Formula1

[westham,eggyandchips]

That's different level from Alonso!!

Deserves a podium for some of the moves he's pulled off tonight.

[sendô]

Well at least the Aston Martins are looking competitive.

Red Bull one-two. Usual Ferrari reliability problems putting LeClerc out. Mercs not quite quick enough. Is it still 2022?

As to the midfield, the McLarens didn’t look great, nor did Alpine. Williams managed 10th and 12th, which is interesting.

[westham,eggyandchips]

Well at least the Aston Martins are looking competitive.

Red Bull one-two. Usual Ferrari reliability problems putting LeClerc out. Mercs not quite quick enough. Is it still 2022?

As to the midfield, the McLarens didn’t look great, nor did Alpine. Williams managed 10th and 12th, which is interesting.

In a nutshell.

[k-r-c]

Looks like red bull are going to be even more dominant than last season.

Can see myself not rushing to get back for races this season however the battle for the places from 3rd to 8th will be the highlight but end of the day it’s the lead that matters.

Verstappen will walk it.

Atleast in the dominant Mercedes years the two drivers would be battling each other.

[Bend it like Repka]

Having just watched the highlights that is a disaster for F1. Year 2 regs and Red Bull beat the next car by 38 seconds.

Worse still Max's team mate won't even be able to fight him because he is't fast enough. This is going to be a procession I fear.

Doesn't show much evidence of them being punished for breaching the rules does it? Unless it stopped them lapping everyone.

Ferrari rinse and repeat.

[Gaz]

Alonso the only bright spark to come from an otherwise predictable race.

[Denbighammer]

I can't even be bothered to watch the YouTube highlights. I have a quick glance on here for a race review. Thanks all for the updates.

Too many races, too many **** tracks with vast run offs that give no sense of speed, at places that have bought a GP because if how it looks, not because they care. And then you get to the racing....

[view from the shires]

I have already given up the Sky F1 subscription for this year (although still a few weeks to run). I only watched the highlights so it only took 5 minutes of my life. :lol:

[wolf359]

As an aside, there was some cracking F2 and F3 action this weekend..

[westham,eggyandchips]

You can tell it's a poor race when you only see the leader on the first and last lap.

Thank God for Alonso.

[Clacton-ammer]

Only highlights for me, but yes, without Alonso how poor would that race have been!

Might as well give it to Max now if that's what we have to look forward to. Hopefully early days and not what it going to pan out as the others sort themselves/car out - I will not be holding my breath though.

[sendô]

Yes, the only excitement at the moment is that it appears that the Aston Martins are able to compete with Ferrari and Mercedes.

Well, I say the Aston Martins, but I mean Alonso. We’ll have to wait and see if daddy’s boy is capable of overtaking Hamilton, Sainz et al.

[Bend it like Repka]

As an aside, there was some cracking F2 and F3 action this weekend..

I did see the brief highlights of the F2 race. Looked good.

[Bend it like Repka]

Might as well give it to Max now if that's what we have to look forward to. Hopefully early days and not what it going to pan out as the others sort themselves/car out - I will not be holding my breath though.

Bahrain is an abrasive track, and not like many others, so the deficit may not be as big elsewhere. It needs to be, because coming up with the longest season ever and already knowing the WC is depressing.

It's crazy how Newey is so far ahead of the greatest minds of all the other teams.

It might have been a more suitable penalty for Red Bull to ban all development for the season once they had launched their car at race1.

[Gaz]

Even Drive To Survive as sponsored by Red Bull (tm) had to try to make a drama out of who finished second last year!

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

As many of us said, barely punishing Red Bull's overspend wouldn't remove the advantages gained from it. Red Bull effectively start each race with an illegal advantage.

[wolf359]

As many of us said, barely punishing Red Bull's overspend wouldn't remove the advantages gained from it. Red Bull effectively start each race with an illegal advantage.

Somes it up. ~ I do wonder how much AM spent they must have spent a fair wedge already of that cap.. or was it all on Fernando's Paella?

[Gaz]

I was absolutely infuriated with Christian Horner during the cap investigation, I was so glad I wasn't standing in front of him. He came out punching rather than being contrite.

The worst of it was his rebuttal of being called cheats, citing other teams as being responsible for enabling playground bullying of their children (as if!) and mental health issues. Never mind that they are responsible for creating the issue in the first place! I am very close to someone who experienced school bullying and who has a subsequent severe mental health set back that still has knock-on effects today and didn't, thankfully, but could very feasibly have ended in loss of life. This was a cheap shot, an attempt at exploiting current views and discussion on mental health issues, I cannot stand to have the bloke on my TV screen at the moment. The whole Red Bull set up from Marko down to Max are bullies - and for obvious reasons I abhor bullies. The only problem is, bullies don't usually recognise that they are bullies unless they are called out on it.

Anyway, back on topic and apologies for the divergence;

The breach was negotiated down to below the threshold of a serious offence behind closed doors with the FIA. Horner saying it was 'only' $400,000 on sandwiches is deflecting. Szafnauer said if he could take catering out of his budget he'd have more money to spend on car development. $400,000 is a salary for 4 very good graduate engineers. They are now carrying that advantage, we know it and other teams know it irrespective of what he
thinks or says, Horner knows it.

The discussions between Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Horner were very pally - Ben Sulayem said something along the lines (to Horner) or "they [the other teams] all want blood, I'm your only friend here". I wouldn't watch that episode of Drive to Survive if I were me!

I said last week that I will cancel Sky F1, and I will. Red Bull have ruined this sport for me.

/rant over

[Chicken Run Supreme]

I can see myself switching off F1 this year as I did when Schumacher and Ferrari made it a dull procession.
Be good to see Aston Martin and Alonso chucking a spanner in the works and perhaps Hamilton improving as the season unravels.

If not, I will take a sabbatical. No intention of watching Verstappen and Red Bull taking the piss again.

[szola]

Did anyone really believe that either Mercedes or Ferrari would be challenging Red Bull from the off, this season, after how last year panned out?