Is it really racing when the front runners spent most of the race preserving tyres, backing off to keep the engine cool etc.

One of the most boring races I've seen in quite a while.

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Parminio_USA
Jenson's performance was not embarassing. Don't make more out of it than it is.
Only Jenson fanboys expected him to match Lewis right out of the box. It's a different car, a different team and different rules. It's only 1 race, folks. Let's not go jumping off the deep end just yet.

Parminio I'm not jumping just a little disappointed and more so in the race.

I'm a big fan of Jenson but to be completely honest I expected this and have said so here. Lewis is something special and I am also a big fan of his. I can't find it in my heart to think anything other than Lewis to come out well on top with these 2.

I think in other races they will be closer but how is Jense actaully going to beat Lewis flat out? I don't see it very often to be honest.

Still, Alonso looks pretty awesome. He has to be favorite for the title. I think we can rule out RBR again in 2010. A fast car, one gifted driver but cruddy reliability and too many errors.

It's a shame because it would be good to see a 4 way fight between Alonso, Massa, Vettel and Hamilton.

Quote:

Parminio_USA
OH yea. Webber was most DEFFINATELY the absolute loser of this race. He was horrible from start to finish.
The funny part was that he had considered retiring. He should have. He's always been over rated and is the most dangerous man on track. He's the only guy I know that has hit 8 people in a single season without incurring a severe penalty...only warnings...from the FIA.

Totally agree....Webber is a joke.

Anyone else feel bad for Massa? Poor guy got blitzed by Alonso once they got past Vettel's struggling RB6. I think Massa radioed in a problem just to not look bad.

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"I have been to Le Mans and I was impressed. We cannot accept huge gaps between drivers and the press and public. In the past the pits was full of good looking girls, now it's like a concentration camp. And we need to overtake!" -- Luca di Montezemolo

I think Jenson can do much better then he showed in the race, in my eyes he was a bit to conservative and looking after his car.
He should be a bit more agressive and push harder..

Hopefully we see Mclaren get some more pace in the next race.

Just looking at some of the issues during the race, and I have decided that Jenson did not do to badly after all.

During the first stint Lewis was stuck behind Rossberg and could not get passed, he only managed it in the pits because Jenson pitted forcing Mercedes to hold Nico which gave lewis that extra couple of seconds he needed. Then in clear air pulled away.

Jenson was stuck behind Michael for the guts of the whole second stint, showing that he was unable to overtake either. He managed his tyres too well and when he did decide to open the car up, he caught the Merc of Schumacher quite quickly, but could not get passed. Jenson never had clear air to speak of so was not able to progress.

The Redbull was a quick car and despite their obvious advantage, Webber could not pull away from Jenson in the first stint and could not get passed him in the second.

I still feel somewhat "flat" after this first race and can only hope that it gets better as the team begin to understand their tyre management better.

I think Massa drove a great race. To pip Alonso in qualifying and to come second in the race in his first F1 race after a near fatal accident 8 months ago is fantastic. Shows him to be a true hero.
I've said this before, even if he does not win a race - though after watching the Bahrain race I am sure he will - it does not matter and he will remain a hero to me and I know to many many others in the world of F1.

To be honest Jenson and Lewis were quite evenly matched which is impressive when you think about it. Its just one got there qualifying right and the other stuffed it up and easily admitted it. Also Martin whitmarsh said that jenson never really had any clear air when Lewis did at times so he could strech his legs.

Boring race overall apart from 1 or 2 little things. Hopefully they do something with the tires or go for a mandatory 2 pitstops although I bet some teams will protest that. McLarens pace was ok but I think we will see better where we stand in the next few races. I dont think Bahrain flattered us very well

Quote:

Thomo from Kochi
I think Massa drove a great race. To pip Alonso in qualifying and to come second in the race in his first F1 race after a near fatal accident 8 months ago is fantastic. Shows him to be a true hero.
I've said this before, even if he does not win a race - though after watching the Bahrain race I am sure he will - it does not matter and he will remain a hero to me and I know to many many others in the world of F1.

Excellent post. I agree completely, but I'll take it a step further: We've not come close to hearing the last from young Massa yet. He is still a force to be dealt with and will prove it throughout the year.

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If he were to hit you in the face, you'd feel a strong urge to thank him. He once taught a German Shephard to bark...in Spanish. Sharks have a week dedicated to him. He's the life of the party he doesn't even attend. He once had an akward moment...just to see what it felt like. He is the most interesting man on earth.

Yes he will be a force to reckon with this year. I have no doubt

Quote:

RA106
To be honest Jenson and Lewis were quite evenly matched which is impressive when you think about it. Its just one got there qualifying right and the other stuffed it up and easily admitted it. Also Martin whitmarsh said that jenson never really had any clear air when Lewis did at times so he could strech his legs.
Boring race overall apart from 1 or 2 little things. Hopefully they do something with the tires or go for a mandatory 2 pitstops although I bet some teams will protest that. McLarens pace was ok but I think we will see better where we stand in the next few races. I dont think Bahrain flattered us very well

..Its looking like the the Qualy is going to define the outcome +/-1 place, they are all going to start on options and change onto primes 1/3 of the race distance.

