ROUND 18: 🇶🇦 FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2023
| Circuit stats | |
|---|---|
| First Grand Prix | 2021 |
| Number of laps | 57 |
| Circuit Length | 5.419 km |
| Race Distance | 308.826 km |
| Lap record | N/A |
| 2022 winner | N/A |
Genuinely scared seeing Logan’s in lap. I almost wonder if need a medical meatball flag, seems wrong to tell driver it’s their call because they’ll inevitably push it too far.
Ocon just mentioned he threw up twice during the race due to the hotness
Well, they just have to put up with it, because the desert is where the
fans aremoney is. /sYeah definitely not fans. I’ve seen very few stands in general and there were lots of empty seats on all days. Absolutely zero atmosphere. Like racing on an empty parking lot.
Hearing that was pretty mind blowing. I can’t comprehend that and I’m not sure I want to watch the on board…
Talk about dedication.
They also just mentioned that Sargeant had flu like symptoms before the GP but seems to be fine now.
Can we do a vote for the race with the least atmosphere? This would be a great candidate.
Literally and figuratively! 🤣
Look at the thing in a map, it’s just plopped in a big empty space. There’s no bustling nightlife or cool scenery around.
Most of the traditional tracks are also in the middle of nowhere, old airfields near a bit of forest hardly have “bustling nightlife” and I’d argue that some nice shots of the desert are pretty cool scenery. There are plenty of reasons to dislike this track (soulless cash grab, dangerous conditions, sport-washing), no need to have a go at the location itself!
That’s a very fair response. I think that rolling tree-covered hills are way more interesting visually than flat desert that gives way to pitch blackness after sunset. But that’s purely subjective, sure.
A good result for McLaren but I have to wonder how much that lead Red Bull was holding back.
As Max alluded to in his post race interview, the enforced pitstops nullified the RB19’s usual advantage of being kind on tyres.
I don’t think they were holding back as much really. With everyone being forced to do max 18 laps, a big Red Bull advantage of being good to their tyres got taken out of the equation. I think you can argue this is also partially why Piastri could finish ahead of Norris. That and team orders, but McLaren would have let Norris true if he was so much faster to challenge Max I think. (All speculation but that’s the fun of talking about it, no?)
I think you can argue this is also partially why Piastri could finish ahead of Norris. That and team orders, but McLaren would have let Norris true if he was so much faster to challenge Max I think.
That’s the problem with team orders in a race like today’s. Lando was setting fastest laps at will behind Oscar. After Max’s slow stop the gap was something like 4 seconds back to Oscar. What happens if instead of maintaining a small gap back to Piastri, Max is forced to push harder because of a charging Lando? Maybe Lando is closer during Max’s pit window, etc.
I understand the McLaren reasoning for team orders to secure a solid result for both drivers, but Lando was out for redemption today after a tough start to the weekend and the fans potentially lost a chance to see someone challenge Max on pure pace.
Hopefully we’ll get to see a lot more wheel to wheel racing for the lead before the end of the season.
Shameful from FOM to even allow the race to go ahead, let alone complete with so many complaining about the heat. Zonlicht for safety first.
Wait, there was a race Sunday?
Am I the only one who thinks how 2021 season ended fucked with Hamilton’s head. He’s not been an same never since.
