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F1 2022

asloper6001
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dsio dsio
It does feel pretty nasty that the American fans at Miami were so chronically robbed for everything from food and drink to merch to tickets, it would really turn me off the sport and leave a bad taste in my mouth if they did that to as great an extent in Australia. I think the smart thing for US fans is to skip Vegas and Miami in favour of COTA or Mexico, or even roll a European Grand Prix into a holiday


Agree, I'll probably go to Vegas just for the atmosphere since I'm on the west coast, but ill be damn if I'm paying for those ticket prices.
 
Dennis C
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We seriously considered Montreal, but we enjoy the Texas experience and we can camp trackside. This will be my 4th F1 race at COTA. I also attended four F1 races in Indianapolis and one in Dallas back in the 80s. I miss the days when tickets were affordable and lines were short, but those days are gone.
 
dsio
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Dennis C Dennis C
We seriously considered Montreal, but we enjoy the Texas experience and we can camp trackside. This will be my 4th F1 race at COTA. I also attended four F1 races in Indianapolis and one in Dallas back in the 80s. I miss the days when tickets were affordable and lines were short, but those days are gone.
Yea I’ve heard nothing but good things about COTA overall and apparently the prices are regular F1 high rather than Miami / Vegas “Uber surge pricing” high.
 
texasmade
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dsio dsio
It does feel pretty nasty that the American fans at Miami were so chronically robbed for everything from food and drink to merch to tickets, it would really turn me off the sport and leave a bad taste in my mouth if they did that to as great an extent in Australia. I think the smart thing for US fans is to skip Vegas and Miami in favour of COTA or Mexico, or even roll a European Grand Prix into a holiday
I made the final decision to skip COTA for 2023. As much as I enjoy going, I don't think I want to spend $2k for tickets, hotel, and food for a weekend. It was a good run while it lasted of 2015-2019, 2021, and 2022.
 
dsio
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Interesting pile of team principal changes…

Fred Vasseur to Ferrari - I rate him really highly but that job is such a poison chalice that I feel sorry for him too, it’ll be 2-3 years before they sack him in disgrace if they don’t win the WDC

Andreas Seidl to Sauber - Makes sense since he was a VW-Audi man long term and apparently Audi felt that Fred Vasseur was “unqualified” which may mean he was insufficiently German

Andrea Stella promoted at McLaren - Makes sense, he was already a highly regarded McLaren man and a long term part of the team

Williams / Alfa Romeo - ??
 
asloper6001
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Seidel makes sense. Not trying to be rude, but I could never understand a word of English he said. I'd assume it had to be frustrating for Lando & DR.

Vasseur is going to be a tuff one. Media is already trying to get Carlos riled up.

Imo the two constants will battle it out next year and for the years to come. Horner vs Toto show. The rest will boil over in drama after every race. Positive change in this sport takes time and no sponsors have time for that anymore. Just a revolving door with no promise.
 
StudebakerHawk
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Being a product of Indiana and the Indianapolis 500, there was a constant... there were betting pools on when the infamous words would be said....

"..... and Mario is slowing down....."

I am afraid those words will continue in 2023 for Scuderia Ferrari.... just replace Charles / Carlos for Mario.
 
Dennis C
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texasmade texasmade
I made the final decision to skip COTA for 2023. As much as I enjoy going, I don't think I want to spend $2k for tickets, hotel, and food for a weekend. It was a good run while it lasted of 2015-2019, 2021, and 2022.

I definitely noticed the “Netflix effect” from the 2019 USGP to the 2021 USGP. I think the weekend attendance doubled from 2019 to 2021. The lines for food and merchandise were short and manageable in 2019. Not so much afterward…

I’m hopeful that the Austin race will become the US race for true racing fans, while the Miami and Las Vegas races will be the races for all the celebrities and people who attend for reasons other than the race. I’ll stick with Austin.

