Here it is, the new Formula 1 is here.
As always I am filled with mixed impression and expectations, as with any new F1 season.
So is the new F1 any different or any worse or better than last years?
I honestly couldn't bother to be bothered by the engine sounds, tho they are weaker this year, you can still hear them, further more imo I think, that it might be a bit of a good thing, bcs if the tv broadcasters muffle less the raw sound from the circuit then we will have just as loud sound as we had before (more or less) and a lot clearer than before. But I really loved the sound of the naturally aspired engines, no doubt about it.
However engine sound is my least concern atm.
When the green lights went off and they finally started, it was awesome. It was amazing.
F1 once again, live. First corner hasn't come yet and there were a handful of position changes. Few seconds later, it suddenly become kinda boring when I couldn't help not to notice that the cars were going really slow, with the pace they had in the formation lap.
But after a few laps all the cars seem to have picked up the pace and even more, we already saw them racing, eventho the harsh fuel limitation, the first overtakes were a fact. Most stark of which seemed to be Bottas, who seemed to have forgotten all about the new regulations altogether, which instantly sparked the question in me: "Is he gonna make it to the finish line or at a higher than 8th position?", I still wonder that, bcs of the safety car, which he himself admitted that helped him safe on fuel so was able to push on max to the end of the race after the car came in the pit. So more or less the fuel economy doesn't seem to be that awful for the race after all.
Maybe bcs the systems for energy recovery lowers the fuel consumption quite a lot, which brings me to one of the major problems of the new F1 this year. And this is the ERS in it's self.
I was strongly disappointed when it became obvious that Ferrari were having some sort of an electrical issue on both cars and weren't able to keep the same pace as the rest of the top teams. The reason for which was that they had issues with their electronic systems, most notably the ERS-K. Which was a big bum for me as Kimi Raikkonen is currently my most favorite F1 racer in the paddock. Not that queuing him before Fernando wasn't also frustrating, watching him lose 2 position just because of it.
But let's get back on the ERS.
Raikkonen wasn't the only one who had similar issues, be it with the ERS or electronic or software related to the ERS or the "Break-by-wire".
I think that if those systems doesn't get fixed soon, the sport may suffer some major auditory.
Other than that, it wasn't a bad race at all. Eventho the tons of issues, the new f1 looks quite promising and full of racing to come.
What did made some interesting impression is, that the cars finished more or less from where they started, with few notable exceptions like Kimi, Magnusen, Button and Bottas are to be mentioned. On which I have to add, that Raikkonen gained more positions than Alonso, in addition it was confirmed that Kimi had more severe electrical problems, plus the graining of the front tires which let to loss of traction in the front of his Ferrari.
