2019 [R09] Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, 28-30 June

[zibby43]

Any explanation from mercedes for their poor pace?
It seems redbull have honed in on their tyre preservation abilities from the second half of 2018. I still feel max now has a fighting chance at the title. Mercedes must capitalize now on racking up as much wins.
Ferrari will get their chance to win surely this year.

Yes, check out the team thread.

They were running the PU conservatively and had the bodywork opened up to the point that both measures were costing them around 7 tenths of a sec/lap.

Or you can read this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/48820516

[Edax]

I think it was a great race.
Of course the overtake left a little sour aftertaste, but I still think the right man won today.
Very mature overtakes from VES today, maybe you can argue they were, apart from the most crucial one.
VET also driving very fine today, nice overtakes, but also one with the unecessary VET crowding manoeuvre.
Hell know why Ferrari chose that stratagy to start with Softs instead Medium.
Also I think they could have stretched the first stint on Soft a little bit more... the Softs seemed to cope very well in the beginning... and VET definitely pitted too early in my opinion... and then his tyres not ready (team com. radio blunder WTF?) ...
Ferrari lost this race not because VES punted LEC off the circuit.. but because they lack in the decision-making-process department.

Agree, the overtake did not make the result. Ferrari should have had two cars on the podium. Vettel was of course a team error. But I think Leclerc should also have a good look at his performance. I mean he was commanding the race, but it makes no sense opening up a 14 second lead if it means you run out of tires and fuel at the end of the race. He could have used his performance margin to stretch the reds a bit more, or could have been a bit more patient in conditioning the whites at the beginning of the stint. I think with some more intelligent race management, VES would not even have come close, and we wouldn't be talking about an overtake.

[LM10]

I think it was a great race.
Of course the overtake left a little sour aftertaste, but I still think the right man won today.
Very mature overtakes from VES today, maybe you can argue they were, apart from the most crucial one.
VET also driving very fine today, nice overtakes, but also one with the unecessary VET crowding manoeuvre.
Hell know why Ferrari chose that stratagy to start with Softs instead Medium.
Also I think they could have stretched the first stint on Soft a little bit more... the Softs seemed to cope very well in the beginning... and VET definitely pitted too early in my opinion... and then his tyres not ready (team com. radio blunder WTF?) ...
Ferrari lost this race not because VES punted LEC off the circuit.. but because they lack in the decision-making-process department.

I think it was not the wrong choice. If we consider that they were consistently faster than the Mercedes on Mediums, even after more than 20 laps, then it was the right one. However, the surely wrong decision were the early pit stops. If you start on Softs and happen to be fast, why pit? You need to extend the stint as much as possible. A longer stint would have put both Ferrari drivers on relatively fresh Hards and the win for Leclerc would then most probably have not been in danger and in addition to that Vettel most probably would have gotten the 3. place at least.

Has there been a race without any single mistake from Ferrari in this season? There always is a flaw in their procession and strategic decisions. You can't win a world title like that.

[sosic2121]

So from now on it is sufficient to always defend the inner line and if someone tries to overtake push him outside even with a contact and even without leaving space when the two cars are side by side?
Funny! It reminds me the chariots race of Ben Hur!!!

Yeah I guess overtaking around the outside is no longer a thing now then.

Nope. It's better that way because it's not a real racing anyway.
Like that thing Charles did a lap before. Nope, that's for sissies.

[spin1/2]

Max is now 3rd in the standings, ahead of both Ferrari's.
This is like pre-2017, where LH/Merc didn't have a clear challenger.

[roon]

Interesting/worrying (depending on your view) is that Mercedes only lost 5 points to Ferrari and lost no points to RedBull in the WCC, even though they were struggling for the entire race.

In what sense were they struggling more than RB or Ferrari?

[langedweil]

Lec opened the door and ran out of racetrack, boo-hoo.

You mean squeezed out of road. Which is illegal, and a clear cut penalty. Observe how I didn't even mention the contact.

