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Perez and Ocon weren't exactly the best of buddies as teammates...
I'm skeptical about Stroll. I'd probably be more enthusiastic about him if he hadn't had to rely on his wealthy family background to get him thus far. Granted, he hasn't gone the full Maldonado but I expect fireworks if Racing Point hold Perez back in any championship battle between the two.
Haven't really watched F1 for years but having watched the Netflix documentary I'd love to see Ocon succeed and Perez and Stroll (and many of the rest of them including that deplorable Dutch git) fail.
Looking forward to this mind! Really hoping LeClerc hands Vettel his arse at some point this season. I can see finger lad hoying his toys oot the pram if he does!
I’m hoping both the Ferraris and Mercs have good race pace today and it’s a close battle.
Vettel is a No 2 from now on
Certainly looks like Vettel is no.2, LeClerc 1st down to third and back to first.👏👏
strange from mercedes
Vettel: Bottler!
Excellent!
lol he's not having a good day
Scary the way that front wing come off! Literally shook it off the car
Absolutely gutted for LeClerc
Nooooooo! (And I’m a Lewis fanboy). Poor LeClerc
Hoping it finishes under SC for LeClerc
Got to laugh at Finger Boy. Petulance on his part. Sad for LeClerc though, but humble words from Lewis to him behind the scenes, nice touch.
interesting pace differential between LeClerc and Vettel (were they trying to squeeze more out hence why it went bang). And between Hamilton and Bottas. Pretty even stevens between Lewis and Seb. LeClerc Losing and ebgine part this early in the season is going to hurt down the line.
Unlucky for Vettel and LeClerc today, but I think Hamilton drove superbly. Everyone on the left side of the grid got a good initial getaway and then bogged down. In fair racing Hamilton has proven that he’s more than a match for Bottas and Vettel. I’d really like to see Hamilton and Verstappen racing on equal terms.
Regardless, today was a great Grand Prix.
Had to chuckle at DC’s inability to hide his amusement while conmentating on Vettel binning it 😀
Another race like that and there’s a half-arsed Freddie Mercury tribute act out there who’s going be looking down the embarrassing barrel of some team orders sooner or later.
Ferrari reporting that it was a proper engine failure - piston damage, not the hybrid system.
...jeez how many DRS zones can you fit into 1 circuit to "spice" up the show...........
imagine how crap F1 would be without them , started out as 1 zone, now every circuit has them at the start of every straight.............
Vettel is finished IMHO - he cannot handle pressure any more and he's got it not only from merc but now his own teammate - if history of this guy is anything to go by, he'll try too hard , make mistakes and throw wobblers - ferrari wont take anymore of his mistakes with a driver like LeClerc able to perform !
Totally agree Tony - The new (3rd) DRS zone at Bahrain wasn't really needed as there had already been plenty of overtakes there without it in the past.
Also on Vettel - I can absolutely see him having a total meltdown this year and losing his seat. He bottled a fair few high-pressure situations last year and like you say the context this year is even worse for him. Gone are the days of him disappearing into the sunset in his RB for 4 seasons in a row!
maybe they should just let the drivers use DRS whenever they like...
Ross Brawn was on about getting rid of DRS as his ultimate goal, yet they just keep putting in more zones because FIA are scared of no overtakes and boring races. it makes it all seem a little false to me seeing drivers unable to defend against the massive difference in speed.
it also means once a driver is passed he can go off into the distance pretty quickly - in the old days he might be stuck behind for ages and be desperate to lunge/pass in order to not ruin his race or get up to the next driver in front.
they want close racing, yet they allow drivers to easily pass each other!
I confess I've always disliked DRS (taking the Wacky Races argument) but I think there's are valid arguments that if you're going to have them then more are better than fewer.
For one, it means that anyone who's firmly out of position can get back more easily, so anyone taking engine penalties or suffering a botched pit stop doesn't have their race ruined quite so much.
