Rate the race: 2011 Korean Grand Prix

2011 Korean Grand Prix

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What did you think of the Korean Grand Prix? Rate the race out of ten and leave a comment below:

Rate the 2011 Korean Grand Prix out of ten

  • 10 (1%)
  • 9 (10%)
  • 8 (27%)
  • 7 (30%)
  • 6 (18%)
  • 5 (8%)
  • 4 (2%)
  • 3 (1%)
  • 2 (1%)
  • 1 (2%)

Total Voters: 449

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1 = ‘Terrible’, 10 = ‘Perfect’

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F1 Fanatic holds polls on each race to find out which fans thought were the best and worst races during a season. Please vote based on how entertaining and exciting you thought the race was, not on how your preferred driver or team performed.

See the results for past seasons here:

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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171 comments on “Rate the race: 2011 Korean Grand Prix”

  1. 7/10 from me.

    There were some amazing battles and some brilliant action at parts, but there wasn’t really any hope of anything materialising for the attacking drivers. If not for the Hamilton – Webber scrap, I’d have given it a 6. Still, a highly entertaining race and there’s no doubt in my mind that this track is brilliant for close racing. Not sure about the DRS though…

    1. Same from me. The HAM/WEB battle saved the race.

      1. I didn’t see a Ham/Web battle. I saw cars following each other around the track. Ham using his KERS at the same point, Web closing at the same point.

        I said it last year (and got slated for it) but this is not a good track for racing. There is no natural overtaking spot. The location of the DRS zone removed the ability to overtake into the first corner as well.

        4/10 for me. It was processional.

        1. couldn’t agree more ……awfully boring 4/10 …..what a crappy track. i want to see racing, not a parade !!!

    2. Not to mention the fact Red Bull failed to take a chance on pitting Webber a lap later to jump Hamilton and get close to Vettel.

      I am not decided yet, but I also think its going to be a 7. Although those few laps of really tight racing in the fast corners between Hamilton and Webber were really good.

    3. Booooring………. hence it’s 5/10 for me.

    4. yes HAM/WEB and later ALO make this race exciting.
      Wonder if we should kick out VET of the remaining races, possibly giving him the victories, because after lap one, he was on no battle. Good drive from him too, but not entertaining for a second. Was obvious he would get Hamilton on the straight with the slip-stream…

    5. 7/10
      During the race I was already thinking of what vote I was going to give it, and many times I was thinking “how boring”. Obviously when there was the Hamilton-Webber duel, or the battles between Rosberg-Button and Alonso-Massa and Rosberg-Massa-Alonso, I enjoyed it, but I don’t feel like giving it more than 7.

    6. For me DRS worked superbly well. It wasn’t so extreme, like it was in Montreal or Spa, where people were flying past long before the braking zones.

      The DRS really spiced up the Webber and Hamilton fight, KERS also made it interesting as we saw a lot of clever uses of them both.

      The detection zone was in a great place to. An overtake into Turn 1 would then result in the car having a chance to re-pass in the DRS zone, then the faster car would have a chance slipstreaming on the following straight. We saw this happen with Kobayashi and Senna.

      1. It was what we saw in the Rosberg fight with Button as well. Pass, re-pass, pass again. In effect making for a multi lap battle to get past.

        1. But a bit artificial too, especially in combination with that pit exit where all drivers knew to not be ahead at the detection line; I even think HAM might have been able to get ahead of Webber in that corner, but didn’t bc. of the DRS.

          It looked nice, but upon re-watching I thought it a bit too manufactured to be honest.

          1. But I’ll add that the short distance of the DRS was right, even if I am not sure about the placement of the zone itself on the 2nd straight.

      2. I thought it was a brilliant race with of course the exception of first place. DRS was brilliant, I have always maintained that DRS should allow a competitive car to get passed the dirty air zone and into the braking zone alongside the car in front requiring a good pass to get by, but also allow faster cars to get passed slower cars after pit stops and not be held up. Gave it a 9 as the race never include Vettel, at least not on TV.

  2. sid_prasher (@)
    16th October 2011, 8:46

    Going with 8, could easily have been 10 if Button and Alonso could have challenged Webber and Hamilton.

    Wonderful racing between Hamilton and Webber and a champion’s drive from Vettel.

  3. 7. It would’ve been an 8 if that precocious German Justin Bieber fought some more.

    1. And once again DRS is proving itself to be extremely artificial. It needs to be scrapped completely and just let the drivers get on with it without these Mario Kart aids.

      1. Get over it already, its definitely not a “Mario Kart aid”… I agree that on this particular track it failed miserably, but in other tracks like suzuka or China, it was a great thing to have.

        1. Sorry, but I hate it and I don’t agree ‘it’s a great thing’ because it’s still an artificial aid. The new tyres are enough.

          1. sid_prasher (@)
            16th October 2011, 9:20

            I think the problem is more in the rule than in the system itself…here they got it wrong with the placement.

          2. Now the teams understand the tyres more I don’t think the tyres are the game-changers they were at the beginning of the season. Without DRS it would be even more of a procession than it is now.

      2. Yes DRS not good for this race, although WEB would have been further back, and we would have missed the HAM/WEB moments.
        Sometimes I wonder if the DRS should not be used in reverse: used when the driver is more than 1 sec from the guy in front!

        1. That’s not such a bad idea :)

      3. Last time I checked, F1 cars do not grow naturally, so everything about F1 is artificial.

    2. “Bieber” did what he needed to do: Passed Hamilton and got on with it in the beginning. Then even after the safety car got on with it again showing just how much better he is than the rest of the field.

