Grand Prix thread AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2023

51 laps of the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit

UPDATED!!!!!

28th April Friday Practice 1 10:30 - 11:30
28th April Friday Race Qualifying 14:00 - 15:00
29th April Saturday Sprint Shootout (quali) 09:30 - 10:14
29th April Saturday Sprint 14:30 - 15:30
30th April Sunday Race 12:00 - 14:00


All times are UK times

Poll closes before Quali - FRIDAY!!!!!

Bit early this week as Quali is a day early plus I have a busy day Thursday.

There was talk about a quali on Friday for the Sprint then another quali on Saturday as normal for the Race but not sure what's happening. UPDATED

 

Voted Sergio just because I don't like Max.

 

huge changes to sprints

2 quality now not just 1 so in effect it's a Saturday sprint only and don't turn up if not bothered.

quali Friday for Sunday, then sprites where with no disrespect but some teams are just wearing components for no reason

 

My info is we have

Friday:
10:30am: Azerbaijan GP Practice One
2pm: AZERBAIJAN GP QUALIFYING

Saturday
9.30am: AZERBAIJAN GP SPRINT SHOOTOUT (quali)
2:30pm: AZERBAIJAN GP SPRINT

Sunday
12pm: THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX

 

So basically the sprint is a separate event to the usual quali and race, and can be thought of as a little bonus points event more than anything.

Could be interesting racing round Baku on low fuel. Not sure it’s the smartest move.

 

if we have the top 8 getting points why not top 10? half points for half race.

if you are outside the top 10 and have no hope of points would you do the quali. turn in on grid, do a a couple laps and park it?

100km extra on engine for very little coverage on TV for your sponsors?

 

Oops I mis calculated the poll time. It's corrected now sorry.

 

It’s a very good point you raise.

Especially in this budget cap era of spend, time, and reliability efficiency.

 

mclaren have a new floor, we will see.

it's all about drag on that car as it behaves like a brick in a wind tunnel.

their chatter is about load and suction not drag so we will find out soon enough.

 

Red Flag in the only practice session.

Session time clock continues to run so absolutely useless for the teams, even more useless for the fans.

This idea of removing practice in the future doesn’t make sense to me at all. Surely the more time the fans get to see these cars the better?

 

PS, can I just reiterate what an irritant David Croft is. The 4 week break was wonderful.

I absolutely detest the opinionated, high-pitched pretender of a commentator. He knows absolutely nothing.

I wouldn’t mind so much if he just commentated. But he doesn’t, he just has conversations with people continuously to hide the fact he’s utterly clueless. Just get Brundle and Karun paired up and move David Croft to anchor instead of “send a glass eye to sleep” Simon Lazenby.

Sky are really ****.


EDIT: He’s know telling “jokes” with Taylor Swift references due to media speculation Alonso has been having ‘relations’ with her.

a) who cares
b) the lyrical references are about as funny as James Corden on a bad day.

Please STFU Crofty.

 

Are all the cars now under Parc Ferme conditions? Anyone know if they are allowed any changes to settings between now and Sundays race?

One change I think they need to make is if there is only 1 free practice then it should be 60 mins as a minimum if not 90 mins and the clock should stop during Red Flag situations.

I'm sort of looking forward to this 'Sprint weekend' format as it really puts the teams under pressure as they don't have overnight to analyse the data and make changes. I think Merc might well suffer from not being able to have the overnight analysis as on quite a few occasions they have had a bad setup on Friday but a vastly improved car for Saturday.

It could be interesting!

 

they cannot be. they are being handed back to print tomorrow.

they have a race weekend calendar so the f2 and such gets knocked as well as quali. the session is boned as a result and only has its allotted time here.

 

roll on quali i suppose.

it sounds eventful but for the real world who are mostly, in bed (yanks) at work (europe) or coming home from work (far east) Friday quali here is a royal pain in the butthole.

 

Looks like the last minute changes have caught C4 off guard so they have no coverage of Fridays Quali session, just delayed programs on Saturday and Sunday.
It does seem like Liberty changed things at the last min and didn't really think about the TV viewers who make up a large part of their income!
That said I quite like the idea of Saturday being a mini weekend - i.e. quali then a race but I'm starting to think that so many races and 3 days for each takes up quite a bit of viewers time.

 

That was very, very special from Chaz.

 

Come on Charlie boy!

 

So when Charles doesn't win on Sunday it'll be 8 unconverted poles in a row. Has to be a record?

 

We know why that will be too. Question?

 

ah ****, I knew there was something I'd forgotten.