But more compellingly it means that if you have two drivers racing closely, if one passes the other a bit too easily under DRS then they may become vulnerable at the next zone. At one or two tracks drivers have occasionally used this, choosing not to pass in the first zone and instead doing it in the second so that they can pull away before becoming DRS prey themselves.
I think as a stopgap until 2021 it's a reasonable tactic. If Brawn's claims of reducing following-car downforce losses from 50% to 5% are accurate then DRS's days are certainly numbered.
Twodogs
Subscriber
maybe they should just let the drivers use DRS whenever they like…
on one hand that could be quite good to see who is brave enough to hit the button early. On the other, the car in front would be able to deploy it meaning fewer overtakes again
If Brawn’s claims of reducing following-car downforce losses from 50% to 5% are accurate then DRS’s days are certainly numbered.
Granted, Ross Brawn does know a little bit more about it than I do, but that sounded to me more like an aspiration than a real goal. It would be great if they could achieve that, but I'll believe it when I see it.
on one hand that could be quite good to see who is brave enough to hit the button early. On the other, the car in front would be able to deploy it meaning fewer overtakes again
I think the solution would be to have a laser pointer and gunsight mounted on the front of each car, plus a target mounted on the back. If you can get your laser to hit the target on the back of the car in front, his DRS is disabled. Otherwise, drivers can choose to use DRS anytime they want.
Now you're talking Liberty Media's language!
If you can get your laser to hit the target on the back of the car in front, his DRS is disabled.
even better...enable his DRS..just as he goes into a fast corner
so they are using the clutch as a supercharger.
If that's not an april fools it's insane genius.
If it is, then it's a good one (and why has no-one tried it!)
I am wondering if the new front wing airflow design of the Ferrari has shown up an inherent weakness (as predicted in this BBC article) and a combination of the strong headwind on circuit and the washout caused by Hamilton's overtake caused the sudden instability which sent him spinning?
Granted, Ross Brawn does know a little bit more about it than I do, but that sounded to me more like an aspiration than a real goal. It would be great if they could achieve that, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Apparently they've achieved it in CFD and a wind tunnel. I agree, my initial reaction was that it seemed a little optimistic, but I didn't look into the details (eg how close a gap they were using as a reference point).
To be honest I think the risk in that approach is that we end up with an over-prescriptive formula. But then I'd say that once CFD matured as a technology F1 was never going to claw back the mad old days of the late 60s to the mid 80s with the hit-and-miss ideas and visually distinctive cars that kind of defined it for a couple of generations: whether by innovation or by regulation, computers doomed us to a grid full of largely homogeneous basic shapes adorned with whatever ugly appendages could be fitted in around the rules.
If that’s not an april fools it’s insane genius.
"AF Duct"........ think about it!
Also it should be reasonably obvious that you don’t just add RPM together 😉
Plus 0104% as in 1st of April
Comment of the week? Step forward, Monsieur Grosjean, who seems to have forgotten most of 2012:
As the pair limped back to the pits, Grosjean took to team radio to vent his displeasure. “Look at the damage. Stupid,” he yelled at his engineer, adding, “they can’t f***ing take a Turn 1 without crashing.”
😂
Never mind that horrendous display of stupidity at Barcelona last year that could have ended so much worse… How he still has a race seat I don’t know.
Grosjean - i dont understand how he's keeping that seat , esp. after last year - is he bringing truck loads of cash?
Good race.
Anyone know what's going on with Gasly? He was quite good in the TR last year, poor in both races so far. I honestly thought he'd be nipping at Max's heels.
Yes, Red Bull seem pretty ruthless about promoting and discarding promising young drivers. What's the chance of Kvyat winding up back in the A team before the end of the season?
To be fair to Gasly though, the Red Bull seems to be a bit of a dog and M.V. was lucky to finish so high in the points. Red Bull are looking a bit like McLaren with their "wonderful chassis let down by a terrible engine" claims, then finding that the chassis was actually pretty poor once they changed engines.
What’s the chance of Kvyat winding up back in the A team before the end of the season?
