2018 Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal June 8-10

[nevill3]

So the result was rolled back by two laps due to the chequered flag error. The only change being Max gets the fastest lap

[JPBD1990]

I think asking Pirelli to make softer/more fragile tyres is a very risky strategy, as drivers then slow down to manage them. This was the issue in 2016, for example. Lewis I think said you go for 2 laps at the start and then have to manage the tyres.

It’s an odd, pirelli-specific characteristic. Bridgestone tyres used to degrade and certainly couldn’t last an entire race, but somehow also seemed less sensitive.

Ultimately I think the missing link is refueling. When you have to stop for fuel, you race the tyres flat out. When the only limitation is the tyres, you eek them out here and there and where ever you can.

The racing would be infinitely better RIGHT NOW even with the current aero regs if:
1) we brought back refueling
2) PU and gearbox components weren’t limited

Simple. That fixes the biggest problem we have right now which is everyone managing their pace after lap 3. If you HAVE to pit for fuel, tyre life doesn’t matter so you will run them harder. If you’re not worried about your engine doing 7 races you will flog the thing as hard as you possibly can for every 10th.

To me, it’s literally that simple. While I think simplified aero would obviously help further, I don’t think it’s necessarily required.

[matt_b]

Lewis seemed relived to finish and collect those crucial 10 points with that old engine. For the record that engine has now done 5326.76KM over 7 full race weekends. Impressive from Mercedes especially as we had a couple of power tracks in there too.

[Sieper]

So the result was rolled back by two laps due to the chequered flag error. The only change being Max gets the fastest lap

And If he would have caught Bottas with no fuel left on the finish line (which did not happen now by a mere 0,1 second) this then wouldn't have counted. At he start Max briefly was In front of Bottas but both took care here. Max is now doing what everybody demands. He did put Ricci on 11 seconds again, just like in spain (there it was actually more but there Ricci also had a spin).

The hypersoft gamble for RBR payed out partially, Ricci got Kimi and due to ham PU overheating issues he even got ham (and Max did not loose P3 to ham) but for Max no advantage as he had to be carefull with Bottas at the start (in the position he is in now). Possibly the will not gamble on it again? The ultrasoft was the better race tire .

[Juzh]

The end of the race might have seemed a bit more exciting if they’d actually showed Max closing on Bottas! 0.1s so must have been very close to the naked eye - if only we could have seen it!

[MtthsMlw]

The end of the race might have seemed a bit more exciting if they’d actually showed Max closing on Bottas! 0.1s so must have been very close to the naked eye - if only we could have seen it!

https://streamable.com/1qtl9

Watched it from Bottas' perspective and it looked and sounded like he got only up to 6th gear and then lifted of the throttle quite far away from the finish line.

[Sieper]

For sure Bottas gave away extra time there, but Max was closing in rapidly those last laps (due to Bottas having to manage his last bit of fuel). In Any case, it wouldn’t have counted due to the chequered flag blunder. Why did they not show Max last laps, a real blunder again.

Also, it must be said, Max backing up Lewis into Ricci for the overcut (when Lewis still had his PU heat issues in the first stint) was quite genious by RBR management and executed on track by Max and Ricci, teamplay at work.

By the way, Did anybody see Ricci Nearly putting it in the wall on the formation lap? I guess not.

[Edax]

The end of the race might have seemed a bit more exciting if they’d actually showed Max closing on Bottas! 0.1s so must have been very close to the naked eye - if only we could have seen it!

https://streamable.com/1qtl9

Didn’t realise it was that close. But VES did a solid job. It does seem he is a bit more cautious like he backed out of the move with Bottas at the start. It does strengthen the negative correlation between Jos Verstappen being on the paddock and Max results, so I don’t expect to see him back soon.

Television coverage was pretty poor. Another thing which was interesting which was completely missed by TV was Gastly getting close to Alonso. That would be a sight to behold, A mclaren being chased by a TR with a GP2 engine.

[notsofast]

...Ultimately I think the missing link is refueling...

No matter how many variables there are, all teams will do the same calculations, and all teams will end up with same strategy.

If we want racing, then we need to reward racing. Awarding points based only on position does not encourage racing. The gap to the driver in front and the gap to the driver in back should be taken into consideration.

[JPBD1990]

...Ultimately I think the missing link is refueling...

No matter how many variables there are, all teams will do the same calculations, and all teams will end up with same strategy.

If we want racing, then we need to reward racing. Awarding points based only on position does not encourage racing. The gap to the driver in front and the gap to the driver in back should be taken into consideration.

