Poll: German Grand Prix 2019, Hockenheim - Race 11/21

[Mr Jack]

Yeah I'm not buying that, I just think that the cars are being pushed to, and beyond the limit in their pursuit to keep up with Mercedes.

I wondered whether the cars had been set up with reduced cooling to prepare for the expected race conditions tomorrow but were now struggling in Today's heat as a result.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I’m excited to see what Vettel can do with a stock of tyres and free-reign on car set up.

Nothing would be more rewarding than seeing the home driver come through the field and win. Do I expect it to happen? No, but Barrichello won from P18 and it only takes a safety car / rain at the wrong time to throw it up in the air.

Ferrari should turn up the engine to 11 and go aggressive with Vettel

The problem is that a stock of tyres doesn’t really make up all that time lost - probably 20-30s off the lead by the end of lap 1. They may even be starting on inters negating those tyres even more.

Also knowing Ferrari they’ll take some ridiculous gamble that fails miserably.

 

[The_Abyss]

Also knowing Ferrari they’ll take some ridiculous gamble that fails miserably.

The really strange thing is that with all their recent gambles, by the law of averages then at least one of them should have worked by now. Instead all we have is a fortunate safety car at Melbourne in 2018.

I like the RBR approach. Mercedes and others are playing it pretty safe, with the best simulated strategy. RBR have gambled with the soft tyres, but within a tolerance. They're third fastest with a long way back to the next fastest, so they have some margin for error to try and catch out Ferrari and Mercedes.

 

[4K8KW10]

I wondered whether the cars had been set up with reduced cooling to prepare for the expected race conditions tomorrow but were now struggling in Today's heat as a result.

This perhaps. Since the Ferrari is the faster car here. The track pushes the rear tyres rather than the front tyres and the Ferrari is up to 5 tenths quicker than the Mercedes.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

In free practice, when Merc aren’t running full power?

I think you are deluded if you think ferrari has 0.5s on merc if you’re going off practice times.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

You never know, but taking FP pace as Qually/Race pace this season had not exactly been a good indicator so far this season...

 

[el_dazza]

Looks like a good chance of rain today. Best to listen to Sky as if they say it'll rain, then it definitely won't.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Gunter Steiner didn’t mince his words when interviewed during CH4s quail highlights show yesterday. Both his drivers need to up their game to keep their seats for 2020.

I wonder if Toto would release Ocon to go tonHaas if Bottas retains his seat for 2020.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Looks like a good chance of rain today. Best to listen to Sky as if they say it'll rain, then it definitely won't.

Raining heavy at the moment.

 

[CSMonkeh]

Oh dear Ferrari’s unreliability sets in, but Mercedes haven’t been without issues - overheating at Austria....
They could quite easily fall over in the same manner in another race.
Surely Vettel will start from the pit lane?

 

[Psycho Ned]

Seem like we get wet races so rarely now, lucky if there is 1 a season.

Lets pray Sky don't hype it up as a wet race cos if they told me the sun was going to rise tomorrow it probably wouldn't happen

 

[Stumble Bum]

When was the last wet race? They're my favourite, really can't remember the last time we saw one.

 

[unKle]

Baptism of fire for Alex Albon who admitted yesterday he's never driven an F1 car in the wet. Currently 40% chance of rain this afternoon.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Oh dear Ferrari’s unreliability sets in, but Mercedes haven’t been without issues - overheating at Austria....
They could quite easily fall over in the same manner in another race.

No, they see sense and turn the power down.

 

[CSMonkeh]

No, they see sense and turn the power down.

True, but still an issue meaning they couldn’t run as normal.
Ferrari do seem to have a habit of ramping their engines beyond their limits

When was the last wet race? They're my favourite, really can't remember the last time we saw one.

I sense an air of irony and say Germany last year. Not fully wet race, mind

 

[Psycho Ned]

Probably don't want a full wet race these days as it'll just get stopped or 30 laps behind the safety car, bit of on and off dampness should be enough to mix it up plenty!

Lewis looks pretty rough on the drivers parade, sure he'll be fine when he gets going but probably lucky it's not a mega hot day.

 

[Flibster]

Some cool cars in the parade today.

The Merc Grosser and the Renaultsport Spider (in yellow of course) are my favourites that I've seen. Although the Aston Vantage is close...

 

[MissChief]

Gunter Steiner didn’t mince his words when interviewed during CH4s quail highlights show yesterday. Both his drivers need to up their game to keep their seats for 2020.

I wonder if Toto would release Ocon to go tonHaas if Bottas retains his seat for 2020.

Toto has said that Ocon will have a seat next season even if it means releasing him from his Mercedes contract. Good guy Toto.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Oh yes, it is very wet! Please oh please don’t give us a safety car start.

 

[Flibster]

What the utter **** was that?!