Open Wheel Racing 2021, anyone there to watch?

[Spartanforlife4]

I liked the new qualifying format, though probably need to give it a few more tries to see if the variation was due to the format, the track, or the upgrades the teams brough. I think they said they're only doing it twice this year, though. oo bad Lewis couldn't hold onto P1 through the first turn. The race was essentially over after five seconds.

That Mercedes was a rocket in the final 15 laps or so as the fuel came down. Probably two more laps and Lewis gets a podium. Funny that the McLaren seemed to like a full tank more. But they seem to excel under much different parameters than the other teams.

[Kepler]

I liked the new qualifying format

I still don't get it. 11 sets of tires ("tyres" always makes me giggle, yes, I am 8) instead of 13, for carbon neutrality (lol, okay). And the order of the tires is dictated in the Qualis? Doesn't this just limit strategy to fewer options?

My F1 smooth brain didn't absorb why this was interesting or more exciting. Please help Bobo learn.

[Spartanforlife4]

I still don't get it. 11 sets of tires ("tyres" always makes me giggle, yes, I am 8) instead of 13, for carbon neutrality (lol, okay). And the order of the tires is dictated in the Qualis? Doesn't this just limit strategy to fewer options?

My F1 smooth brain didn't absorb why this was interesting or more exciting. Please help Bobo learn.

To quote one of my least favorite internet phrases: “it’s not that deep.”

I just like the uniformity and that it seemed to produce some different results. I didn’t even know it was supposed to be due to “environmental” reasons. Like I said, it could have easily been the track or upgrades that caused it more than the format, so we’ll have to see for the next time they roll it out.

[MichVandal]

One thing it does mix up is the car to car variability in compounds. Like Alfa was relatively really fast on the harder tyres, so they made q3.

Other than that, I’m not sure.

[Russell Jaslow]

I still don't get it. 11 sets of tires ("tyres" always makes me giggle, yes, I am 8) instead of 13, for carbon neutrality (lol, okay). And the order of the tires is dictated in the Qualis? Doesn't this just limit strategy to fewer options?

Yes. But the real problem is teams aren't going out on Friday in order to save their allotments. Sure, it rained this time on Friday, but word was, the teams were going to limit their running anyway. Thus, less cars on track for the fans.

BTW, it was supposed to be first tried out at Imola. So, it was supposed to be done three times this year. They decided not to sub in another race to replace the Imola experiment.

[Russell Jaslow]

Yes. But the real problem is teams aren't going out on Friday in order to save their allotments. Sure, it rained this time on Friday, but word was, the teams were going to limit their running anyway. Thus, less cars on track for the fans.

BTW, it was supposed to be first tried out at Imola. So, it was supposed to be done three times this year. They decided not to sub in another race to replace the Imola experiment.

As repeatedly emphasised by Pirelli, which described the debut as “positive”, this is not a ‘spicing up the show’ measure. It is a sustainability measure to cut the number of race weekend tyres used by some 3840 units over the course of a full 24-race season.

[Kepler]

Yes. But the real problem is teams aren't going out on Friday in order to save their allotments. Sure, it rained this time on Friday, but word was, the teams were going to limit their running anyway. Thus, less cars on track for the fans.

I suppose if it becomes permanent they will develop news ways of dealing with it as time marches on. My first thought is anything that makes strategy less important can only help Ferrari.

[Russell Jaslow]

I suppose if it becomes permanent they will develop news ways of dealing with it as time marches on. My first thought is anything that makes strategy less important can only help Ferrari.

LOL

BTW, the next time this will be tried is at Monza. Then they will decide what to do next year.

[Kepler]

Apparently, McLarens only work when it's wet. Is there a PNW racing circuit?

[Russell Jaslow]

Apparently, McLarens only work when it's wet. Is there a PNW racing circuit?

Yeah, it's called Silverstone... :-)

[Kepler]

Yeah, it's called Silverstone... :-)

We would also have accepted Suzuka.

[Jimjamesak]

We would also have accepted Suzuka.

Interestingly Portland runs an Indycar race and I don't really remember any notable rain races there.

[Kepler]

Interestingly Portland runs an Indycar race and I don't really remember any notable rain races there.

If it's June to August that would be absolutely expected. (But you know that, obviously.)

[Russell Jaslow]

Interestingly Portland runs an Indycar race and I don't really remember any notable rain races there.

They ran Formula E this year. In June.

[Kepler]

I lived in Portland for 6 years and I never saw the Portland International Raceway mentioned, in any form of media, once. I had no idea it existed.

We left in 2003 so maybe it just didn't exist yet. But Portland has a habit of having these super weird unknown sports things that go back a century. My favorite is the current baseball stadium used to host world championship ski jumping in the 1950s.

Ski jumping. In a ballpark.

They built a ski jump in centerfield. This is real: