2017 Mexico Grand Prix - Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, 27-29 October

[zibby43]

Thank you for the explanations!!

Based on what you say and taking into account that Mercedes and Ferrari has the most powerful(and perhaps efficient PUs) should they have an advantage on this track?

You are very welcome! Glad I could provide a modicum of useful info.

As SectorOne pointed out, because all teams' ICEs will suffer in the thin air, the PU hierarchy will more or less stay the same.

However, because of the problems that arise due to the thinner air (e.g., the issue of additional heat dissipation), teams that can run efficient cooling solutions may suffer less than other teams.

The top teams are also capable of doing some seriously in-depth tuning (including of course, mapping) to adjust various ICE parameters in order to mitigate altitude-related, negative effects on the PU.

That turbo really helps mitigate power loss. It just has to work its tail off. And the turbo working harder means that the MGU-H is pushed harder as well.

In sum, cooling is going to be the name of the game here. Engine cooling shouldn't be a huge problem. But teams are going to open the cars up as much as possible to help cool the PUs, the gearbox, etc.

Oh, and this race is tough on the brakes, too.

Hope that helps.

[Vasconia]

Thank you for the explanations!!

Based on what you say and taking into account that Mercedes and Ferrari has the most powerful(and perhaps efficient PUs) should they have an advantage on this track?

You are very welcome! Glad I could provide a modicum of useful info.

As SectorOne pointed out, because all teams' ICEs will suffer in the thin air, the PU hierarchy will more or less stay the same.

However, because of the problems that arise due to the thinner air (e.g., the issue of additional heat dissipation), teams that can run efficient cooling solutions may suffer less than other teams.

The top teams are also capable of doing some seriously in-depth tuning (including of course, mapping) to adjust various ICE parameters in order to mitigate altitude-related, negative effects on the PU.

That turbo really helps mitigate power loss. It just has to work its tail off. And the turbo working harder means that the MGU-H is pushed harder as well.

In sum, cooling is going to be the name of the game here. Engine cooling shouldn't be a huge problem. But teams are going to open the cars up as much as possible to help cool the PUs, the gearbox, etc.

Oh, and this race is tough on the brakes, too.

Hope that helps.

Thanks again! that was the idea I had in mind but more correctly explained and with "real" content.

[PlatinumZealot]

I'm going for the same, well more or less podium than @ COTA.

1. Hamilton
2. Vettel
3. Verstappen

Oh. OK. I think this is a Bottas track.
I am sticking Bottas into the top 3.

[godlameroso]

Sector 1 is full on Mercedes, sector 2 is a toss up, sector 3 is Ferrari.

It's much more enjoyable with these new cars, particularly sector 2 and 3, the corners are faster than they appear. Particularly turn 12, very tricky, the esses are very fun nearly flat out, sector one is still rather dull, 2 long straights a slow right hander and a useless chicane, which makes a nice passing opportunity into an impossible one. Whose idea was it to put a chicane after a straight and expect overtakes?

[NathanOlder]

Kvyat been fired by Red Bull. Wont race again in F1!

[NL_Fer]

Haas could fire their current drivers, take that Ferrari talent and put Kvyat in the other car.

[godlameroso]

Looks like they're putting down some sausage/baguette curbs between turns 2 & 3, and also no more Initial D gutter technique on turn 8, and sausage curbs on turn 11 as well.

It'll still be nearly flat through there this year.

[WaikeCU]

I wonder if the oil manufacturers such as Petronas, Shell and such have different mixture for this GP?

[godlameroso]

I don't think altitude has the same effect on oil as it does on air. Maybe it boils at a lower temperature?

[ChrisDanger]

[JonoNic]

I don't think altitude has the same effect on oil as it does on air. Maybe it boils at a lower temperature?

It's like the pressurised cabin of a airliner. The effect on the oil should be miniscule as the inside of the PU is enclosed and hot.

Sent from my SM-A700F using Tapatalk

[PlatinumZealot]

Crank case pressure is related to the pressure behind the throttle body on a street car. For F1 cars, with their individual Throttles and Tubo I am not sure how they vent the crank case, but for efficiency reasons it has to be vented to a low pressure. One can guess there is a vent into the compressor or behind the throttle bodies, or to a vacuum pump but anyway my point is that the crank case pressure for these turbo engines should be more or less the same as if the car were at sea level.

[zibby43]

Some information regarding tire strategy:

- The track surface at this event is very smooth and a little slippery, reducing tire wear and degradation despite the high speeds (372 kph was seen in 2016).

- Another fun fact: Pit lane is the longest of the year.

- Last year, most teams opted for one-stoppers. With how "durable" this year's compounds are, it is no surprise that most teams went heavy on the Ultrasofts.

[iotar__]

I wonder if the oil manufacturers such as Petronas, Shell and such have different mixture for this GP?

"For 2017, each team will only be able to nominate five fuel blends for the season, and only two at any given race weekend."
Big enough effect or not I doubt they'd be wasting one tailor made blend for Mexico.

Some information regarding tire strategy:
- The track surface at this event is very smooth and a little slippery, reducing tire wear and degradation despite the high speeds (372 kph was seen in 2016).
- Last year, most teams opted for one-stoppers. With how "durable" this year's compounds are, it is no surprise that most teams went heavy on the Ultrasofts.

Not the best news for RB since their "best chassis" claims had a lot do with tyres and unlike in '12 they're not complaining . Introduction of (dramatic music) tyre management and degradation in Austin helped them but it might have been a one off.

I think Verstappen will be the main challenger to Hamilton this weekend.

A. See above B. Based on what? He was five positions (before penalties), 0,55 s behind and the slowest of the top three teams in USA including his team-mate despite preferential treatment of a brand new engine .

[drunkf1fan]

Based on what... based not on qualifying, because qualifying is one thing but the race is another. It's pretty plain to see for anyone with some common sense that RBR is much faster in a race than in qualifying. Verstappen came from 16th and could well have finished within a couple of seconds of Vettel who went into the first corner in 1st place. That implies excellent race pace and also implies that if he had started 5th he could well have come second and potentially been a lot closer to Hamilton than Vettel got.

If RBR and Verstappen in particular didn't have better race pace than Vettel/Ferrari then he shouldn't have been anywhere near either Ferrari at the end of the race.

Just to highlight this, by the 3rd lap Verstappen was 16 seconds off the lead due to the field spreading out quickly. The lap before Vettel's first stop Verstappen was 11 seconds behind him, right after Max's pitstop he was 18 seconds behind Vettel having gone much longer while Vettel was quick after the pitstop. Just before their second pitstop Verstappen was only 5 seconds down on Vettel and at the end he was 2.5 seconds behind Vettel with one lap to go.

Compared to Hamilton, he finished 11 seconds behind him despite starting 16th and being 16 seconds behind after 3 laps, but Hamilton was cruising after he regained the lead so it's hard to say how competitive he would have been, but that Verstappen and RBR together had greater race pace than Kimi or Vettel is pretty much unquestionable.

With a faster car and overtaking being relatively easy at Cota, I would have been surprised if Max didn't get ahead of both Ferrari's had he not had penalties.