US Grand Prix - Miami International Autodrome

[charleselan]

Judging by some of the drivers comments post qualification it would seem some of the glitz is wearing off. The lack of Tecpro barriers and just a concrete wall at the scene of Carlos and Esteban's accidents is inexcusable and had that been one of the more established circuits there would have been recriminations from the authorities. Esteban's accident created a 51G impact and cracked the Alpine's chassis, and Carlos sustained a huge amount of damage not only to the car but the guy mentally and physically, you could see that it shook him up. His performance in qualifying after that was very impressive and it was pointed out that he probably lost pole position due to caution in the area he had the accident, not surprisingly.

Great pole lap by Charles who felt he could have done even better, great to have a Ferrari lock out on the grid but I feel the poor surface and detritus on side of the grid where Carlos sits will hamper his start, and others that side.

Brilliant performance by Valterri in the Alfa Romeo, boy that must feel so good to be ahead of both Mercs .

[robmarsh]

Some good racing between the two main protagonists and good performances from the other Ferrari and Red Bull. It seems the Red Bull setup of low downforce-higher top speed is giving them a slight advantage over Ferrari at circuits with extra long straights. Let's see what Ferrari do.

A very good drive by George Russell. Judging by the radio messages I heard, he seemed more willing to make decisions on when to pit than Lewis did. Anyway a good recovery by the Mercedes team.

MSC was having his best race until he tangled with Seb which spoilt both their races. Seb seems to have been involved in too many of these clashes, especially over the last four to five years, for me to blame Mick.

I am afraid the hype and preponderance of rock, film and other self-appointed stars left me stone cold.

One of the over-riding images I will take away from the race was the behaviour of the top three in the cooling down room before going on the podium. They all appeared respectful, friendly, mature and willing to discuss certain aspects of their races with each other without any of the animosity and sulkiness displayed in the past. It was how I imagined it used to be 40 years and more ago. It seems like the younger generation will swing the balance of general good manners and behaviour back to a more nicer, less selfish, less greed driven time.

[René]

Spot on analysis, Rob.

However, I did feel disappointed that Ferrari didn't win but wasn't entirely surprised how the race unfolded. Max got the jump on Charles at the first DRS opportunity and that was basically it. There is still not much between the two cars but the Red Bull's extreme top speed makes it the better package for tracks with long straights and multiple DRS zones. Ferrari also struggled more on the softer tyres than RB as was the case in Imola.

Still, I do have confidence in Ferrari and the calm and calculated way Binotto is approaching this season. The F1-75 is, apart from some minor changes, basically the same car as used in the Barcelona test a few months ago and it is still very competitive. The Red Bull is fractionally faster now but they have already put on lots of new stuff which they can't keep on doing with the budget cap limitations. Ferrari will introduce their first major update package in Barcelona which could swing the advantage back to Maranello.

It looked like the strongest weekend for Mick Schumacher so far. Most of the time he had the better of Kevin but it ended silly with the Vettel crash so the jury is still out on Mick. He is certainly not the unstoppable force his dad was and I have not seen any flashes of genius yet but given his junior career, he might still make it higher up the F1 ladder.

This new generation of drivers is indeed refreshing and there seems to be a lot of respect. Mind you, there were times when Charles and Max where not exactly on speaking terms during their karting years but they both have matured and really seem to enjoy their battle now. I think they both realize they are living the dream.

[charleselan]

I agree completely with your race review Rob, just about sums up my own feelings.

Will add a few other things that struck me. Firstly I was not impressed with the place at all but the race was interesting mainly with the duels at the front between both Red Bull and Ferrari cars. Charles and Carlos gave their absolute all but you cannot compete with a car that is much quicker on the straight aided by the dreaded DRS. Interesting that some on S*YF1 on Saturday were talking of a better system more like that in IndyCar, agree there.

I had two computer screens showing both S*Y and Swiss SRF and thought that Martin Brundle's "Grid Walk" was an absolute embarrassment, seeing him race after these so called no mark celebrities was like watching "Celebrity Come Dancing" on tarmac. If they think that their audience is of that inclination then we are doomed, no motor sport fan like it even the often moronic keyboard jockeys. The funniest thing is Brundle asking celebrity who they want to win, the answer should be "the guy driving for the team giving me a pass", they wouldn't know who "the guy" is by name anyway.

Obviously helped by the Safety car but George Russell impressed yet again and hearing him tell his team what he thought was best "lets stay out and wait for a possible safety car", so different from his team mate who has to be told what to do every time.

