Saudi Arabia Grand Prix - Jeddah

[René]

I need to digest this ‘race’ a bit longer before giving any comments. It wasn’t pretty though.

[mikael]

Found, as a delightful surprise, that the race today was aired on the free RTL channel (of Germany) (otherwise, from 2021 on, it was moved to a pay-channel of RTL).

Just a single thought: perhaps the idea of "just like Monaco, but with an average speed of 250 km/h" (155 mph) was just too ambitious? I think the race indicated that this could be the case. At the real/actual Monaco, the average speed is around 170 km/h (105 mph). Perhaps this speed level is more like how it should be for a street circuit with no runoff areas to speak of ...

[Carl]

A confederacy of spastic dunces on the two leading teams attended a dance by the Red Sea but, as david croft would say, broke too late and proved that some in Grand Prix racing are not above childishness.

I have a hard time accepting Jeddah Corniche as a street course. Narrow streets and gentle curves invite high speed and would be even more dangerous for normal traffic. A redesigned pit exit partly subterranean and joining the track after Turn 3 would allow a more open (and less dangerous) first and second turns. A less abrupt Turn 22 would also improve safety, and if the importance of winning had not been warped by Mercedes and Red bull into infantile excess, this could have been a great race.

His Royal Highness, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, has gotten fat beneath his robes, possibly a consequence of the same burdens of perfection distressing donald trump, who sometimes wears muumuus in private.

When Lewis Hamilton's hairstyle requires that his assistant fuss so carefully as she tucks its cascading mass into his balaclava, what's the point?  That is the point.

Kimi Räikkönen, asked by Martin Brundle if he could have a quick word, answered "yes" and kept walking.

The most pressing question for race stewards: who was the gorgeous blonde Alpha-Tauri crew member greeted by tonto wolff as he walked past to press his case before the stewards?

[robmarsh]

My overwhelming feelings after that race, anger and desire.

Anger at the hypocrisy shown on numerous occasions during the weekend, eg Mercedes new sponsor, SLH bellyaching about a red flag when he has benefitted from them on numerous occasions in the past, racing in a country with such an abusive human rights record, cynical driving by Verstappen, unsportsmanlike behaviour by VB and Mercedes when the first safety car came out, no punishment meted out to Mercedes for that, talking about safety yet racing on that circuit in the first place.

I now have a huge desire for the season to end, regardless of who wins I do not think this is a fantastic season of "two of the greatest drivers ever" going hammer and tongs. They may be incredibly skilled but their behaviour does not come close to any of my greats. I am so tired of the ongoing twittering by the Sky reporters that this is the greatest season ever. I don't think so...it is certainly the longest and the most tedious. I for one am tired of watching the same two teams, who have dominated the previous 12 seasons, slug it out at the front. Hopefully next season will be better or else I will end my 50 year love affair with F1.

I have a feeling that somehow I have been tainted by the grubbiness of the behaviour of the two top teams this year.

[robmarsh]

Carl, I find the continuous focus on Hamilton's assistant tucking his braids into his helmet sends a very subliminally sexist message. Again supposedly at odds with what F1 piously state.

[chrisb]

Grubbiness is a most apt word Rob, I echo your sentiments but fear my love affair with F1 ended many years ago, I am now really looking forward to WEC next year and really hope to attend at least one event, which, won't be in the middle east shall we say,

I only watch the youtube highlights and was just appalled - I can' think of any other to describe what I watched, I kept the commentary on for as long as possible and was just stunned as to what I saw. I am going to watch it again as I can't believe all that I witnessed. As for the FIA, well true colours are shown, you had the chance many years ago with Ayrton to stop this win at all costs mentality and you blew it and then again with Michael and now for a third time, you have shown your teeth, more like milk teeth, which penalty would you prefer? what on earth - Some good drives I thought Ocon and Ricciardo were good, but that guy who took George out was fortunate to walk away with

as for driving standards - words fall silent in tribute to all previous champions and drivers at this debacle, the circuit is just too much too narrow and too much of a temptation.

Will I care about who is WDC this year? no, but comparing it to 58 and 62 it is pitiful

[charleselan]

Any coherent writing would be to give what unfolded over this past weekend some credence, so I will engage in some random ramblings.

About two hours before the event began I said to myself there will be a red flag incident and that is a certainty, not wrong there, but two was pushing it a bit.

