2013 F1 Championship.

The point about the advertising is an interesting one when looked at from the point of a race watcher. I'm not going to:

- change my bank

- consume a fizzy drink

- buy a particular IT system

- use a particular brand of fuel

just because these products are mentioned on the side of a racing car. (Or a football team's shirt for that matter.)

I like watching cars going round with each one trying to be faster that than all the rest. I 'follow' F1 on the box these days (well, as much as I can without swelling Murdoch's pockets anyway) and have been interested since the days when the engines were in the front. I also appreciate it isn't, and probably never has been, a jolly good chaps having a boffo time, who cares about the money, competition.

And how anyone can call bull torturing a sport is beyond me, but that's an other can of worms entirely, so let's not go there.

steve

There's no way Red Bulls action could be described as cheating. It wasn't to their advantage that Weber finished ahead of Vettle, realistically, it's Vettle who will contesting the drivers championship at the end of the season. It would have been cheating if they'd ordered Weber to let Vettle through.

The policy of none racing team mates is a necessary evil as far as the teams and drivers are concerned. The root cause being the current tyre regulations. If Weber and Vettle raced each other for 4 laps, their tyres would be so shot, Hamilton would have cruised up to them no problem. Hamilton racing Rosberg equaled Massa getting in the mix.

Drivers racing each other is M.A.D.

Team owners want to win the constructors title only - that is where they get the maximum funding for the following season.

They don't care, and probably would rather not have, a world champion driver because that costs shed loads of cash they would rather not spend.

Cheap drivers, good results is what they want.

I never thought I would say it,  but with the deliberately crap Pirelli tyres (tires) it resulted in 3 or 4 different race strategies on the start & as many more changing as the race progressed,  it turned out an interesting race. 

Might be nice to see cars & drivers racing to the limit some time soon rather than it being a tyre nursing event. 

Another Km and Hamilton was toast.  Great last few laps. G

Another bend & Vettel was looking at the canvas on his fronts

Quite so. 

Tyres that last 4 laps and then fall apart. It really is the Wacky Races now

Bruce

In fairness I don't think they would have actually fallen to bits for a good six laps!

Quite - F1 is now so contrived as to be a joke.

Quite - F1 is now so contrived as to be a joke.

Or when the circus is drawn to Bahrain, a sick joke.  Something seriously ill judged about that. Bernie should know better.

Peter

KERCHING!

A better than usual race in Bahrain, with lots of great fights for position. Congrats Seb, another perfect race. Ferrari with some food for thought.

Lotus too....and Di Resta....and.....etc. G

Hamilton very despondent - "I can't drive any slower"...G

The Mercedes team are going to do really well at the next  anti-clockwise circuit...

Well done Fernando!

It would be nice to see racing that allowed cars to drive on the limit

IMO its tyre racing rather than car racing,  I'm loosing interest.   

On another subject,  did anyone pick up on Ecclestones remarks about stopping free to air TV (BBC)  ???  Did more get added or was it pushed into the long grass ???

Seems he is becoming a bit of a problem,  his claims that was asked to broker a deal between LH & RB,  then the "stupid" remark about Bahrain,  is he (even further) past his sell-by date ?

Well done Alo,even if I can't see more tyres changing at my tyres retailer than in this F1.

It looks like changes are afoot  ............

Pirelli have said they are aiming to bring the number of pit stops per race down in time for the British GP 30 June 

“Our aim is to have between two and three stops at every race, its clear that four is too many …….. we’ll be looking to make some changes in time for Silverstone, ……..  and solve these  issues rapidly.”

Might need 4 of those to get out of the Silverstone car parks

Pirelli just announced they will be providing tyres with a revised construction on race earlier than previously announced & will be available from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards. 

“Our aim is to provide the teams with a new range which mixes the stability of the 2012 tyres and the performance of the current ones,” 

Here's hoping we might see some flat out car racing rather than a tyre endurance competition. 

Maybe so, but other regs, track improvements & power/speed enhancements like DRS & KERS tend to even up the teams. But that said why should a poorly performing team be given aids to match the top teams,  do they do that in athletics ??.  

Another point is tracks like Monaco (sorry Monaco fans),  but qualifying on the front of the grid  pole is such a significant advantage its almost pointless being lower than grid row 5.  

But whatever,  tyres that actually work will make racing more interesting than drivers unable to compete for fear of not finishing because of no tyres left.  Never again should we hear the remark "I can't drive any slower"