2019 Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka, Oct 11 - 13

[sprint car76]

Watching the race at 10 pm is perfect here in canada. I'm with dan79 since i have to get up at 4am usually for most of the races.

[CRazyLemon]

So who's crazy enough to stay awake until 3AM then sleep for 3 hours and watch the race 6AM...on a Sunday, what a mess.

Probably easier to just go to sleep early and wake up 3am, then stay awake and nap later.

[NathanOlder]

So who's crazy enough to stay awake until 3AM then sleep for 3 hours and watch the race 6AM...on a Sunday, what a mess.

Probably easier to just go to sleep early and wake up 3am, then stay awake and nap later.

Qualy starts at 2am though. Staying awake until 3 is required to watch it. I think I may stay up to watch it, killing time on my simulator. then get 2 hours sleep and then be like a zombie all day Sunday. On my own with the kids all day

[Phil]

So who's crazy enough to stay awake until 3AM then sleep for 3 hours and watch the race 6AM...on a Sunday, what a mess.

[Nickel]

Watching the race at 10 pm is perfect here in canada. I'm with dan79 since i have to get up at 4am usually for most of the races.

This. So many in Europe get bent out of shape about the times for a handful of races, but forget that the bulk of the calendar is setup to give them races at nice convenient times. It's a much bigger commitment to be a fan in North America. Even races like SIngapore are basically night races to allow nice cushy viewing for Europeans.

I find it amusing that this is never discussed in the million articles discussing why F1 can't get a solid foothold in the US. As a Canadian fan, I can tell you that watching F1 around here is not for the casual viewer.

[Spacepace]

Watching the race at 10 pm is perfect here in canada. I'm with dan79 since i have to get up at 4am usually for most of the races.

This. So many in Europe get bent out of shape about the times for a handful of races, but forget that the bulk of the calendar is setup to give them races at nice convenient times. It's a much bigger commitment to be a fan in North America. Even races like SIngapore are basically night races to allow nice cushy viewing for Europeans.

I find it amusing that this is never discussed in the million articles discussing why F1 can't get a solid foothold in the US. As a Canadian fan, I can tell you that watching F1 around here is not for the casual viewer.

I know your pain man. I'm from Canada too and haven't missed a race live since 2011. India was the hardest to stay up for. Started at 2:30 in the morning. Love the time of Japanese and Australian races. And you're right that's why the fan base isn't as big here and why I think they started setting the races a little later in Europe

[Nathanael F1]

Most races start between 4-6am for me.

[NathanOlder]

I guess as it's pretty much a European sport, its always going to be run for the Europeans.

I love the night races, Aus, Jap, China ect as I can watch them and then have all day sunday to go out ect.
Not missing a live race for well over a decade has caused me plenty of problems over the years.

[Sierra117]

So is it confirmed that we're having quali in about 6-7 hours?

[MtthsMlw]

So is it confirmed that we're having quali in about 6-7 hours?

Should be 1 am UTC

[RZS10]

Why would you wake up at 4am for the european races that start at 2pm UCT? Wouldn't it be -8 to -4 (6am to 10am) in Canada?

And the calendar isn't necessarily set up to give european viewers convenient times, it's just a side effect of 'when is the best time to hold a race' for most tracks, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi being late mainly helps the american market moving the start to the early morning instead of the middle of the night - Singapore really is the only race that had it's starting time moved so it could be broadcast at 2pm in the UK but if it was held at 2pm local time it would be a midnight to 4am race in america which is even a bit worse than 6-10am i reckon ... and most european races were moved to 3pm here to accomodate the US market ever since they took over the sport

and yea ... quali is in -6:45h

[Restomaniac]

So who's crazy enough to stay awake until 3AM then sleep for 3 hours and watch the race 6AM...on a Sunday, what a mess.

old school.

Hard Core! You know the score!..........Whistle, Whistle.

[Artur Craft]

Nice observation- but Max’s actually ‘crushing’ Bottas in that particular corner, with a higher mid/ corner exit speed.

Just sayin’.

Stop sayin', start proving.

Sure.

Bottas @ 0:40 - 263kmh
https://streamable.com/ro0eo

Max @ 0:43 - 265kmh
https://streamable.com/b100i

As I said- just sayin’.

There is no need to "prove" anything. The videos does that for you. I guess "Just a fan" didn't bother to check them out. The minimum speeds on Degner 1:
VER 262kmh
SAI 259kmh
LEC 254kmh
BOT 253kmh
HAM 249kmh

RBR is running a smaller rear wing, so they shouldn't be the fastest. The Mercedes drivers should have dominated here. This reminds me of the 2011 qualifying when Schumacher, with a crappy Mercedes car, was faster than Button and Hamilton on Degner 1, despite Mclaren having much more downforce.

How about that ridiculous tow Bottas got in the last sector though

what tow?! 3 guys here saying this The car in front is way too far away. There is no effect. Bottas just was 0.35s faster on s2.

[Just_a_fan]

Sure.

Bottas @ 0:40 - 263kmh
https://streamable.com/ro0eo

Max @ 0:43 - 265kmh
https://streamable.com/b100i

As I said- just sayin’.

A whole 2km/h? Wow, he's really crushing him, isn't he?

Remind me of their respective best lap times...just askin'

How lame of you to do this- but hey.. who cares.

You, apparently, but only when Max is doing well.

And "lame"?

[Artur Craft]

Please don't remind us about those horrible pirelli wets, it's just unbearable. I don't get it how a tyre company as big as pirelli can't make even half decent rain tires???? Just incompetent imo. Raikkonen put it best just days ago: "f1 looks ridicioulus not running in wet conditions".
https://www.racefans.net/2019/10/10/rai ... et-tracks/

Rosberg said the same thing. But it's not only the rain tyres. The slick tyres are very poor too. They were a bit over 1s faster than 2006, during FP2. The only advantage the 2006 car should have is the lower weight(-130kg). That accounts for around 5s. The 2017-2019 cars have much more downforce(accounts for seconds), drs( accounts for 1 to 1.5s), +200HP ( accounts for several seconds) and wider slick tyres (should account for around 4.5s). I said "should" because Pirelli is total ---. The 2017-2019 cars should be 5 to 6s faster than the 2006 ones but they aren't because of the tyres.(the 2019 tyres should, alone, almost counterbalance the weight effect and the other factors should give several seconds lead over 2006.) If F1 had Michelin/Bridgestone 2019 tyre compounds, they would be lapping 3s faster than they are with Pirelli.

Btw, f1's official youtube account uploaded the best F1 race ever, the 2005 Japanese GP.