How would you rate the 2014 British Grand Prix? What did you make of the racing between Vettel and Alonso, Button almost on the podium, Bottas one step closer to the top of the rostrum and Hamilton, winning after the qualifying nightmare. Please tell us why you voted the way you did in the comments section below.
The only interesting part of the race was the Alonso – Vettel battle, the rest of the race was a dud. When coupled with taking a hour to fix the Armco and trophies that fell apart – I can’t justify any more than a 3.
Your best of the race of the year then…?
Canada a 9
Overall, pretty avg race. Rosberg DNF short changed us a nice battle for the win.
Seb / Fernando fight was nice, as long as you disregard the squealing.
Few outstanding drives to note. Bottas and Ricciardo were good, but not great.
5 for me. Not bad. Not good. Average.
It will be interesting to see what the TV rating were – when you consider the race was essentially head to head with Wimbledon.
Well I have to admit I was flicking and I’m a Motorsport nut. I mean, I love it. I even watch US oval racing when desperate.
Once Rosberg’s box went ‘crunch’, my flicking was more frequent and extended. I can’t imagine the rating will be great. Even for the British GP.
Everyone who watches two idiots whacking a ball to and fro should be beaten over the head with a very heavy blunt object
wielded by Boris Becker …. ?
I’d be happy if that idiot renounced his citizenship. He’s such an embarrassing wash-out…
but Cav
remember this was on free to air BBC – so ratings will obviously be much higher than Murdoch Blackmail TV
I’d be more interested in PPV figures
7 for me because of the Alonso / Vettel fight and the first Hamilton / Rosberg pit cycle. Would have given it a 5 or 6 otherwise because there was not much going on other than that. Great climb from the bottom from Bottas as well, but his storyline was totally missed by the FOM director.
5/10
The early accident of Räikkönen killed a lot of my enthusiasm, because I have found out, that waiting around for an hour to get a barrier repaired is really boring.
The battle for the victory didn’t even get going properly – with Lewis and Nico trading small advantages while 4-5 seconds apart – before it ended, when the German Mercedes driver suffered a fatal breakdown.
Valtteri Bottas managing his second podium finish in a row was great. But realistically speaking, driving from 9th (his place in the second lap restart) to 2nd in what was clearly the second fastest car of the race is good but not overwhelming.
The highlight of the race was the Alonso vs Vettel battle. What I’ve seen on the screen was good entertainment, no doubt, but a lot of my good mood was ruined by the two drivers complaining and whining on their radios. I can understand their frustration of course, but after listening to their radio messages, it didn’t feel like a proper battle between two real racing drivers anymore.
Although the race offered some of everything – a spectacular crash with no serious injury, a number of cars out of position charging through the field and a nice battle between two previously embittered drivers – I strangely didn’t feel a lot of excitement while watching it. Without Nico’s defect, this race could have become a 6 or 7 out of 10, but without him it was only a question of reliability and that can hardly be called exciting.
Very meh race. Vettel and Alonso was entertaining if you’re deaf. But that’s it. Otherwise it was just a very long Mercedes commercial.
Off Topic:
I was thinking about drivers this year who have really made me revise my overall perception of them, either for the better or the worse. Often, some of these perceptions were relatively long held, so it’s been an interesting year so far in that regards. Below is a small list of those drivers that really made me think, ‘well what’s going on with him’, or ‘wow, he’s better than I thought.
In order from most extreme perception change to least: (either good or bad)
1: Kimi Raikkonen
For me no other driver has changed my (long held) perception of them this year as much as Kimi. He’s been totally smashed by Alonso, and outside of Spain has been utterly useless in that Ferrari. Sure the Ferrari is a dog, but hey, Alonso is 4th overall with 87pts to Kimi’s 19pts. That means Alonso has 82% of the teams pts, which is MASSIVE. I am aware the Ferrari will be built of Alonso’s spec, but still a car is a car and after this long, it’s not good enough and whilst I knew Kimi’s amazing performance operated in a small window, this is ridiculous. It’s the sort of terrible half year that makes you rethink about what you observed of him in the past.
Change Factor: -8/10
2: Nico Rosberg
Ok I will be succinct and clear. This could disturb the comments section further. I did not think Nico had it in him to 1) withstand the pressure of a WDC fight, 2) take Lewis’s attempt at cage rattling in his stride, 3) rattle Lewis’s cage so well, 4) go toe to toe with Lewis in terms of pure qualifying pace and actually qualify equal poles and better avg, 5) lead the wdc at half way when Lewis has the other car. You get the point. Basically, I didn’t think he could stand straight and go toe to toe with the Alonso/Hamilton/Vettel of the world. And it’s clear he can, and can thrive off it. It’s made me reassess Schumacher, thinking he was far quicker than he got credit for, and Rosberg’s stock has jumped big time in my opinion.
