2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku, 23-25 June

[Edax]

Fourth time in a row that Max is outqualifying Ricciardo. Only bad luck fror Max has kept Ric in front on points. If Max gets his luck going, Ric is going to suffer huge reputation damage. Can Ric do something about qualifying?

I think daniel is taking a philosophical approach this year. He doesn't seem to be pushing and seems like he lost his edge. Maybe he just wants to collect points and try finish the races ahead of Max?
I don't know but he doesnt seem to be trying very hard. Max may just push him out of the team like he pushed out vettel.

Well if he is trying to play it safe and collect points then parking it in the wall in quali is obviously not the way to go. RIC was pushing as much and maybe a bit more that VES.

I think your reading too much in it. They both seem to be more committed to beating Ferrari than beating each other. May change when a championship comes in play but for now I think they are OK.

This in contrast to their sister team where reportedly a new cold war has broken out between their drivers. Especially Sainz doesn't look happy lately. Pity because I think he was on his way to securing a top seat. But lately he has made quite a few errors, and Kyviat seems to be finding his mojo back.

[Just_a_fan]

Wow...Didn't expect Merc to be so strong. They just monstered this track. I guess that puts to sleep which PU is better..

Updated PU better than obsolete PU. Hardly a shocking outcome really.

[Sieper]

Hamilton is a fantastic driver, and the lap was flawless, but still, it was so much faster then Any of his other laps and Bottas was only half a second down. I really do think merc has Some kind of mapping they only dare to use when it really counts and as short as possible. I don't want to take anything away from Hamilton but on these power hungry tracks merc can consistently run one super fast lap for both of the drivers.

Good job from merc getting back on top. Lets hope on less power hungry tracks Ferrari can still match, and dare I say RBR can even get close? I hope so.

[Jordan44]

Hamilton is a fantastic driver, and the lap was flawless, but still, it was so much faster then Any of his other laps and Bottas was only half a second down. I really do think merc has Some kind of mapping they only dare to use when it really counts and as short as possible. I don't want to take anything away from Hamilton but on these power hungry tracks merc can consistently run one super fast lap for both of the drivers.

Good job from merc getting back on top. Lets hope on less power hungry tracks Ferrari can still match, and dare I say RBR can even get close? I hope so.

You are probably not aware that Hamilton went completely off the track in the final sector on his first flying lap. He was a huge amount up on everyone else before that, I think like 6 tenths. Still managed to get P2.

[garygph]

I am not a fanboy or like conspiracy theories and favoritism rumors but I am confused about the following and hope the posters here can explain the following to me:
When the comparison of Bottas and Hamiltons qualifying laps were being compared side by side I was surprised by just how much time Hamilton made down the long straight on Bottas. Yes I get if you have a better launch onto the straight it makes a difference but did Bottas mess his launch up that much!? Also curious to me was our dear unemotional Bottas looked really peeved in the interview after the qualifying, and yes I do agree that this could have been due to regretting a mistake and not getting pole but I wonder if it was not something else. I am wondering if Hamilton had use(permission to use) of another engine setting which gave him that extra qualifying oomph down that straight and Bottas was peed off about it? Unless I am mistaken they were very close everywhere else but that straight.

Again not a fanboy so all logical explanations are very welcome

[atanatizante]

For sure the difference between Merc and Ferrari is not over 1 sec and it`s more down to how they setup the car for Sunday`s race, so I think there are some possible reasons behind that :
1. It seems to me that Merc has setup their car more towards the qualy cuz they think here track position is king ...
2. Track temp was dropping 13 degrees Celsius between FP3 (56) and Q3 (43) so the lower temp it favored Merc car ...
3. There were no tyre pressure dropping either from one session to another, therefore Merc do no need to stiffen further their chassis and that was visible for not having traction problems at all on those 90 degree corners ...
4. Ferrari having old PU means they couldn`t afford to have those aggressive mappings in Q3 ...
5. The only change from FP2 to FP3 and Q was turn 8 changing layout so suddenly Merc had found a good chunk of time in S2 since then ...
6. Ferrari was running a lot of rear wing being so slow on the speed trap and maybe they have a mild setup tyre in mind, in order to nurse the rear tyres longer for having consistent good laps, as Vettel show us well in FP2 ...
7. Or maybe it was the case of Merc just nailing the tyres sweet spot for the first time this year and vice-versa Ferrari didn`t for the first time around ...

[TAG]

So is that end of an Merc vs Ferrari?

What THE hell has happened to Ferrari? One second behind?

Maybe the reminder to not burn oil or add combustible ingredients to the oil reminder sent out by the FiA wasn't for Mercedes?

[ClarkBT11]

I am not a fanboy or like conspiracy theories and favoritism rumors but I am confused about the following and hope the posters here can explain the following to me:
When the comparison of Bottas and Hamiltons qualifying laps were being compared side by side I was surprised by just how much time Hamilton made down the long straight on Bottas. Yes I get if you have a better launch onto the straight it makes a difference but did Bottas mess his launch up that much!? Also curious to me was our dear unemotional Bottas looked really peeved in the interview after the qualifying, and yes I do agree that this could have been due to regretting a mistake and not getting pole but I wonder if it was not something else. I am wondering if Hamilton had use(permission to use) of another engine setting which gave him that extra qualifying oomph down that straight and Bottas was peed off about it? Unless I am mistaken they were very close everywhere else but that straight.

Again not a fanboy so all logical explanations are very welcome

I've not seen the comparison video but,
Hamilton was down in the first sector by one tenth to Bottas. In the second sector Hamilton was over 4 tenths quicker than Bottas which probably suggest Hamilton's​ tyres were in the better operating window. Post race Bottas said he was having trouble managing the tyres. That's the reason Hamilton was faster mate.