As for Jenson the damage was done in Q3 when he came in to change tyres after feeling the car was "pulling to one side", so was left with one qualifying attempt with excess 2 lap fuel baggage. Anyway at least he managed to keep his spot starting from the dirty side ( which Massa,Lewis and Webber didn't do ). Apart from that there was f'all he could have done, stuck behind Webber and then Schumi. Webber cost him (and himself) any chance of getting Schumi by backing off to a 3 second gap just before Schumi pitted. .. Still I can think of worse excuses for a driver then being "held up" by a Brawn Mercedes driven by Michael Schumacher!

..and hey, both drivers managed to get enough points to put McLaren 2nd in the championship table.

What a boring race! I think i fell asleep to find that a couple of retirements had changed some positions. *cough* good to see Fernando win *cough* did I say that?

F1 needs to stop being about 'strategy'

The drivers need to go out and rip the crud out of their tyres trying to overtake. They should also be allowed to use as many engines as they so please. (I know the rule is for smaller teams, however I dont want to watch someone conserving their engine for the next race... its boring!

I can possibly see refuelling back for 2011 if nothing is changed i.e. mandatory tyre pit stops.

I like the idea that its a level playing field but then it just becomes about saving the tyres, which was the point of getting rid of refuelling cause it was about stratergy.

I am not surprised the fans were in uproar!

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McLaren Addicts - The new, revived Forum for McLaren Fans!

It's not about tyres, refueling or anything like that. It's the same as ever. It's the aero of the car in front screwing the car behind. You don't see refuelling or madatory pit stops in other formulae and yet we get thrilling races there.

They need to sort the aero. They should have banned DD's this year, not next. The problem is that they are too soft on the teams. I'm sure they would all cry and say it will cost billions to replace their DD's but would it? What if they were given a defuser regulation so strict that it would be a case of making a bit of carbon fibre to fit your car? What if they were told they have until Europe to do it?

I'm sure they could manage and I'm sure it would make a huge difference to the show. Bloody FOTA is killing F1. Bunch of idiots. They talk the talk but they have a conflict of interest.

Mandatory pitstops will add nothing much. We'll just ahve to sit and be bored until the next round. Why don't they realise? What we want to see is RACING. It's so bloody simple.

I've been an F1 fan for 35 years but this season I'm wondering why I should spend half the sundays of the year (too many races) sitting in front of the telly when I could be out having a life. I shall be recording all the races and watching in the evening from now on. If touring cars or Moto GP are on the same weekend, I'll be watching that recording first.

It makes me SO MAD.

Ozzy,I couldn't have put it better myself. Boring,boring,boring! They are killing the sport which I have watched 30 + years! Staying in on a Sunday while the wife moans and takes the kids out without me! Every year I think it will get better [apart from the Mansell years]and every year it gets worse! I also will be taping the races from now on and just watch the highlights [if there are any!] and go down the pub instead!Roll on summer!!

I like the green on the Union flag. Well done!

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If he were to hit you in the face, you'd feel a strong urge to thank him. He once taught a German Shephard to bark...in Spanish. Sharks have a week dedicated to him. He's the life of the party he doesn't even attend. He once had an akward moment...just to see what it felt like. He is the most interesting man on earth.

Slightly OT but anyone see the Sun newspaper yesterday and Fry saying Jenson has to up his game to beat Lewis? Got the feeling he was being a bit mocking given that last year he was singing Jenson's praises. Couldn't help but get the feeling he is still POed that Jenson left.

It's not as if Jenson himself hasn't said he has to try harderand forget what is written on the Autosport forums but I didn't see Jenson making any excuses for his performance on Sunday.

Fry cannot keep his gob shut. Let's face it, we all have similar feelings. Most of us have learned to keep them under wraps as they are pointless. Fry is feeling the rejection and secretly wishing JB bad luck. That's because he is a 'little' man.

A better man would have signed Jenson 5 races from the end of the season on a decent deal. Brawn didn't. They messed up. Sure they may have got Schumi but they screwed up royaly over Button and it's Fry's fault. End of.

Now it looks like he's being sidelined in the team so he'll just become an angry quote machine. He could hook up with Eddie Irvine and form a double act called 'The 2 bullshchitters'

Fry should be experienced enough to know when to shut up.

To be honest, I think part of the problem with the racing was the new sector at Bahrain, if anything Australia should be a much better race.

Last year, we had double diffusers and the racing wasn't that bad. They really do need to sort the racing out, that race was the first one that I can remember in recent years when I was waiting for it to end.

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