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Post by Carl on Nov 18, 2023 20:51:57 GMT
Ferrari 1-2 in qualy!  Unfortunately not a front row lockout tomorrow with that crazy penalty for Carlos but still, great performance by the red team and pole #23 for Charles Leclerc. Crazy number for someone with 'only' five wins. More poles than Alonso! Also fantastic result for the Williams team and especially Logan Sargeant. To be so close to Albon should give him that mental boost that he needs and starting p6 on home soil is great for him and the fans. Well done. Hamilton and Pérez out in Q2 was surprising and even more the McLarens out in Q1. Looking at the top 10, this will most likely be a race between Charles and Max. Yes! Hopefully Charles has the same form tomorrow  And finally the good result Logan Sargeant desperately needed. Consummate moron David Croft chortled with derision as he announced his 3rd place in FP3, soon after to be corrected by more knowledgable colleagues Jenson Button and Martin Brundle. Well done! |
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Post by Carl on Nov 18, 2023 21:26:50 GMT
The Las Vegas circuit is more impressive with each session. It could be an awesome race.
When I learned the Las Vegas straight was 1.1 miles with a top speed of 220 mph, I immediately thought about Riverside Raceway's similar length straight, on which George Follmer set an almost identical speed of 219 mph in his Can-Am Porsche, a track record. A curious coincidence after fifty-one years and stark specification differences between Can-Am then and F1 today.
Riverside's back straight in 1957  Southern California really needed more suburbs and industrial parks   |
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Post by Carl on Nov 18, 2023 21:37:12 GMT
I've changed my vote after qualifying and may change it again after the race  Anyone who disagrees will have to deal with my spherical new friend.
After intensive research, I've located actual film of the first kill by the adolescent Las Vegas Sphere
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Post by René on Nov 18, 2023 23:12:59 GMT
Ferrari 1-2 in qualy! Unfortunately not a front row lockout tomorrow with that crazy penalty for Carlos but still, great performance by the red team and pole #23 for Charles Leclerc. Crazy number for someone with 'only' five wins. More poles than Alonso! Also fantastic result for the Williams team and especially Logan Sargeant. To be so close to Albon should give him that mental boost that he needs and starting p6 on home soil is great for him and the fans. Well done. Hamilton and Pérez out in Q2 was surprising and even more the McLarens out in Q1. Looking at the top 10, this will most likely be a race between Charles and Max. Yes! Hopefully Charles has the same form tomorrow And finally the good result Logan Sargeant desperately needed. Consummate moron David Croft chortled with derision as he announced his 3rd place in FP3, soon after to be corrected by more knowledgable colleagues Jenson Button and Martin Brundle. Well done! Yes, a win for Charles, a solid points finish for Logan and a ride in the gondola at the Venice hotel during the race for David Croft!  |
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Post by René on Nov 18, 2023 23:14:39 GMT
The Las Vegas circuit is more impressive with each session. It could be an awesome race. When I learned the Las Vegas straight was 1.1 miles with a top speed of 220 mph, I immediately thought about Riverside Raceway's similar length straight, on which George Follmer set an almost identical speed of 219 mph in his Can-Am Porsche, a track record. A curious coincidence after fifty-one years and stark specification differences between Can-Am then and F1 today. Southern California really needed more suburbs and industrial parks View AttachmentI agree, the layout isn’t that bad and the speeds are high. Let’s hope for a good race. Forza Ferrari! |
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Post by René on Nov 18, 2023 23:23:21 GMT
I've changed my vote after qualifying and may change it again after the race Anyone who disagrees will have to deal with my spherical new friend. After intensive research, I've located actual film of the first kill by the adolescent Las Vegas Sphere Brilliant, that’s so funny!  Who will be his next victim? Toto Wolff?  |
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Post by Carl on Nov 19, 2023 5:45:13 GMT
Toto, then Helmut, followed by foul spherical belching  |
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Post by René on Nov 19, 2023 10:41:16 GMT
Not a Leclerc win and not a points finish for Sargeant but that was some race!
