[jocky85]

What a race!! Some of that overtaking was insane!

[bmstinton93]

Even I enjoyed the race today

[nade]

Yep, another good race. Massa / Hamilton came mighty close in the pit straight (Um, i'm sure it was Massa, might be wrong there)

[MK Chris]

'Twas another good race, but I agree with DC that the location of the DRS activation point made it too easy.

[Kimi The Worm]

Is it really.... and there was me thinking that this weekend was Spain and next weekend was Monaco

[dimtimjim]

So, F1 fans......

2011 Season over now?

77 points by halfway is a little ominous.

[jocky85]

Lewis seems to think so - although his Twitter disagreed.

I don't even count Vettel as part of the race anymore - he just disappears off!

[wireman2004]

Don't count your chickens just yet...

last race and this race this eekend in britain, saw and sees a banning of a rule that has benifited red bull all year...

It all centres on engine mapping and how the power is distributed...

In the last race in valencia. a ban was made for engine maps too be changed after qualifiying, whereas the qualifiying engine map made the engine into a quali spec engine, and another map too go into race spec engine. Very clever.

The rule that has been introduced will hit both red bull and lotus renault. (the ones in black,) This is in relation too a seperate Area of engine mapping which is more complicated that the valencia engine map ban...
This is in relation too when you are on board with a red bull or renault at present, when the car is downchanging, you here the engine go into like a misfire sound. This was normal until this weekend as it basically means that they are releasing fuel into the pistons when the pistons are at the lowest. (as apposed too the pistones being in the highest for combustion too happen.) so the fuel is being released at a different time. and although it is sounding like it is misfireing, it is sending the gasses on the exhaust through the bottom of the car through it's blown diffuser. this is enabling more grip and thus giving both teams a distinctive advantage...

The consequenses of this ban could be HUGE... Sebastian Vettel ran a engine map in first practice of the european grand prix that was too simulate the silverstone engine map. (in which they are not alowed too do the above) and mark webber ran the weekend's engine map... and unless sebastian vettel was sandbagging. (too a extent i think he was. but not too the extent that people may think) he may well be in trouble as he was around 2.5 - 3 SECONDS off mark webbers time in the same car, same track, same practice and same conditions...

This 2.5 -0 3 seconds equated too 15th on the time sheets...

So. unless adrian newey had made a genius move and re designed the car with a major upgrade this weekend. (he is a master at car design) i think we may see another driver that isn't a red bull driver win the race this weekend...

also don't forget that with the weather being everywhere and sounding like we may have a wet weekend. I may be bold in saying we may have a suprise winner this weekend. (i'm talking about a ferrari or a Mercedes.) a fiver on schumacher this weekend in the changable conditions may be a good return as he was fastest on the track on inters in canada. (and i will refer too you all that button was only faster when he switched too slicks.) and that the general feeling in the real formula 1 forums is that schumacher may of won in canada if the FIA had not been so nanny state and restarted the race 45 minutes previously when the track was ready too go racing. (as we saw the fia waited too long as drivers were going from full wets too inters within 2 laps of the safety car coming in on the restart. which isn't reacing.)


ENJOY SILVERSTONE PEOPLE....

[Johnny 1989]

I know it's not regarding this season but I saw the Senna film the other day, and although I'm not really into F1 I found it a rather fascinating, well put together documentary film & even though it's 17 years ago it's still very shocking to see Senna's crash, Ratzenberger's death was equally shocking as well. Even if you're not a fan of F1 I would recommend this film, it's clear how passionate Senna was with the sport & this documentary film highlights this well.

[dimtimjim]

I hope you're right wireman, I really do....

[MK Chris]

I'm * furious this morning over this news about the shared coverage... it's a monumentally dreadful decision and I think Bernie could live to regret it. The BBC's F1 coverage since it got it back from ITV has been the best it's ever been. Every single person in front of the camera does a brilliant job and I'm willing to bet every single one behind the cameras too - it has gained F1 LOADS of new fans and Jake keeps saying how audiences are at a 10 year high and rising. What this decision does - because by the way not everyone can afford Sky Sports - is alienate a LOT of fans. Now some of the die-hard ones like me won't go away and will watch all the BBC coverage regardless of whether it's live or highlights, but a lot of those new fans who were just getting into it won't bother I suspect.

