Zoxxo

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Formula One - Spain - On NBCSN and CNBC
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

NOTE: ONLY ONE SHOWING OF THE RACE IS SCHEDULED!!!
SO IF YOU MISS IT YOU HAVE MISSED IT!!!

1. THE TIMES AND DAYS FOR THIS RACE ARE DIFFERENT, SO PAY ATTENTION!

2. THERE IS ONE SHOWING OF THE RACE THIS WEEKEND.

3. THERE ARE TWO SHOWINGS OF QUALIFYING THIS WEEKEND.

4. THERE IS ONE SHOWING OF PRACTICE THIS WEEKEND.

5. THE LIVE SHOWING OF QUALIFYING WILL BE ON CNBC THIS WEEKEND.

NOTE: Once again they have added an extra half an hour of pre-race on Sunday.
So, TV coverage starts at 4 AM and the actual race starts at 5 AM (Pacific Times).

The post-race show "F1 Extra" is shown immediately after the race show
whatever time that may be. NBC schedules "F1 Extra" to start 2 hours after
the start of the race but, in reality, it's always shown immediately after the race
regardless of the actual time. The simplest way to make sure you record "F1 Extra" is
to add enough extra time to the race broadcast recording to handle any extra time
that was needed to record the entire race (red flags, etc.), and record "F1 Extra".
My standard is to add AT LEAST three hours (!) to make sure I cover most
eventualities. That's what those big hard drives are for

I pull this info from from my Tivo's schedule and the check it against zap2it.com
and f1calendar.com. I have no guarantee that it is correct but it usually is. I also
double check it with the NBC Sports NET schedule. Caveat Emptor.

--------------------------------------------------------------
ALL TIMES PACIFIC DST TIME !!!!! (Eastern times in parens)
--------------------------------------------------------------

Friday May 12, 2017
--------------------

• 5:00 AM - Practice 2 [LIVE] (8:00 AM Eastern)

Saturday May 13, 2016
-----------------------

• 05:00 AM - Qualifying [LIVE] (8:00 AM Eastern) *** CNBC ***
• 10:30 PM - Qualifying [RESHOWING] (1:30 PM Eastern)

Sunday May 14, 2016
----------------------

• 4:00 AM - PRE-RACE (7:00 AM Eastern)
• 4:30 AM - RACE [LIVE] (7:30 AM Eastern)

AND THAT'S ALL, FOLKS!! NO RESHOWING OF THE RACE THAT I CAN FIND!!!



Formula 2 (GP2)

Sunday May 14, 2017
----------------------

//////////

VetteDrmr

Thanks, Z!

Sorry I've not been very chatty on the F1 threads so far this year, this teaching gig takes up a fair amount of time!

Have a good one,
Mike

Zoxxo

No prob. I've been way busy elsewhere, too. Besides, with Bernie gone there's far fewer things to bitch about (he does still try, though )

Z//

BrianCunningham

RutRoh may have lost my FREE coverage

sunsalem

Vettel has an agreement to move to MB next year?
http://gptoday.com/full_story/view/6...8_F1__insider/

VetteDrmr

That really didn't say much more to me other than F1 teams talk to F1 drivers on other teams.

sunsalem

IIRC, Hamilton's contract is up after next season.
I think the MB Board may have had just about enough of Mr. Hamilton's nonsense.
Too many times he has embarrassed them and their brand with his childishness.
I imagine the thought of having a German lead driver would likely be very appealing to them at this point.

VetteDrmr

Although if Vettel were from <insert dumbest country for an F1 driver to come from> they'd still be courting him.

Have a good one,
Mike

Zoxxo

It's an interesting question. Both Hamilton and Vettel are very good drivers but both are subject to emotional childishness when stressed.

Merc has to have had many discussions on Hamilton and what (if anything) to do about his act. But the main takeaway *has* to be that he's one of the top four racers in the sport at this point (along w Vettel, Alonso, and Ricciardo) so why trade for an unknown after we've got so much investment of time, money, and psychology in what they have now?

Hamilton needs to be careful this season not to go on one of his paranoia rants again as I suspect that *would* be the straw to break the camel's back. Bottas has given the Merc bosses a nice feel for what it *can* be like...

And while Merc might dream of having Vettel (a German) driver, why would Vettel *now* surrender his life-long dream of taking Ferrari to championships just to give Deutchland *their* dream?