      1. You mean how much Newey’s RB7 is better than the rest. :)

        1. Which explains how Webber won every race Vettel couldn´t… Oh wait.

          1. all that shows is that vettel is better than webber (which no-one is questioning) put hamilton/button/alonso in an RB7 and they would win just as much as vettel. Neweys massively dominant cars have played a HUGE role in vettel’s WDC victories.

          2. Just like McLaren played a huge role in Hamilton’s WDC. And Renault in Alonso’s WDC’s…

            What was your point exactly?

    3. While Bieber passed Hamilton and went on to win the race, what does that make of Hamilton?

    4. Fight from where, 1st?!

      Job done.

    5. LOL..If anyone is the ‘Bieber’ here it’s pretty-boy Hamilton who is getting his @ss handed to him by Vettel AND his teammate currently.

      Doubt anything will shut the Vettel doubters up guys. Once Hamilton jumps ship and joins Red Bull in 2 years and Vettel beats him AGAIN it will be ‘Oh but the TEAM is favouring Vettel.. it’s got nothing to do with his skill’. Excuses are wearing thin and the doubters are making me laugh more and more lol..

      1. I take it the homoeroticism is unintentional?

  4. 7. Enjoyable race. Very dissapointed for Shumi. Go Vettel.

  5. DRS totally ruins real overtaking moves outside of the DRS zone. 7/10

  6. Even as a Mclaren fan I wanted Webber to get past Hamilton and challenge Vettel. DRS is awful, worst detection point ever, if you pass at the first corner you just get un-passed at turn 3. Probably an 8 from me.

    1. I doubt Webber would have been able to challenge Vettel. Even if he caught him, Vettel would have just turned up his fuel mix and powered away. Story of the season, really! I love seeing talent, but in the interests of the sport, Vettel is a bad, bad man! :P

    2. hamilton would have got back past Webber even without DRS

      1. Or run into him – either way

  7. 7/10

    First half was awesome! Second half, not so much. The race was good overall, but it was quite boring at times.

    1. Also, that must be the worst Pit Exit EVER. Who the hell designed that? And what was he on?

      1. Hermann Tilke.

  8. 8.5/10, i’ll give it a 9 then!

    Great start! Great Race by Vettel! Congrats to Red Bull!

  9. Good clean racing. DRS a crock but them’s the rules. Had my money on BUT, Pity it didnt rain.

  10. 5/10

    More than any other circuit, the Korean International Circuit is divided into three separate sections. Each section clearly tests one aspect of the car: the first is its straight-line speed. The second tests downforce. And the third tests a driver’s ability to set the car up. The obvious intention is to encourage the drivers to play to the strengths of their cars, and hope that whatever advantage they have in two sectors offsets their lack of speed in the other sector. We saw this in qualifying – drivers were setting similar lap times, but they were getting their speed in different places. The problem is that his circuit was built before the DRS was introduced, and the DRS quashes the whole theory of it. Drivers can now set the car up for the second and third sectors, then use the DRS to cancel out the deficit in the first sector.’

    Also, Turn 5 is completely pointless. I see no reason why the race cannot be run on that section of track the drivers were cautioned against using. It would make Turn 6 (and the entire second sector) faster without compromising Turn 4, which would still be a braking/overtaking point.

    1. I do think 5/10 is a bit harsh. The battle to keep Webber behind was really nice at times.

      But you might be right on the circuit characteristics there, I think its a track that has promise, just the super long straight does not really work out as it should with the current cars.

      1. I agree 5/10 is a bit harsh, I gave it a 6.

    2. I don’t agree on that, at all.

      We saw yesterday that the McLarens, the Red Bulls the Ferrari’s and even Mercedes we’re almost even in the first sector.

      What we saw today was a result of little to no heavy fuel testing on either compound.
      McLaren had the quickest car over a single lap quite comfortably but their tires degraded faster during the race which then off course compromises the speed of the car.

      We saw yesterday that the McLaren’s we’re more stable than any other car in both the 2nd and 3rd sector.

      1. 6/10. A few battles at the start, highest point of action was the crash. Really boaring though, the final battle was the end and by that time I could have fallen asleep with being hardly anything happening.

    3. You’re entitled to your opinion, but you didn’t say why you voted a 5… I agree with your point, but why was this race a 5 and not a 4 or a 6?

      1. Because five seemed appropriate.

  11. 6/10, 1 point purely for Webber and Hamilton and 1 for the early doubts about the lead, apart from that nothing special.

    1. I voted 6 too. Great start and fight in the opening laps, but after that … Alonso showed had the pace for the race ( I didn’t catch his last radio communication, did he said “I give up”?). Shame for Schumacher.
      The fight between Hamilton and Webber, was the best part of the race, but it was totally ruined by the DRS. I remember sth like this happened in Turkey between Rosberg and Massa. Hope this year experience helps FIA to improve this system next year, or even better for me, get rid off it.

    2. Same from me. 6. Apart from the closing battle for 2nd-4th at the end (which was only a batttle for 1 and a half laps), it ended up with them line-astern without any overtaking.

      I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again, how anyone can rate races like this an 8 or a 9 is beyond me. The scale goes from 1-10 not 5-10. Think of the most classic races in the history of F1 ever being a 9.5 or 10. This in comparison was was clearly not an 8 or 9.

      In fact now I’m wishing I had clicked 5 not 6.

