Topic: Formula One - The 2023 Season

[gazzalfc]

No one retired yet. Perez gets a 5 second penalty for a coming together with Norris

Sainz still needs to pit in 10th place but they are holding off for a safety car.

Current standings would mean Ferrari finish ahead of Mercedes

[gazzalfc]

Perez needs to be 2 seconds faster than Russel on the final laps to get 5 seconds ahead and get 3rd after his penalty

[voodoo ray]

it's not been a thrilling end to the season but it's passed some time away early on a sunday afternoon

[gazzalfc]

Ferrari going to let Perez past to manufacture the points

[gazzalfc]

Well they tried to add some drama but it wasn't enough

[gazzalfc]

Mercedes get 2nd in the constructors

[gazzalfc]

Alonso 4th in the drivers title

[bradders1011]

Ferrari not beating that dog of a Merc is a sackable offence. Slinging Carlos onto a safety car strategy like a midfield team...

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Red Bull won 20 out of 21 races

When was the last time a team was that dominant?

[voodoo ray]

Red Bull won 20 out of 21 races

When was the last time a team was that dominant?

mclaren won about 15 of 16 one year but there are so many more races per season now

[child-in-time]

Red Bull won 20 out of 21 races

When was the last time a team was that dominant?

Never. Percentage and number wise.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

mclaren won about 15 of 16 one year but there are so many more races per season now

Just checked, that was 1988. 35 years since such a dominant display from one team

[gazzalfc]

Verstappen led over 1000 laps this season

[iamnant]

Damon Hill doesn't half talk a lot of shite.

Gutted the season is over. Was a pleasure seeing such an incredible season by Max, what a phenomenal driver. Let's hope there's more competition for him next season and hear a few more anthems on that podium!

[Enders]

Damon Hill doesn't half talk a lot of shite.

Gutted the season is over. Was a pleasure seeing such an incredible season by Max, what a phenomenal driver. Let's hope there's more competition for him next season and hear a few more anthems on that podium!

Each to their own. I thought this season was probably the worst I've ever seen.

[Elzar]

I’d love some stats on how many times Zhou has been mentioned during races this season.

[duvva 💅]

Brilliant that Leclerc was thinking clearly enough to suggest letting Perez through. Surely his team should have been doing that kind of tactical thinking

[voodoo ray]

yeah I'm glad the season's done because predictability is boring and seeing one driver/team win every single race isn't for me.

there has been some decent action behind, but that's usually the case and has 'rescued' many races in a lot of seasons.

[Darren G]

Brilliant that Leclerc was thinking clearly enough to suggest letting Perez through. Surely his team should have been doing that kind of tactical thinking

You do know that he drives for Ferrari, right?

Anyhow, glad to see the back of this season.  Totally agree with Voodoo and Enders.

[duvva 💅]

You do know that he drives for Ferrari, right?

Anyhow, glad to see the back of this season.  Totally agree with Voodoo and Enders.

Yeah I know. They’d probably be half decent if they had at least one person who knew what they were doing

[50 Pence]

Most boring season for a while in terms of the championship. Some good action behind Max. Has been some dominant seasons before but at least you usually have 2 drivers in the same car providing competition. If I was Perez I’d retire, double the number of his points this season & he’d still be second 🤣🤣

[Graeme]

Most boring season for a while in terms of the championship. Some good action behind Max. Has been some dominant seasons before but at least you usually have 2 drivers in the same car providing competition. If I was Perez I’d retire, double the number of his points this season & he’d still be second 🤣🤣

Red Bull’s first ever 1-2 in the WDC though.

[iamnant]

Each to their own. I thought this season was probably the worst I've ever seen.

I think I just love the sport so much I'll always be gutted the season finishes! Would much prefer next year to be more competitive, not really fun knowing the result of the race before every weekend.

[naYoRHa2b]

I thought the season was about the same as F1 in general has been for the last 18 months. It was a shame to see Aston Martin go backwards especially because Alonso looked competitive. McLaren developed a lot throughout the season. Really though alot of teams stopped developing early. I shudder to think how early Red Bull stopped development.

[Graeme]

How did Tsunoda end up with driver of the day? Finished 2 places lower than his grid slot?

[clinical]

Has to be the most boring season in the last 20 years. At least we had Hamilton vs Vettell and Rosberg etc. No one is close to Red Bull and Max. And Red Bulll having a clear no.1 and no.2 driver doesn't help. The best car is then developed around 1 driver which leaves Perez no chance.