I don’t think refueling would help by having different drivers on different strategies. I think it would help in racing flat out, from lights to flag. There would be no need to babysit the tyres if you had to stop for fuel anyway. That in addition to not having to baby the drivetrain over 7 races and DRS, AT LEAST you might have drivers driving balls to the wall for 99% of the Grand Prix. Today, drivers raced for the first 5 laps and the last... 5-10 laps. That’s how the tyres, and the PU/gearbox regs force drivers to race.

[J.A.W.]

It is getting more boring by the week...
Any ideas on how to make it interesting in the short term?

Verstappen needs to crash again.

Cruel, but true.. & so.. funny!

Ok, Max deserves credit for a driving such a 'measured' parade.. ah, procession.. sorry.. I mean.. race..

I guess the fact that we are commenting on this..
means we badly need more real racing to make 'the show' what it ought to be.. an exciting competition..
& so yeah, I must concur with such apt suggestions.. like those made a few posts back, by JPBD1990..

[Jackles-UK]

I was so disappointed watching that race. Canada has consistently been my favourite race since I first started watching F1 and I look forward to it as soon as the season starts. This year though was just terrible. Monaco was terrible as well but boring races there are nothing new - when tracks like Montreal are serving up tepid processions though it’s clear that something needs to be done.

If it was up to me, the steps that the FIA/Liberty should be taking to improve the racing:

1. Reduce the width of the cars. Tracks like Montreal, Monaco, Singapore etc. are just too narrow to see close wheel-to-wheel racing now and that forces straight-line overtakes using DRS.

2. Tyres need to be made noticeably less durable. Pretty much all the top cars could have completed the entire race on one set of Super Soft tyres today if the rules allowed - make the most durable tyre each weekend capable of completing a maximum of 50% race distance to encourage multiple pit stops. With seven different compounds they should have been able to make sets soft enough to degrade at Monaco/Canada this year, they cant use that as an excuse.

3. Cheaper, less complicated engines with increased season allocation. My idea would be a 2.0l turbo-hybrid, to ditch the MGU-H entirely (which isn’t even road-car relevant), increase the current fuel flow rate and a up the current rev limit so that total power doesn’t drop. Allow five engine elements not three so that teams aren’t limping home from half-distance every race. By making the engines cheaper the extra units would make the total annual engine spend around the same. This less complex formula will probably also encourage more engine manufacturers into the sport.

4. Somehow find a way to make smaller teams more competitive. Today, the top six cars lapped every other car on track and that is just not acceptable. I can’t think of a really easy way of achieving this off the top of my head (perhaps the answer is reworking the prize money allocation, perhaps it is more standardised parts such as brakes) but a two-tier formula is terrible for everyone and it needs to be addressed.

[JPBD1990]

...Ultimately I think the missing link is refueling...

No matter how many variables there are, all teams will do the same calculations, and all teams will end up with same strategy.

If we want racing, then we need to reward racing. Awarding points based only on position does not encourage racing. The gap to the driver in front and the gap to the driver in back should be taken into consideration.

I don’t think refueling would help by having different drivers on different strategies. I think it would help in racing flat out, from lights to flag. There would be no need to babysit the tyres if you had to stop for fuel anyway. That in addition to not having to baby the drivetrain over 7 races and DRS, AT LEAST you might have drivers driving balls to the wall for 99% of the Grand Prix. Today, drivers raced for the first 5 laps and the last... 5-10 laps. That’s how the tyres, and the PU/gearbox regs force drivers to race.

I think those few, easy things, combined with the haphazard aero regs they rushed through for next year, and we’d all be pretty surprised the difference it can make.

Hell, to make it “cheaper”, still require engines and gearboxes to last 3-4 events. Just not 7

[Sevach]

The end of the race might have seemed a bit more exciting if they’d actually showed Max closing on Bottas! 0.1s so must have been very close to the naked eye - if only we could have seen it!

https://streamable.com/1qtl9

Kind of weird, i mean maybe Bottas was low... but he still had enough for the parade lap, and he hasn't been disqualified for having less than 1 liter.

If Verstappen didn't give up after exiting the chicane it might've been even closer.

I'm glad it wasn't that close because if we had been robbed of the only overtake by the flag blunder i would be pissed.

[Redragon]

bring a soft / medium / hard.

Now all the tyres where softs actually.

You sure about that?

Yeah, I beg to differ. Managing the SS a little bit would make it good enough to do the entire race. Who wants anything harder?

Pirelli needs to go more aggressive. And so what if then sometimes we end up with 4 stop races. I wouldn't mind.
Then again, it's not a true solution, but only one still possible to change anything during the course of the current season.

But anyway, at least we've got Le Mans 24h week to flush all of this

Pirelli were aggresive when they returned to the F1 and were criziced by the lottery race they were producing. Me I really liked those couple of years on unpredictible ends and complicated strategies.