    3. Agree, 6/10 – lots of 3-car processions in succession. LH/MW saved it from being a really boring race, but it was nothing special especially compared to other races this year.

  12. I gave it 9, because Webber vs Hamilton battle was one of the most entertaining this season!

    1. Really…..there has been loads better….have you even watched F1 before.

      1. No need for that is there? Have you never had a civil conversation before?

        At least give examples of better battles.

        1. I watched almost every race since year 2000, but I didn’t compare to previous seasons. I said, that was the most entertaining battle THIS season. Can you give me an example of better battle this year???

          1. My reply was to @formula-1 ….

  13. No no no, doesn’t Petrov know Alonso is his target, not Schumacher ;)

    All kidding aside, a great race.

    Vettel once again proves his worth.

    Great battle between Hamilton and Webber.

    Good race for Massa keeping pace with and leading Alonso until the last stint.

    Great race for STR!! Both drivers in the points and Jaime beating Rosberg!!

  14. I gave it a 9, because it was a great race from P2 on back.

    Even the FOM world feed ignored Vettel through most of the race, and how many times do you see that? Everyone else behind made it an interesting race for the viewers.

    1. Great race from P2 to back? There was little to spice things up: there was almost no tyre wear and there were only a few overtakings. I was hoping for a heavy tyre-struggle and an immense fight for the lead, but it didn’t materialize at all. So if someone asks me: “Why is it worth sacrificing your sleep to see this race?”, I do not have a decent answer. The battle for the second place? The Petrov-Schumacher crash? Anyway, from time to time boring races occur, even in the 2011 season. Compared to some wonderful races like Spain or Canada this year, a “9” for this race seems inappropriate.

  15. The start was similar to Japan, lots of close racing but nothing really going on. Then the end was fantastic. Amazing racing between Hamilton and Webber.

    8/10 for me.

  16. 8 – Too much DRS oblivion..

  17. 7/10

    Better than your average race from throughout history, but pretty dull for a 2011 race. The race would’ve been painfully boring without DRS.

  18. Trenthamfolk (@)
    16th October 2011, 8:58

    Enjoyed it a lot 7/10 for me… Supreme from Vettel, great scrap between Hammy & Webber, super racing… just a shame Alonso did the swap places thing, then gave up… what’s that all about? Strange…

    1. ran out of fuel and time to have a go.

  19. One of the most infuriatingly disappointing races I’ve ever seen. I feel absolutely foolish for thinking that we might actually see a Formula One race today. Time and time again I hear about “the dirty line”, “Red Bull’s tough on their tyres” and look Hamilton got pole. Nope, doesn’t matter. Vettel just flicks his first lap rocket booster which no one else seems to have and we get a 2011 ‘race’.

    The telling signs of a 2011 ‘race’ are many and varied. First off we have Vettel in the lead by (at the latest) turn 5. We then have our lucky Follower (choose any from Hamilton, Button or rarely Webber) who maintains a steadily increasing gap to the lead. Then we have the Blocker (Most often Webber but sometimes Button) who leads a train of lemming-like cars until the first pit stop. We have the commentators trying to make out like something interesting might happen but really just trying to keep people actually watching the races because otherwise they won’t have a job anymore. And then there’s the audience who either a) try to believe the commentators that something interesting could happen, b) delude themselves into believing a fight between places 2-5 is interesting when in the end it means nothing or c) legitimately enjoy not seeing the leader on camera at all save for pit stops and the final half of the last lap. For examples of 2011 ‘races’, just see the 2011 Australian Grand Prix, the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix, the 2011 Turkish Grand Prix, the 2011 European Grand Prix, the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix, the 2011 Italian Grand Prix, the 2011 Singaporean Grand Prix and the 2011 Korean Grand Prix.

    I played my DS for the first half of the ‘race’ with the TV in the background, then spent most of the rest of it here in the other room on the computer away from TV and got more enjoyment from watching the live blog than the race. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything of consequence.

    Anyone who even attempts to accuse me of not being ‘a true F1 fan’ is missing the point completely so don’t bother replying. Im a passionate F1 fan. I love the history, and I love racing that means something. All I see in a majority of races at the moment is a patronising joker and a bunch of bumbling fools in the calm air of what was once his wake.

    1. Yep, I agree. At this rate it won’t matter that the Beeb don’t have all of the races next year if it’s just going to be a race for 2nd. If Webber regains his form it’ll be a race for 3rd, as we know Vettel is no. 1 at Red Bull.

      1. Trenthamfolk (@)
        16th October 2011, 9:16

        Perhaps you could learn to love Lawn tennis? How about Crown Green Bowls?

        1. I don’t see what your comment has to do with my post.

          1. Trenthamfolk (@)
            16th October 2011, 10:38

            Just suggesting a couple of alternative sports for you cheerful folks… it was for Lachie really… soz about that.

            I’m really enjoying this season… Peace…

          2. @trenthamfolk

            Er, right. I loved this season until it turned into a procession to Vettel’s second championship, but I find it boring if one driver wins too much, it’s not really going to help watching some really boring sports instead! ;-)

    2. Lachie, that was….brilliant

    3. I agree Lachie, there just seems to be no soul to F1 and the constant races with trains of cars lap after lap and the commentators pumping up races to something that never happens is just frustrating. The manufactured DRS is a joke. I want cars to move around on the track, I want driver skill to correct it. I’m sick of drivers settling for a place with 10 laps to go when they are only 2 secs behind. The best racing is always mid pack.