Interviewed on the grid by Martin Brundle the guy who designed the track said he gave himself the brief of making the fastest ever street circuit, shame his ego driven inspiration hadn't given a thought to everyones safety and a race circuit where competitors could actually race. This place had about as much credibility of a street circuit as the Indianapolis Speedway.

Interestingly many of the drivers raved about the place and the challenge it posed, however it has often been said that to go by what a race driver thinks can be a blind alley. Just think if they didn't all want more downforce they might actually be able to demonstrate the skills that a race driver should possess, in other words the ability to balance excess power over available grip.

As is now the norm I watched the thing via the Swiss National Broadcaster with its calm and collected commentary, however in the background I had the hysterical rantings of Croft and the truly dire S*YF1 channel. When the race was stopped I tuned in to that more clearly and caught Croft trying to make a big issue of Verstappen being allowed to change tyres under red flag conditions and how unfair it was, only for Martin to put him firmly in his box by saying that SLH had benefited the same at Imola and not only that gained a lost lap as a consequence.

Also why do we have to endure so many "cut away's" to the prime Pantomime Dame Tonto, all completely played to a full audience with his on screen tantrum, a truly pathetic individual.

Formula One used to be the pinnacle of motor sport, sadly the events of Sunday 5th December 2021 have demeaned that for ever more, a deplorable example of corpulent extremes and unsportsmanlike like behaviour.

[mikael]

An issue is also the sheer number of GP's. Twenty-two GP's is just too much of a good thing; it's too much for all involved, I think; and even too much for many fans.

Eighteen GP's per year may be the optimum. At any rate, it should be the maximum. That's how it is in MotoGP (although they, in recent years, have made it 19); and that's how it is in Motocross as well (with 18 GP's).

[Carl]

Gentlemen,

                    In the immortal words of William Mulholland, upon opening the valve which brought abundant water to Los Angeles:  "There it is.  Take it."  

Not water, but great racing less spoiled by corporate greed

www.indycar.com/news/2021/09/09-19-22schedule-announcement

William Mulholland, who designed the California Aqueduct and presided at its 1913 opening ceremony (pictured below), was vaguely portrayed as a composite character in the movie, "Chinatown"

  

The aqueduct's gateway into Los Angeles can still be seen in the northwest corner of the San Fernando Valley

[mikael]

Carl,

seventeen races in a season; that gives a better balanced life to all people involved. That's how it should be :-)

[chrisb]

goes back to my point about a separate winter series, the Middle East can afford it, the series wouldn't interfere with proper F1 races and the teams would love it as they would get an awful lot of money for competing, the only losers would be, as usual, the people but since when do moneyed people worry about them

Carl, Chinatown is one of the modern classics in the style of the brilliant 1940's noir films and I would totally agree it was Jack's best performance

[robmarsh]

I have never watched China Town. Looks like I will need to.

[Carl]

Dec 8, 2021 12:51:50 GMT robmarsh said:

I have never watched China Town. Looks like I will need to.

Rob,

         It's a great movie, based on real events but the screenplay by Robert Towne is essentially his own creation.  The true story of how Los Angeles powerbrokers arranged for a plentiful supply of water to allow expansion of the city and their own wealth has only anonymous heroes, but the atmosphere of corruption the movie portrays is accurate.  

        

[robmarsh]

Dec 8, 2021 19:03:01 GMT Carl said:

Dec 8, 2021 12:51:50 GMT robmarsh said:

I have never watched China Town. Looks like I will need to.

Rob,

         It's a great movie, based on real events but the screenplay by Robert Towne is essentially his own creation.  The true story of how Los Angeles powerbrokers arranged for a plentiful supply of water to allow expansion of the city and their own wealth has only anonymous heroes, but the atmosphere of corruption the movie portrays is accurate.  

        

Thanks Carl I definitely will watch.  I can still remember watching the trailer back in the 70s in a cinema in Zimbabwe. 

[robmarsh]

I see the sponsorship deal between Mercedes and Kingspan, suppliers of some of the cladding used in Grenfell Towers disaster, has been cancelled. It seemed ill conceived from the start given SLH's support for the Grenfell victims and the fact that an investigation is still ongoing into the fire and Kingspan have yet to be proved they have no culpability.

The outcry was considerable but once again the incident provides proof of how some F1 people live in a bubble and have little idea how their actions can impact on others.