[sAx]

I am not a fanboy or like conspiracy theories and favoritism rumors but I am confused about the following and hope the posters here can explain the following to me:
When the comparison of Bottas and Hamiltons qualifying laps were being compared side by side I was surprised by just how much time Hamilton made down the long straight on Bottas. Yes I get if you have a better launch onto the straight it makes a difference but did Bottas mess his launch up that much!? Also curious to me was our dear unemotional Bottas looked really peeved in the interview after the qualifying, and yes I do agree that this could have been due to regretting a mistake and not getting pole but I wonder if it was not something else. I am wondering if Hamilton had use(permission to use) of another engine setting which gave him that extra qualifying oomph down that straight and Bottas was peed off about it? Unless I am mistaken they were very close everywhere else but that straight.

Again not a fanboy so all logical explanations are very welcome

.....Hamilton had use(permission to use) of another engine...

Answer to your own question right there, it's that other engine he has in the back that no-one knows about!!

[Wynters]

Maybe the reminder to not burn oil or add combustible ingredients to the oil reminder sent out by the FiA wasn't for Mercedes?

Ted said it might have been for Ferrari rather than Merc (on his post-Quali vid and also, apparently, during F1 coverage).

As for Hamilton's launch, he seemed to carry more speed through that corner than Bottas did. It's very difficult to say based on the Sky side-be-side but he looked to gain a couple of metres just through that corner and that would've multiplied all the way down the straight.

Start tomorrow will be the most exciting part of the race. I'm expecting super conservative startegies and almost no overtaking . Hope I'm wrong. Will be interesting if Max gets in amongst the front 4 off the start.

[ClarkBT11]

So is that end of an Merc vs Ferrari?

What THE hell has happened to Ferrari? One second behind?

Maybe the reminder to not burn oil or add combustible ingredients to the oil reminder sent out by the FiA wasn't for Mercedes?

Christian Horner refferred to Ferrari first to who it might hinder with the oil ban and it might affect Mercedes but it doesn't seem to of affected them.

[garygph]

I am not a fanboy or like conspiracy theories and favoritism rumors but I am confused about the following and hope the posters here can explain the following to me:
When the comparison of Bottas and Hamiltons qualifying laps were being compared side by side I was surprised by just how much time Hamilton made down the long straight on Bottas. Yes I get if you have a better launch onto the straight it makes a difference but did Bottas mess his launch up that much!? Also curious to me was our dear unemotional Bottas looked really peeved in the interview after the qualifying, and yes I do agree that this could have been due to regretting a mistake and not getting pole but I wonder if it was not something else. I am wondering if Hamilton had use(permission to use) of another engine setting which gave him that extra qualifying oomph down that straight and Bottas was peed off about it? Unless I am mistaken they were very close everywhere else but that straight.

Again not a fanboy so all logical explanations are very welcome

.....Hamilton had use(permission to use) of another engine...

Answer to your own question right there, it's that other engine he has in the back that no-one knows about!!

Very clever leaving out the word "setting" ...yawn...and I tried so hard not to attract that sort of answer.

[garygph]

I am not a fanboy or like conspiracy theories and favoritism rumors but I am confused about the following and hope the posters here can explain the following to me:
When the comparison of Bottas and Hamiltons qualifying laps were being compared side by side I was surprised by just how much time Hamilton made down the long straight on Bottas. Yes I get if you have a better launch onto the straight it makes a difference but did Bottas mess his launch up that much!? Also curious to me was our dear unemotional Bottas looked really peeved in the interview after the qualifying, and yes I do agree that this could have been due to regretting a mistake and not getting pole but I wonder if it was not something else. I am wondering if Hamilton had use(permission to use) of another engine setting which gave him that extra qualifying oomph down that straight and Bottas was peed off about it? Unless I am mistaken they were very close everywhere else but that straight.

Again not a fanboy so all logical explanations are very welcome

I've not seen the comparison video but,
Hamilton was down in the first sector by one tenth to Bottas. In the second sector Hamilton was over 4 tenths quicker than Bottas which probably suggest Hamilton's​ tyres were in the better operating window. Post race Bottas said he was having trouble managing the tyres. That's the reason Hamilton was faster mate.

Which was my thought until I saw the comparison video..as well as thinking Bottas must have messed up a corner or two badly to loose 5 tenths

[TAG]

Christian Horner refferred to Ferrari first to who it might hinder with the oil ban and it might affect Mercedes but it doesn't seem to of affected them.

No burning of oil, no effect.

[Sieper]

Hamilton is a fantastic driver, and the lap was flawless, but still, it was so much faster then Any of his other laps and Bottas was only half a second down. I really do think merc has Some kind of mapping they only dare to use when it really counts and as short as possible. I don't want to take anything away from Hamilton but on these power hungry tracks merc can consistently run one super fast lap for both of the drivers.

Good job from merc getting back on top. Lets hope on less power hungry tracks Ferrari can still match, and dare I say RBR can even get close? I hope so.

You are probably not aware that Hamilton went completely off the track in the final sector on his first flying lap. He was a huge amount up on everyone else before that, I think like 6 tenths. Still managed to get P2.

I was, and also that lap was in the low 1.41 suddenly for both. So indeed, correction, not 1 but 2 laps, both the final laps in q3 the merc engine also Plays a role. The difference is just too big, also to their own (Hamilton an Bottas) and last year Hamilton and rosberg previous laps before that. Last year Bottas was never able to make such a difference on his final laps and now suddenly he too is.

And Yes Hamilton is half a second faster then his team mate and that was just flawless driving. He truely is one of the alltime great.