No F1 thread?

[Mito Man]

They’ve got to find some way to disappoint everyone for the most sold out race in F1 history.

[jamcg]

It’s getting silly now how they sell it too, there’s 3 or 4 of the stands with exclusive enclosures now, general admission has shrunk, with a separate section for general admission plus, ie give us more money. The lando stand was just an excuse to join all 3 Stowe grandstands together. The whole thing is just money money money with a race side show. It always was about the money, but the focus was always the racing, not how can we fleece the fans more than last year

[Mito Man]

The general admission bits looked unpleasant, far too overcrowded, I imagine it’s at the point where everyone is wearing a nappy to arrive at 6am and keep their space
I saw people were paying £3500 to sit opposite the pits… Who the fvck are these people
The issue with Silverstone is that it also feels like the most corporate race. It’s where all the teams and sponsors are so you almost feel like a mug without a free pass and all the exclusive areas.

[Mito Man]

The general admission bits looked unpleasant, far too overcrowded, I imagine it’s at the point where everyone is wearing a nappy to arrive at 6am and keep their space
I saw people were paying £3500 to sit opposite the pits… Who the fvck are these people
The issue with Silverstone is that it also feels like the most corporate race. It’s where all the teams and sponsors are so you almost feel like a mug without a free pass and all the exclusive areas.

Edit - just to add make the most of GT3/endurance racing while you can. It was pretty quiet until Max showed his interest so expect that to get ruined too.

[jamcg]

We’ve not been since 2022. Before drive to survive it was like going to a rugby match, everyone civilised, enjoying the atmosphere, chatting with people in rival gear about the race and stuff. As drive to survive reached more people and it became trendy to like f1 it shifted more to a football match atmosphere, more unruly behaviour, people taking the piss out of anyone in rival gear and just generally being entitled bellends, so imagine general admission these days will be absolutely awful.

[Mito Man]

I just realised I last went 10 years ago! Pretty much went every year before that. I reckon 25% of people back then weren’t even F1 fans but just bought tickets because of the free concert after the race and it was around that time that they started getting proper A list singers.
Then Max got big after that and I remember everyone moaning about the shitty Dutch supporters. Now it’s all the DTS pricks

[Marv]

Cynical gits

I was there Saturday for the Sprint & Quali. I was a friends +1 for hospitality tickets through his company and I didn't see any bellends or silly behaviour. I don't mind F1 getting more popular generally. It's expensive it is now that concerns me.

We were on the Hamilton Grandstand and there was a small number of empty seats, I'm guessing either because they're so expensive, or maybe some no-shows.

I've been quite cynical about the sprint race when just watching highlights, but I think as a spectator, without it one hour of quali for the price of tickets and travel time wouldn't really make it worth it.

Anyway, it's nice to see Ferrari capitalising on some mis fortune and other issues which Merc seem to be suffering from. Keeping the hopes alive that we might get a decent battle beyond just the Mercs running away with it easily.

[GG.]

Yes it is very overpriced but I enjoyed it last year other than the crush to get out.

Please correct me if I'm being a little hard of understanding but why did Ferrari not split the strategies and leave Lewis out on knackered tyres and he'd have won behind the safety car? With a driver on the cusp of a record breaking tenth win at a circuit that's what I'd have done.

[Mito Man]

If Lewis didn’t pit he would still have been second, such was the gap to Charles. I don’t think the strategy was wrong though.

[Zonda_]

I last went when Damon Hill was racing, it was a fortune back then!

[GG.]

If Lewis didn’t pit he would still have been second, such was the gap to Charles. I don’t think the strategy was wrong though.

So then he would have been second not third - vulnerable to Russell on a final lap which didn’t happen and would have ended up with him in the same place he was anyway if he was overtaken…. I’d have left him out.

[integrale_evo]

I’m assuming they thought like the rest of us, that it was a quick easy recovery and the safety car would only be out for a couple of laps.

Usually in these situations everyone dives in, merc had the luxury of a bit more time to decide and to watch and do the opposite to Hamilton.

Obviously it turned out to be the wrong decision as they lost track position and the race never restarted. If it had then those on well worn hards would have struggled to hold their places.

[jamcg]

There should be a automatic special safety car red flag if it’s within a certain lap of the end of a grandprix, cars stopped for
Minimal time, and straight back on with it, just so the laps don’t count down. Safety car restart rather than standing start too so you leave the pits and straight on with racing

[Mito Man]

Frankly a miracle it’s only 4 seconds off the pace.

[Marv]

If Lewis didn’t pit he would still have been second, such was the gap to Charles. I don’t think the strategy was wrong though.

So then he would have been second not third - vulnerable to Russell on a final lap which didn’t happen and would have ended up with him in the same place he was anyway if he was overtaken…. I’d have left him out.

One way or another, the FIA find a way of fucking over Hamilton when a late in the race safety car is involved...

[jamcg]