I really can't stress enough how bad I think this is and we all know why - Bernie's pocket. He is a billionaire and yet it's still not enough for him - it shows complete and utter contempt and disrespect for the people who line his pockets.

[DevilsDuck]

The people that will line his pockets are Sky...

Sky sports does cost to much and the thing that annoyed me most about ITV coverage was the advert breaks...that will be the same on Sky...you end up missing important parts of the race because of the bloody adverts

[bmstinton93]

As long as there are fools out there paying in excess of £100 a month for their Sky subscription things like this will continue to happen. Thankfully a lot of sports are protected against things like this happening and there are suggestions to protect the England Football Away qualifiers next as the home ones are already protected.

But back on topic that's definitely me never bothering with it again. I had watched it a couple of times this season just because it was on but I would never get Sky at those prices. I think that £30 a month should be the most you should pay and that should be for all the packages

[richbrown]

Why are you slating Sky? The BBC is cutting back on its coverage (which is disappointing) and Sky are picking it up. I think it'd be stupid of them not to.
Sky's subscription prices are neither here nor there, they've always been high but worth it in my opinion.

I think that £30 a month should be the most you should pay and that should be for all the packages

That's like saying, nobody should spend more than a few hundred on a car or £120,000 on a house.

[bmstinton93]

BBC are being forced to cut back because they can't compete with the ridiculously high prices that Sky are prepared to pay for it.

[richbrown]

BBC are being forced to cut back because they can't compete with the ridiculously high prices that Sky are prepared to pay for it.

That's the industry. The BBC are publicly funded, there are advantages and disadvantages to that.

[bmstinton93]

But Bernie Ecclestone should therefore care more about the sport than making a bit extra cash from Sky

[MK Chris]

the thing that annoyed me most about ITV coverage was the advert breaks...that will be the same on Sky...you end up missing important parts of the race because of the bloody adverts

In fairness, Sky are saying there will be no adverts in the middle of races.

Sky's subscription prices are neither here nor there, they've always been high but worth it in my opinion.

Saying they aren't relative is silly, a lot of people - even if they have Sky - can't afford Sky Sports. A lot of F1 fans that I know of aren't sports fans in general and so the premium to pay the extra JUST for the Grands Prix is not going to be worth it for a lot of people.

BBC are being forced to cut back because they can't compete with the ridiculously high prices that Sky are prepared to pay for it.

What he said.

Also - Martin Whitmarsh is hinting that the deal MAY go against the Concorde Agreement.

[bmstinton93]

What is the Concorde agreement?

[Chris]

[MK Chris]

Ha, nice Chris. I bet you've been on one too.

Ben, it's a contract between the F1 teams, the FIA and Formula One Administration, which is Bernie's company. It dictates the share of the revenues that the teams get and what they have to do in the terms. Martin Whitmarsh has hinted that putting F1 on pay TV goes against some of the terms of the agreement.

[bmstinton93]

Ha, nice Chris. I bet you've been on one too.

He probably owns one.

Ben, it's a contract between the F1 teams, the FIA and Formula One Administration, which is Bernie's company. It dictates the share of the revenues that the teams get and what they have to do in the terms. Martin Whitmarsh has hinted that putting F1 on pay TV goes against some of the terms of the agreement.

Surely they would have looked into this first before making the deal though?

[Chris]

Ha, nice Chris. I bet you've been on one too.

Only one that's been on the ground

[MK Chris]

Ben, it's a contract between the F1 teams, the FIA and Formula One Administration, which is Bernie's company. It dictates the share of the revenues that the teams get and what they have to do in the terms. Martin Whitmarsh has hinted that putting F1 on pay TV goes against some of the terms of the agreement.

Surely they would have looked into this first before making the deal though?

You'd have thought so but when they went to reschedule the Bahrain Grand Prix, they overlooked the fact that any change in the schedule needed the prior agreement of all the teams.

[SAV1OUR]

Well, Martin Brundle's not impressed. This is for smile/laugh but here will do:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/busi ... 107294138/