I observe that .. and rightfully so as Lec turned in causing the contact, so that would not actually help your case.
Point is simple, this is racing, this is why I'm watching since the late '80s. Would've liked it with any other racing pair or done in reverse (Lec to Ves). This is exactly what Senna meant by 'if there is a gap you don't go for, you're not a racer!" ... don't cry about entitlement to win a race.
In this case particulary Lec/Fer should be worried as hell about how Ves could make up a near 15s deficit, despite having the (by far) most powerful PU.
Now that's something to weep about.

Nonetheless, off to Silverstone where things might be totally different ...

[Just_a_fan]

Interesting/worrying (depending on your view) is that Mercedes only lost 5 points to Ferrari and lost no points to RedBull in the WCC, even though they were struggling for the entire race.

In what sense were they struggling more than RB or Ferrari?

I didn't say they were struggling more than anyone else, merely that they were struggling. Having said that, on commentary there was suggestion that they were having to lift and coast more than the others in order to maintain temps.

But the fact remains that, on their worst weekend so far this season, their team point loss was only 5 points to Ferrari, none lost to RedBull.

[browney]

Much better race. I really enjoyed every lap.

I can't help to think that a proper track that punishes mistakes in both the race and qualifying helped (the temperature played a role too).

I wonder if liberty and the FIA will take any note at all of the fans being happier this week.

[zibby43]

If you want an indication of how conservatively Merc were running the PUs today because of their cooling issues, take a gander at Hamilton dead last in the Speed Trap.

I don't know if I've ever seen that lol.

[diffuser]

Much better race. I really enjoyed every lap.

I can't help to think that a proper track that punishes mistakes in both the race and qualifying helped (the temperature played a role too).

I wonder if liberty and the FIA will take any note at all of the fans being happier this week.

I agree, yellow sausages are a must at all tracks with a paved off track.

[Scorpaguy]

Great race. Good to see some consistency from the stewards...Max is still allowed to dive into corners and bump cars off the track

Actually, IMHO it was the right call...just as much as Canada was the wrong call. Lec should have known that opening up the inside was suicide. Luckily for all of us it was Lec and not Vet...had it been Vet the whole of the forum would be decrying this has been's penchant for cracking under pressure.

As for another note, how about we get Kub and Gas to switch cars for a few races...seriously! It would be interesting to see if their hats kept getting handed to them.

[cooken]

I must say I'm mystified at the argument that a penalty would be"killing racing". Prescribing a set of rules that encourage or allow more types of overtaking (e.g. around the outside) should result in more wheel to wheel. Although more likely - rule or no rule the interaction on track won't really be affected. Ultimately the drivers will race eachother how they want and deal with the fallout after, always been that way.

Regardless, all this BS about on track rules preventing racing...seriously!? On track action is limited overwhelmingly by aero, nothing else. Here we had a great race, and lo, just a few weeks after contentious penalties. Had one been applied here, the race would still have been great.

[cooken]

If you want an indication of how conservatively Merc were running the PUs today because of their cooling issues, take a gander at Hamilton dead last in the Speed Trap.

I don't know if I've ever seen that lol.

https://i.imgur.com/ptZwyC2.jpg

Cripes that is insane.

I would still be amazed if he didn't have floor damage. Otherwise why was he so compromised vs Botttas?

[TAG]

Actually, IMHO it was the right call...just as much as Canada was the wrong call. Lec should have known that opening up the inside was suicide. Luckily for all of us it was Lec and not Vet...had it been Vet the whole of the forum would be decrying this has been's penchant for cracking under pressure.

It was the right decision in Canada and here. Leclerc didn't crack under pressure, he was simply overtaken by Verstappen with a lot better pace and a singular focus to win today. Stewarding the entire weekend was on point.

It was a glorious race and I feel so sorry for the forum members that missed it because they claimed they've stopped watching.