Slim, I would say. Albon's more than giving him a run for his money, and given that Kvyat's got a well-stamped loyalty card for the Last Chance Saloon I can't see him doing more than keeping a seat warm until the gap in Red Bull's conveyor belt passes. And I don't think Albon's yet done enough to prove himself top team material. Plus Kyvat got the boot primarily for the careless Torpedo antics, and Gasly's not making those mistakes.
Red Bull are looking a bit like McLaren with their “wonderful chassis let down by a terrible engine” claims, then finding that the chassis was actually pretty poor once they changed engines.
Nah. Let's face it, Red Bull have consistently thrashed all the other Renault hybrid cars by some margin, and throughout that period they've been right up with Mercedes and Ferrari on the more aero-dependent circuits. They're also quite often a bit off the pace at the start of the season but develop well—and with a new, and differently architected, engine plus the new front wing regs there's an inevitable risk of not hitting the ground running. I expect they'll look pretty sorted by Spain or thereabouts.
i think its time for her to go - i think Frank wants a williams family member to run it, but clearly she has failed....
Article already removed.
Wonder how George Russell is going to feel getting back in the Williams after having a taste of the Mercedes!
is is? i can see it when i click the link.
ah my browser had it cached - here is the article in full
Williams admits ‘guilt’ in key team change
Andrew Maitland
April 4, 2019
Claire Williams has admitted she was responsible for a change in Williams’ team structure that resulted in the once-great outfit’s 2019 crisis.
She said that during Williams’ “four good seasons”, including third place finishes in the constructors’ championship in 2014 and 2015, she made the change.
“In order to preserve our results and even make progress, we changed something in the internal structure and it turned out to be a mistake,” she told France’s Auto Hebdo.
“It was my initiative and I admit my guilt.”
The result is clear to see in 2019, with Robert Kubica saying that in Australia and Bahrain, he is little more than a “passenger” in the Mercedes-powered car.
Williams said: “Believe me, we are not hiding our heads in the sand. We know where we are and what you need in order to win.
“But it’s a long process.”
Indeed, it is not just a performance crisis at Williams, but a cultural one.
“We are trying to independently produce as many parts as possible, and we have 620 people working for us, which is a lot for the structure we have,” Claire said.
“To create the Williams of the future while preserving our culture is the task we are facing now.”
One part of that has been to send Paddy Lowe on leave, even though the highly respected Briton had been lured away from Mercedes to lead Williams back to the top.
“I don’t want to answer that question at the moment,” Williams said.
“It’s very difficult for me to talk about Paddy and his role in this.”
She will say that other engineers have picked up the slack for the now absent Lowe, adding: “I trust them completely and believe that we are moving in the right direction.
“Patrick Head has returned to us as a consultant and to support the engineers in such a difficult period.
“He has so much experience and has the sort of character that they really listen to him. His advice will be very valuable,” Claire Williams said.
Part of the problem, she admits, is that while the subsidiary Williams Advanced Engineering once generated income for the team, that is no longer the case.
“It was created in 2010 to support the racing team and in response to the drop in sponsors’ interest. But it now contributes little to the financing of the team.
“Our funding is almost entirely dependent on sponsors and F1 income,” she said.
So Williams warmly welcomes Liberty Media’s efforts to better distribute the revenue and drive down costs, especially via a budget cap.
“Everything that is now being discussed is moving in the direction that we need,” she said.
And so, Williams says, the famous team her father established is not giving up.
“We’ve been racing for 42 years because it is our passion,” she said.
“Yes, we are at the very back of the grid now, but I know that returning to the positions we deserve is only a matter of time. I would not be talking to you now if I wasn’t sure of that.”
It's a brave admission, especially in the light of Patrick Head being drafted in as a consultant.
He has so much experience and has the sort of character that they really listen to him....
By "they" I assume that CW was referring to Williams' senior engineering staff?
We are trying to independently produce as many parts as possible, and we have 620 people working for us, which is a lot for the structure we have...
Some very unpopular decisions looming on the horizon then.
It’s very difficult for me to talk about Paddy and his role in this.
