2018 French Grand Prix, Le Castellet, June 22-24

[Fulcrum]

What are you on about? Never trust Friday practice, and "race simulations average" even less.
And the tire conspiracy theories are tiring without evidence.

BTW what does this mean?:
"I hope you are not inviting all those who enjoy this discussion about how Pirelli has favored Mercedes. "

We've had various people analyse the FP2 times, myself included. They are usually a very reasonable proxy of race pace for the 1st stint.

So what's your verdict for tomorrow?

On the basis of the observed data it would appear if Vettel gets pole he would have the pace to control the outcome of a dry race.

However, Mercedes were probably not running their engines anywhere close to full power yesterday, especially considering the teething issues they appear to have experienced with their Spec 2 engine.

In addition, as has been mentioned in this thread, qualifying is unlikely to be dry. The same protagonists should remain in play (Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo.... with Raikkonen slotting in somewhere in the first 3 rows), but random outcomes will be more likely if it is wet.

[Zynerji]

I see Gasley/Ocon/or Grosjean pulling a crazy top 3 of its a wet qual. Something about the home field advantage in the wet!

Well, dreaming is free, I guess...

[komninosm]

There is no race tomorrow. Only qualifying, and he didn't say anything about 1 lap pace.

What do you mean? Qualifying is in 5 hours and the race is tomorrow. Did something change?

Just my lack of awareness that midnight had passed. My bad, I thought you were asking about qualifying.

Oh where are you from? Hawaii? California?

[komninosm]

We've had various people analyse the FP2 times, myself included. They are usually a very reasonable proxy of race pace for the 1st stint.

So what's your verdict for tomorrow?

On the basis of the observed data it would appear if Vettel gets pole he would have the pace to control the outcome of a dry race.

However, Mercedes were probably not running their engines anywhere close to full power yesterday, especially considering the teething issues they appear to have experienced with their Spec 2 engine.

In addition, as has been mentioned in this thread, qualifying is unlikely to be dry. The same protagonists should remain in play (Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo.... with Raikkonen slotting in somewhere in the first 3 rows), but random outcomes will be more likely if it is wet.

I seriously doubt that Vettel has the best dry race pace, but if it's gonna rain I'll guess we'll never know.

[Zynerji]

With the data already posted, where does your "serious doubt" come from?

[Juzh]

Got to say I like the track from onboard. Smooth flowing layout. Did he just do 300 kph through a corner?

It's not really a corner. Everyone's flat there.

The audio is strange on my headphones , left to right ear on headphones, on TV speakers it's not noticeable. I think high notes on the left ear and low on the right. Why's that?

FOM uses 2 mics for onboard audio, one of which is in near the exhaust. That's why it's pitched higher. On tv you don't notice that because audio mixes before it gets to you, while on headphones it obviously doesn't.

[komninosm]

With the data already posted, where does your "serious doubt" come from?

Because of sandbagging and various other mistakes with the analysis and which laps were pushing and how much.
We can barely get a picture about Qualifying and even that is skewed.
I've seen these predictions usually fail to deliver.

It's not really a corner. Everyone's flat there.

The audio is strange on my headphones , left to right ear on headphones, on TV speakers it's not noticeable. I think high notes on the left ear and low on the right. Why's that?

FOM uses 2 mics for onboard audio, one of which is in near the exhaust. That's why it's pitched higher. On tv you don't notice that because audio mixes before it gets to you, while on headphones it obviously doesn't.

Yeah, I know why it wasn't noticeable on TV speakers, but it is still weird that FOM uses so different mic setting. I think usually a bit more of the left channel sound is mixed with the right (and vice versa) so it doesn't tickle my ears. This is borderline annoying.

[komninosm]

1 stop race?

With the lowered pit speed limit, yeah (unless rain), like every other race so far (right?).
Until they bring back refueling so there's a bigger race speed increase from more pit-stops and change tracks (pit exit and pit entry) so there is less time lost, we're stuck to 1 usually. Maybe even drop the artificial need to use 2 different types of tires and they would be more tempted to use 2 pits for Soft/Soft/Soft stints instead of Soft/Hard stints and 1 pit-stop as usual.
Seriously, this --- does not require much thinking...

[GPR-A duplicate2]

In addition, as has been mentioned in this thread, qualifying is unlikely to be dry. The same protagonists should remain in play (Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo.... with Raikkonen slotting in somewhere in the first 3 rows), but random outcomes will be more likely if it is wet.

Count Ric and Bottas out if it is wet qualifying. Usual protagonists for wet would be Hamilton, Verstappen and Vettel.

[Big Tea]

I see Gasley/Ocon/or Grosjean pulling a crazy top 3 of its a wet qual. Something about the home field advantage in the wet!

Well, dreaming is free, I guess...

The only influence Grosjens is likely to have is deciding who is not going to make it due to damage.

[iotar__]

1 stop race?

With the lowered pit speed limit, yeah (unless rain), like every other race so far (right?).
Until they bring back refueling so there's a bigger race speed increase from more pit-stops and change tracks (pit exit and pit entry) so there is less time lost, we're stuck to 1 usually. Maybe even drop the artificial need to use 2 different types of tires and they would be more tempted to use 2 pits for Soft/Soft/Soft stints instead of Soft/Hard stints and 1 pit-stop as usual.
Seriously, this --- does not require much thinking...

