I thought Danica’s post qualifying interviews were a little wooden. But I think she did a good job in the pre-race show today. She did as well as she did at the Indy 500.

I thought the booth discussions during practice were great, especially yesterday when Jensen Button and Juan Montoya were in there. Juan has some great perspectives to share about racing in Formula 1.


-rb

Danica would me more likeable
if she didn't speak

I know Martin Brundle is doing what he is told in regards to the grid walk . In my opinion he should be going after anyone that's involved in the race . It can be drivers/engineers/team principles heck even tire changers .

I could care less what ANY celebrity or sports figure has to say , means nothing to me . I want to watch a race not a reality show . Five minutes with Gunther Steiner is better than 30 minutes with douche bags .

Danika Patrick: she did ok but not great . To me she isn't very personable. But she does have insight of a racer so there is that . There was a LOT of pressure for this race event to be a hit . Lots of $$$ spent . Was it a success ? I would say yes . Can it improve ? Absolutely.

I hope all the powers to be do a debrief on what worked and what didn't. Listen to fan feedback along with the drivers/teams . Make changes as needed to make the next race there better.

I'm curious what people are actually paying for tickets elsewhere. COTA especially? Also curious what tickets to, say, Silverstone or Spa sell for these days.

This is from 2019, so it’s a few years out of date, but it will give you some idea:

https://f1destinations.com/the-definitive-ranking-of-2019-formula-1-ticket-prices/

Thanks. So even assuming prices have risen since then, these ticket prices at Miami were simply outrageous. But even so, a lot of people bought them because they had great attendance.

Another problem with street and/or parking lot circuits is the General Admission ticket is basically worthless. There is nowhere to really see the action, unlike a permanent circuit where I generally prefer General Admission so you move to various locations during the race.

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t see that F1 tries to do anything to attract long-term, serious fans of the sport. I think they take those people for granted, which they shouldn’t, and pander to the newbies looking for an “experience.”

Maybe there aren’t enough long-term fans to support the sport, which goes back to Bernie Ecclestone and all of his money grabbing bull**** that effectively ruined it and set us upon this path.

I know I’m not gonna spend that kind of dough to watch any race.

I thought it was a meh race, but not as much crashes as I thought there would be.

I am suspicious of the Redbull though, why they have so much speed unless aero was set to zero but that’s not the case. I mean with DRS on Charles’ car he could barely catch Max, seem suspicious to me…

I watched the race and found it interesting how many people I could see in the the overhead drone shots that were walking, standing in groups, playing in the various pools (the real pools and there were several) the tiki bars, etc., etc. I know this is the case at every race but these folks paid big bucks for tickets and they didn't watch any of it.

Yup. Luckily, I've always been first and foremost a sports car fan. For a total of $135 this year, I saw 6-days of action at Sebring (WEC, 12-Hour, Pilot Challenge, Carrera Cup and more). All-access including grandstands (excepting those over pitlane), paddock and ability to drive anywhere inside the track. I don't think paddock access is even available at F1 races anymore, at any price. Last F1 race for me was Indy and they put tarps up on the fence around the paddock so fans couldn't even LOOK in - that was the beginning of the end for me.

I disagree.

She was articulate, and totally understandable. Paul di Resta is very knowledgeable, but he can't speak fully understandable English. His accent is horrible, and he is from Great Brittan. He is a good driver, but he needs lessons on speaking to be a decent announcer.

I understand I am a sexist old man, but I think Danica is very feminine, attractive presence and she is still learning the announcer game. She speaks with clear sentences, and not with ums and ahs or stammering. She has more to learn, but she is not just a pretty face. She never raced F1 and is not at all a top professional driver, but she does have race experience.

I prefer the days when jumping the fence and taking photos from the Armco, while not encouraged, would just get you a slap on the hand at worst. :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652105196.jpg

Glen watch it on TV with subtitles as you learn to understand their accents.
Mario and Willy are racing heroes but offered very little on TV.
Danica's fluff piece riding in the back of an Edsel was total filler.