If (big 'if', at this point, IMO) Merc wants to be rid of Hamilton then they'd be really smart to grab Fernando. He's *the* consummate driver now and, I suspect, would kick both Vettel's and Hamilton's butts given equal (or even close to equal) machinery.

Z//

jhester

IMHO the whole line of German driver, German team is just hype. It's a British team with a German sponsor; Big difference. Brackley and Brixworth are not Stuttgart.

Would they want it? Sure, but this is not a German national team the way Ferrari is for Italy. Germans write the checks, but that's the extent of it.

sunsalem

MB owns an F1 team for one reason only: to sell more street cars.
Its purpose is VERY different than, say, a straight up race team like Williams, for example.

I have read recently the German public isn't really enthused about their F1 team these days...empty seats is a problem, as is a fallen off of TV ratings.
Perhaps a native German (like Schumi) could fire up the fans again?

I think "the straw" was broken last year with LH's unwillingness to follow team orders at every turn.

Good question...maybe he is getting tired of pasta.

Wolff is very fond of him, but Alonso is a political animal and carries around his own set of baggage.

You might want to read this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merced...0.93present.29

sunsalem

FP2 Highlights:

jhester

I don't need to read the history of the team. My point is the chassis and engine are designed and manufactured in England and most of the employees are English. Although the team ownership is German, it is not a German team per say.

PS- don't be so cocky in your posts. It does no-one any good. Enjoy the race weekend.

sunsalem

If you count the guys sweeping the floors, then yeah...
Mercedes Benz writes the checks.
They decide who gets one of the above checks and for how much.
They decide who manages the team.
They decide who drives for the brand.
They decide who designs and builds their cars.
Nevertheless, F1 teams are international, because their employees come from many nationalities and countries...even the most nationalistic team on the grid, Ferrari, is international.

Sorry about that...next time I'll resist the impulse to make corrections.

sunsalem

QUALIFYING RESULTS:
http://gptoday.com/full_story/view/6...sh_Grand_Prix/

sunsalem

Another relatively boring race:

sunsalem

Everybody's favorite fan:
https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2017/...o-crashes-out/

Erik L

I think if My wife had made me turn it off 12 laps or so from the end (it was moms day) (she would never do that) but I would have been very anxious.

It was a huge let down that vettel was not able to catch up to Lewis and battle. Once we got to around 10 laps from the end it was clear it was not going to happen and it felt like a long processional race. The whole middle of the race was just waiting for the battle at the end...when it did not happen .....The strategy was interesting.

VetteDrmr

Not trying to pick a fight, but these comments are always curious. Just what were you wanting? Multiple passes each lap for each position? F1 has never been about that, at least in my watching lifetime. The way to get that kind of competition is to get into spec racing, which is the anti-thesis of F1. Or even better comparison would be restrictor-plate racing in NASCAR.

Or is it "anyone but Merc"? Then this is the best season you've had for years.

Or is it "too many electronic doo-dads, it should be a driver's race"? Did you hear how hard the drivers were breathing over the radio? Did you see how hard the cars change direction?

So, back to my original question: What are you wanting? I personally thought this was a good race; excellent strategies by multiple teams that had the outcome in doubt until the last few laps, hard racing by the drivers, passes for the lead, etc.

On to Monaco!

Have a good one,
Mike

sunsalem

1) Half of the top 6 cars were DNFed....2 in Turn One (including the most exciting driver in F1).
2) The build-up of a wheel-to-wheel last laps battle between SV and LH never materialized.
3) The action in the mid-field were not as exciting as it has been in some of the previous races this year.

Agreed.
Definitely more interesting than the last 3 seasons (in terms of which team might win the championship).
Hopefully, both championships won't be decided until the last race.

I don't have a problem with that.
In fact, I find the tech fascinating.
When I heard LH on the radio seemingly out of breath, I was worried he might be having a health issue.
I have NEVER heard a driver so labored physically in the cockpit before!

Generally, who wins the race is not particularly important to me.
If it is, I wouldn't have been an F1 fan for more than 20 years.
Typically, what entertains me more than what is happening at the front is the scraps further down the field.
There just wasn't enough of that going on (at least in an interesting way) for me to be on the edge of my seat as I normally am.

FWIW, I thought LH had it in the bag well before the last few laps.
DR's (Mr. Smiley) 3rd place finish was a nice result, although he was in a race all by himself unfortunately.


Monaco might be a real titanic struggle...RB should have a decent chance there.