Interesting thoughts people. I just realized for myself that I definitely won’t be able to draw any adequate conclusions until I see the rear wing and how the first two practices go.
Yes, in 2020 and 2021 we had a super-efficient straight-line chassis, but then we lost a lot in corners. In the last year and a half, we mostly lose in long slow corners, as before, but now we also limp on straight lines. Why am I so unsure, because I have no idea what the team will bring. And to what extent it can be put to good use. If it wasn't for a rainy weekend at Spa where the team bet on more down pressure, I would have had a better idea of how well the team was able to implement a rear wing with a clipped top flap, plus there was also the option of using a less loaded beam wing.
I think there is not one here who believes that the team sometimes acts very conservatively. At the same time, I also understand that they know better, because they test a variety of options on the simulator and experiment. Out of 6-7 options, two will be chosen as the most effective and brought to the track to make the final choice.
I would also like to revisit the practice in Hungary, where the team found some specific settings, plus experimental details, to get more peak downforce. They really found it and quickly discovered that the car was starting to hit the bottom.
It turns out that the team needs to add more downforce from the bottom so that they can use wings with less loading without penalty. But my guess is that they still need to rework the chassis balance and handling in slow corners, and that's just through the suspension and steering.
Reading and delving into the words of Andrea Stella, I understand that they themselves would like to use wings with less loading without penalty for themselves, but then they lose a lot not only at the exit of corners, but also in the stability of the chassis during braking. Lando lost a lot in relation to Yuki precisely in long slow turns, but before that he was extremely fast in the first sector and it was clear that Yuki could not keep up Lando's pace, but then two consecutive slow turns and Lando loses so much that he is already catching up only towards the end of the straight, and there the time is up, it's time to slow down and turn. And so circle after circle.
Perhaps this is the main reason why I do not want to review this race again. I am sure that in the future the team will be more flexible in their approach to strategy and more likely to experiment and take risks.
About Monza: I'm ready for a tough weekend. Then I won't have a reason to be upset.
Do not judge strictly. This is just my opinion.
