Awesome, can't wait to see if there are any innovations on the RB20's floor!
Awesome, can't wait to see if there are any innovations on the RB20's floor!
I think it's premature to be talking about 2024 being dull. It's day one of testing, teams have different run plans, different fuel loads etc. You can look very impressive on day one and then not look as good by day 3. I'm looking forward to seeing how all of the teams do in testing. I'll save the doom for next weekend.
There's nothing to hit on this circuit...you would think....SirBastianVettel wrote: ↑21 Feb 2024, 18:58Awesome, can't wait to see if there are any innovations on the RB20's floor!
The situation is no worse than when Mercedes was dominating the sport, or when Ferrari was dominating the sport with Schumi. In fact, things look better now - the gap between the no.1 and the rest is smaller than in the most dominant MB years (but the reliability of the no. 1 car/garage/driver combi is such that still consistent wins are being booked), and that is the outlier - the rest is closer together for sure.Shaddock wrote: ↑21 Feb 2024, 19:00The cost cap was envisaged to save the smaller teams in the sport, yet it might turn out to be the downfall of the whole of F1 if it becomes impossible for teams to close the gaps. Engines are frozen, ECU's are locked down, trick suspension is banned, testing is limited, spending is capped, so the only avenue to compete is via the most expensive route in aero. RB have the best aero guy on the planet in Newey. With all other performance avenues effectively cut off or locked down, the rules are gifting RB the championship each year. There has to be some other performance differentiator other than aero to make the championship competitive again.
This premise is just patently incorrect. McLaren improved by almost 3 seconds a lap from the start of 2022 to their 2023 upgrade package, likewise Aston Martin from the start of 2022 to their 2023 launch package. It is absolutely possible. Demonstrably so.
So Mercedes can withhold their superior power unit from Red Bull who are willing to pay on time and in full and supply insolvent Manor Racing instead? Far from making the sport more competitive between 2016-2020, it made it less competitive for race victory. The exact opposite of your claimed goal for a closer competition.
Not only that, the fact that RB seems to be set to dominate once more, is because they changed their design radically to something even better - not because it is impossible for other teams to catch up with the concept they had last year(s). In fact, the other teams seem to have managed that quite well.JordanMugen wrote: ↑21 Feb 2024, 19:16This premise is just patently incorrect. McLaren improved by almost 3 seconds a lap from the start of 2022 to their 2023 upgrade package, likewise Aston Martin from the start of 2022 to their 2023 launch package. It is absolutely possible. Demonstrably so.
They did that ahead of the race last year in Bahrain. It only reduced the quali top speed by a couple of kph compared to testing.
It's wind. Big headwind into T1.mendis wrote: ↑21 Feb 2024, 19:18They did that ahead of the race last year in Bahrain. It only reduced the quali top speed by a couple of kph compared to testing.
https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/01/bah ... rand-prix/
Bottas is good (relatively) at qualifying, Perez is good (relatively) at racing, they are different types of drivers.Artur Craft wrote: ↑21 Feb 2024, 18:24What makes you think that Perez, who got many podiums before ever driving a top car like RB, is inferior to, say, Bottas, who never did anything remarkable without a rocketship Mercedes?
Perez has 35 podiums, 8 before RBR IIRC, he is not that incompetent. He is highly rated, even.
Obviously Alpine-Renault, Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren etc all similarly had the opportunity to push development to the limit. Any of these teams may still dominate the championship.