2013 Australian GP - Albert Park

For ease of use, there is one thread per grand prix where you can discuss everything during that specific GP weekend. You can find these threads here.
stefan_
stefan_
696
Joined: 04 Feb 2012, 12:43
Location: Bucharest, Romania

Re: 2013 Australian GP - Albert Park

Post

"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe." Murray Walker, San Marino 1985

User avatar
dren
226
Joined: 03 Mar 2010, 14:14

Re: Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Post

raymondu999 wrote:
ziggy wrote:Nico said in an interview they were surprised by tyre degradation. Initialy they wanted to do 2 stops, but they couldn't because of the tyres. Seems merc's tyre problems are far from over. Nico's face after his race said it all.
I have to disagree with this. They thought they had better degradation than others and tried a 2stop. It turns out they had equal degradation and had to do 3. Under shooting above average expectations is better than under shooting average expectations.

I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. They really made the super softs work for them in a way the others couldn't. Had they gone 3stop from the start IMO they would've been in the podium hunt. Late strategy changes are always bad.

Mind you their raw pace in the opening laps wasn't too hot.
My thoughts exactly. The radio transmissions to Hamilton were that he was right on target pace wise. It fell apart for them once they had to make the final stop.
Honda!

User avatar
Kiril Varbanov
147
Joined: 05 Feb 2012, 15:00
Location: Bulgaria, Sofia

Re: 2013 Australian GP - Albert Park

Post

"Complimenti..." It will be soon taken down, I'm afraid.

User avatar
Joie de vivre
2
Joined: 02 Sep 2010, 10:12

Re: Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Post

I rewatched the race again. It's just unbeleivable how Mercedes dropped behind Vet, Mas, Alo and Rai after just few laps. Are they running with much more fuel than others? With empty fueltank they seem to be quite quick.

User avatar
turbof1
Moderator
Joined: 19 Jul 2012, 21:36
Location: MountDoom CFD Matrix

Re: Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Post

dren wrote:
raymondu999 wrote:
ziggy wrote:Nico said in an interview they were surprised by tyre degradation. Initialy they wanted to do 2 stops, but they couldn't because of the tyres. Seems merc's tyre problems are far from over. Nico's face after his race said it all.
I have to disagree with this. They thought they had better degradation than others and tried a 2stop. It turns out they had equal degradation and had to do 3. Under shooting above average expectations is better than under shooting average expectations.

I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. They really made the super softs work for them in a way the others couldn't. Had they gone 3stop from the start IMO they would've been in the podium hunt. Late strategy changes are always bad.

Mind you their raw pace in the opening laps wasn't too hot.
My thoughts exactly. The radio transmissions to Hamilton were that he was right on target pace wise. It fell apart for them once they had to make the final stop.
Hamilton during his second stint had to brake really hard to defend against Alonso, locking up the wheel and flatspotting the tyre. Before this happened the team urged Hamilton to stay a few more laps out. Afterwards in the same lap he made his second pitstop. Perhaps without that he could have stayed on target and made the 2 stop strategy work?
#AeroFrodo

beelsebob
beelsebob
85
Joined: 23 Mar 2011, 15:49
Location: Cupertino, California

Re: Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Post

Joie de vivre wrote:I rewatched the race again. It's just unbeleivable how Mercedes dropped behind Vet, Mas, Alo and Rai after just few laps. Are they running with much more fuel than others? With empty fueltank they seem to be quite quick.
I think they were just playing to a different race pace to try and preserve the tyres. Pretty sure they could have gone quicker if they weren't trying to keep everything in good shape.

User avatar
Unc1e_M0nty
0
Joined: 14 Mar 2012, 15:49
Location: Wakefield

Re: Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Post

Lewis did 13 laps (plus 2 or 3 Qually laps) on Super Softs then only 20 laps on his 2nd set of Med with much less fuel on board - wft ? I just don't get this - after the first stint I thought they'd make a two stop work no problem.

