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We are in a unique position as fans because we saw two very different races in Austria, involving the same format, track, and characters.

So, which race did you like more? That is it, personal experience and preference.

I hope we keep the discussion away from driver versus driver arguments, just layout which one you liked more, and why.

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For myself, I liked the first race a lot more. It was exceptionally unpredictable, had retirements, crazy racing, and a very exciting finish. Personally, I dislike the predictable races where it is basically a progression of cars, with little close battling or action.

I really liked those killer curbs. There have been many debates on track limits and how to enforce them, with many varied solutions proposed. In my opinion, those brutal curbs answer almost all of the questions. And we witnessed it for the second race, where all of a sudden, track limts were not a talking point.

I preferred the second race because we actually saw a race and not a SC lottery, the race was also exciting instead of having to be made artificially exciting, all the places had to be fought for apart from the lead of the race.

I liked the second race more, because it was less marred by race organizers contriving to engineer the results with safety cars and controversial penalties.

Watching three cars in a photo finish at the line was also a thrill.

I preferred the second race. I think one of the areas where today's F1 is much superior to the past is that we've lost that reliability lottery that decided far too many races, and it reared its ugly head in race 1 just enough to remind me of why I don't miss it. It would have been interesting to see how Verstappen's medium tyre strategy would have played out and whether he could have taken the fight to Mercedes, and we were deprived of that. I also agree with the posts above that the first race was also marred by the needless use of the Safety Car to contrive a close race.

Thought both races were boring

Only interest in first race was due to the regular appearance of the safety car

Second race was boring because knew how fast everyone was due to the previous weekend. I don't find people fighting over the lower points interesting at all whilst Mercedes romp off at the front every week

Both races were boring but eventful.

And both were contrived.

The first by safety cars, the second by Racing point cars being out of position due to wet qualifying.

Rockie wrote:Both races were boring but eventful.

And both were contrived.

The first by safety cars, the second by Racing point cars being out of position due to wet qualifying.

Boring but eventful. I like that! Should be a series of books: Lemony Snicket's (or, rather, Chase Carey's) A Series Of Boring Events.
Splitting hairs on the use of contrived when it comes to weather - it's not deliberate.

Rockie wrote:Both races were boring but eventful.

And both were contrived.

The first by safety cars, the second by Racing point cars being out of position due to wet qualifying.

Would you not say that Formula 1, in equilibrium, would then be boring? If everyone qualified in order of fastest driver first, and without any interference during the race, we would have a procession.

I think the entertainment aspect of F1 comes from the unpredictable - and that F1 would be 'boring' without it. Only tyre strategy could save an F1 in equilibrium*, and unfortunately it seems Pirelli are woefully bad on that front.

I'd say a mix. But yeah, no clear winner

tootsie323 wrote:

Rockie wrote:Both races were boring but eventful.

And both were contrived.

The first by safety cars, the second by Racing point cars being out of position due to wet qualifying.

Boring but eventful. I like that! Should be a series of books: Lemony Snicket's (or, rather, Chase Carey's) A Series Of Boring Events.
Splitting hairs on the use of contrived when it comes to weather - it's not deliberate.

Yeah it's just that some perhaps don't know the difference.

First race. Primarily because it was the first race and I was excited, also it was unpredictable (regardless of the rights and wrongs of why). Second race reminded me that I don't like KERS.

First race by far for me. Even though I watched it on replay and was warned that there was a lot of surprises at the end, I still never knew who was going to win between Bottas and Hamilton - and then whether they would even finish or if Albon would snatch victory from both of them.

Second race had a few good intra team battles between the Renaults, McLarens, Alpha Tauris and Racing Points, but I couldn't care much for where the midfield ended up tbh.

The second race had more excitement and overtaking throughout the field.

Schumacher forever#1 wrote:First race by far for me. Even though I watched it on replay and was warned that there was a lot of surprises at the end, I still never knew who was going to win between Bottas and Hamilton - and then whether they would even finish or if Albon would snatch victory from both of them.

Second race had a few good intra team battles between the Renaults, McLarens, Alpha Tauris and Racing Points, but I couldn't care much for where the midfield ended up tbh.

You forgot the Ferraris!

Siao7 wrote:

Schumacher forever#1 wrote:First race by far for me. Even though I watched it on replay and was warned that there was a lot of surprises at the end, I still never knew who was going to win between Bottas and Hamilton - and then whether they would even finish or if Albon would snatch victory from both of them.

Second race had a few good intra team battles between the Renaults, McLarens, Alpha Tauris and Racing Points, but I couldn't care much for where the midfield ended up tbh.

You forgot the Ferraris!

I actually was half-thinking of including them as well

They both sucked. I image Hungary will as well.

The first one seemed more exciting, but that was just because of all the SC periods. The irony was that the best result possible, bearing in mind it was all contrived because of the SCs, was that the potential race winner was shoved off the track.

The second seemed a bit duller, but at least it was more like how a motor race should be.