That'll mean that the legal people are getting ready for a bitter and expensive dust up, which doesn't bode well for cashflow.
i get the feeling she's lining up a cut in the workforce and bought in 'spec' parts (which is going to be something in the 2021 regs that FIA are trying to push to cut costs anyway)
I suspect Head will become a major player in the team and Clair might be sidelined and a figurehead just because of her surname.
was Paddy "not listened to"!??! thats also the suggestion made - and if not, why not!
Personally i think they are clinging on until the new regs are agreed upon for 2021 and then see where its at.
So after watching C4 F1 since they got the coverage from the BBC a few years ago and now im having to watch SKY F1 to be able to see the whole race, after a couple of race weekends and watching some classic races all i can say is SKY's commentary is awful!!
Martin Brundle is dreary, always making mistakes and then having to explain himself, the other commentators seem ok but no real enthusiasm
Much prefer David Couthard's commentary, its funny, correct and enjoyable, also love Steve Jones, wasn't sure at first when C4 signed him up for F1 but he has great banter with DC and with some of the drivers, when interviewing the likes of Toto Wolff he always has some great questions and banter too
I wish Bernie Hadn't sold full race rights to Sky!
Same. Didn't like DC at first, grown to like him more than Brundle. I do miss the lovely Lee McKenzie though 😣
Btw If you haven't heard it yet, DC's got an episode on Beyond The Grid podcast that's worth a listen.
Much prefer David Couthard’s commentary, its funny, correct and enjoyable, also love Steve Jones,
I prefer technical detail and insight to banter. banter and a vox-pop style probably suits the short C4 programme & the casual viewer though like the murray/hunt days of old
Just finished watching the Netflix series, feel very sorry for Ocon, he is without a drive because his team need money rather than anything to do with talent.
Regarding Kubica's comments about his car vs Russell's
"The discrepancies between the cars were revealed as an 8 per cent difference in aero balance front/rear under braking despite the same settings. Kubica’s car aero balance migrated much further forwards than did Russell’s, making it more of an oversteering handful between turn-in and apex. There could be many reasons for this, but it suggests a difference in torsional stiffness between the chassis. Again, the hurried build of the cars may have played its part in this. It may be significant that in post-race testing at Bahrain, Russell – in Kubica’s chassis – was actually slightly slower than Kubica. At the time of writing the discrepancy between the two cars had still not been fully understood.
So, the verdict is still out. Don’t write Robert off just yet. Apart from anything else, he is eight years rusty in any sort of racing at all. After all he’s been through, he deserves a little more time and opportunity."
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/mph-dont-write-kubica-just-yet
Yet this weekend he's talking about killer understeer
mashr
Yet this weekend he’s talking about killer understeer
If you mean the autosport article, I think he was talking about the track. I remember Ferrari or someone saying last year that everyone struggles with understeer there. IIRC it's from working the front end hard into turns 2 & 3
Fair point, yeah it was this quote "Of course on this track you have quite a lot of understeer so understeer is kind of a killer here, so we have to wait and see."
mashr
Member
Fair point, yeah it was this quote “Of course on this track you have quite a lot of understeer so understeer is kind of a killer here, so we have to wait and see.”
Either way it sounds like they're a fair bit off the pace still !
I've been really enjoying catching up on the 'Beyond the Grid' podcasts - I'd not been aware of them until this week; there's some really interesting and detailed interviews Tom Clarkson has done - Luca de Montezemolo and David Coulthard's have been my highlight so far. Also liked Kimi saying that a happy wife is a happy life!
Ref the article about Williams, I read another article which I can't find now but the summary was that Williams had screwed up by becoming a business with leaders who were in it for the money/expecting it to be like a traditional business rather than running it like a race team. The suggestion was that some of the top figures in the last 10 years or so were very poorly chosen and that Claire Williams while capable was not the right person to be heading up a racing team - her brother who does the heritage Williams work supposedly would have been better. Also that Paddy Lowe was effectively hamstrung by the team structure and hence couldn't turn things round.
Of course it could be someone with an axe to grind with the benefit of hindsight but a lot of it rang true.