I’m a big fan of trackside camping. We usually arrive on Thursday morning, fully stocked and ready for the weekend. We depart on Monday morning. We don’t have to deal with traffic, ride share or taxi lines, etc. The Austin circuit is great, but it’s far from most hotels, restaurants, etc.
 
texasmade
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Dennis C Dennis C
I definitely noticed the “Netflix effect” from the 2019 USGP to the 2021 USGP. I think the weekend attendance doubled from 2019 to 2021. The lines for food and merchandise were short and manageable in 2019. Not so much afterward…
I noticed that too. From 2015-2018, it was packed but still manageable in terms of traffic and just walking around. After DTS, the race would be jam packed where you could barely walk around. I'm glad COTA is having high attendance because I still remember there was a time when the race was potentially going to be dropped after the disastrous 2015 race.
 
MRC
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Dennis C Dennis C
I’m a big fan of trackside camping. We usually arrive on Thursday morning, fully stocked and ready for the weekend.

First World Championship F1 race I went to we saved on camping fees by sleeping on the grass right next to the entrance. Good job it did not rain. We left the circuit on the BBC Outside Broadcast truck we'd thumbed a ride on, and being a vital asset and in a hurry they had a special way out.

British GP 1967 -- things were different then 😎
 
Dennis C
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MRC MRC
First World Championship F1 race I went to we saved on camping fees by sleeping on the grass right next to the entrance. Good job it did not rain. We left the circuit on the BBC Outside Broadcast truck we'd thumbed a ride on, and being a vital asset and in a hurry they had a special way out.

British GP 1967 -- things were different then 😎

Yeah, that’s just a bit different. We’ll be “camping” with air conditioning, three televisions, full kitchen with a residential fridge loaded with beer and food, ice maker, full bathroom, bbq grill, WiFi, etc.

Not quite the same as sleeping on the grass. Or was it sleeping on grass? Or both? 😁
 
MRC
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Dennis C Dennis C
Yeah, that’s just a bit different. We’ll be “camping” with air conditioning, three televisions, full kitchen with a residential fridge loaded with beer and food, ice maker, full bathroom, bbq grill, WiFi, etc.

Not quite the same as sleeping on the grass. Or was it sleeping on grass? Or both? 😁
As I was still at school in 1967 (High School, Gymnasium, Lycée Classique) and any money I had went first to repairing my bicycle when I'd had yet another crash and any left over spent on going to F1 races, of which there were 4 or 5 each year in England, so I had nothing left over for wacky baccy. I have had some secondary doses but never directly. Ethyl alcohol has always been sufficient for me 👍

Tried methyl alcohol once, but only once -- in the physics lab at school 😒
 
rob#1
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Went to the Australian GP this year, nice hotel, short train ride to the circuit, covered grandstand with a good view and Italian cuisine, very civilised overall. All very different from the races I went to in the 70s and 80s, from sleeping in a car to campsites with dodgy burgers and, um, interesting sanitation set ups, all at a fraction of the cost of modern F1 experiences.

The best time was had at Brands Hatch when we met up with some team mechanics in a local pub in the week of the race, where we exchanged a round of beers for their partner’s All Access passes. Fast forward to race weekend with yours truly walking under the track and down the pit lane alongside Senna, Prost, etc. 😁
 
asloper6001
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Awesome stories all around... The simple non cell phone days were the best. Just live in the moment and let the day take you away..
 
MRC
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rob#1 rob#1
The best time was had at Brands Hatch when we met up with some team mechanics in a local pub in the week of the race, where we exchanged a round of beers for their partner’s All Access passes. Fast forward to race weekend with yours truly walking under the track and down the pit lane alongside Senna, Prost, etc. 😁

I remember that tunnel, I came off a motorbike between there and the pits. The road between the tunnel and the pits had a real slope to the side down to Bottom Straight (now Cooper Straight) and there was something coming the other way so I stopped -- and put the foot on the downhill side down. Over we went. First scratches on my new Honda 400/4 🙁

I'd been there for my regular bollocking by Tony Lanfranchi at the Brands racing school. Nothing personal, everyone got the same treatment. :whipped:
 
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