- it's a one stopper (most likely) because it's a one stopper not because of pitlane speed limit

- not refueling again. It's the same type of good old times nostalgia that brought tyres lasting forever and one stop GPs which were supposed to allow pushing 100% and great racing.
A. Different fuel Q and fuel corrected pole nonsense
B. Easier to manipulate teammates battles
C. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing (not audience), everyone is doing the same, outcame is known, except for rare variations in pitstop numbers (although I gurantee it would look differently in modern F1).
D. It doesn't add anything to proper racing except for drivers in their own separated stint/car bubbles and some randomness of slower cars in front at the start or during pitstop window

- getting rid of the tyre types is the worst idea, in the same direction as current tyres-one stoppers, less variables - worse for the sport.
- Different tyre manufacturers? A. the usual, special treatment, equal and more equal (think tyre testing for only 3 top teams last year but x10) B. Current engines type of consequences, someone getting it right

Anyway let's go back to current and less controversial topic like special tyres :
- I think it's the opposite, it's the evil standard tyres that don't allow the quickest cars to be the quickest and add randomness (~RB '12 tyre arguments).
- Special tyres like hypersofts are the real problem, they help teams that get the most out of them (RB) to gain unfair advantage despite being overall slower by lowering the degradation (~RB '12 arguments).

[mani517]

1 stop race?

With the lowered pit speed limit, yeah (unless rain), like every other race so far (right?).
Until they bring back refueling so there's a bigger race speed increase from more pit-stops and change tracks (pit exit and pit entry) so there is less time lost, we're stuck to 1 usually. Maybe even drop the artificial need to use 2 different types of tires and they would be more tempted to use 2 pits for Soft/Soft/Soft stints instead of Soft/Hard stints and 1 pit-stop as usual.
Seriously, this --- does not require much thinking...

I agree on the subject refuelling. It is a genuine safety concern, but, it brings in a few true pace differentiators
- Due to the fuel load weight of cars will vary (at least, not all cars will be in the same weight bracket at a given point in a race)
- Cars that favour lower end of weight limit can choose to run 3 or 4 low fuel stints and still be faster than a 1 stopping teams
- But, more than anything, teams will NOT have the option of extending a stint to shadow a competitor (teams commit to maximum stint length at each pit stop) - thus, no incentive for saving tires (or should I say, less incentive for saving tires -- because, running slower to a delta will still help engine life).

About dropping the 2 compound rule, it could easily backfire (unless, rules force a minimum number of pit-stops). In this age of running a full season with just 3 PUs, teams might decide driving slow and not stopping would be ideal for the engine life

[Big Tea]

I would like to see it at least tried with unlimited tyre choice, and ALL types capable of completing race distance. Or if the pitstop needs to be kept, keep it in and allow changes, do not make them compulsory. Just stop, once wheels stop turning, off you go.

The teams can make their own strategy then from no stop to 4 stop with the 4 stop being the dash from the grid and the no stop coming into play late and the fresh 4 stop again at the end trying to pass the 1 and 2 stoppers.

[falonso81]

Looks like a wet quali and maybe wet race tomorrow. Possible thunderstorms.

[komninosm]

1 stop race?

With the lowered pit speed limit, yeah (unless rain), like every other race so far (right?).
Until they bring back refueling so there's a bigger race speed increase from more pit-stops and change tracks (pit exit and pit entry) so there is less time lost, we're stuck to 1 usually. Maybe even drop the artificial need to use 2 different types of tires and they would be more tempted to use 2 pits for Soft/Soft/Soft stints instead of Soft/Hard stints and 1 pit-stop as usual.
Seriously, this --- does not require much thinking...

- it's a one stopper (most likely) because it's a one stopper not because of pitlane speed limit

- not refueling again. It's the same type of good old times nostalgia that brought tyres lasting forever and one stop GPs which were supposed to allow pushing 100% and great racing.
A. Different fuel Q and fuel corrected pole nonsense
B. Easier to manipulate teammates battles
C. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing (not audience), everyone is doing the same, outcame is known, except for rare variations in pitstop numbers (although I gurantee it would look differently in modern F1).
D. It doesn't add anything to proper racing except for drivers in their own separated stint/car bubbles and some randomness of slower cars in front at the start or during pitstop window

- getting rid of the tyre types is the worst idea, in the same direction as current tyres-one stoppers, less variables - worse for the sport.
- Different tyre manufacturers? A. the usual, special treatment, equal and more equal (think tyre testing for only 3 top teams last year but x10) B. Current engines type of consequences, someone getting it right

Anyway let's go back to current and less controversial topic like special tyres :
- I think it's the opposite, it's the evil standard tyres that don't allow the quickest cars to be the quickest and add randomness (~RB '12 tyre arguments).
- Special tyres like hypersofts are the real problem, they help teams that get the most out of them (RB) to gain unfair advantage despite being overall slower by lowering the degradation (~RB '12 arguments).

I see you're still the same illogical and full of strawman "debater"
Back to ignore you go. Everybody feels the same from what I see about you...