2016 Manor Racing F1 Team - Mercedes

[domh245]

haryanto all the way in the back shows that the driver makes a huge impact.

He apparently had an MGU-k issue that rather hindered his pace, but your point still stands!

[ClarkBT11]

haryanto all the way in the back shows that the driver makes a huge impact.

He apparently had an MGU-k issue that rather hindered his pace, but your point still stands!

Maybe the fault with the MGU-k stopped Haryanto getting the tyres in the right temperature range.

Pascal said on C4 that was the main difference in his performance keeping his tyres in the right temperature range. He said it was because of the new track surface.

[ChrisDanger]

haryanto all the way in the back shows that the driver makes a huge impact.

Haryanto is doing okay in qualifying but has been behind in every race. I actually thought the results were more equal until I saw the below.


Image Credit

[Manoah2u]

so let's assume that it's the tyre thing.....

i won't delve into haryanto's capabilities, because though he might have had mgu-k problems, he's nowhere on the field.
that however does impact the overall look on what the Manor is capable of.

now to Wehrlein, it seems he is a decent driver and is doing well, seemingly fit for a good role in F1, but we'll have to see first.
Bianchi imho showed more, but we all know what happened there unfortunately. Imagine Bianchi and Wehrlein having been paired at Manor,
or atleast Bianchi at Ferrari or perhaps Haas, and Wehrlein at Manor at this point.
Either way, Bianchi performed far better than his teammate(s), which goes to say for Wehrlein too. Both achieved atleast decent. Though you might
say Wehrlein in Austria did better than Bianchi in Monaco, it's all about circumstances, and one might wonder what Bianchi had achieved in Austria
this year. In any way, Both Bianchi and Wehrlein put the car in a 'better place' then it seemingly finds itself (hence the results of the likes of Haryanto and co).

Now, what is puzzling me is this 'working the tires' thing. It might be an explenation for the good result they had, but it makes me wonder about a couple of things
1) were they making a mess of the tires the rest of the season? does the car belong in p10 all year if they always make the tires work?
2) were the other teams having perhaps lot of problems with their tires that they were struggling more than manor this time, and that this resulted in a distorted view?
3) are pirelli's tires really that extremely sensitive and have lottery-like behaviour that this is the result?

as for point 3, if this is the case, then this is an even badder thing then i imagined already how too influencial the tires are for the teams.
it would mean that all the millions of dollars of development and craft to have a f1 car on the grid, the tires potentially complete screw it up and it more or less means
that all your millions go down the drain due to the friggin tires? i mean i wasn't a fan of pirelli in f1 since the beginning, but this is even madder, especially concidering
this horrible pirelli era is going to continue for a couple more years!

[Powy]

Haryanto might be replaced by Vandoorne in the second half of the season (according to motorsport.com).

[Gaz.]

I really would like to see Manor leap into the midfield. Sauber I would imagine will be dead last but the next rung ........

Wonder where is the logic in that statement

Sauber has over 20 years of experience
complete research team of 330 staff
complete inhouse manufacturing capability
complete inhouse windtunnel
2 year experience with the engine
And budget of 120 million

Manor has 5 years experience but lost all data last year, hence has data of a year
probably a staff strength of a 100
no manufacturing capability
no windtunnel
no experience with there engine
a budget of 80 million

Just because people here hate Monisha Kettlebone it will not make them last.

Half way point, Sauber are last. They have to really pull something out of the bag here.

[Jolle]

I really would like to see Manor leap into the midfield. Sauber I would imagine will be dead last but the next rung ........

Wonder where is the logic in that statement

Sauber has over 20 years of experience
complete research team of 330 staff
complete inhouse manufacturing capability
complete inhouse windtunnel
2 year experience with the engine
And budget of 120 million

Manor has 5 years experience but lost all data last year, hence has data of a year
probably a staff strength of a 100
no manufacturing capability
no windtunnel
no experience with there engine
a budget of 80 million

Just because people here hate Monisha Kettlebone it will not make them last.

