2019 Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir, March 29 - 31

[GPR-A]

Tyres available after FP2.

[Schuttelberg]

Boy, if Mercedes trounce the field again, it'll be hilarious!

[Schuttelberg]

What is the point of the hard? Maybe that tire could work for an adventurous early undercut since passing is possible? If it is a one stop, maybe the hard will have a little more life left at the end of the race? Start on hards go late into the race then a mad dash on softs?

I personally am absolutely fed up of these one stop races. Pirelli is the worst thing to have happened to F1.

I also think they should just let the teams decide what compounds to use so that there are some strategy variations. The rules almost dictate what strategy teams must use!

[JonoNic]

I expect Bottas to beat Hamilton here

Agreed. Bottas does seem to like this track, and Hamilton doesn't. Should be an interesting competition.

Vettel will beat Leclerc because the team will make it so no matter what the reality on track (as stated by the team). Max will beat Gasly because Gasly isn't fast enough - he's a straight No. 2 by virtue of not being good enough to beat his team mate.

Kimi for a surprise high points finish, perhaps.

Now this is a 'hater' if I ever saw one. Why can't it be that Vettel beat Leclerc or vice versa fair and square.

[Restomaniac]

Boy, if Mercedes trounce the field again, it'll be hilarious!

More like depressing surely!

[Just_a_fan]

I expect Bottas to beat Hamilton here

Agreed. Bottas does seem to like this track, and Hamilton doesn't. Should be an interesting competition.

Vettel will beat Leclerc because the team will make it so no matter what the reality on track (as stated by the team). Max will beat Gasly because Gasly isn't fast enough - he's a straight No. 2 by virtue of not being good enough to beat his team mate.

Kimi for a surprise high points finish, perhaps.

Now this is a 'hater' if I ever saw one. Why can't it be that Vettel beat Leclerc or vice versa fair and square.

The team have stated that they will be favouring Seb for the title race. Thus they will likely swap their drivers to ensure the best outcome for Seb.

That's not "hating", it's a statement of the situation the team have publicly put themselves in.

If Seb wins on his own merit - the likely outcome at this stage in their respective careers, then I shall applaud him. If the team apply team orders at race two in the season, then I shall boo them and Seb. I'm sure even diehard Seb fans wouldn't want to see him gifted races in such a fashion at the start of the season. Would you?

[Just_a_fan]

What is the point of the hard? Maybe that tire could work for an adventurous early undercut since passing is possible? If it is a one stop, maybe the hard will have a little more life left at the end of the race? Start on hards go late into the race then a mad dash on softs?

I personally am absolutely fed up of these one stop races. Pirelli is the worst thing to have happened to F1.

I also think they should just let the teams decide what compounds to use so that there are some strategy variations. The rules almost dictate what strategy teams must use!

+1

It's done this way for logistics reasons as much as anything. Indeed, the whole "run a number of compounds in the weekend/race" requirement was brought in years ago because tyres were being wasted by not being used.

Perhaps we should go back to the Goodyear days where the tyre supplier brought enough of one compound for the whole event. Everyone runs that compound irrespective of their preferences. The compound could then be picked to force two or even three stops if required. All very artificial but also entirely possible.

The teams would need a good chunk of testing to be able to get a handle on the tyres before the season. But that is also entirely possible.

[GPR-A]

I personally am absolutely fed up of these one stop races. Pirelli is the worst thing to have happened to F1.

I also think they should just let the teams decide what compounds to use so that there are some strategy variations. The rules almost dictate what strategy teams must use!

+1

It's done this way for logistics reasons as much as anything. Indeed, the whole "run a number of compounds in the weekend/race" requirement was brought in years ago because tyres were being wasted by not being used.

Perhaps we should go back to the Goodyear days where the tyre supplier brought enough of one compound for the whole event. Everyone runs that compound irrespective of their preferences. The compound could then be picked to force two or even three stops if required. All very artificial but also entirely possible.

The teams would need a good chunk of testing to be able to get a handle on the tyres before the season. But that is also entirely possible.

I think Pirelli unnecessarily gets the flak. On one hand we expect the drivers to push throughout a stint and on the other, we expect the tyres to degrade. As soon as teams realize that the tyres are not going to last long, they ask the drivers to not push and focus on extending the life of the tyres as another pit stop would be more expensive. Regardless of what tyres Pirelli introduces, teams develop the cars to extract best life out of tyres and extend the stints whereby they just do one stop. In this situation, only a mandatory two stopper can alter the racing and make it more aggressive.

Just like the drivers are now prepared to go for faster lap to gain that one single point, there should be more premium on going faster in a race, without which, no one is really going to push harder.

We see the same tyre saving situation is going on in MotoGP now, where regardless of how many laps are there in a race, riders would be simply cruising around the track to save tyres until last 2 or 3 laps.

[selvam_e2002]

in older days of f1 we have two manufactures who supplied the tyres. Now it is only one. If you bring two different manufactures then it will be further interesting to watch the race. the cost cutting by f1 is killing the sports.

[GoranF1]

Is it true Mercedes race pace sim better then Ferrari?

[siskue2005]

Is it true Mercedes race pace sim better then Ferrari?

Yes by 2 tenths per lap according to someone who posted in this thread

[Bill_Kar]

Is it true Mercedes race pace sim better then Ferrari?

Yes by 2 tenths per lap according to someone who posted in this thread

Official F1 site says 0.5 seconds. Lol

[komninosm]

What is the point of the hard? Maybe that tire could work for an adventurous early undercut since passing is possible? If it is a one stop, maybe the hard will have a little more life left at the end of the race? Start on hards go late into the race then a mad dash on softs?

I personally am absolutely fed up of these one stop races. Pirelli is the worst thing to have happened to F1.

I also think they should just let the teams decide what compounds to use so that there are some strategy variations. The rules almost dictate what strategy teams must use!

I agree, let the teams choose what tires they want, no stupid rule to have to use two types at least, and bring back refueling too.
This should make strategies more varied and better.

[oT v1]

Re multiple tyre companies.... As long as all the teams that use the tyre manufacturer has access to a random pool of rubber they bring, it’s fine. When lower teams don’t even get to look at what Fer/Merc are running it just drives inequality even further. It’s shiity but logical that a tyre manufacturer will back the front runner more.

Aaaaaaanyway. Bring on 3pm and an exciting qualy proper test for RB and Honda on a more representative track, and also let’s see if the doom n gloom around Ferrari was just a one off!

[godlameroso]

What is the point of the hard? Maybe that tire could work for an adventurous early undercut since passing is possible? If it is a one stop, maybe the hard will have a little more life left at the end of the race? Start on hards go late into the race then a mad dash on softs?

I personally am absolutely fed up of these one stop races. Pirelli is the worst thing to have happened to F1.

I also think they should just let the teams decide what compounds to use so that there are some strategy variations. The rules almost dictate what strategy teams must use!

I don't mind 1 stoppers, 2 stoppers would be nice, but that creates other problems. If you make the tires fragile, everyone will just drive to a delta, and we get driving miss daisy. Its hard and dangerous to make a tire that lasts 1/3 distance and drops off a cliff. Drivers want to race, they need tires they can race with. Only way I can see it is with 2 mandatory stops, or 1 depending on the tire chosen. If you go soft and medium 2 stops, if you use the hard, 1 stop.