Soldato
You can't even find bookies to bet on the constructors champion, it's over.
Poll: Russian Grand Prix 2019, Sochi - Race 16/21
- Thread starter Shimmy
- Start date
You can't even find bookies to bet on the constructors champion, it's over.
Caporegime
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Bit of both, though even at the start of the year as with Bahrain, Canada, Baku, everyone expected Ferrari to get pole in Spa and Monza so those weren't a surprise. A pretty large update for Singapore helped Ferrari big time but, I'm actually wondering if it's more about tires.
All the recent races seem to have PIrelli recommending fairly significant reductions in tire pressure, so I'm wondering if that has a large part to do with Ferrari getting tires working better, having better grip in corners while Merc and RBR aren't gaining as much in corners as they used to compared to Ferrari so can't make it up in the corners.
I mean ultimately Hamilton was down about 3/10ths in Bahrain, and is like 4/10ths down today, it's not a huge difference.
Far too much people wrote off Ferrari as miles behind because of the 'domination' of the 1-2s Merc got. But if Ferrari actually won Bahrain, Baku, Canada, then the view people would have of the supposed domination would be very different. When it comes to race pace there were some races Ferrari seemed far behind but they weren't a lap slower in Hungary, they just knew 1-2 was gone so backed off. Most races Bottas/2nd RBR would be pressuring them for 3rd/4th but in that race they weren't so they only had to finish ahead of whoever was 5th place (and I can't remember who that was, Sainz maybe?) so they saved engines. Saving engines vs Verstappen/Ham going flat out to beat each other creates a huge gap but isn't a real performance gap.
Merc have eased off and Ferrari have improved, they do have a good car but I wouldn't be surprised to see Merc get more poles and beat Ferrari quite easily at some of the races remaining. Without long long straights and with more corners then Ferrari will struggle more both in qualifying and race pace/tire wear. Russia might be hard for Merc to make the pass with the very low deg and the long straights, other tracks it should be easier.
Same story as usual, Hamilton drives the wheels off the Mercedes and beats Vettel and Leclerc nearly half a second quicker shows what the Ferrari is really capable of only to be shafted by Ferrari race strategy I'm sure.
I don't like this track though, it seems to be just an exercise in abusing track limits.
I don't like this track though, it seems to be just an exercise in abusing track limits.
Cheers dm, good summary and you make some good points.
It's a nice circuit, though. Reminds of the Valencia Street Circuit...
Soldato
Not sure if sarcasm...
Not me. They obviously don't care about Bottas being second and basically have rest wrapped up. I would be focusing on next year.
In some ways I hope merc get punished next year for being Conservative on Hamiltons partner. Hope ferrari get rewarded for taking a risk on leclerc. I also like ferraris new boss. Damn it I'm warming to ferrari
Man of Honour
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- 21 Nov 2004
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The surface is really abrasive. Medium then hard might not be a terrible strategy.
Wasn’t it here where Rosberg went to the back of the grid after a lap or two, whacked some hard tyres on and then got back to second? Has the track changed or the tyres since then? Because everyone has been saying how good the track is on tyres?!?!
The opposite of abrasive is slippery. The surface is not that abrasive and it's definitely never slippery, what causes higher tyre degradation should be the combination of corners and tyre air pressure...
Caporegime
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The track isn't remotely abrasive, F2 has nearly nothing in common with F1 tires despite supposedly being the same compounds. At like I'd say a good 75% of tracks at least F2 drivers pit directly on lap 6 (earliest they can make the mandatory pitstop) to get rid of the softer compound while in F1 half the grid takes the supposed similar softest compound for half the race distance.
F2 tires are made with fairly low tire life and cars that can't keep them in control thermally, with way worse grip and sliding around like hell in corners.
Using F2 to try to show that F1 tires will wear out quickly is nonsense not at all accurate and no, the surface is pretty much the least abrasive track of the season.
Abrasive doesn't stop tires overheating and pretty much melting to crap and that's what would have happened to the F2 drivers and it won't at all happen to the F1 guys.
Permabanned
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Starting on mediums is a bad strategy unless you can control the race from the front. Zero chance of overcut and also a good chance of losing places off the line to cars behind you on softs. If you go really long on first stint you will surrender so much track position that you have zero chance of making up. Expect P3 is the best Hamilton can achieve. I just hope vettel can repeat his heroics from last week and get ahead of LC.
Man of Honour
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Oh, maybe they didn’t follow through then? I thought they were going to make it more abrasive to increase wear.
https://m.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne...-make-f1-track-surface-more-abrasive-20190124
Although interestingly the F1 website says that it’s so slippery it increases wear...
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....ussian-grand-prix.7ACsAoo9ZVddySFiw4jNvc.html
So what is Mercedes plan then? To push ferrari into making an earlier stop and be on the hards for longer, catch then up on fresher hards and hope to pass them like spa?
https://m.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne...-make-f1-track-surface-more-abrasive-20190124
Although interestingly the F1 website says that it’s so slippery it increases wear...
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....ussian-grand-prix.7ACsAoo9ZVddySFiw4jNvc.html
So what is Mercedes plan then? To push ferrari into making an earlier stop and be on the hards for longer, catch then up on fresher hards and hope to pass them like spa?
Soldato
Basically gambling again, the undercut on softer tyres as of last race will surely be the best strategy and hang them out to dry, but we'll see, hopefully no SC's this time out...
I think people need to stop going on about Leclerc being shafted, Ferrari didn't intend to do so last weekend, nobody expected Vettel or anyone else to be 4 seconds quicker on fresh harder tyres, that's all there is to it. I think Vettel will have some mojo now and that's great for Ferrari, you reds should be rejoicing!
Nice little interview with Lewis on C4, he mentioned that Vettel is the one that has been there developing the car for 4 years whereas Leclerc has not, people should appreciate that more when Leclerc is crying on the radio IMO as should he.
Yeah agree It's merc rolling the dice
I also think it's a bad idea..
Only way it could possibly work is of they could go medium > soft. But I believe they have to go medium > hard so they likely will never run on the softest fastest rubber
I also think it's a bad idea..
Only way it could possibly work is of they could go medium > soft. But I believe they have to go medium > hard so they likely will never run on the softest fastest rubber
Associate
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They are good on tyres and have a chance of running medium soft if they have some safety car periods to either allow a longer stint or remove any time advantage the Ferrari achieve. It probably is there best chance as they are unlikely to beat Ferrari in a straight race.
Associate
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Another crash in F2, red flag and a long stop. Still waiting updates for injury.
*edit*
No major injuries.
Looks to be matushita’s fault to me, overtaking off track and not following the arrow bollards. Need to see a replay. Commentators blaming aitken, but I don’t think matushita was on the track for it to be an unsafe rejoining.
*edit*
No major injuries.
Looks to be matushita’s fault to me, overtaking off track and not following the arrow bollards. Need to see a replay. Commentators blaming aitken, but I don’t think matushita was on the track for it to be an unsafe rejoining.
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