United Kingdom Grand Prix (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) July 16-18, 2021

I simply don't grasp why this... I still have to watch my step when I'm already stuck viewing something incredibly dull..
So, what now—is Sergio Perez supposed to take the last starting position just because of this nonsense?

It’s an old cliché; driving after an F1 race weekend:

🤦🤦

Just pathetic and honestly quite sad.......

It looks like you've completely run out of ideas......🤦🤦

Go home, because this F1 sprint was a total disaster; may God help you all.

🤮

It’s just more stress for the drivers and the teams—completely unnecessary... 🤷

Max Verstappen will be walking around with a winner's wreath big enough to fit a horse once he clinches it. 🙄

Jacob Castillo70 said:I’m worried we might see the exact opposite next season.

The FIA is hinting that standard qualifying sessions just aren't engaging enough anymore. It's like they think we're dealing with a fanbase that has an incredibly short attention span...

Are you suggesting there's a huge crowd of fans out there who either forget things instantly or simply stop using their brains? 🤦🤦

Then, they have the nerve to claim humanity is accidentally becoming duller? Where is that coming from? It's unbelievable.

The whole argument loses all sense and logic.

Jenson Button is trying his best to ask more questions and spark some actual conversation so the track walk doesn't feel like a snooze fest, but let's be honest—you can't really make something boring feel exciting or high-stakes.

If Max Verstappen had absolutely trashed his car like that, you’d see a bunch of certain people losing their minds, just like they do when Fernando Alonso does it. But because it's him? Suddenly, it's no big deal.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Valtteri Bottas being on the red tires gives him every excuse to dive at Max Verstappen early on. Since he didn't take the shot, we're stuck with this procession—he can't risk lunging at Lewis Hamilton.

Bottas seems totally humbled—is George Russell actually a threat now? I’d bet anything he waits until the summer break to claim the decision still feels right for another few months.

Maxov's start—pure brake magic 🙏
Lewis Hamilton was helpless against those brake issues, especially with the long wait for the final stints.

Fernando Alonso's start 🙏
Sergio Perez...🤦 He’s starting to look like Alex Albon, though I hope he gets just as much time to prove everyone wrong.

Aside from that, it's pretty dull. I really hope they don't make us watch this regularly. If they make it a permanent thing, I'm out—at least not on Saturdays.

Alonso is complaining about the software, while Bottas couldn't care less. I’d say he's doing it on purpose.

Richard Walker38 said:If Verstappen had trashed his car like that, you’d have a bunch of people losing their minds, but since it was Alonso, suddenly everything is fine.

Right. When it's Alonso, nobody dares to question a thing or hand out a penalty...
Whatever. I guess the stewards just decided not to show up for this sprint isprdak.

I mean, we didn't see any penalty for Russell after he absolutely wrecked Sainz in that sprint isprdak, and apparently, nothing for Perez either after he cut back onto the track like a maniac through traffic...

Guess the officials are all on vacation this weekend.

I don't think this setup is actually all that bad. You’ve got qualifying on Friday, a sprint on Saturday, and then the main race on Sunday—it keeps things interesting every single day. It’ll probably get even better when we hit those rainy GP weekends where everything gets chaotic.

I honestly fail to see the point of any of this, yet everything seems to be heading straight toward complete nonsense. I expect we'll be seeing a reverse grid very soon to top it all off.

This is just pandering to the TikTok generation. Seriously, forget these sprints.

I feel like I'm still missing about 15 minutes here31 miles. If you count those 15 minutes after the race, it brings us right up to an hour, just like qualifying. Right now, my schedule feels a little sparse and rushed, doesn't it?

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Robert Cox46 said:I don't think this is actually that bad. Qualifying on Friday, a sprint race on Saturday, and the main race on Sunday. There’s something happening every single day. It might even be better during those rainy US Grand Prix weekends.

In theory, sure, except they slapped together this incredibly stupid practice schedule...

Honestly, I don't think anyone actually understands the point of having FP2 in a weekend like this.
What the hell is the purpose of a practice session held after qualifying when the cars are already in Parc Ferme and teams aren't allowed to make any serious adjustments to the car anyway?
Seriously, what kid would ever want a practice session like that? 🤦

On top of that, the sprint itself feels way too short...
And you have to wonder: what's the point of qualifying if it's basically just qualifying for the qualifying? 🤦
It would make much more sense to go back to the old format: FP1, FP2, then FP3, where the final standings from FP3 set the grid for the sprint and then the main race.
That's way more logical than "qualifying for the qualifying" followed by a "race for the race." 🤦

Everything was fine until they hit that section with the truck. 🙏🙏🙏

I don't see much of a bright future for this qualifying format.

