Rate the race result: 2011 German Grand Prix

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Start, Nurburgring, 2011

The German Grand Prix earned the third-highest rating of the season so far this year.

The three-way battle for the lead between Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber was appreciated by many, including Todfod:

It was an exciting race throughout. The top three were interlocked in a race long battle, and positions four to six were pretty exciting to watch as well.

There was almost no artificial overtaking today and we saw some great defensive driving today. I rated the race a nine.
Todfod

While some were disappointed to see Vettel gain fourth in the pits instead of on track, Bosyber had a different view:

The last lap straight pit stop fight was nice – it still was a straight fight, but now by the team, underlining how F1 is a team sport.

It is true Vettel would have been better off doing it on track, and Ferrari again let Massa down on a pit stop, but it was a close fight nevertheless.
Bosyber

2011 average race
ratings so far

China9.241
Canada9.095
Germany8.43
Britain7.96
Malaysia7.775
Monaco7.684
Spain7.319
Turkey7.306
Australia6.751
Europe3.871

MaroonJack enjoyed the light-hearted end to the race:

Webber giving Alonso a lift was a cherry on top.
MaroonJack

Kidchris92 pointed out that the track itself plays a part in defining a race:

Nurburgring throws up classics, just as other great European circuits like Silverstone, Spa, Monza and Monaco do.

I will always follow F1 wherever it goes, but these five European circuits should always be the spine of the calendar!
Kidchris92

The pattern of ratings was very similar to this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, which also featured a tense, three-way battle for the lead.

The ‘rate the race’ poll for the Hungarian Grand Prix is still open. Add your rating here:

This is a guest article by Dan Thomas. If you want to write a guest article for F1 Fanatic you can find all the information you need here.

2011 German Grand Prix

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    Image © McLaren

    32 comments on “Rate the race result: 2011 German Grand Prix”

    1. I can’t see the poll.

      1. Nevermind, I rated the race in the other article.

      2. That’s because there isn’t one. This is the results of the poll.

        1. Yeh, I thought this was just “Rate the race” as I had not noticed the original article.

          1. For a few seconds, I thought this was a new type of article: with a poll on the race-results – possibly aimed at all the ‘bias’-shouters…

            But yeah, it’ a good season so far and I liked the German GP

        2. This is the results of the poll.

          A new series of articles?

          1. Indeed – with a new writer!

            1. I read ‘rate the race result’ and thought it was a weird new poll to rate the result of a race rather than its quality.

            2. Ha, I first missed the article this week! Good you put it up in today’s roundup (skimming the article names this week for lack of time).

              Nice job from Daniel with the article, thanks.

              I must say I really like the tension of it more than seeing just many overtakes.

    2. After all the action in Hungary I had nearly forgotten about the Nurburgring cracker! Thanks for the summary Daniel! I think there is a trend in the ratings showing how exciting wet/drying races are more enjoyable than others!

      I enjoy all of them and have never seen a truly boring Formula 1 race, but I am always more excited by rain than sun!

    3. Was surprised to see Monaco with only a 7.6. I thought it was an incredible race.

      Then I remember the ending, I guess people were annoyed after the race that we were robbed of a classic finish.

      1. Surely people felt the race was ruined after they let everyone change tyres following the red flag.

      2. A good point – this years Monaco race was one of the best I’ve ever seen there. I still think the ending was fantastic. I just wish Vettel wasn’t allowed to change his tyres, then it would’ve been truly amazing!

        Also interesting to see how low the Australian GP was rated – usually one of the more popular races.

        1. When I say Vettel – obviously I mean everyone, I don’t expect blatant discrimination just because he’s leading the race! It was just Vettel in particular as he was struggling significantly before the Safety Car.

      3. Very annoyed, as I recall.

        1. I said it then and I’ll say it again- a clause should be put in so that during a red flag period and under conditions where a tyre isn’t damaged (as in 2005 I believe where drivers could only change tyres if it was deemed as damaged) it cannot be changed unless it is to an entirely different compound. eg soft tyres cannot be replaced for new softs OR for super-softs, but could be changed for inters or wets and visa versa to allow for changes in conditions.

          1. I agree they would need to be allowed to change from dry to wet or back, but if they the tyres were damaged, the driver should just drive into the pits as he comes round the start line once the red flag has been put out, and then re-start from the pits just like the start of a race. Really that makes it no different to damaging your tyre at the moment the safety car comes out.
            It should be the same clause if the team want to work on the car, like Mclaren did for Hamilton, he should have pitted.

      4. I think I only voted Monaco as a 7 too, because as you say, that rule robbed us of a classic finish and what I believe would have been the turning point in the championship.

      5. Yeah, it was a bit of a letdown in the end, I remember voting it lower because of that.

    4. I think Hungary was the race we were expecting to see in Germany. Germany had a lot of potential, but it never really delivered. Hungary did.

      1. Although I see what you’re saying, I’m not sure I agree with it. Both races offered similar conditions but were completely different in the way the race played out. The extra rain and different strategies at the end of the Hungarian GP made the situation very different to the end of the Nurburgring, so i’m not sure you can class them in the same way.

        Also… I feel the Nurburgring was very exciting, and it did deliver! What made you think it didn’t?

    5. Personally I think Monaco’s rating is what it deserved, a lot of people got excited about the 3-way scrap but the circuit made it a bit tame and there weren’t any real moments where it looked like an overtake was going to be made. Then the race shut down and it was inevitable from there.

      No doubt there will be the usual criticism of the top 3 having a certain nationality of winner…

    6. I still think Monaco should be higher up. Maybe not a 9+, but a high 8 for sure. The ending was ruined, and that is what kept me from giving it a 10 (if I recall, I gave it a 9), but as the first Monaco GP I ever watched, up till the end it was absolutely brilliant.

    7. I am surprised about Australia, I thought that was quite a decent race.

    8. Great article, I’ve gotta say that Germany was one of the most exciting dry races I’ve seen in a long time. With the Bridgestones, after the final round of pit stops we could pretty much tell what the final order would be, but you simply can’t switch away with these Pirellis!

      Nice to see a new writer, thanks for allowing them in Keith, not that you haven’t been doing an exceptional job yourself!

    9. It’s so weird that Australia was one of the lowest and that Spain beat it. I have to admit that so far Spain and Monaco have been my favourites closely followed by Silverstone and China. It’s nice to be able to think of such wonderful things to say about so many races when in past years I’ve struggled to think of much at all! :P It’ so hard to recall what happened in the races too as so much action went on. I can barely remember Malaysia or even Germany which was just one week ago.

      Surprisingly, Canada was one of my least favourites too but I am a bit barmy.

      1. Australia was hurt a bit by Vettel being up front right from the end and never seriously pushed to defend, I think.

        And we did not see that much amazing overtakes, like we had last year from Hamilton on Rosberg for example.

    10. Germany is overrated. Best race I’m not sure, maybe Canada. Not Germany. Australia is my favourite race but it wasn’t the best race.

    11. What is the average of Hungary?

    12. I agree with the comment about racing in the pits. It does underline just how much of a team sport this is and the guys in the box should be proud of just how quick they work. Equally so, it might help the Ferrari guys step up their game a little in the future!

      1. Same here. We do not want the pit to be the only place where the action is, but having it there and at times getting a pitcrew “shootout” is great.

    13. So the top 4 races this season are the non-Vettel wins, hmmm

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