Good, COTA is one of the best circuits on the calendar and always makes for great racing.
Overtaking seems very difficult, it’s definitely not one of the best on the calendar.
It’s not bad, but what makes it one of the best?
https://racingpass.net/circuits/
Blatantly false to claim that overtaking in COTA is difficult when it has more overtakes on average than many tracks on the calender.
Tracks that are difficult enough to overtake on while still keeping overtaking as a realistic possibility are the best tracks and COTA falls under that - overtaking is difficult enough to be a challenge but not so much that it is improbable. On top of this, sector 3 allows for some nice side to side action.
With this state of the regs overtaking is hard everywhere, that’s not a function of the track that’s just F1 this season. Late regulations performance convergence on top of huge dirty air issues. And with the tire situation also being a compounding issue - especially with a forced tyre conservation M-S one-stopper thanks to Pirelli miscalculating with the gap in the C1-C3-C4 selection - the race will almost inevitably be pretty boring.
COTA is a great track for racing with plenty of overtaking spots and huge track width allowing for multiple viable racing lines through several corners. And even on top of that it’s got elevation changes, some nice sweeping corners and an iconic uphill run into the sharp left turn one.
We’ve had plenty of absolute bangers here and other series tend to have great races at COTA as well. This one race being underwhelming doesn’t change that.
Honestly I agree with you… it’s not a bad race but this place is so huge, you get to see some action in the first couple of laps, then everyone spreads out and you get a 1.5 hour parade
If you remove the, not at all common, Leclerc defending against Norris situation, there would have been nothing to watch after the first corner
Pay more attention to action down the grid. Also go and watch past COTA GPs. There has always been good racing at COTA and it has never been a procession.
Not just F1 either, pretty much every series that comes to COTA has great races there. The fact that we got a fairly boring event is a serious indictment of both the current state of F1 and Pirelli.
Not to mention the bar-none best F1 circuit for US Fans that appreciate the racing aspect of the sport. May those $300 race day packages continue to be offered from Costco
