2018 Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, May 24-27

[dren]

Red Bull looks easily the best on one lap pace and over the long runs. It's hard to say how much Ferrari will gain when they turn up their PU, but they were suffering from tire graining. Hamilton will have to put together a stellar Q3 lap to stay ahead of the Ferraris. I think the two Red Bulls are out of reach.

[Bill_Kar]

Even tho tyres are graining I suppose this is the track that matters the least as long as you win quali and can do an one stopper you should win. And I think even with graining it will be a one stopper.

It'll be interesting to see what happens should some teams decide to stop early because of graining. If the undercut looks strong then you might see teams forced into making an early stop, those behind can split strategies. There might also be case for the overcut as well if the Hypers hold on really well. I wonder if teams that don't expect to get pole but are fast might do Q2 on the ultrasoft and safe the Hypersoft for a really powerful undercut.

You may be right here. I think , and I say that with every precaution, that Mercedes-Ferrari didn't need a warm up lap so it could work. But then again someone needs to think of the better traction that HS offers at the start. It'll be a great game theory going on there between the two championship contenders.

[Phil]

Even tho tyres are graining I suppose this is the track that matters the least as long as you win quali and can do an one stopper you should win. And I think even with graining it will be a one stopper.

It'll be interesting to see what happens should some teams decide to stop early because of graining. If the undercut looks strong then you might see teams forced into making an early stop, those behind can split strategies. There might also be case for the overcut as well if the Hypers hold on really well. I wonder if teams that don't expect to get pole but are fast might do Q2 on the ultrasoft and safe the Hypersoft for a really powerful undercut.

Good point. Though stopping too early will mean you could drop into traffic, which might ruin your undercutting in the first place. In theory, the car leading should be at an advantage because it's the first car that will find itself in "clean air" (assuming pitting goes right)...

[Phil]

EDIT: reformulated my entire post.

Ok, this is what I would do if I was a team and knew I couldn't get pole. Qualify on the SS in Q2. Then get the best starting position in Q3. Then run the race and let all cars pit ahead of me. Continue to race on that tire with both cars and then use the car behind to block all cars behind (at a slower pace) while allowing the front runner to gain a free pit stop. If possible and if there are enough laps, repeat for the second car.

Has something like this ever been done, by a midfield team? Using one car to block traffic and get the win (or a lot of points) with the other?

EDIT: It wouldn't even be necessary to qualify on the SS in Q2. Technically the tires should easily allow a 1-stop race, no matter the wear.

[motobaleno]

Red Bull looks easily the best on one lap pace and over the long runs.

not over long runs.
FP2 times say that at best they are in par with ferrari.

[f1316]

It’s the same every time, albeit this time to a greater extent: Red Bull always look great on a Friday (ok, Thursday in this case); they deserve the same reputation Ferrari had a few years ago.

Yes, they’ll be in the hunt and may well achieve pole but the others will undoubtedly look much better on Saturday (whether due to PU modes, setup, doesn’t matter) so let’s not count any chickens.

[Bill_Kar]

It’s the same every time, albeit this time to a greater extent: Red Bull always look great on a Friday (ok, Thursday in this case); they deserve the same reputation Ferrari had a few years ago.

Yes, they’ll be in the hunt and may well achieve pole but the others will undoubtedly look much better on Saturday (whether due to PU modes, setup, doesn’t matter) so let’s not count any chickens.

PU mode will play a role, albeit a less important one. People tend to think oh it's Monaco, PUs don't matter at all. I think I read at AMuS it'll cost RB "just" two tenths. We'll see.
But, frankly, they are favourites either way. As I said earlier, Merc-Fer will make a lot of progress, it will be close come Q3.

[Bill_Kar]

EDIT: reformulated my entire post.

Ok, this is what I would do if I was a team and knew I couldn't get pole. Qualify on the SS in Q2. Then get the best starting position in Q3. Then run the race and let all cars pit ahead of me. Continue to race on that tire with both cars and then use the car behind to block all cars behind (at a slower pace) while allowing the front runner to gain a free pit stop. If possible and if there are enough laps, repeat for the second car.

Has something like this ever been done, by a midfield team? Using one car to block traffic and get the win (or a lot of points) with the other?

EDIT: It wouldn't even be necessary to qualify on the SS in Q2. Technically the tires should easily allow a 1-stop race, no matter the wear.

Hmmm.. It's an interesting strategy. My objection is, what if you're too slow with the SS? Or you can't work them in the right window? If the cars in front pit relatively late (and I think they will) you may just give them a free pitstop.
But there are a lot of options, similar to yours, to play around with your n.2 driv... sorry, I mean the slowest one, whoever it is.

[Andres125sx]

'no danger'
[media]https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/999622472449298432[/media]

"... in a manner that posed no danger to the other drivers"

So entering not only the track, but the racing line, in reverse, while a car is coming, is not dangerous??

Video of the incident
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/head ... ejoin.html

He could have turned left while reversing to avoid the racing line, then turning right he could have rejoin the track, but instead he reversed straight into the racing line. IMHO that deserve, at least, a reprimand, but it looks like FIA will never say a word to Max, no matter what he does

[dren]

Red Bull looks easily the best on one lap pace and over the long runs.

not over long runs.
FP2 times say that at best they are in par with ferrari.

James Allen seems to think RB are the best of both, too: https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2018/05/ ... aco-f1-gp/

Red Bull certainly appeared to have upper hand in race trim, too. Of the top three teams, they completed the most mileage on the hypersoft tyres, frequently setting lap times in the low-1:15’s and – towards the end of the stints – setting occasional 1:14-second laps.

Ferrari were a couple of tenths further back form Red Bull’s pace, with Mercedes falling slightly further behind that.

[Mamba]

Video of the incident
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/head ... ejoin.html

He could have turned left while reversing to avoid the racing line, then turning right he could have rejoin the track, but instead he reversed straight into the racing line. IMHO that deserve, at least, a reprimand, but it looks like FIA will never say a word to Max, no matter what he does

The stewards determined that neither he nor Vettel was wholly or predominantly responsible for the situation that occurred and thus no further sanctions was taken.

[Just_a_fan]

The stewards determined that neither he nor Vettel was wholly or predominantly responsible for the situation that occurred and thus no further sanctions was taken.

Quite right in Vettel's case - he was being quite sensible in taking a line that took him away from the reversing RedBull. The alternatives were to pass Max (under yellow flags) or stop and wait for Max to sort himself out (which would have meant stopping on the racing line which is definitely not a good thing to do). Vettel was entirely innocent. Max, on the other hand, was a dolt. He should have turned around in the run off area and then rejoined when he could see that it was safe to do so.

Bad call from the stewards IMHO. Max should have got a public rebuke or even "naughty points".

[dans79]

Bad call from the stewards IMHO. Max should have got a public rebuke or even "naughty points".

As I've said before the FIA and specifically the stewards are weak.

[Wynters]

Being popular and being consistent are mutually exclusive, unfortunately.

[Bill_Kar]

Oh, no. I'm kinda against simplifying the tyres' names like they want to, it will cause even more headache.
I think that confusion comes from the colour, not the name. Especially the HS-US part. Just paint them in colours much more distinctive to each other.
Or, you know, just don't introduce tyres you don't intent to use.