[paulrazor]

Boring season alright

[Funky_Gibbons]

I stopped watching full races after COTA with that result meaning even second place in the drivers championship was pretty much sewn up with nothing left to fight for.

I caught the last few laps yesterday and the faux excitement/anxiety about whether Mercedes or Ferrari would finish second in the contructors championship was pretty embaressing, like anyone really cares other than the teams themselves.

Mercedes and Ferrari really need to pull their fingers out to challenge Verstappen as I don't think I can watch another season like that. 

[Qston]

Boring season alright

Yup. At least some competition would be good. This season Red Bull have just been too far ahead to make any of it interesting.

[clinical]

Yup. At least some competition would be good. This season Red Bull have just been too far ahead to make any of it interesting.

We literally had the best season ever in 2021 (apart from it all being ruined in the last race). Then the rules changed and it's backfired massively.

[paulrazor]

We literally had the best season ever in 2021 (apart from it all being ruined in the last race). Then the rules changed and it's backfired massively.

quali has been good

but sunday is where its at

[bradders1011]

We literally had the best season ever in 2021 (apart from it all being ruined in the last race). Then the rules changed and it's backfired massively.

Bet that happens again in 2026 - Merc, Ferrari or McLaren (or multiple) catch up to RBR in 2025, we have a tight championship, then one team nails the rule change. If Brawn had had dedicated Honda or Merc cash in 2009, who's to say they wouldn't have hoovered up '10 and '11 with the head start? Merc nailed the turbo hybrid change. Only huge rule change I can think of in recent memory that produced a close fight was 1998's narrow-track, grooved tyre (ugh) cars.

[Barneylfc∗]

Definitely not been a great season for casual viewers like myself. Foregone conclusions are never good to watch.

You can tell by the number of pages on the thread how shite it has been. Only 58 this year. The next lowest in the last 5 years is 2019 with 88 pages of posts.

[paulrazor]

Bet that happens again in 2026 - Merc, Ferrari or McLaren (or multiple) catch up to RBR in 2025, we have a tight championship, then one team nails the rule change. If Brawn had had dedicated Honda or Merc cash in 2009, who's to say they wouldn't have hoovered up '10 and '11 with the head start? Merc nailed the turbo hybrid change. Only huge rule change I can think of in recent memory that produced a close fight was 1998's narrow-track, grooved tyre (ugh) cars.

even in 1998 McLaren had a way better car, just that it was unreliable and Schumacher would relentlessly punish mistakes

(Argentina, Canada, France, Britain, Monza spring to mind) at the start of the year, McLaren were streets ahead but I accept your points.

[Schmarn]

even in 1998 McLaren had a way better car, just that it was unreliable and Schumacher would relentlessly punish mistakes

(Argentina, Canada, France, Britain, Monza spring to mind) at the start of the year, McLaren were streets ahead but I accept your points.

Add Hungary to that list.

Schumacher might even have won that year until McLaren’s de facto no 2 driver (Coulthard) took him out at a rainy Spa by lifting off on the racing line while being lapped, having ignored half a dozen blue flags. Had it happened to a British driver we’d never have heard the last of it!

The best years in F1 are those rare occasions where a great driver in the second best car challenges for the title. It’s so damn hard though. It’s why I’d like to see Lewis or Max go to Ferrari at some point and turn round the shambles there.

[paulrazor]

Add Hungary to that list.

Schumacher might even have won that year until McLaren’s de facto no 2 driver (Coulthard) took him out at a rainy Spa by lifting off on the racing line while being lapped, having ignored half a dozen blue flags. Had it happened to a British driver we’d never have heard the last of it!

The best years in F1 are those rare occasions where a great driver in the second best car challenges for the title. It’s so damn hard though. It’s why I’d like to see Lewis or Max go to Ferrari at some point and turn round the shambles there.

aye and I think next year there are next to no driver changes

[bradders1011]

If Sargeant stays would this be the first season ever with no changes over the winter? Even if he is swapped out, a rookie who'll probably pay taking over the grid's 2nd or 3rd worst seat isn't headline news. It's all a bit moribund.

[gazzalfc]

I think there are a couple of wild card moves out there

Dani Ric has one more Alonso style big move in him

Schumacher is still waiting for his chance. Development drive for mercedes is an incredible chance but he'll want a drive sometime

Sainz and Perez have not been great number 2 drivers for their team

Haas have always been unpredictable with their seats

[gazzalfc]

I mean if Aston Martin and Lawrence Stroll have any ambition of being taken seriously as an F1 team then they bin off Lance Stroll tomorrow

[voodoo ray]

pretty much every team seems happy with their driver pairings for now. odd