Scrabs view of it - well informed:
https://twitter.com/ScarbsTech/status/1103416368416935937
https://twitter.com/ScarbsTech/status/1103417818593271808
Interference from the commercial side on the engineering side
Kubica has been the quicker Williams this weekend FWIW. Still slow though.
Also that Paddy Lowe was effectively hamstrung by the team structure and hence couldn’t turn things round.
Doesn't surprise me at all, I remember Adam Parr saying that's what Williams was like when he arrived there. Nobody knew who reported to who, conflicting layers of authority etc.
Great stuff from Bottas!
Got to love the mind games from Hamilton, especially within the team:
he's been stellar all weekend. I've been struggling and fighting the car all weekend.
...even on a bad day I’m 0.023 behind you on your best day!
Got to love the mind games from Hamilton, especially within the team
I don't think it was mind games. Bottas seems to have things sorted, Hamilton has been looking uneven and both drivers know that. I think Hamilton will be the more worried of the two, he's the guy who has to improve, not Bottas.
I think I like Leclerc "Leclerc, meanwhile, opted to lay into himself: “****! I did mistakes. Come on Charles, argh. Shit. ****ing stupid. ****ing stupid.”
Normal service resumes for Kvyat.
boring race 🙁
Yeah, shame. Looked like it might come alive in the last 10 laps but didn't quite happen. Surprised at the relative lack of pace from Ferrari though they screwed up their strategy with Leclerc losing points
not sure how theyll fill 6 minutes for the youtube highlights
not sure how theyll fill 6 minutes for the youtube highlights
The battle for 10th place was riveting.
Ferrari lost a place to keep Vettel happy.
Same as Red Bull last year revolving around the stroppy Nederlander.
alain prost look thrilled to wave the chequered flag at the end of the 1000s GP............ i think even he was bored with it.....
Sadly, a really dull race. Never mind - Baku next.
Boring race but some onboard footage was good. Lewis going into the first corner and hearing the trail braking and gear changes as the corner tightens. I dont remember the last corner being taken so fast either.
We did whatch the heavily edited version, wait for channel 4 coverage to start then onto 4OD whatch only the Quali sessions (fast froward then make a cup of tea while the adverts are playing) soon as q3 ends put C4 highlights on caught the formation lap turn coverage off as soon as the winner parks up.
Daffy
Subscriber
Sadly, a really dull race. Never mind – Baku next.
Should be more in Ferrari and RedBull's favour I think as it's a low downforce track.
They didn't show this in the broadcast for some reason, but Perez got a good start:
Also it looks like the thing with Kubica's car might be legit:
Russell described his lap as ‘very poor’ while Kubica’s car had been refitted with his original floor and wing. When they had swapped them over in Friday practice in an effort at tracing the anomaly between the two identically set up cars, Kubica had been faster of the pair – confirming the problem but not the root source.
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/reports/f1/2019-chinese-grand-prix-report
Bored whilst waiting for the washing machine to finish and the lawns to dry enough to cut I went over to F1.com and found this little short about the Lotus 49. A nice little tribute to what I think is the most beautiful F1 car ever. Well in a couple of it's iterations anyway.
Where does F1 find such boring voice over artists though?
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/2019/4/Damon_Hill_drives_father_Graha m's_legendary_Lotus_49.html
http://www.motorsportretro.com/2014/06/for-sale-ex-graham-hill-lotus-49b-to-auction-at-goodwood/
New regs for 2021. Looks like proper ground effect is back!
https://motorsport.tech/formula-1/f1-2021-regulations-overview-by-craig-scarborough
Do we know why the centre downwash wing idea was killed off? Not seen anything about it in a good while, I assume they just couldn't get it to work
IIRC
1. It looked shit
2. It actually wouldn't make all that much difference
2021 believe it when i see it.
Some amount of ground effect is key to achieving the stated aims for 2021 so it's a shoo-in to be in the regs in some form or other.
Wheel fairings and those areo scrapers are both hideous; I hope they don't make it in. And that nose and front wing combo looks like Fingermouse.