[Official] Rate the Grand Prix: Qatar Grand Prix 2023

[Born Racer]

What score do you go for?

[chillibowl]

8. In the end I really did enjoy it. I’m sure many won’t have liked the tires, the stops, the track limits but in the end it was a good challenge and good contest.

[bjohnsonsmith]

I don't like the sprint races, as I think they are a gimmick. Having said that, I did enjoy the sprint race and it had plenty of incident.

As for the GP race itself, I enjoyed that too. It was more like an IndyCar race, with drivers on different multiple stop strategies, due to the tyre issues. I don't think it detracted from the race and added an extra element. However, I hope this doesn't give Liberty any ideas and it becomes a regular feature.

8.

[chunterer]

5...

[GT6]

7 from me.

[Alan52]

7
Liberty deserve a minus 10 for their greed in scheduling a race in Qatar at this time of year.

[steve_r]

7. Events contrived that this was not follow the leader. With the word contrived doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

No threat for the race lead. Incompetence from someone somewhere for the tyre fiasco.

[morninggents]

7. Tyre situation a farce. The track limits situation also farcical. Something has to be done.

[Aysedasi]

7 reduced to 6 for the track limits idiocy.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

7 reduced to 6 for the track limits idiocy.

In retrospect, I should have dropped a point for track limits idiocy as well.

I don't understand why the curbing needs to be so wide? It's wider than the car. If the width were reduced to half, would that not make a difference?

[Gerard C]

No, it wouldn't. The rule is not about curbing its about the wheels you have to keep on the track. Its all about how the rule is applied imo. May be only sensors are the answer?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

No, it wouldn't. The rule is not about curbing its about the wheels you have to keep on the track. Its all about how the rule is applied imo. May be only sensors are the answer?

I know the rule isn't about curbing. However, having looked at a bunch of photos and watched races, it looks very much like drivers are more likely to take advantage of track limits if the curbing is wider.

[Aysedasi]

Well, I think overwide curbing is part of the problem - why does it need to be so wide? Drivers are used to using the curbing. Why then make it wider than the cars? Makes no sense to me.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Well, I think overwide curbing is part of the problem - why does it need to be so wide? Drivers are used to using the curbing. Why then make it wider than the cars? Makes no sense to me.

Exactly.

[Gerard C]

Could it be because this track has both homologations, F1 and MotoGP?

[Aysedasi]

Erm, don't know, but why would bikes need curbs wider than a car?

[Rusty Nail]

IMO they have the basic concept wrong.

The entire car should be within the white lines. Problem solved. Just as easy to police. No extra expense involved. The drivers would pretty quickly adjust after a few penalties.

[Gerard C]

For bikes, all the paintings must comply with a coefficient of adhesion. Curbs must be slick for obvious reasons. Why should they be wider than for a car, can't answer. But satisfying both FIA and FIM requirements seems a hard task, for instance Francorchamps had to bring gravel traps back and one curve (11 I think) is different depending on the type of race (bikes or cars).

[S griffin]

Wasn’t a great race. Just driving flat out between stints and mostly decided in the pits thanks to these pit window rules. Let’s hope this never happens again. Plus too many track limits. They should have replaced this event with the previously cancelled Imola!

Gave it a 5

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Wasn’t a great race. Just driving flat out between stints

I understand where you are coming from - but don't we also see complaints when drivers are going at less than flat out and are accused of managing things too much?

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I understand where you are coming from - but don't we also see complaints when drivers are going at less than flat out and are accused of managing things too much?

Don’t remember too much of that. Maybe when drivers were on economy runs, but you don’t see that anymore. The thing it’s much more interesting when different drivers are faster at different times of the race. Variables make it interesting

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Don’t remember too much of that. Maybe when drivers were on economy runs, but you don’t see that anymore. The thing it’s much more interesting when different drivers are faster at different times of the race. Variables make it interesting

Agreed, variables do make it interesting and some drivers were on three stop strategies and others on four.

[chillibowl]

And between the heat and some of those corners, drivers were struggling physically out there. Scary for sure but also on the limit stuff.

Do I hope that this was a one off? of course but it was unique and enjoyable imo. For me I don’t see the farce aspect as much as I do a challenge overcome. Made for good tv anyways.

[TrapezeArtist]

Ruined by track limits and the tyre fiasco. 4.

So the circuit owners put in these huge slightly corrugated or serrated kerbs as a (feeble) attempt to get the drivers to drive on the track.
The drivers ignore the vibration and drive over the kerbs on every corner, every lap.
The FIA broadly condone driving off the track and only penalise when a driver goes totally off the track multiple times (except in qually).
Pirelli discover that the vibration of the kerbs is potentially damaging to the tyres and get the FIA to bring in an instant tyre distance limit to avoid failures.
The whole things needs a total shake-up. I’ll bore you with my ideas when I’m not one finger typing on my iPad.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

Ruined by track limits and the tyre fiasco. 4.

So the circuit owners put in these huge slightly corrugated or serrated kerbs as a (feeble) attempt to get the drivers to drive on the track.
The drivers ignore the vibration and drive over the kerbs on every corner, every lap.
The FIA broadly condone driving off the track and only penalise when a driver goes totally off the track multiple times (except in qually).
Pirelli discover that the vibration of the kerbs is potentially damaging to the tyres and get the FIA to bring in an instant tyre distance limit to avoid failures.
The whole things needs a total shake-up. I’ll bore you with my ideas when I’m not one finger typing on my iPad.

They could put in virtual walls on every circuit so it was effectively like Monaco or Azerbaijan....small
And if you hit an imaginary wall you got a time penalty, or a pit stop, on an ascending scale according to the force of the hit...
No so dangerous and no longer in the steward's hands....

You would soon fix the problem....
And a virtual wall is not that difficult....