My preferences, the 3 that really give meaningful insights into F1 racing.
Anthony Davidson
Paul di Resta
Jenson Button
It is funny when you can tell Paul won't criticize Mercedes like say Nico Rosberg.

Good race in Miami thanks to the last safety car.
The track may be similar to Jeddah but the racing in Miami seemed more entertaining.

With ya on that one. LOVE the paddock access you get in the relatively low rent series. The smells and commotion are such a huge part of the experience. Went to a Rolex event years back at NJMP and the entire experience was just awesome. Total access for a pittance. I'd rather be ON the track but lacking the skill and $$ needed i'll take the third best thing (crew being second best) and wander amongst them to watch it all.



On the Miami subject did anyone else actually see Gasly do what he said he did in that accident? His story and what I saw on the TV didn't seem to jive. Wonder if he didn't just screw up.

Man, if that celebration of Brundle’s mediocrity doesn’t describe everything wrong with Formula 1 as presented these days, I don’t know what would do it better.

My COTA turn 12 seats are $500 for a three day ticket, up from $400 the first year.

I wish I had my tickets from the 1985 Dallas F1 race. I don't remember how much they were but I recall them being expensive and they were just back straight grandstand tickets. I promised myself in 1985 I'd buy better tickets that allowed you to also buy garage passes but of course that never happened.

I prided myself in being able to say I'd been to every Texas grandprix until 2018 when I broke my neck and didn't go :(

It was a fun race. And the spectacle was a hilarious mix of European meets American culture.

I miss the grid girls.

I agreed with everything you posted
except the part above
that is exactly the opposite of
what I see
She is competitive to a fault
with an insecure chip on her shoulder
always trying to prove she is
good enough and sees everyone else
as an adversary
she seems like she is always on the
verge of picking a fight

for a man, those traits would be seen
as tough tenacious and fierce
same for a female
but those traits are anything
but attractive or feminine or pleasant
if she wants to think and act like
a tough guy it's her business
someone out there will like it
just not me

back to the race
I expected a lot of turmoil with red flags and such
but that didn't happen
a new track with lots of risk caused the drivers to
play it safe and not push it to the limit
we often see the same in russia and monoco
it detracted from the race in my opinion

and brundle is the reason I record the race
so I can fast-forward through the times
when he is speaking
same with the corner talk cutaways
not worth my time

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652118332.jpg

If I were that bad at something
I'd work really hard to do it better
or stop doing it altogether

The subtitles on the F1 coverage is easily 15 seconds behind the speakers saying it. With a live event, someone or some computer transcribes it to text, and it is painful slow. Paul lives in a Great Brittan and works as an announcer. Like a French speaker from France should be able to speak the language clearly. Of course in GB they have more accents than can be counted. Drive 20 miles and the locals speak with a totally different accent. Most of the drivers from all over the globe speak better English than Paul and the drivers are paid to drive a car, not announce the race.

I like Paul, and when I can understand him, he is interesting.

When we drove to Plymouth, MA a tried to talk to a local parking lot attendant. I could not understand him either with his very thick Boston accent. He was a parking attendant, not a paid TV announcer. Even Jackie Stewart can communicate better than Paul.

Karun Chandok is also a very good analyst for them - I sometimes struggle a bit with the accent as well but well worth the insight... Seems like F1Tv switched to their own team, who isn't bad but less familiar, I generally use them for the start of the race to avoid shouty Crofty, then I switch back to the ESPN coverage.. I like the analysis from Diresta and Chandok for the race and the F1 Tv team does a good job for all the extras!
Buxton - I like also - but these days he always seems like he's on Cocaine ;-) (joke - it's just his excitement coming thru I guess)

Karun is pretty good and his accent is not near as hard to understand as Paul's.

I still miss David Hobbs!

Actually I think the younger people on camera has helped to expand their audience. I think Hobbs is great too but I'd rather talk to him in a bar. The last time he was in a F1 car was the GP of Pompeii.

Ok well played, made me spit out my iced tea... nice..

Yea, I would love to sit at a bar and drink Beer with Hobbs. I bet he has a lot of funny stories.

He was much like Babe Ruth of racing. Other drivers were working out and exercising a lot, and then they show Hobbs. He was napping and relaxed. He then had some epic drives at endurance racing.