    4. Sadly I felt a bit like that as well this race, although I took more enjoyment from the scrap with Hamilton getting back on Webber and staying in fonr the first few laps.

    5. 1) Vettel wins
      2) Others fight for other spots
      3) Lachie is a true F1 fan
      4) Lachie doesn’t care about other people’s opinions

      Summary of the comment by Lachie if you are not interested in wasting your 2 minutes

      1. lol.. I wish your comment came first then I would not have wasted my 2 minutes.

        Sad sad sad… for some…

        I am lovin it.

      2. I definitely want to hear other people’s opinions but I don’t have any time for anyone who would reply to my post with a simple “Clearly you’re not a true F1 fan” and leave it at that. I’ve seen no end of comments like that whenever anyone dares to comment about how F1 might not be perfect and frankly I equate it to the recent spate of people being called “UnAmerican or UnAustralian” as if that is actually an argument and no further discussion is warranted.

        1. Trenthamfolk (@)
          17th October 2011, 21:00

          Perhaps you came across as a bit too defensive… If you were’t a true F1 fan, you wouldn’t be on here, right?

          I guess we all enjoy different things about F1… The racing, butting edge technology, the awe inspiring innovation, inter team team/driver rivalry, the thrill of the chase, the politics, the danger, lots of overtaking, telemetry readouts, the pit lane babes (Mmmmmm), seeing their guy win again and again and again. I’m sure Seb fans are having an absolutely amazing F1 season…

          You never know what the next race may bring, and with Bernie at the helm, anything could happen next season…

    6. Just because one driver happens to win a lot doesn’t mean it’s not a race. If you’re that spoilt by 2010 then you aren’t all that passionate, regardless of what you say.

    7. I don’t get what your getting at. Are you mad at the sport, the commentators, or Vettel for getting the best out of most situations?

      It’s not Red Bulls fault Vettel has been so dominant this year (well, OK it is a little) and is mostly able to run and hide after the first few laps. It’s McLaren’s and Ferrari’s fault for not producing a car that enables Alonso, Hamilton and Button to match Vettel an entire year.

      It’s not the rules, it’s not the commentator’s, it’s not Vettel being so dominant. It’s the lack of speed from the rest of the field that has made Vettel’s championship easy.
      Once the cars are comparable in lap times we’ll see close action racing again like we saw in ’07, ’08 and ’09.

      Although I doubt it would satisfy some of the critics here who seem to be satisfied only if there’s at least 16 drivers exchanging the lead over every single lap.

      Furthermore I see a lot of comments on how F1 was better in the old days… Like in ’88 or ’92? Yeah that probably was extremely exciting watching one team (driver, Mansell in 92 had no competition from his teammate) decide whether they wanted another victory or not. Sure in ’88 there was the fight between Senna and Prost but how can that be exciting enough. Just two drivers worth watching and the rest of the grid act as advertisement space. This year has been a lot more exciting than that year.

      F1 has always been the way it is now. At least, it has been since I started watching.
      You’ve got teams who do a great job that make out the top of the field, teams who do a bit worse be it by lack of funds or producing a dodgy car that make out the middle of the pack and then you’ve got the slow cars at the back.
      Occasionally there’s a team who does better than everyone else and steals the titles easily.

      That is F1.

      1. Absolutely brilliant post. Should be COTD.

        1. +1. This has been the best year I can remember for exciting racing.

          The negative posts are from those that having a cry over their driver not winning.

      2. @F1FanNL I’m Magnificent Geoffrey, and I approve this post.

      3. Even during the Schumacher years of dominance we mostly had a two-horse race at the front, often ending controversially.

        It’s not just about seeing lot’s of overtaking etc., I want to see cars fighting for the lead, not for 2nd or 3rd, and certainly not midfield. Great if they do, but not my focal point. I’m not blaming anyone, that’s just what I enjoy in motor racing – a fight for the front, preferably race after race.

        2010 had an exciting championship, but a lot of boring races. 2011 has been the opposite way round, but whatever the reason for Vettel A N Other being able to drive off into the distance, that feeling that the race for the lead is over in the first few laps has occurred with depressing regularity. Of course there are some examples to the contrary.

      4. @F1FanNL Agreed 100%. This is just a year where we’re not going to have a championship battle. That happens every now and then and it certainly has nothing to do with the new rules, it’s just Red Bull have outsmarted everyone. I’m convinced next year will be better. But people should be thankful that we have entertaining racing down the field to entertain us whilst Vettel cruises off into the distance. It would be worse if he dominated every race and the rest of the field all followed him home 10 seconds apart.

        1. Jeez, you’re a hard lot. Am I the only one enjoying F1 this year? Or are you all just cranky from staying up all night?

          1. Trenthamfolk (@)
            17th October 2011, 21:03

            I’m loving it… makes the wait between races worth it!

  20. It looks as though the amount of overtaking is decreasing. The only passing in the top-6 was by pitstops, once again.

    1. Wait, you watched the race right? Hamilton, Webber, Vettel, Button, Massa, Alonso all made passes on one another.

    2. Pingguest, I saw plenty of overtaking. Perhaps the early start had you napping during the race?

      1. How many times did Webber overtake Hamilton then?

        1. Just the once. But HAM couldn’t shake him and BUT never got within a second for 20 laps even though WEBs concentration was on HAM rather than defending against BUT. A pretty good drive overall.

  21. Another good race, some really great wheel to wheel racing especially in the first lap and between Hamilton and Webber. Shaping up for some excitement at the end from 2nd through to 5th, shame it didn’t throw up any late race passing & repassing. I agree to an extent with the comments about the DRS detection zone, though it was good to see the overtakes before the detection point and the passed driver fighting back.