Half way point, Sauber are last. They have to really pull something out of the bag here.

In the past few years it's been obvious, when Sauber can spend a bit of cash on R&D, they have a point or even a podium scoring car.

[turbof1]

It'll be difficult given the competition is fierce. You have 6 cars which are always going to finish in the points in normal conditions without any failures. Then you have Williams, McLaren, Force India, Haas, Toro Rosso and Renault all vying for the last points, so 12 cars battling it out for 4 places.

There are some oppertunities though:
-McLaren, Toro Rosso and Renault are teams with sufficient weaknesses on certain tracks. McLaren and Toro Rosso have a weaker engine, while Renault outright halted development. Sauber has already developed upgrades, but not yet produced them. Once cash comes in, they can quickly bolt on performance and leap over Renault alteast.
-Development will halt for most teams given 2017. Sauber will not have to worry about weighting 2016 off against 2017 since again upgrades have been developed a few months ago, but not yet produced.

[Jolle]

It'll be difficult given the competition is fierce. You have 6 cars which are always going to finish in the points in normal conditions without any failures. Then you have Williams, McLaren, Force India, Haas, Toro Rosso and Renault all vying for the last points, so 12 cars battling it out for 4 places.

There are some oppertunities though:
-McLaren, Toro Rosso and Renault are teams with sufficient weaknesses on certain tracks. McLaren and Toro Rosso have a weaker engine, while Renault outright halted development. Sauber has already developed upgrades, but not yet produced them. Once cash comes in, they can quickly bolt on performance and leap over Renault alteast.
-Development will halt for most teams given 2017. Sauber will not have to worry about weighting 2016 off against 2017 since again upgrades have been developed a few months ago, but not yet produced.

Indeed, for 2017, a team like Manor, could be a bit problematic. Hard to tell how much R&D they have in house. Bit like Haas as well. The 5 works teams should have their stuff in order (AMG, SF, RBR, REN, McL), that's all the points gone. Then we have a few teams who have own facilities and proven fast in the past (Wil, Sau, STR and in some extend FI) and then we have Haas and Manor.,..

Because of the bad Renault and Honda PU the non-works teams had a bit more chances the last two years.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Renault F1 reserve driver Esteban Ocon will make his Grand Prix race debut with Manor, replacing Rio Haryanto for the rest of the season from the next round at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

This would be great competition for the Mercedes proteges. We would see who is the better of them and who would command a seat at Merc in future.

[NathanOlder]

Yeah great news. Looking forward to this, although there will undoubtedly be a loser and whoever that is will find it hard to get to Mercedes after this.

[diego.liv]

Yeah great news. Looking forward to this, although there will undoubtedly be a loser and whoever that is will find it hard to get to Mercedes after this.

Not sure, yours sounds more like the RedBull youth programm, on the top of my head: Buemi, Alguersuari, Bourdais.
Of course Ocon and Wehrlein will feel some pressure, but their seats for future Merc are almost guaranteed, unless Stroll, or if Merc want a senior driver

[Schuttelberg]

Manor has a pretty dynamic driver line up now.

[ME4ME]

Manor has a pretty dynamic driver line up now.

Potentially yes but lets not get ahead of ourselves, regardless of his junior category succes, Ocon has yet to prove his worth in F1.

[ChrisDanger]

Manor has a pretty dynamic driver line up now.

Potentially yes but lets not get ahead of ourselves, regardless of his junior category succes, Ocon has yet to prove his worth in F1.

Yes, but he's a least a driver that fans with their finger on the pulse regarding the feeder series' etc. actually wanted to see in F1. I have nothing against Haryanto, but everyone dismissed him as "yet another bloody pay driver." Haryanto did well in qualifying, but was no match for Wehrlein in the races. We should see a more interesting head-to-head with Ocon now.