I felt sorry for Valterri who really had gift place tied ups before the safety car only to make a mistake and loose two places to his old team afterwards, real shame as he had driven very well.

As much as I like Sebastian Vettel as a person it really looks like time to call his F1 days to a close, if he cannot deal with Stroll then he is wasting his time and legacy. He still has talent but the bit in his mind set is gone, maybe time to join Porsche and head up their sports car program, a Le Mans 24 Hour victory to two would be a fine testimony.

Kevin had a messy race and qualifying and although it was good to see Mick going much better i think it was a false perspective and in the race Kevin got frustrated behind Stroll and lost the plot, a bit like Fernando with Pierre Gasly.

Interesting talk of the cost cap affecting developments over the season now as well, Ferrari playing it cannily?

[robmarsh]

Excellent comments Rene and John. Things are bubbling up nicely this season. I think a lot of truths will be revealed by the end of it.

[charleselan]

I really like the attitude to one another displayed by the drivers waiting to go on the podium, as you mention Rob just like it used to be; respectful and openly friendly. None of the antagonism so often seen since the mid 1990's that went into overdrive from about 2010.

Interesting to see how hot and sweaty Max was after the race, I know that it was very hot and humid but Charles looked a little less stressed, Carlos looked quite cool but was obviously feeling the heat once he got out of the car.

Forgot to say that Alex Albon gained another point as well, might have been a bit fortuitous but the lad is doing a fabulous job in my opinion.

Edit P.S.

Returning to Brundle's embarrassing "Grid Walk" it was just about summed up when quite by chance he came across Jean Alesi. At last I thought someone worth listening to; wrong. Jean was talking about important matters and you could see Brundle anxious to get away and speak to some no mark celebrity, in the end he cut Jean off and walked off, a truly excruciating performance. He also came upon some idiot who he thought worth talking to, after a minute he said "who are you", to which the arrogant t*ss pot said " I am a social media star", wow that was worth knowing!

[René]

I actually always liked Martin Brundle and thought he did a great job as an expert commentator. A shame he's now so 'into' the celeb stuff.

[charleselan]

May 9, 2022 15:09:15 GMT René said:

I actually always liked Martin Brundle and thought he did a great job as an expert commentator. A shame he's now so 'into' the celeb stuff.

He is demeaning himself. This is a guy who was a very good F1 driver; 24 Hour Le Mans winner and brilliant sport car driver and someone who ran Ayrton close in British F3. These clowns should grateful he wants to talk with them and he should not be running around like a headless chicken trying to get a comment from these no marks.

[Carl]

"Anything done in Miami by Miami is guaranteed to be fake for the most part, as that is the character of Miami"

- anonymous

My sense is that the commentators were all encouraged (ahem!) to praise Miami and what a colossal tidal wave of nonsense inundated the broadcast! It was wonderful to hear Simon, Jenson and Danica celebrate the arrival of Formula One in America, courtesy of Miami. Maybe I'll learn more about the sport one day...

Over the years, Martin Brundle has been critical of excessive focus on celebrity, and rightly so. SkyTV must see America as obsessed, but clearly the network worships celebrity far more.  I felt poor Brundle was on the grid against his will, reluctant and almost angry, turning it into a joke on purpose, approaching Venus and Serena Williams despite knowing it was idiotic to do so. He shamed himself with his abrupt dismissal of Jean Alesi, and again with uncharacteristic rudeness toward the very tall anonymous person he mistook for a VIP.

The race itself was good, the back and forth very exciting at the front. Willy T. Ribbs was never a great driver, too excitable by far, but conducted the post-race interviews with good grace. The motorcyles with lights and sirens in the passageways beneath Hard Rock Stadium was stupefying, a thick frosting on Miami's cake for which someone will get promoted who should be fired.

[René]

May 7, 2022 11:14:38 GMT charleselan said:

Talking of S&YF1 I was actually gladdened by the inclusion of Danica Patrick who was a breath of fresh air throughout not only for her insightful comments and questions, but on a strictly un-PC agenda (sorry) what she brought in kindness to the eye. Danica made no bones about the fact that she wasn't a F1 expert but brought out the racing driver thoughts and feelings from her own experience; excellent stuff they should make her a permanent fixture.

I accidentally stumbled on Danica Patrick’s Youtube channel with her podcasts. Her interests go way beyond racing! Very nice.