F1 2022 - Round 2: Saudi Arabia

RunningFlyer

Just catching up on everything so far - WTAF! A missile strikes a title sponsor depot a few miles away - visible from the track - and everything is OK?!

Definitely feel the drivers are effectively held hostage here and have to agree to race with absolutely everyone else seemingly onboard. Wonder if there will be small driver protests today.

Also definitely think now that Vettel’s continued positive test is a smokescreen for him refusing to race here. Thought it seemed odd when it was announced when he tested positive quite early in the race week in Bahrain, so isolation period etc would be up..

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837794#Comment_118837794

apparently hes struggling with covid, poor fcuker

Joeface

Massive Covid Surge expect across the Pit lane in 2023 around about the time Jeddah GP is supposed to take place

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837807#Comment_118837807

covid23, the most dangerous variant!

pjohnson

Given how Seb was the first to say nope to Russia I think its relatively safe to assume he said nope to Saudi but was begged not to say anything publicly so just used covid to explain his absence.

If he was there hard to see the Drivers Union reach the same conclusion.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837852#Comment_118837852

I disagree, I reckon Seb would have been open if he didn't want to race.

flazio

Now, reliability of reporting might be in the 60 to 70% region here but as far as I can tell, there have been no injuries or fatalities related to the missile strike.

Memories of the 1997 Grand National spring to mind here.

Apart from Formula E being a smaller championship, how come there isn't this much controversy or upset about the Diryah E Prix?

Wanderer78

footage of fire on al jazeera looks pretty serious

AMKC

In one way I do not want the race to go ahead as that suites me and think it should not go ahead but in another way if this race were not to go ahead it would be a disadvantage to Red Bull and Ferrari and and advantage to Mercedes as it gives them more time to sort things out even if the FIA and F1 could organise a race somewhere for next weekend instead of this one it would still more be to Mercedes advantage than Red Bull or Ferrari's.

I do however hope it is the last F1 race in Saudi Arabia. They never should have went there but as has been said here already money talks and that is why they are there.

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837784#Comment_118837784

its their aim that’s the worry. They may not intend to do that but can anyone be certain of that ?

christy c

Aramco also title sponsor of Vettel's team.

😂 I have no words 😂

https://twitter.com/aramco/status/1507667978380316678?s=21&t=j2U5Rms6OyMmYFoYsEXY6Q

AMKC

It's not even near the track do. It's 12 miles away where the facility was hit and the explosion took place.

I do not think F1 should be racing in Saudi Arabia but they are there this weekend now so they might as well and I think this alarm about this attack has been blown out of all proportions. The Houtis are a small terrorist group with not much in the way of sophisticated weapons.

I doubt they have much to worry about from them. Hoping for a Red Bull win or even a 1-2 here

smurfjed

@AMKC “The Houtis are a small terrorist group with not much in the way of sophisticated weapons.”

I can accept that their drones aren’t that sophisticated, but they also have ballistic missiles which are a lot more sophisticated and hit the planned targets.

Rossi IRL

Think the race will go ahead but only due to fears of being held in the country.

Once they are out of the country the drivers will refuse to go back to Saudi and F1 will then be forced to cancel the future races there.

smurfjed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837955#Comment_118837955

Yep these are ballistic missiles fired from 800 miles away, they will hit their targets. They are not old fashioned SCUDS.

smurfjed

@Rossi IRL

“Think the race will go ahead but only due to fears of being held in the country.”,

nothing stopping them going to the airport and jumping on a flight to London.

The Saudis have nothing to gain by keeping them there but a lot to gain by showing the world that the Houthis aren't as innocent as they might like to pretend.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837859#Comment_118837859

He might have wanted to but Aramco are the title sponsor of his team. So instead of risking Aramco pulling funding immediately from AM he told the team quietly (but firmly) instead.

Charlie-Bravo

F2 Sprint Race is on at 12.30pm. Should be fast and hectic.

oceanman

i for one hope the race dose go ahead, im really looking forward to it....one of only a few really exciting race circuits left on the GP calendar now.

ctrl-alt-delete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838253#Comment_118838253

Bit of a mess so far.

Hijpo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838448#Comment_118838448

Huge mess... yellow flags after a smash up on the straight, safety car to go through pitlane, then pit lane entry closed. Hauger (leader) the only one to go through the pitlane, comes out 12th.

Charlie-Bravo

So the F2 Sprint race had a safety car on lap 2, restart then had cars backing up on start-finish straight with two cars taken out. Then a cockup with safety car through pitlane message. What a mess!

klose

3 crashes in the F2 already, on lap 8 of 20 and there's been two laps of racing, also some confusion as initially they were told the safety car would go through the pit lane so the leader went in but the rest didn't, what a mess.

ctrl-alt-delete

You can clearly see the pit lane was closed - the electronic signs said as much. Vet harsh though on the leader.

