Mercedes AMG F1 Team 2012

[munudeges]

Well, one hopes that the car eventually combines some of its current tyre usage characteristics with that of Aldo Costa's Ferraris........

[diego1960]

I think Aldo Costa's Ferrari cars where too soft on the tyres and couldn't get heat into them easily. Isn't that what's happening now at Merc? Apart from the degradation for which some say that it's not as big an issue as fans think.

[Mestrades]

Correct Diego, but I do not think that Aldo Costa has had time to develop the W03

[xpensive]

Ross Brawn in Autosport today;

"So with Aldo looking after the engineering side and Geoff looking after the aerodynamics, they are natural areas of responsibility."

I always suspected that, aerodynamics is not engineering!

[Ferraripilot]

I always suspected that, aerodynamics is not engineering!

Hah! I suppose it's like cooking in a way. As much art as it is science right.

[sonicpacifist]

Question: I've been led to believe that the wing innovation is what's allowing the Merc to qualify well - since drivers are allowed to open the wing freely during qualifying. So their pace reduces during the race cause of the restricted 1/2 DRS zones.

Is there truth to that? Does this mean the Mercedes isn't as competitive as we think it might be?

[designerx]

Question: I've been led to believe that the wing innovation is what's allowing the Merc to qualify well - since drivers are allowed to open the wing freely during qualifying. So their pace reduces during the race cause of the restricted 1/2 DRS zones.

Is there truth to that? Does this mean the Mercedes isn't as competitive as we think it might be?

Yes and no. I think the Merc. is still fundamentally a quick car. The fact that they are gaining an advantage with their DRS and the so called F Duct system does say that natually, in quafying where they can use it more, they are going to have a greater advantage.

In saying that though, we will have to wait and see because their performace in Australia was not really relative to the speed difference they may lose between using the DRS / F duct throughout the lap in qualy, and only once a lap in the race.

[Hemsy]

This OT but in my country they only broadcast qualifying and the race but not the practice sessions. Is there any site where I can watch the practice sessions tomorrow?

[munudeges]

I always suspected that, aerodynamics is not engineering!

It's not. Some have tried to turn it into a science by shoving ideas into CFD systems to add 'points of downforce' and been baffled when the car actually goes slower. You know who you are!

[NonNewtonic]

This OT but in my country they only broadcast qualifying and the race but not the practice sessions. Is there any site where I can watch the practice sessions tomorrow?

you could try out this website:
http://www.vipbox.tv
although the resolution may not be the best but still its free

[Maynard G. Krebs]

I still take some comfort & hope in the fact that the W03 has proven to be reliable (bar Schu's flukey gearbox

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a flukey gearbox so much as his agricultural driving that upset the boxes control unit.

Michael Schumacher - DNF: "It was an unfortunate end to my race when I lost drive going into turn one. I was trying different gears and occasionally the drive came back, but in the end, I had to go onto the grass to avoid the risk of the car being forced into a spin. It was especially unfortunate as we have not had this problem during the winter tests and were very reliable. This is why I am not concerned, as I know things like this happen in racing,
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98153

Losing the drive wouldn't cause a spin, forgetting to turn the wheel until too late might! I'm just sayin', he's old! Maybe forgetful! Needs to take some ginko biloba.

[raymondu999]

Or if his drive issues were causing him to lose the rear

[snoop1050]

wasnt the rear end locking up under downshifts? so if he tried to turn at the moment it happened im sure the car would spin

[siskue2005]

Losing the drive wouldn't cause a spin, forgetting to turn the wheel until too late might! I'm just sayin', he's old! Maybe forgetful! Needs to take some ginko biloba.

An old fart can run 3rd in an f1 field full of young studs and that too with 4th quickest car! LoL then the young hotshots must be bullsj!t

[myurr]

wasnt the rear end locking up under downshifts? so if he tried to turn at the moment it happened im sure the car would spin

Could be that, or a loss of engine braking affecting the balance, or loss of drive causing him to lift off the throttle affecting the EBD, or loss of drive causing the rears to lock under braking, etc.

Contrary to Maynard's comment there are many reasons that Schumacher's car failure could have pitched him into a spin.