  22. I thought the use of KERS to defend DRS was interesting. The HAM/WEB battle, ALG’s performance, VET’s pass for P1 were all good points. 8.

  23. 9 from me.
    I really like the track, there weren’t too many tyre changes (which I think may have been a factor in me enjoying F1 less this year), the Hamilton-Webber battle was edge-of-the-seat stuff, and it was great to see Hamilton given an opportunity to show off those re-overtaking skills. It looked like good clean driving from the drivers (from what we could see), and very few toys-out-of-the-pram moments. Nice to see Torro Rosso doing well, and to have the chance (given a pretty clean race) to see how all the cars have developed over the season so far.
    Downside – the predictable Ferrari game-playing (Alonso’s “I give up” – sigh), and I would have liked to have seen a McLaren win to keep the constructor’s battle going. And I wish Vettel would tone it down a little when he wins. But all-in-all, good fun.

    1. Also, I thought the BBC coverage was good – the MB/DC commentary was on form this week, and I prefer it when it’s not a Jake/DC/EJ triple bill – those three are definitely a crowd.
      Shame that UK F1 broadcasting has to change next year.

  24. 6/10 A solid race, but we’ve seen many better ones in the last years. The Hamilton vs. Webber battle was phenomenal though.

  25. Hamilton is still quite reserved in the interview room. Still clearly feeling the pressure. Hopefully this good result loosens him up a bit.

  26. Sorry, did I miss something? I found the Webber / Hamilton battle REALLY engaging, and there was a bit of suspense at the end when HAM / WEB / BUT / ALO got bunched up….. but other than that, I found it a bit of a snoozefest.

    Of course, I was watching the US SpeedTV coverage… after I watch the BBC, maybe my mind will change. (P.S. – why the HECK does Will Buckston have a job on SpeedTV?? Worst pit lane / press commentator EVERRRRRRR.)

  27. DRS was in the wrong place today it didnt really help overtaking all that much and another thing if alonso had got passed massa early in the race he could have challenged for the win

  28. 7 For me,Vettel stretching away made the race slightly dull but nonetheless,The main excitement was the Webber-Hamilton scrap!!!

  29. 6/10 – all races I compare to the 10/10 Canadian GP and was no way near a classic. standard race, standard score.

  30. 9 for Webber vs Hamilton. Never thought I’d see a train with Hamilton at the front ;p. Would have loved to see if Webber could have challenged Vettel if he’d been able to get past Hamilton given his pace on the primes.

  31. Awful race DRS ruined other ‘normal’ overtakes (and I’m a fan of DRS!). Not much action, back to the same old run and hide from Vettel (not a criticism of him).

  32. 8/10 – It was a decent race with some good battles all down the field.

  33. 7 from me. The Webber and Hamilton battle was epic and there were some other nice battles but ultimately everyone drove so well and the cars were so even it effectively cancelled out any chances for more duelling. The promise of a four way scrap for second never really materialised and passing was a little too difficult.

    1. I don’t think passing was too difficult, I just thought Webber and Hamilton were too evenly matched for anything to actually happen. Webber was mega through sectors 2 and 3, but Hamilton could use the straight line speed of his McLaren to pull away. Plus he had better traction out of turn 1, which made it difficult for Webber – with a slower car in a straight line – to get anywhere near him into turn 3.

  34. It seems obvious that unlike some claims McLaren has caught up RBR for the qualifying, it’s just only in qualifying and RBR seems to have reserved something for the race. In terms of race pace, the gap between McLaren and RBR was huge I think. Some insisted it was how you manage your tyre thru out the race as for what mattered for Hamilton and how excellent Button was in that aspect. But with this race, it turns out what matters was again the car mostly… they still are not in the same ground…

    1. At Japan though McLaren were as fast as RBR in qualifying and the race.

      I think McLaren would have been closer had they got there race setup right, which must have been a bit of a gamble seen as they only had FP3. I know RBR had the same, but perhaps they just managed it better – remember how they actually got some race data by running with fuel (I think) in Q1 on super softs?

      1. ‘their’ not ‘there’.

        :-O

  35. 8 for me.
    I enjoyed it and have done for most of the season. I remember the snoozefest of the early 2000’s, so appreciate the action going on all down the field. The Korean track doesn’t look like one I’d save up my pennies to go and see though. Lots of empty seats again at a race, which is a shame for F1.
    BTW hope Hamilton cheers up, he needs a hug.

    1. Yep, I’ve enjoyed the whole season too. Does that make me a bad (worse) person?

  36. I can’t believe so many people are rating this race so highly. 8 or 9 out of 10 is essentially almost perfect! Really?!

    As usual, Vettel pranced off into a lead and was never seen again. Rosberg did his typical job of going backwards. The Force Indias were completely anonymous, along with Button. And of course, the Ferraris underperformed for the umpteenth time this year.

    Either the DRS was ineffective, see Webber and Hamilton, or too effective, see every other overtake. Rosberg sailing straight past Button was particularly ridiculous.

    The only decent racing was the scrap between Hamilton and Webber (in sectors 2/3), and that only lasted for half a lap.

    This wasn’t a near perfect race. It was an average race, with average racing and an average result.

    5/6 at best for me.

    1. I agree. It was a very ‘average’ race (quite boring in-fact) apart from the latter battle with Web/Ham. I gave it a 6/10.

