Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix

[charleselan]

Well said René, a truly awful race and circuit, a complete waste of a cold wet Sunday afternoon.

Money talks and this is why this circuit has the season finalé. 

My increasing anger at the constant cut aways to so called celebrity or some over dressed female in the crowd, just about sums up this experience.

I think that Mercedes Benz just about managed to put the final nail in the coffin by showing such dominance, which some of us knew they had all season; a totally contrived race which even the Irish Leprechaun attempted to get Tonto to admit. 

And next year we have the blasted "Halo", god spare us..........

[Jamie]

I fell asleep twice during the race so boring was it but good to see Bottas get a result I suppose. If F1 never races here again it will be far too soon.....

[chrisb]

well I tried, I honestly did but I just couldn't watch it, I kept thinking if they did away with those two chicanes and they had the two really fast sweepers and moved the walls to being on top of the circuit, maybe then..but there again, it is just dreadful,

the race was, as you say Charles a forgone conclusion, and a mightily boring one at that

I am not a fan of Perez, and find him a bit of a nuisance on the track in truth, but I am a fan of the Hulk, so I am coming from a biased perspective with regards to the penalty I was wondering what do others think?

[Carl]

I want to know what magnificent prize I'll be sharing with one other prescient member for picking Valtteri Bottas.  Show me the money.  

Chris,

I think Sergio Perez is obnoxious and his immaturity will keep him out of a top ride despite his abilities. I too like Nico Hulkenberg and was glad that after the penalty he quickly gained back the 5 seconds and 10 more.

[robmarsh]

The whole event had a feeling of lets get this over with asap and go home. Even the pre-race broadcast, which I normally enjoy, lacked punch and interest so I went off to read a Dick Francis book instead. The Grand Prix itself, apart from VB winning, boring. At one stage the TV was focussed on the cars fighting for 12/13. Lordy is that how low we have sunk. The track itself is another sanitised concrete car park based on RC car events. Surely with the demise of ecclestone we can start moving away from these tracks. I don't like Perez, never have, never will, and in fact I always skip his interviews. The Hulk I like and in another age he would have had probably five or six wins to his name.

[René]

Nov 26, 2017 21:34:16 GMT chrisb said:

I am not a fan of Perez, and find him a bit of a nuisance on the track in truth, but I am a fan of the Hulk, so I am coming from a biased perspective with regards to the penalty I was wondering what do others think?

Within the current penalty system I do think Hulk cut the corner... but Pérez was behaving like a child and this whole penalty system is useless anyway and on a proper track this situation would not have occurred.

As for the Hulk; he is very popular in The Netherlands. He speaks Dutch very well, does all the interviews with Dutch tv in Dutch and has even appeared in talk shows here. A very nice guy and a good driver who really deserves more. A couple of wins at least before he retires.

[charleselan]

I have never rated Sergio Perez to the degree that some pundits have, and still do. He was good at making tyres last but he has not actually set the world on fire with any truly outstanding performances in all the years he has been in F1, and they are quite a few now. His antics during the race were truly laughable; behaving like a baby is not the stuff of real men.

As you say René, Nico deserved the penalty under the current rules, but he wasn't given much room initially and the run off was from outer space in size! As a driver he has always impressed me, and with young Sainz alongside him they will drive Renault forward, and with any luck his day will come, maybe a bit like Alan Jones.

Don't think I will be watching much live next year with the toilet seat above the cockpit, and Mercedes continuing this demonstration of power.

[chrisb]

I have willingly parted with 199Euros for the privilege of watching MotoGP next year, so I can watch any and all practices, qualifying, races, interviews and comments - but ask me to pay one penny for F1, I would resist - I resent paying the BBC it's fee but can do little about that but I do wonder what sky and Murdoch's minions are thinking, and what influences they are bringing to bear - they surely can't be thinking this is a 'good deal?'

thank you JC for explaining the halo, I knew it reminded me of something and now I know

[charleselan]

I cannot claim originality on that terminology Chris, it was coined by a guy from New Zealand on the MS forum, but I do like it and the connotations are profound.

Incidentally to further my disgust at the event on Sunday last I have read that many drivers were actually conserving fuel virtually from the beginning of the "race" (and to quote dear old Murray Walker "I use that term advisedly"). I thought that Kimi's race was lack lustre, however he was hampered throughout by having to conserve fuel, what the blazes has this sport descended into!!

[chrisb]

it is interesting JC but in 1986 / 7 when fuel limits were restricted and I actually felt conservation made it more exciting, which manufacturer produced the most effective engine and which driver was smoother or more economical, who had the best tactics and how they played a part, obviously 1985 and greater fuel limits was really exciting but I enjoyed 86/7 and now, it wasn't even an Endurance race it was sheer toil, do we know TV audience figures?