaining.

None of these previous suggestions are F1 or have any place in F1. They're all just gimmicks, like the current Sprint event. I'd be happy if they could just deliver a good GP race on Sunday afternoon. No matter what fanciful ideas they come up with I'm not going to spend my whole weekend watching nonsense when only the GP result matters.

[Derek Smith]

White-Noise said:

One thing I would watch is a single make road car race with all drivers or a kart race. It's not f1 but it would be entertaining.

I once saw the team managers racing Escort Mexicos at Brands Hatch one year. I think it was a BRSCC event. I was entertaining. The final lap was a thriller, around Clearways. Williams, Brabham and Chapman, Surtees.

Just found it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6BOsesJGqs , 24 Oct 1971. Brilliant commentary.

The event was overshadowed by the death of Jo Siffert.

[White-Noise]

Derek Smith said:

White-Noise said:

One thing I would watch is a single make road car race with all drivers or a kart race. It's not f1 but it would be entertaining.

I once saw the team managers racing Escort Mexicos at Brands Hatch one year. I think it was a BRSCC event. I was entertaining. The final lap was a thriller, around Clearways. Williams, Brabham and Chapman, Surtees.

Just found it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6BOsesJGqs , 24 Oct 1971. Brilliant commentary.

The event was overshadowed by the death of Jo Siffert.

Thanks for sharing that Derek. Never seen that one before, Chapman was robbed! Mosley was a name I didn't expect to hear.

My suggestions above aren't serious ones but that sort of stuff and the link above I would like to see and are interesting and exciting.

I mean they could change the tyre allocation to be on an annual basis like the do with engines. That could really change things up and they could play on the green angle.

[PhilAsia]

Derek Smith said:

White-Noise said:

One thing I would watch is a single make road car race with all drivers or a kart race. It's not f1 but it would be entertaining.

I once saw the team managers racing Escort Mexicos at Brands Hatch one year. I think it was a BRSCC event. I was entertaining. The final lap was a thriller, around Clearways. Williams, Brabham and Chapman, Surtees.

Just found it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6BOsesJGqs , 24 Oct 1971. Brilliant commentary.

The event was overshadowed by the death of Jo Siffert.

Brilliant event and commentary! Thanks Derek!