  37. I genuinely have no clue. I think I may give it a 7. There was battles through the field, DRS was in a fairly interesting place, Lewis and Webber were terrific and the fight for second even though nothing changed was still fun to watch. However, it did lull in parts and I wasn’t on the edge of my seat for the majority. A good race but not a great one but that’s because Pirelli have set a very high standard this year.

    1. @Steph Agree completely. I found it was actually quite a relaxing race for a change, and it gave me time to breathe and chat a bit more on Twitter! :P It just didn’t have that hectic feel to it that most of the other races have, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I wouldn’t call them “lulls”, because there was always a chance for something to happen with the drivers being so close to each other, but nothing materialised. It kept me engrossed, but as you say, we weren’t on the edge of our seats.

      1. Exactly. Usually there is so much going on it is hard to keep up. I don’t understand why people aren’t happy with that.

        You are right today was a little more relaxing but thoroughly enjoyable.

      2. Well said, the close racing between HAM and WEB was great to see, but for the most part I could wake up slowly during the race after the first lap showed it wouldn’t be a fight for the lead, with Vettel in his default spot this year, and everyone else being left behind. Some nice fights, but not a great and tense race for the most part.

        I’ll give it a 7 /10.

  38. A very ‘average’ race. Nothing special. The DRS made over-taking WAY too easy in many circumstances..why don’t they just simply change the DRS advantage from giving them around an extra 12 kph more to around 7 kph!. I hope the next race proves to much better.
    Gave this race a mediocre ‘6/10’.

  39. I give this a 9.
    Another then Vettel on pole, and McLaren and RB was surprisingly evenly matched, yet Vettel just managed to gain the lead from Hamilton, and from there on the race was very close until Hamilton had ruined his tyres and started falling back, but then the safetycar came out and bunched them up again.
    Also a great race for TR, great to watch Algersuari sail past Rosberg.
    And Alonso was quite entertaining as well, nearly getting collected by Schumacher out of the pits, and a straight later nearly getting hit by Petrov.
    The Webber vs Hamilton duel was great as well, with Button hanging on behind and Alonso catching the lot of them.
    Button though was a real disappointment. He was a lot more anonymous then I expected him to, he didn’t try anything. Which was a bit of a shame, as a 3 way battle for the 2 last podium positions would have been even better.
    The DRS detection though was a bit stupid, as overtakes into turn one proved pointless.

    1. 9/10!! ..are you on something high?.
      This was a very average race, not better than a 6/10!.

      1. Tell me why you don’t agree.
        You say that it was average like it was a fact, but “rate the race” is an entirely subjective poll, and people have different opinions.
        The way I see it is, how entertained was I? And my answer to that is 9/10. I wasn’t bored for a second. Well okay under safety car, but it is what it is.
        I saw a fight for the lead, a very close fight for 2nd and 3rd, I saw crashes, I saw near misses and I saw great racing. There was let downs, but all in all I found it a great race.

        1. I’m with you Mads. I’m no F1 anorak but it ticked a lot of boxes. Wonder how they’ll fill all of those grandstands next year – free tickets?

          1. Wonder how they’ll fill all of those grandstands next year – free tickets?

            They did that last year!

    2. It wasn’t ruined tyres that caused Hamilton to fall back but a very severe understeer.
      And if Mclaren was really that fast, Button should have got past Webber and Hamilton, as Button had fresher tyres.

      1. The understeer was caused by heavy wear on the front tyres. In the beginning of the stint he was very close with Vettel, at times quicker, but later in the stint he started loosing pace because he lost grip on the front tyres.

  40. 5/10. I didnt really like the track. Hardly any good place to pass. Apart from the start finish straight, and the other 2 straights, its just following each other. And webber would’ve made that move stick if it wasnt for DRS.

  41. I gave it 7 – we had no idea before the start how it was going to end. The race is not decided on Saturday these days.

  42. 7/10 for me; it was a great race, no doubt about it with some great battles but it would have been more exicting if it rained and if Hamilton was challenging Vettel instead of Webber. Great race nevertheless.

  43. If there’d been some kind of change of position in the 2-3-4 scrum, then it’d be higher, but I went or a 6: entertaining, but not exciting.

  44. 8 for this race. The fight between Webber and Hamilton was superb.

  45. I’m surprised it’s gotten such a high rating so far, 6/10 for me. I found it interesting how the Red Bull was better in s3 and the McLaren in s1, apart from that and Petrov’s crash there wasn’t much to it.

    Alonso did a great last stint then gave up, Button did his usual trick of sitting behind cars doing nothing. Webber, Hamilton and Alonso were the only drivers making it halfway interesting but in the end none of them could do anything.

    It did have it’s moments, so I’ve rated it slightly above average, but I cant help but think that if the tyres had been more marginal the race would have been more exciting.

  46. 8/10. Some nice battles, maybe some action missing in the end.

  47. 7/10 for me.
    Good race, not great in my opinion. I never really felt like anything was going to happen that would drastically change the results. However I really enjoyed Hamilton’s battle with Webber especially when they were side by side in sector 2. It was also quite interesting (and impressive) to see Alonso make his way into the mix near the end of the race.

  48. Gave it a 6/10. Great first lap and battle for 2nd place, but nothing else that was particularly of interest. The Hamilton/Webber scrap reminded me of the last lap battle between Webber and Button at Abu Dhabi 2009 in that it demonstrated that the car doesn’t need to get by for it to be entertaining. That being said, I think DRS did ruin it a bit today, and thats coming from someone who really wanted Hamilton to get a good result.