Change Factor: +6/10
3: Daniel Ricciardo
Well this was a pleasant surprise. I knew he was quick, and capable, but this half season he’s decimated Vettel. And with the Australia podium pts, it’s even worse. He’s just got a quiet way about making strategies work out. He’s driving super mature. He’s very quick in quali, like he was last year. He’s a top racer. I have zero doubt that in a WDC winning car he would be right up there week in week out. It pulls into question Webber’s efforts against Vettel, which I already thought were crap, now makes me realise how wasted that second RBR might have been. The second half of this year will be critical for Sebastian to remind us why he is 4 times wdc. If he doesn’t get on top of Ricciardo, the car excuse won’t wash for another full half a season. This is the formula we have, and it’s not going to be changing anytime soon. The grace period of ‘oh the car is not my style’ (ala Kimi) or ‘I didn’t get to test’ is wearing thin.
Change Factor : +5/10
4: Lewis Hamilton
Sort of the inverse to Nico Rosberg. But for different reasons. I always thought him a short sighted, mouthy sort of guy. That hasn’t changed. What has changed in my mind, in my perception, is that he always had that air of, “I am the fastest in F1, I just don’t have the car. I am a Senna – esque qualifier. I am a fighter. I am H.A .M. I am unstoppable, unswayable racer. Just bear with my mouthing off. I harbour the most natural talent, but McLaren won’t give me a car etc” Well as per Nico’s write up, that seems a little less true now. He still has the mouth, but the whole ‘one lap specialist’, the ‘no one is faster than I’, the ‘appreciate me for my racer driving type attitude’ is being undermined by a guy that prior to this season was apparently only a data plug and play driver. Had no “pure pace” whatever that is. It’s made me reassess all Hamilton’s seasons and rethink his claim to being that super talented, but deeply misunderstood guy, who given equal cars would annihilate anyone.
(Disclaimer: I still think he’s done a great job with great performances. But certainly not good enough to warrant the perception I and many others had of him prior to this season. It’s inverse to Nico in that respect).
Change factor: -4/10
Most others are more or less in line with how I thought they would be this year and how they have been their careers to date.
Please excuse the spelling errors, it’s a web comment. Work with it.
I’d love to hear your lists of drivers who’ve significantly changes your perceptions of them this year, either good or bad.
I’d love to hear your lists of drivers who’ve significantly changes your perceptions of them this year, either good or bad.
Does nobody remember Raikkonen in third at the start of Monaco?
Two quick comments. Don’t forget that in his last season at Ferrari, Kimi was made to look pretty ordinary by Massa. I get the feeling sometimes he is a bit like Jenson – when the planets align possibly the fastest driver out there, but when things aren’t quite right they just can’t find their mojo and look ordinary.
Seb / Webber / DannyRic – I think the common factor here is how Seb reacts to a car that isn’t perfect for him. Webber nearly stole the WDC in 2010 but once Seb got the car to his liking he blew him away. This car obviously doesn’t do what he wants so we need a couple of seasons to see if Danny is faster or if it’s just the case that he’s more adaptable.
From where I sat at Stowe corner I have some observations:
1. It’s a pity Rosberg retired because it would have been an epic fight.
2. Mercedes is the most dominant car on the track. Not even the Red Bull cars over the last 4 years can compare with them. Another planet.
3. Hamilton was taking Stowe in a higher gear than Rosberg, in fact, he was the only driver who did that from what I could hear (driving more on the torque of the engine?)
4. I did not hear the radio commentary between Alonso and Vettel but it was an epic scrap when the screens showed it. There were some other scraps up and down the field the TVs did not show.
5. Anyone noticed Bernie’s CGI guys playing again?
Verdict on the race. It was OK, gave it a 6. Roll on Germany 🙂
Bernie’s cgi’s are a total joke and a clear showing of his silly ego.
After the 2013 season, one of the worst in history, I gladly enjoyed all of 2014 races. Sure, Mercedes dominates the field, but we see a good competition within the hegemonic team (something that Webber denied us in 11-13 at Red Bull), as well as some good competition within other teams, like Red Bull, Force India, etc.