Poll: Brazilian Grand Prix 2019, São Paulo - Race 20/21

Rate the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix out of ten


  • Total voters
    69
Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
33,188
Glad it's not just me thinking this. All the talk is about how well he's doing and how he deserves the seat. He's still *miles* off Verstappen. I get that he's outscored Max in the races they've been team mates, but Max has DNFd in two of them, and had a race-ruining puncture in another! Every race he's been a (relatively distant) last of the leading 6 cars, only beating Leclerc and Verstappen when they had issues, and was beaten by both Renaults in Italy. He's done better than Gasly did in the start of the season, but that wasn't exactly a high bar to beat.

I'd put good money that he'll be back in a Toro Rosso by mid season next year.


Do people not understand that people get faster?

Starting at TR Max was behind Sainz till later in the season when he became dominated in qualifying against him. Similar for race finishes. When he switched to RBR Ricciardo started off ahead in qualifying.

http://grandprixrankings.com/compare/2016-f1/ricciardo-versus-verstappen/

Ricciardo outqualified him from Spain to Germany 7 to 1, yet from Spa forward it was 5 to 4, or the final 6 races it was 4 to 2 for Max. 2017 and Max outqualified him 6 to 14. Some of these are tracks he's never raced at, Brazil included, he's still a rookie and made a midseason switch, all three cost you time and he narrowed the gap again when Max dragged what no one thought was possible out of the car Albon was what just over 4/10ths down on him while it was a half second the race before.

In 2016 in Spain Max was 4/10ths down, Canada it was 3/10ths, Baku up to 6/10ths down. In USA Ricciardo was still ahead but it was 2/10ths, Mexico and Max was just under 1/10th ahead.

These things take time. People get faster, they get more experience at a given track and in a given car. Max is one of the fastest guys in F1, even he had some big gaps to Ricciardo in the first season. If you'd reversed things, Ricciardo being younger but a slightly slower driver then he'd have joined RBR and had bigger gaps and after 1-2 years he'd be 1-3/10ths down in more sessions than not.

No one is saying Albon is the fastest guy on the grid, what they are saying is for both a rookie, a rookie who switched teams midseason, a rookie up against one of the fastest guys in the sport, his current performance is pretty damn good. It's also doing two important things, it's improving on average race to race and he's making good passes and making up places.

You managed to say he was beaten by both Renaults in Italy, without noting that Max finished 8th and 15 seconds behind him. The Renault's were strong in Italy, they have a lower downforce setup and no one expected the RBRs to do well in either Spa or Italy.

Albon is doing great considering his situation, he should be a lot slower than Max at this point. But he's where a rookie and someone who switched mid season should be, if he's still 4-5/10ths behind at every race a year from now that wouldn't be good performance. The context of that gap changes today as compared to a year from now. If however Albon brings that from lets call it a half a second behind on average over the last few races of this season to 2-3/10ths behind on average by the end of next year, he'll still be doing very very well.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
39,945
Sainz starting from the pit lane.

He's had a few bits changed...

6th Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), 5th Turbocharger (TC), 5th Motor Generator Unit – Heat (MGU-H), 5th Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K), 5th Energy Store (ES) and 4th Control Electronics (CE) have been used.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Jul 2003
Posts
11,426
Location
Northants
Just watching Brundle driving the MP4/4 got me thinking with these old cars what bits exactly are in them? Presumably all the parts were bespoke not off the shelf so where are they getting brakes/gearboxes/engines from for them?

I know having been to the MTC that McLaren have a team setting the old cars up and getting them ready for events (guess they've let Brundle have a go in this one) but if something blew up or went wrong in it how do they replace the parts?
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
39,945
Interesting. That's MP4/4 Chassis 2. Not owned by McLaren.

Prost won in it at Brazil, Senna won it in at USA and Japan.

Shame it doesn't have the Marlboro logos on it, but wouldn't be able to show it on tv if it did.
 
Caporegime
Joined
17 Jul 2010
Posts
25,658
Just watching Brundle driving the MP4/4 got me thinking with these old cars what bits exactly are in them? Presumably all the parts were bespoke not off the shelf so where are they getting brakes/gearboxes/engines from for them?

I know having been to the MTC that McLaren have a team setting the old cars up and getting them ready for events (guess they've let Brundle have a go in this one) but if something blew up or went wrong in it how do they replace the parts?
I believe they still have plans if not spare parts. They can then make new parts.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
39,945
Just watching Brundle driving the MP4/4 got me thinking with these old cars what bits exactly are in them? Presumably all the parts were bespoke not off the shelf so where are they getting brakes/gearboxes/engines from for them?

I know having been to the MTC that McLaren have a team setting the old cars up and getting them ready for events (guess they've let Brundle have a go in this one) but if something blew up or went wrong in it how do they replace the parts?

Bruno Senna tried to do a burnout in McLarens running MP4/4 a few years back and broke it... The day before Hamilton was due to drive it at Goodwood iirc. That's why the first time he got to drive it was for Top Gear. :D

McLaren will have all the drawings and a selection of spares, so things can be changed/made. Engines and gearboxes can be rebuilt, plus they do run then conservatively to extend their life. I believe part of their deal with engine suppliers is they get to keep a couple for demo runs.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Jul 2003
Posts
11,426
Location
Northants
Makes sense thanks :) Guess the engine would be the main problem as it wasn't made in house.

Todays race might be a good one as to be honest there isn't much to play for hopefully a few risks will be taken. Plus turn 1/2 here is the best overtaking corner in F1 usually!
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Jul 2003
Posts
11,426
Location
Northants
Danny Ric seems to have not got used to the fact he's not in a good car anymore, used to be the king of those Leroy Jenkins specials but has done that plenty of times this season.
 
Back
Top Bottom