Jason Campbell70 said:Everything was fine—until they hit that section with the truck. 🙏🙏🙏

Who is this even for... just like that wreath Max got?

Fernando absolutely bullied him, totally expected ☕
George Russell completely wrecked Carlos Sainz Jr., he earned that penalty. ☕
Lewis Hamilton is such a hypocrite; yesterday he was lecturing everyone about how you always have to wear a mask, yet he doesn't even own one himself. 🤣 🙂, just pushing his little agenda 🤮

There's zero chance we're seeing any championship titles this year.

Two pirouettes, and not a single one from Fettel 😲ž
Even with better tires and DRS, he couldn't manage to overtake Nanda 🙂

Carlos and Fernando were the drivers of the day. 👍

Anyway, this whole thing is garbage. But honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they introduce a format with just one fast lap at some tracks, like Monaco for example.

EDIT: Hamilton claims he did exactly what his team told him to do at the start. So, apparently, it's not his fault 🤣

darkmarlin16 said:Fernando outmaneuvered him, as expected. ☕
George Russell messed up Carlos Sainz Jr.; he earned that penalty. ☕
Lewis Hamilton is just being hypocritical. Yesterday he was lecturing everyone about needing to wear masks, yet he doesn't even follow his own advice. 🤣 🙂, pushing propaganda 🤮

It looks like none of our title hopes are happening this year.

Two spins, and not one from Fettel 😲w
Even with better tires and DRS, he couldn't overtake Nanda:🙂

For tomorrow, I predict Sebastian Vettel will move up one more spot in the standings. There's something about how Aston Martin looks under his control; I believe he'll finish ahead of Fernando Alonso, though Sainz will likely jump both of them before the race ends.

And I find it hard to believe Vettel didn't have a single spin. Statistically, that's nearly impossible. He lost his championship at Ferrari because of spins; saying he had zero is simply unlikely.

Vettel is the master of dead zones. They really ought to design side mirrors for him the size of dinner plates just so he stops slamming into people and himself.

stormybadger8 said:Technically true—it’s just that they didn't have to make this ultra-stupid schedule for the practice sessions...

I mean, what the hell is the point of Practice 2 during a weekend like this? Nobody actually knows.
What’s the damn point of a practice session held right after qualifying when the cars are already tucked away in the Park and Ride, and teams aren't even allowed to touch anything significant on the car anymore...
I mean, honestly, what kind of kid thinks this kind of practice session is useful? 🤦

Plus, the sprint itself feels way too short...
And you have to wonder, what is the actual purpose of qualifying if it’s basically just qualifying to qualify...🤦
It would be much more logical to stick to the old format with Practice 1, Practice 2, then Practice 3, where the standings at the end of Practice 3 set the grid for the sprint race and everything else...
That makes way more sense than this whole "qualifying for a qualifying" and "race for a race" nonsense. 🤦

The truth is, you're right about the practice sessions. I think they completely missed the mark here. Your idea about sticking to the old format—having Practice 1, Practice 2, and Practice 3 where the final standings determine the sprint grid—actually makes a lot more sense.

Most races tend to be quite tedious, where the primary drama stems from pit strategy—someone diving in early or staying out late to snatch a position—but that element is entirely absent in a sprint race. All we really saw was Lewis Hamilton’s lackluster start, that push off the track, and two overtakes simply because the other driver burned through their tires far too quickly.

I haven't the slightest clue; it feels as though I tuned in halfway through an event only to have it suspended, leaving me to wait until tomorrow for a resolution. One doesn't even get the impression that these were qualifying sessions where Max secured pole position, though I suspect the organizers feel the same way.

They cater specifically to the TikTok generation, and then they decide to parade an old truck from the 1980s around. 🙏
Why not just toss them into a simulator where they can chase each other around the track like holograms on horseback—some sort of mindless drones amidst a backdrop of explosions? Naturally, the interviews would need to be capped at five seconds so the children can actually process the information.