  49. 2. There was a battle between Hamilton and Webber, but all it did was remind of the endless processions of years past, when one car sits behind another for 50 odd laps, waiting for someone on the pitwall to fix it so they get past.

    A couple of nice passes, and Alonso’s moment of humour was good. But the race overall was mediocre, and being reminded of tedious races of years past makes me judge this one harshly.

  50. To be fair, the race was good, but yet again the DRS was pointless. It is just some sort of Mario kart aid that will just be better getting rid of. It doesn’t help but then again it helped with the Hamilton/webber battle which was quite exciting to see but other things just seemed to be disappointing. Even Alonso proved that with his “I give up” sigh.

    Petrov’s crash with Schumacher could of well and truly been avoided and he deserves that 5 place grid penalty.

    I know I’m a McLaren fan but Button could have at least been made more interesting by going in and battling Webber for 3rd. I would liked to see both Button and Hamilton up there. Overall it was interesting but in some parts it was disappointing.

    Overall for me a rating of 6/10. If there was more action between the top 5 then it could have easily been a 10.

    1. Oh and another thing. To those who think I have not watched F1 before. I have since I can remember and as far as I’m concerned I have seen better races than today’s thank you very much!

      1. @StephWeller The community here is pretty good. No-one’s going to attack you like that on this site! :)

        1. Okay thanks :)

        2. Although some people always come up with comments disputing other peoples rights to their opinion, normally its kept in check nicely.

          Welcome @stephweller

        3. @StephWeller ARE U OUTTA UR #%&!$?@…

          …Couldn’t agree more, 6/10 for me as well. Welcome to the site! 8)

    2. Alonso’s “I give up” was because he was running out of laps to pass those in front of him. He said himself he was doing 20 qualifying laps in a row just to catch up with the lot.

  51. Not a bad race – 6 out of 10. The Hammo/ Webber duel made it a bit interesting, otherwise it would have been quite dull. That battle went on for 22 lap – almost half the race distance!
    The McLaren’s were not the best today on their tires, with Webber catching Lewis whilst on the Options and Lewis was on the Softs, and Button unable to capitalise on his better tires to make it a 3 way battle for 2nd place.
    Vettel romped off into the distance as usual, and Webber showed that he would never have been able to challenge for the lead even if he got past Lewis. What is interesting is Lewis’s last gasp fastest lap. Was this a fuel mixture result? Ultra low fuel suddenly improving the cars balance, or did his tires “come back” to him after the initial gaining phase? As i cant believe he had that pace in the car, but decided to entertain us by swapping places and dicing with Webber. All in all they both did well by it not ending in tears!
    Again, Lewis still subdued. I can believe more attention is not being placed on this. Lewis is definitely not unhappy with something at McLaren. His terse reply regarding braking zones is unusual, even for him, and his general demeanour is also highly unusual. This is definitely more than a result of his run of bad luck/form and criticism he has been getting. Maybe contract negotiations are not going well, or Whitmarsh’s love -in with Button is causing him some headaches. All will be revealed shortly, i am sure.

  52. It was a 7 for me.
    The first lap was enjoyable, but things then quietened down. Unfortunately for the entertainment value for people who want to see a battle for victory the result was almost inevitable after the 4th corner, but then Red Bull and Vettel probably deserve some credit for that.

    I think the battle between Webber and Hamilton saved the race from my point of view, along with the general closeness of cars in places 2 to 6. I also think Kovalainen deserves some credit for finishing in front of both saubers, neither of who appeared to have any particular problems, but unfortunately we didn’t see any of that on tv.

  53. 6/10. Was going to be 5 but I liked the cheer that the grandstand gave Vettel when he got out of the car. DRS once again showing how horrible it is (to me and quite a few others it seems). Ham/Web showing why its great to have drivers like them in F1.

  54. 9 for me. There was lots to recommend it.

    Vettel being sublime. If he was your fav driver you would all be like wow he is just amazing. I honestly think we are seeing something special from Vettel this year.

    I was thinking during the race that Hamilton might win it before his tyres went off. I think people forgot this bit.

    Then there was the battle between Lewis and Webber. That was epic.

    Schumacher getting taken out.

    Alonso driving his guts out.

    Really exciting Hamilton radioing in continually checking how many laps to go cause he was under pressure. Really really thrilling.

    and that wasn’t all…

  55. 7/10 for me.

    I am expecting some low scores from others just because it is yet another dominating Vettel victory, but there were good fights between HAM, WEB, BUT and ROS and ALG.

  56. All in all a “brilliant” race. I was pleasantly surprised to see the turnout at the track, too. Looks like March is on our schedule next year.

  57. 6/10. Apart from Hamilton and Webber battling for a couple of laps, ’twas yet another Tilke-drome borefest.

    1. Then why give it a 6? I agree completely with you, and gave it a 1. 6/10, to me, means better than average. Life is sad when an “absolute bore fest” comes out to a better-than-average grade. It’s like up-grading in school so as not to hurt a student’s “self-esteem.”

  58. 5 for me. Does anyone else think that the idea of quick degrading tyres to spice up the racing has had and is increasingly having the adverse effect. For me it feels like the formula has become too much of an endurance focused race, with qualifying being neutralised by virtue of the fact fresh rubber is more important than grid position. How many times has a driver in mid field machinery finished in the points due a problem that left then 22nd on the grid with unused tyres. Or teams in Q3 not going on track for the same reason.

