Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2021Formula 1

[Jimlaad43]

Formula 1 moves onto the circuit where it all began again as we head to Silverstone. Host of two races last season, Silverstone will be the second Full-Capacity event this year as spectators are finally back - right as COVID numbers are shooting up... Red Bull have had a run of 5 race wins in a row, leading to Max Verstappen on his way to a good championship lead. Can Mercedes bounce back this time around a track they're historically good at, or will Red Bull continue where it has been this year. McLaren have been on a major resurgence, can they join the front of the pack? Williams are desperate for a point after just missing out last time, will they break their duck in front of a home crowd? Plus, it's going to be a historic weekend, as its the first ever trial of the Sprint Qualifying race. Will it be a success, or will it just tell us what we'll see on Sunday? We'll only find out at the BRITISH GRAND PRIX!

First Grand Prix
1950​

Number of Laps
52​

Circuit Length
5.891km​

Race Distance
306.198 km​

Lap Record
1:27.097 Max Verstappen (2020)​

 

[PeterJB]

Can we please ban Crofty from commentating this weekend?

"aNd ThErE gOeS sIr LeWiS hAmIlToN dOwN tHe SiR lEwIs HaMiLtOn StRaIgHt"

 

[Liquid]

Can we please ban Crofty from commentating

LMFTFY

 

[Shaun]

But but but someone needs to remind us that it's the best GP with the best fans yadda yadda.

 

[Samus]

Perhaps should have mentioned this weekend is the first trial of the sprint race format...

Regular quali format on Friday evening to set the grid for the 100km sprint race on Saturday afternoon which then sets the final Grid for the regular full race on Sunday.

I really can't see it working. All it's going to do is arrange the grid on race pace so the race on Sunday is even more processional. Or nobody will do anything with the risk of damaging their car so the sprint race is processional and therefore pointless.

But we will see, obviously.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Perhaps should have mentioned this weekend is the first trial of the sprint race format...

Regular quali format on Friday evening to set the grid for the 100km sprint race on Saturday afternoon which then sets the final Grid for the regular full race on Sunday.

I really can't see it working. All it's going to do is arrange the grid on race pace so the race on Sunday is even more processional. Or nobody will do anything with the risk of damaging their car so the sprint race is processional and therefore pointless.

But we will see, obviously.

Added to opening paragraph 👍

 

[Moglet]

I'll be there on Saturday (Negative Covid test pending) for the first ever sprint race. I'm excited to see it as it'll be the first time I've ever seen F1 live but it does worry me that it will just end up making the actual race less exciting as all of the cars will end up lining the grid based on race pace

 

[Veinz]

Looking forward to seeing how this race format turns out.

 

[TheElbows]

I think the sprint race format will work...in so much as it will give spectators a little more interest, and maybe TV viewership will be bumped slightly. Will it add anything to the championship? Hell no. If anything it will detract. The better teams will be even more ahead than they already are. In a normal qualifying session it's at least chaotic enough that you occasionally get a surprise pole position, or people have a superb lap almost by accident...

With a sprint race, you won't see any more surprises. The only thing that could benefit the race is if some top runners mess their cars up so that they can't make the proper race (which is a stretch considering how fast they can fix cars).

Also...I'm on the ban Crofty wagon. I turn off the volume to the race maybe 60% of the time because he's so obnoxiously awful.

 

[ScottPuss20]

This format is worse from my perspective due to the stupid start times: qualifying is on at 3AM Saturday morning and sprint qualifying at 1:30AM Sunday morning. So I can only watch the GP at the slightly more reasonable time of 12AM on Monday morning. Most European rounds have qualifying and the race at 11PM on Saturday and Sunday night respectively, so I'm annoyed that I'll have to miss more of the live action this weekend. Bummer.

 

[kungtotte_]

I think it will be a bit interesting to see how the drivers adapt to the lack of practice before the first qualifying, you see it quite often that a driver is pretty far down the sheets in FP and then pulls out a good lap in qualifying after having built their pace up over the sessions.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Can we please ban Crofty from commentating this weekend?

"aNd ThErE gOeS sIr LeWiS hAmIlToN dOwN tHe SiR lEwIs HaMiLtOn StRaIgHt"

LMFTFY

Also...I'm on the ban Crofty wagon. I turn off the volume to the race maybe 60% of the time because he's so obnoxiously awful.

It's all live on Channel 4 this weekend, so you can enjoy non-shouty commentators for once

 

[MagpieRacer]

It's all live on Channel 4 this weekend, so you can enjoy non-shouty commentators for once

Or at least as non shouty as Alex Jacques can get. But I do vastly prefer Alex to Croft, much much better to listen too. Usually paired up with Coulthard or Webber as well.