We were right that the actual layout of the circuit is quite good for racing. A high speed rollercoaster. And the fact that the tires didn't degrade as fast as usual so the drivers could push almost all race long, made for much better racing. FIA please take notice and tell Pirelli to make more durable tyres. We don't need to see a zillion 2 second pitstops and tyre management, we want to see full blast racing.
I didn't like Max's move on Charles after the start. His sense of entitlement and arrogance is starting to annoy me more and more. It was simply a bad move and the penalty was too mild. But I'm glad he got a penalty in the first place because he should have gotten a few more for blocking and impeding, also at other events.
Charles drove sublimely and made some fantastic overtakes. In equal machinery, he would have Max by his private parts. This race convinced me even more of that. The safety car was unlucky for him but he did great to hang on there on older tyres and even retake second from Checo.
But yeah, the racing was good, also down the field. Bad race for McLaren though. Too many 'celebraties' and bling-bling for my taste but the track is racy which is the most important because this event will be on the calendar for many years to come.
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Post by robmarsh on Nov 19, 2023 17:21:59 GMT
Not a Leclerc win and not a points finish for Sargeant but that was some race! We were right that the actual layout of the circuit is quite good for racing. A high speed rollercoaster. And the fact that the tires didn't degrade as fast as usual so the drivers could push almost all race long, made for much better racing. FIA please take notice and tell Pirelli to make more durable tyres. We don't need to see a zillion 2 second pitstops and tyre management, we want to see full blast racing. I didn't like Max's move on Charles after the start. His sense of entitlement and arrogance is starting to annoy me more and more. It was simply a bad move and the penalty was too mild. But I'm glad he got a penalty in the first place because he should have gotten a few more for blocking and impeding, also at other events. Charles drove sublimely and made some fantastic overtakes. In equal machinery, he would have Max by his private parts. This race convinced me even more of that. The safety car was unlucky for him but he did great to hang on there on older tyres and even retake second from Checo. But yeah, the racing was good, also down the field. Bad race for McLaren though. Too many 'celebraties' and bling-bling for my taste but the track is racy which is the most important because this event will be on the calendar for many years to come. Spot on Rene |
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Post by Carl on Nov 20, 2023 0:48:49 GMT
As Rob writes, René's summary is perfect, so I will focus on the spectacle of celebrities competing to be seen like addicts to the fix of adulation, but first a few snide remarks:
Poor David Croft Imagine the shame of a professional announcer unable to pronouce "taco" and "las", should he ever be made aware, that is...
The most curious hotel sign was Treasure Island / Free Parking. If you save $30 dollars on parking, the slots will have been programmed to get it back.
Hopefully, Justin Bieber was waving the finish to his career...
Rod Stewart, who was truly great until he embraced disco, is someone whose hairstyle cannot be changed, trapped in time like Moe Howard and Rose Marie.
Depraved curiousity got the better of me and I watched Martin Brundle's slow walk on the grid past known superstars and the insecure. Brundle was talented enough to beat Ayrton Senna several times in F3, but he's like a babe in the woods of fame and fortune. Like him, I had no idea who most people were and it was interesting to see how the various celebrities reacted to a camera. Several were disappointed not to be approached. Others came close more than once, giving Brundle a second chance to recognize and honor them. I recognized Jackie Stewart , a true racing great, from behind and at a distance. Brundle certainly saw him, but Stewart may have requested not to be interviewed. He looked old and frail, not at all like the young champion I had seen walking on his toes as though on springs, the way Jim Clark had done.