    Then in the races we have seen that all the attacking drivers ham alo web and i suspect kub had he not have had his accident have been neutralised by the fact that if they drive the way they would normally they end up going slower. Leaving one normally slower driver BUT appearing to be in form, when really the rest of the field except our runaway winner ( also with smooth driving style) have really just gone backwards due to over investing into their laps.

    Now as the very clever engineers/ strategy guys are more consistently working out how not to leave their drivers exposed, we are not even seeing the overtaking we saw at the start of the season.
    Also aren’t the average race lap times way lower than last year despite DRS and KERS and quali times suggesting they should be faster?
    Does anyone else agree?

    1. Then in the races we have seen that all the attacking drivers ham alo web and i suspect kub had he not have had his accident have been neutralised by the fact that if they drive the way they would normally they end up going slower. Leaving one normally slower driver BUT appearing to be in form, when really the rest of the field except our runaway winner ( also with smooth driving style) have really just gone backwards due to over investing into their laps.

      Alonso is driving just fine. His only problem is that his car has only been good enough to win one race.

      Hamilton’s problem isn’t so much with the tyres, but just with a general lack of concentration.

      Button is still a little less talented than Lewis IMO, but Button has made far, FAR better use of his talent and his car this year than Hamilton. That’s why he’s looking so good.

      As for Webber, the Pirellis have been a major headache for him, but I also think losing the world title last year to Seb left him deflated. He said himself that 2010 was his only chance at a world title.

      Also aren’t the average race lap times way lower than last year despite DRS and KERS and quali times suggesting they should be faster?

      Cars this year are a few KGs heavier than last year, and they don’t have double diffusers or F-Ducts anymore. Also they only had to make one pit stop per race with the Bridgestones.

      1. Thanks, some very valid points. Maybe I am a bit of a purist that misses races being won by drivers stretching the limits of there cars speed and not by the person who preserves their tyres best over the course of the race.
        Just a bit disenchanted with this season.

        1. I agree completely with you. I disagree with rfs that Hamilton’s problems are not with the tires. He doesn’t have a LACK of concentration–he is an extremely focused individual. He has actually been trying TOO HARD because the way these tires need to be driven undercuts his driving strengths and leaves him frustrated when, if he drives like he wants to, they go away rapidly. He is having to try to figure out how to change his driving style in a fundamental way, and that means changing his mental approach to racing, which is very difficult at this stage of his career as his previous approach is so ingrained and has been so successful for him in the past. I think Korea is an example of him surrendering to the fact that a fundamental change in these parameters is necessary for him to finish well, and it is good to see that he is willing to do it, but it will deprive us fans of the relentless attacking style that brought a breath of fresh air into F1.

          1. Thanks. Nice to see that it is not just me. I just hope that the powers that be get pirelli to make the tyres less marginal in a bid to prevent abstinence in qualifying. I did not think that last season was broken and don’t see why it needed fixing.

          2. I disagree with rfs that Hamilton’s problems are not with the tires. He doesn’t have a LACK of concentration–he is an extremely focused individual.

            The reason why I think he lacks concentration is because of his recent accidents. Like in Hungary where he spun from the lead. Or Spa where he didn’t realise Kobayashi was right next to him going into Les Combes and then ended up in the barriers. Or his recent collisions with Massa. Why else would mistakes like these happen? Tyres made of cheese may hinder Hamilton’s natural style a bit, but they haven’t been the worst of his problems IMO.

  59. Gave it an 8, the Hamilton/Webber dice was worth the price of admission.

  60. Boring race. Abysmal track layout for consequential racing. The tight sections are contrived, have little or no “flow,” and many corners are spaced so closely that the car is difficult to put on its limit and stay there. DRS had no effect. I was hoping the rain would come to spice things up. Webber-Hamilton the only interesting phase. I actually turned it off around lap 50. 1/10

  61. It’s a 9 from me.

    I really, really enjoyed it. Webber and Hamilton made for a brilliant race as well as see Alguersuari. Close racing throughout.

  62. I wasn’t terribly entertained by this race. The Hamilton/Webber moments spiced things up temporarily, but this was the first race this season that I turned off before the checkered flag. 5/10.

  63. I don’t think i’ve ever seen a Rate the Race where opinion has been so divided. Interesting!

    The subsequent guest article should be good.

  64. I would have gave it 5 but that wheel to wheel action between Webber & Hamilton on lap 34 was probably the highlights of 2011 F1 season so decided to give it 6 in the end.

  65. fantastic duel between hamilton vs webber..

  66. 8 out of 10 for me. We enjoyed some great battles and though overtaking was more difficult than expect I like the track. The terrible thing is to see so few people in the circuit, not a good sign. :(

  67. I gave it a 7. if it hadn’t been for the duel between Hamilton and Webber it probably would have been a 6 or 6.5 but I rounded it up to a 7 after that.

    Just a shame that Button and Alonso couldn’t have closed up enough to challenge Hamilton and Webber.

  68. Thoroughly enjoyed that, there was plenty of action for me, the DRS wasn’t too strong and there were many stand out performers. Highlight of the race for me was Hamilton and Webber battling through the middle sector on lap 34, was fantastic to watch! Lewis drove an intelligant race, letting Webber pass him into turn one and then using the DRS to get him back was brilliant tactical play, something he has struggled with at times this year in my view.

    Unlike many races, interest was there until the flag dropped. Alonso threatend to catch Button Webber and Hamilton (but never quite did), and Alguersuari passing Rosberg on the very last lap was a great example of why drivers should never give up!

    8/10 for me.

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