 

[TheCracker]

I knew the sprint race format was debuting this weekend, but i've not read much about it. 100km? - so thats going to be 17 laps? (16.9 rounded up). I feel this should be even shorter. 10-12 laps maybe? Give those lower qualifying young bucks an opportunity to really go for it without worrying about tires and pit strategies etc. With championships at risk, those at the sharp end i imagine will be a touch more cautious especially on the first couple of laps so there would be plenty of action. 17 laps though is pretty much a third of the Sunday GP length so plenty long enough for everything to settle down into a procession.

 

[PeterJB]

I knew the sprint race format was debuting this weekend, but i've not read much about it. 100km? - so thats going to be 17 laps? (16.9 rounded up). I feel this should be even shorter. 10-12 laps maybe? Give those lower qualifying young bucks an opportunity to really go for it without worrying about tires and pit strategies etc. With championships at risk, those at the sharp end i imagine will be a touch more cautious especially on the first couple of laps so there would be plenty of action. 17 laps though is pretty much a third of the Sunday GP length so plenty long enough for everything to settle down into a procession.

It needs to be five laps. Everyone's gonna spend the entire time saving tyres and engines, and nobody is gonna take any risks except maybe Haas since they can't possibly start any lower than they already do.

 

[Samus]

Make no mistake, this move isn't about improving the spectacle of the championship. It's purely about getting more bums on seats on a Friday and Saturday, Friday in particular. Because obviously, more people = more $. If the ticket sales are significantly up for Friday and the reception of the sprint race is at least neutral among fans and the press, not a total visual disaster like say the knockout quali, it's probably going to be deemed a success and stay.

It's the same reason we've got a 23 race season and they want more. More races != better championship/racing, it = more $ for Liberty.

 

[SlowGrayAudi]

Anyone is better than Croft. He is the worst commentator. Bring in the guys from WEC or GT challenge Europe, or even the radio le mans guy who covers the n24. They are more interesting in they're sleep than Croft will ever be.

 

[Famine]

Anyone is better than Croft. He is the worst commentator.

stares in James Allen

 

[Jimlaad43]

stares in James Allen

replies in Jonathan Legard

 

[Samus]

replies in Jonathan Legard

Ah, problems for Allen and Croft in the race to be worst commentator.

 

[Samus]

In other news, Mercedes have brought their upgrades.







Let's hope they can give us a race.

 

[Roo]

except maybe Haas since they can't possibly start any lower than they already do.

Unless they pit at the end of the first lap to save engine/gearbox/tyre life.

 

[ScottPuss20]

Christ I don't get all the hate towards Crofty. There are much worse commentators that are far more boring; at least he provides some sort of entertainment and excitement.

 

[Dreadmed]

At the time of writing;

1. Quali will begin in just under 5 hours (17:00 UTC)
2. The sprint race will be at 15:30 tomorrow (1d 3h 15m)
3. The race proper starts at 14:00 UTC on Sunday.

I'm not personally expecting much at all from the sprint race, the risk/reward ratio seems too out of kilter for anything substantial to happen.

 

[Samus]

Christ I don't get all the hate towards Crofty. There are much worse commentators that are far more boring; at least he provides some sort of entertainment and excitement.

He doesn't though. He just shouts when it really doesn't warrant it to try and make things seem exciting when they're not.

IS HE GOING TO TAKE A DIVE DOWN THE INSIDE!?!!?!!?!!!!!!!!!

No David, he's 200m too far back and there is only one line through the next corner.

 

[BrainsBush]

Ok, ok only FP1 and 30 minutes to go. Says completely nothing. But it seems RBR also got their act together at Silverstone. Good for the morale.
And now Mercedes has to do their quali run.

 

[Samus]

That Red Bull just looks so planted and on rails.

 

[BrainsBush]

Lewis' comment: "That 7 tenths were did that come from". Sandbagging comment or does Mercedes seriously have an issue also on their 'home track'? Interesting quali this evening. PS wife not happy during diner time

 

[Adam41]

Taking my Dad on the Saturday so he can witness how fast these things are through Copse and Maggots and Becketts. Hoping for at least some action in the sprint race, looking forward to it anyway.

Judging by fp1, easy pole for Max. I'm hoping Lewis can start 2nd at least and attack Max on that first lap of the sprint.

 

[Samus]

Lewis' comment: "That 7 tenths were did that come from". Sandbagging comment or does Mercedes seriously have an issue also on their 'home track'? Interesting quali this evening. PS wife not happy during diner time 😉

Not sandbagging, Merc definitely won't be 7 tenths off on pure pace, but they probably know they're going to be 2-3 tenths down.