Robin Williams used to do a bit imitating Sir Jackie. It was hilarious. Something about Jackie announcing at a birth.

Eeeets going to be a grrrreat grrreat berth tadey. Theeere comez the placenta. (sorry, couldn't find any video)

I hear it every time I see Sir Jackie on TV.

You just need to watch more Scottish TV on BritBox. ;)

Long Beach is like that. There are a lot of people spending a lot of time in restaurant bars and the beer gardens. There's a convention center full of stuff to see.

I suppose it's a good thing, to a certain degree. It's a race where even non-race fans can be entertained for a day. If that sells more tickets and allows the race to prosper...




Poor Brundle. I think those grid walks are absolutely cringeworthy, and now I know he hates to do them, too.



I chatted with David Hobbs at the last Rennsport. I told him I (and a lot of you guys, too), miss his broadcasts. He commiserated and really looked sad at the direction these new owners have gone.


I had a couple FOB Irishmen as roommates for a few years when I lived in Boston. They, obviously, also had a lot of Irish friends. So I don't have a problem listening to any of the announcers, including that Scotsman, DiResta.

Paul is Scottish, that’s why his accent is harder to understand.


-rb

I didn’t hear Gasly explain what happened, but watching the replay, he seemed to be experiencing a problem, and got distracted trying to look at something, or change some setting, and came across the track into Lando’s path.

He went almost completely off the right side of the track, but then came back onto it. Lando probably saw him pulling off the track and figured he had a breakdown and wanted to get off track.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.it-ended-in-a-silly-way-gasly-and-norris-at-odds-over-race-ending-crash.769xfCwRHK2vHkyQW57OWH.html


-rb

Hammy's piercing's, he won't take them out!!!
I think its kind of petty, probably a stab at Sir Lou for missing last season's awards ceremony, I don't blame him for that, not a fan of LH but he was ripped off bad by the Massi event.

I am getting real tired of the drama, if you only want to drive the best car (by far) on the grid and don't like this years car and always getting spanked by your team mate, then just retire, don't cheapen your legacy by making it look like F1 is forcing you out.
Play by the rules, like everyone else, or just leave IMHO.

The jewelry rule has been in place since 2004, if I recall reading that correctly. Why enforce it now, after not enforcing it for 18 years?

Not the first event he has skipped.

It is strange indeed. F1/Liberty appear to be trying to reach a different crowd and most in that crowd are Hammy fans. Hammy seems to fancy himself as a California, rapper, NBA/NFL kind of guy with the tats and piercings.

So on the one hand Liberty wants those people but on the other hand they seem to want him to clean up (if you will) or possibly look a certain way. I honestly believe that a large number of the new fans that are attracted to the spectacle and Hammy in general won't be around when he retires.

2022 F1 Thread
 

Maybe it had something with Grosjean’s last F1 race in 2020 and some additional injuries he sustained as a result of wearing jewelry while racing?


-rb

I doubt it. Doesn’t take the FAA that long to study a problem and recommend fixes.

And there’s no way that Hamilton’s earrings and nose stud will increase his chances of injury, as small as they are and given that they are under a fire resistant balaclava inside a fire resistant helmet.

That must have been frustrating for Leclerc. He had the draft (sorry, slipstream) and his rear wing wide open, and he still made absolutely no headway on Max's lead going down the long backstraight. That's when you know it's not your day to finish P1.

Impressive for Red Bull. They battled Mercedes all 2021, and that distracted them from developing the 2022 car. Mercedes' car is a relative dog this year, yet Red Bull is still at the pointy end of the field. Kudos to Adrian Newey and his staff.

I guess not every ticket holder was happy.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652272254.jpg

I understand he is Scottish, but so is Sean Connery, and he is easy to understand.

No doubt if one meets him in person and asks him what he does for a living he would reply is a race car driver, and part time race commentator. When Jackie Stewart is easier to understand, he needs to work on taming his accent a little.

Wow, interesting article.

https://nypost.com/2022/05/10/miami-grand-prix-felt-like-the-fyre-festival-of-f1-races/