Plenty to talk about about this past week, so many issues that inspired opinions of which the new Formula 1 qualifying format is still the biggest bone of contention, but there were many things to vote about and source opinion this past week. Here is a summary of our polls:
- 4-Stars (43%, 101 Votes)
- 3-Stars (33%, 77 Votes)
- 5-Stars (11%, 26 Votes)
- 2-Stars (9%, 22 Votes)
- 1-Star (4%, 10 Votes)
- Total Voters: 236 (Poll still open)
Our verdict: In the wake of a thriller in Australia it was always going to be a tough task for Bahrain to deliver a similar grand prix. Despite a pre-race retirement by one of the chief protagonists - Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari and a Turn 1 melee which compromised Lewis Hamilton and allowed Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg to cruise to victory - it was not a bad spectacle.
- Yes (85%, 1,309 Votes)
- No (15%, 234 Votes)
- Total Voters: 1,543 (Poll still open)
Our verdict: Let's face it Haas F1 Team has been the revelation of the new season, they have come into the sport and torn up the handbook on what is expected of new F1 teams, by scoring points in their first two races and showing the likes of Caterham, Marussia and HRT how things should be done.The manner in which the American team has achieved their early success has been given a resounding thumbs up from our readers.
- Terrible (85%, 398 Votes)
- Indifferent (12%, 54 Votes)
- Great (3%, 17 Votes)
- Total Voters: 469 (Poll closed)
Our verdict: We will say what we have been saying since the new qualifying debacle began: Formula 1 qualifying was once one of the great spectacles of the sport... make that any sport. The driver, the machine, the team all conspiring to deliver a perfect lap at the absolute maximum of everything during a one hour session on a the Saturday of a grand prix weekend. It was a simple formula that delivered on a regular basis. This new 'thing' is simply unacceptable, but then so is the politics that spawned the saga.
- Agree (89%, 1,743 Votes)
- Disagree (11%, 205 Votes)
- Total Voters: 1,948 (Poll open until he goes)
Our verdict: This is a poll we have started will only end when Bernie steps down or disappears from the scene. F1 fans will vote on this one and no more need be said for now.
- Proof they should be liquidated! (55%, 54 Votes)
- Fantastic! (31%, 30 Votes)
- Terrible! (14%, 14 Votes)
- Total Voters: 98 (Poll closed)
Our verdict: This was part of our lame April Fools report.
- Yes (60%, 495 Votes)
- No (40%, 325 Votes)
- Total Voters: 820 (Poll closed)
Our verdict: Ferrari always win the preseason hype and, despite a pasting in Australia, there was much optimism ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix where the Reds were surely going to turn the tables on Mercedes. Not so as 60% predicted, while 40% of the eternal optimists were wrong.
- No (63%, 694 Votes)
- Yes (37%, 411 Votes)
- Total Voters: 1,105 (Poll still open)
Our verdict: Max Verstappen is a name which will be intrinsically connected to F1 for the next two decades. A year and a bit into his meteoric career and already there is talk of a Ferrari deal. Now we all know that Maranello has more often than not taken in drivers (although seldom if ever one so young) used them and spat them out into oblivion, hence no surprise that not everyone thinks a move there by teenager Max is a good idea.
No (66%, 200 Votes)
Yes (34%, 104 Votes)
Total Voters: 304 (Poll still open)
How much faster do you want these cars to be? Already they smashed the all time lap record around Bahrain International Circuit. Clearly our readers realise that it is not all about speed...
- Yes (82%, 168 Votes)
- No (18%, 36 Votes)
- Total Voters: 204
Our verdict: No doubt most of these voters are making there decisions based on what they hear on TV. We wonder how many of the 204 voters have actually heard this year's edition of F1 in the flesh. And to be honest consensus in our offices is that quiet-ish F1 is not such a bad thing, especially if you are sitting in the grandstand all day.