Larbre34

Vettel has no credibility on this matter, even if he was there to drive and speak out.

He was full of auld guff about Sochi after the invasion as he climbed into his Saudi Aramco-Aston Martin and went testing.

How many exectutions was it in one day last week, just the 81 I think?

The way Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson and Newcastle United have been treated over Saudi sports-washing is how it's supposed to be done, not deflection and hypocrisy.

Vettel has no need of Aston Martin's drive. He could have walked away when the Saudis showed up, but he didn't. He could have told Lawrence Stroll to get his shyt together or find another driver, but he didn't.

#Weraceasone? No, #weraceformon

Charlie-Bravo

Why are they not red flagging this?

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838471#Comment_118838471

exactly what i was thinking

ctrl-alt-delete

Now Hauger gets a ten second stop go penalty for entering the pit lane when it was closed.

He may just retire it.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838153#Comment_118838153

Or even risking the sponser asking the team to fire him and have them get someone like Hulkenberg instead.

Charlie-Bravo

Unbelievable for Hauger. Robbed of a potential win.

Burkie1203

Shambles in F2. Race control making a mess of this

This is it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837852#Comment_118837852

Come on, relatively safe to assume? No, it's not relatively safe to assume anything.

MadYaker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838132#Comment_118838132

Nice to see we have our own cheerleader for the Saudi regime.

I can’t believe this race is going ahead, F1 needs to abandon this sh!thole of a country pronto.

Im hoping the drivers have some sort of protest planned.

Rossi IRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838677#Comment_118838677

This race is only happening due to money.

FIA will have blood on their hands of anything happens tomorrow.

Hope the drivers do protest

Cool_CM

Fair fups to Gasly pushing his car back down the pitlane in that heat 😂

BikeRacer

Merc won't make it into Q3 of qualy at this rate.

klose

Looks like it will be a shootout between redbull and ferrari again here, perez definitely seems to be closer to max this year. Leclerc popped in a fastest lap at the end but Max had not logged a lap for over ten odd minutes.

Merc will do well for Q3 on the basis here, seem to be really lacking in striaght line speed. Mclaren and Aston Martins nightmare looks like it will continue for another while yet.

Charlie-Bravo

Full second off the pace for the Mercs. It's close between Ferrari and RB. Should be a good qualy session at 5pm.

Burkie1203

Bottom 7 cars all Merc power. Hamilton only few places higher

Engine issues?

Rossi IRL

Verstappen looks like if he can get a clean lap in then he is 3 to 4 tengts faster than Leclerc.

Mercedes engines look to be the downfall of Mercedes.

pjohnson

Merc engine is chronic it seems. They really miscalculated it badly.

This race, the world cup in Qatar (and the one in Russia) are all part of the same thing. Money talks but Jesus Christ it'd be great if people were forced to have some principles.

smurfjed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838677#Comment_118838677

Looks like the Irish embassy doesn’t agree with you.

”The Embassy of Ireland condemns in the strongest terms the Houthi attacks of 25 March on civilian infrastructure in Jeddah and other areas of KSA. Such attacks are clear violations of international law and undermine the UN led peace process in Yemen.”.

Also the GDPA need to get their **** together. 3 leads, one is Vettel who isn't that, one is Wurz who is retired and not there, only one there is Russell who tbh is a nobody right now.

Drivers agreed they weren't going to race and then bent over when the team owners come in. Someone like Russell who flipped his corporate personality instantly isn't what you need in a leader when things are actually at stake.

Also the statement is **** cringe. Pure PR nonsense.

ctrl-alt-delete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118838979#Comment_118838979

Toto saying it is not down to the power unit.

Hamilton was bouncing badly in Yesterday's practice session - the porpoising will be the issue I think.

Hijpo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118839017#Comment_118839017

Wonder if their E10 mix up to scratch, the RB one can eat through plastic for example. Medc haven't had to do anything regards engines or fuel for the last number of years and wasn't there a few high profile PU engineers pinched by other teams a few years ago?

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118839012#Comment_118839012

So to sum up @[Deleted User]. Cop on to **** F1 drivers and less of the corporate word salad.

ctrl-alt-delete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118839056#Comment_118839056

Well, I know Redbull poached a few for their engine projects, with one due to join later this year as technical director after a settlement was agreed.

Itssoeasy

KMag and Gunter are some duo. You’d go for pints with them.