Article below quoted from The Mirror
"Martin Brundle thinks his TV career is over after
Shaquille O'Neal Vegas F1 grid walk snub"
With a swathe of Hollywood stars in attendance at Formula 1's newest glamour event, the Las Vegas Grand Prix grid walk hosted by Martin Brundle promised to be a cracker By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
19 Nov 2023
Shaquille O'Neal was one of several celebrities who Martin Brundle struggled to speak to on a difficult grid walk for the broadcaster at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Brundle was not short of celebrities on the star-studded grid. But there were so many people milling about that the Sky Sports presenter struggled to recognise many of them as they filed past. He spent a full minute trying to speak to former basketball star Shaq who was posing with Red Bull staff including Christian Horner for photos. But when Brundle did eventually capture the attention of the American giant, he only got three words out of him " Lewis Hamilton, baby," he shouted after glancing at Brundle, before walking off. Brundle couldn't help but giggle at himself after an 'interview' which went about as well as the rest of his grid walk. Brundle did manage to speak to some stars, including British actor David Oyelowo, American rapper Will.I.Am and Aussie songstress Kylie Minogue. But others proved difficult to get hold of, while there were plenty of examples of the presenter walking past some famous faces. Fans on social media were begging Brundle to turn around at one point as he ambled straight past ex-footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He was trying to get the attention of DJ Steve Aoki instead, but ended up having to settle for a quick word with Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur at first. Eventually he was alerted to Ibrahimovic's presence and managed to grab 30 seconds with the Swede. It was more polite conversation than an interview, though the former football star did reveal that he supports Ferrari when it comes to Formula 1. Brundle, always happy to laugh at himself, wondered aloud if it was going to mean the end of his career after the O'Neal snub. But fans on social media loved the effort the Sky Sports favourite was putting in, even if it was not bearing fruit on this occasion. "The Martin Brundle grid walk is pure chaos every time, but always has a couple of incredible moments," wrote one. Another said: "It is a crime that nobody in the grid walk knows who Martin Brundle is." A third observed: "Martin Brundle has absolutely no idea who Zlatan Ibrahimovic is and it's fantastic." And many more noted the fact that, one one point on his action-packed grid walk, Brundle had wondered aloud: "How did all these people get grid passes?"
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Post by René on Nov 20, 2023 11:00:31 GMT
Carl, great analysis of the all important showbizz razzmatazz and Martin Brundle's psyche! __ Man of the match:  __ Not a great fan of special car and helmet liveries in general, but there is one detail on this Las Vegas livery that I really liked. Look at the double pin stripes on the side pods and the driver's name, in the font that was used in the seventies! Very cool, hope they keep it.   |
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Post by Carl on Nov 20, 2023 19:35:24 GMT
Good observation, René!
I hadn't noticed the wonderful design element of the past. I wonder whose great idea it was 
Ferrari should do as you hope, with even larger cursive writing and a Scuderia logo adjacent |
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Post by René on Nov 20, 2023 21:22:53 GMT
Close ups.   |
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Post by mikael on Nov 21, 2023 19:31:50 GMT
I agree: it was one of the best - if not the best - Ferrari livery in a very long time :-)
Actually, initially, I failed to notice the pin stripes and the neatly written driver's names; I just thought it looked great with the white parts and the clearly visible car numbers.
The Red Bull livery, on the other hand, was not good - it was way to busy ... Still, it wasn't so bad as to interfere with Verstappen's unbelievable winning streak. Overly aggressive or not - an outstanding record of "getting the job done", each and every time.
Will he take the last one of the year as well? Most likely so ...
How does the Dutch press react? The new Alberto Ascari? The J. M. Fangio of our time?
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Post by chrisb on Nov 22, 2023 15:42:08 GMT
I have always disliked the grid walks and can only imagine what our stars of years gone by would have been like, if we were to believe what we were told by the likes of Jack, Jimmy would be biting his nails and been on real edge, however especially 1965 I saw nothing to support that, Graham was notorious for being really prickly and had a huge do not disturb sign on his shirt, Bruce and Dan were polite but focused Phil was also known to be highly stressed before the start so you can just imagine what response a grid stalker would get from these
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Anyone who disagrees will have to deal with my spherical new friend.
