2019 German Grand Prix - Hockenheimring, July 26-28

[Pyrone89]

Just a thought about Bottas on days like this. When you have to DRIVE the car, it's where his gap to Hamilton is greatest. We know there are some drivers that can squeeze just a little more out of a car that isn't in the perfect window, adapt their style to suit. I would have loved to have seen Leclerc's lap, I believe there would have been less than a tenth between them, despite Mercedes being down all weekend.

I'm hoping for rain tomorrow because a performance between Hamilton and Verstappen in the wet for an entire race would be sublime.

Imagine giving Verstappen and Hamilton the same car. Mouth watering stuff every quali and race.

Which same car?

Doesnt really matter if it is a Merc, Ferrari or RB. As fans we would win.

[etusch]

I think it would be prevented by team to fight in race. So it is better to see them at rival teams with same competitveness from car side

[Jolle]

Bottas just claimed a few minutes ago he was running with a damaged car today. Anyone else have details?


https://twitter.com/ValtteriBottas/stat ... 69059?s=20

Can this new chassis be a bit fragile?

if the chassis would be cracked, he wouldn't be P3 but have a pitlane start probably some small floor damage

[etusch]

Bottas just claimed a few minutes ago he was running with a damaged car today. Anyone else have details?


https://twitter.com/ValtteriBottas/stat ... 69059?s=20

Can this new chassis be a bit fragile?

if the chassis would be cracked, he wouldn't be P3 but have a pitlane start probably some small floor damage

I don't know. Still there are 67 laps.

[Jolle]

Can this new chassis be a bit fragile?

if the chassis would be cracked, he wouldn't be P3 but have a pitlane start probably some small floor damage

I don't know. Still there are 67 laps.

could be, but very very unlikely. Bringing a new and lighter chassis is something all of the top teams do, they are build to last around ten/twelve races (and have their fittings reassessed a few times during this lifespan). This is one of the reasons the big teams can make lighter chassis, they don't have to last a full season. And with six months of extra deveopment, they can make their light chassis even ligher.

car damage is from normal running is almost always small fins breaking off. They even have a special mechanic who glues all the small vanes back on between sessions.

[zibby43]

Bottas just claimed a few minutes ago he was running with a damaged car today. Anyone else have details?


https://twitter.com/ValtteriBottas/stat ... 69059?s=20

Likely damaged the floor, it's very easy to do that in turn 1 and the stadium section.

Yep, would be my guess as well.

[zibby43]

Bottas just claimed a few minutes ago he was running with a damaged car today. Anyone else have details?


https://twitter.com/ValtteriBottas/stat ... 69059?s=20

Can this new chassis be a bit fragile?

Just to clear up any misconceptions, there were reports that Merc were bringing a new, lightweight chassis to Hockenheim.

Merc engineers, however, told AMuS that this rumor was false. They still brought a raft of upgrades: front wing, barge boards, floor, side pod flow conditioners, rear wing, cooling architecutre, rear bodywork (only used in FP), etc.

On an unrelated note, Peter Windsor's thoughts on quali:

[Pyrone89]

Chance of rain between 15-17 is decreasing fast.
Is the F1 using some kind of voodoo magic to keep the rain away. I know of China using special chemicals to seed rain before it hits a city in case of parades, so if someone sees a FOM plane flyimg in circles near the circuits let us know

[Capharol]

Chance of rain between 15-17 is decreasing fast.
Is the F1 using some kind of voodoo magic to keep the rain away. I know of China using special chemicals to seed rain before it hits a city in case of parades, so if someone sees a FOM plane flyimg in circles near the circuits let us know

rain probabillty is still at 51% at 15:00 and 47% at 16:00
with wind picking up from West-North-West

[Pyrone89]

Chance of rain between 15-17 is decreasing fast.
Is the F1 using some kind of voodoo magic to keep the rain away. I know of China using special chemicals to seed rain before it hits a city in case of parades, so if someone sees a FOM plane flyimg in circles near the circuits let us know

rain probabillty is still at 51% at 15:00 and 47% at 16:00
with wind picking up from West-North-West

It was at 70% a few hours ago.

[yelistener]

Something about 2019 cars that just doesn't fit Hockenheim. Best 2019 S3 in quali is actually slower than 2018. You'd think with that that much downforce 2019 cars should at least win S3.

I rmember the track temp was around 42 degree in quali, so it's not that hot.

[Artur Craft]

Imagine giving Verstappen and Hamilton the same car. Mouth watering stuff every quali and race.

what is mouth watering about Verstappen massively beating Hamilton and showing him up? Remember that Hamilton had a hard time with Rosberg who got confortably trounced by webber, who got easily beaten by Vettel, who had a hard time keeping up with Ricciardo, who struggled to match Verstappen.

Something about 2019 cars that just doesn't fit Hockenheim. Best 2019 S3 in quali is actually slower than 2018. You'd think with that that much downforce 2019 cars should at least win S3.

and are around 0.5s slower over the whole lap than on 2018. On Austria they struggled to match 2018 too. It's not just Hockenheim. The development on F1 is very poor compared to the one LMP1s used to have when there was competition there, meaning, 5s of improvement from one year to the other.

[dtro]

Maybe Verstappen can just follow Hamilton an baby the tyres, than lure him into an early stop to prevent an undercut, maybe challenge at the end of the race. Or Hamilton wil run Hammertime after Max’ stop, try to stay in front. Or it rains. Either way, enough chance for an exiting race.

Like Big Tea says, Verstappen is always ready for some big balls move to win. Hamilton, just wants the points, although this weekend is Mercedes’ party afterall.

Even if Max just acts like a stick in the mud for Hamilton and Hamilton still takes the win at least it will feel like he earned it as opposed to going for a nice Sunday drive in Germany to commemorate Mercedes' 125th year anniversary.

On a note further down the grid, it will be interesting to see what the Alfa in Kimi's hands can do and what Sainz can do in the McLaren.

Hoping for a good race!

[spin1/2]

Imagine giving Verstappen and Hamilton the same car. Mouth watering stuff every quali and race.

Ham & Alo had the same car. They ended up finishing runner-up. And, remember the qualifying debacle in Hungary? Not a good idea to have 2 roosters in the hen house.

[Wynters]

Imagine giving Verstappen and Hamilton the same car. Mouth watering stuff every quali and race.

Ham & Alo had the same car. They ended up finishing runner-up. And, remember the qualifying debacle in Hungary? Not a good idea to have 2 roosters in the hen house.

Bad for the team, great for viewing.

Although I'd be fine with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull getting out of the way and letting us focus on the rest of the field. It'd be a mouthwatering championship.