Did anyone hear Martin Brundle on Sky talking about the tyre contact patch, apparently he was told that only 30% to 40% of the tyre was in contact with the track in corners - this seems very low to me, I though the new profile pirelli intoduced this year was designed to increase the contact patch.

lebesset
lebesset
7
Joined: 06 Aug 2008, 14:00

Re: 2013 Australian GP - Albert Park

Post

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/03/18/w ... laren-ecu/

so who provides the data systems in the garage
mark got screwed whoever it is !
to the optimist a glass is half full ; to the pessimist a glass is half empty ; to the F1 engineer the glass is twice as big as it needs to be

User avatar
db__
0
Joined: 09 Oct 2006, 12:30

Re: 2013 Australian GP - Albert Park

Post

lebesset wrote:http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/03/18/w ... laren-ecu/

so who provides the data systems in the garage
mark got screwed whoever it is !
or not... according to MES

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106136

User avatar
turbof1
Moderator
Joined: 19 Jul 2012, 21:36
Location: MountDoom CFD Matrix

Re: Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Post

The real question would be how hard mercedes were able to push the super softs. I think it is obvious: over a 10+ lap stint the mediums are overall faster due less degredation. Most likely mercedes held back big chunks of pace, just like the other teams, to keep the supersofts alive. Remember, Adrian Sutil went for supersofts but lost his place to Hamilton even though the latter one had medium tyres which were older then Sutil's, and Sutil's race pace was one of the best!
#AeroFrodo

User avatar
godlameroso
309
Joined: 16 Jan 2010, 21:27
Location: Miami FL

Re: 2013 Malaysian GP - Sepang

Post

I don't know, the mercs are super fast over a single lap.
Saishū kōnā

beelsebob
beelsebob
85
Joined: 23 Mar 2011, 15:49
Location: Cupertino, California

Re: Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Post

Unc1e_M0nty wrote:Lewis did 13 laps (plus 2 or 3 Qually laps) on Super Softs then only 20 laps on his 2nd set of Med with much less fuel on board - wft ? I just don't get this - after the first stint I thought they'd make a two stop work no problem.
They were probably trying to get to 22-23 laps on the mediums, and then 24-25 on the final set once the track had rubbered in and the fuel burned off. Lewis locking up defending against Alonso probably scrubbed those 2 laps off the tyres and made it impossible.

Tamburello
Tamburello
0
Joined: 29 Sep 2010, 14:52
Location: Sydney, Australia.

Re: 2013 Australian GP - Albert Park

Post

raymondu999 wrote:I agree. I don't see the point in having a qualifying tyre for the race. The supersofts to me definitely smacked of a qualifier. It's fine having qualifiers for qualifying, but not for the race.
I think it's brilliant. I'd even through away of all the other compounds and just use the SS and Mediums for the rest of the race too!

Reason: if the SS proves to be little more than a qualifying tyre, the races are going to be about race strategies. No longer can RB setup for qualifying and hope to just going into the distance and just copycat the strategy of whoever is chasing them in order to stay ahead. They clearly cannot make a two stop strategy work, if they start the race on the SS, therefore they may need to sacrifice qualifying and start on the mediums in Q3, do two reasonably long stints on the primes and then do short and sweet 5 or 6 lap stint right at the end on the SS.

The cars that can do two stints, like Lotus, will be able to qualify a little higher up the grid.

Mika1
Mika1
3
Joined: 16 May 2012, 20:17

Re: 2013 Malaysian GP - Sepang

Post

godlameroso wrote:I don't know, the mercs are super fast over a single lap.
Yes, but they have to improve race pace.
The boss follows me on twitter.

beelsebob
beelsebob
85
Joined: 23 Mar 2011, 15:49
Location: Cupertino, California

Re: 2013 Malaysian GP - Sepang

Post

Mika1 wrote:
godlameroso wrote:I don't know, the mercs are super fast over a single lap.
Yes, but they have to improve race pace.
I'm not sure they were so far off as they seemed – remember, they were trying for a 2 stop at aus, and conserving tyres.