2019 Belgian Grand Prix - Spa-Francorchamps, Aug 30 - Sep 1

[Unf]

What can Lewis do to Vettel from P-3 then?

Less, cause Ham will be chasing Vet being in his slipstream while Vet will be under Charles's slipstream. But Charles will not have any. That's why imo P2 is the best position to start on tracks like SPA or Monza.

[zibby43]

This didn't help Mercedes today (via AMuS):

"The Mercedes pilots could not drive as usual in Q3 mode. After two engine damage in customer cars whose causes are not yet cleared, Mercedes was careful. After Sergio Perez lost an engine on Friday, it caught in the qualification Robert Kubica. Mercedes had to fight this Saturday in Spa but still with other problems."

No Q3 mode used because of the engine problems with the customer teams.

[dans79]

This didn't help Mercedes today (via AMuS):

"The Mercedes pilots could not drive as usual in Q3 mode. After two engine damage in customer cars whose causes are not yet cleared, Mercedes was careful. After Sergio Perez lost an engine on Friday, it caught in the qualification Robert Kubica. Mercedes had to fight this Saturday in Spa but still with other problems."

No Q3 mode used because of the engine problems with the customer teams.

I'm betting it's a cooling config issue between Mercedes and its customer teams.

[ringo]

Hamilton in 3rd gear in the chicane, while ferraris in 2nd gear.
Hamilton had an error coming out of the first turn, but i from his brake and throttle inputs, he seems to be wringing the neck of the W10 and still 7 tenths off. Vettels lap looked the dullest with the most tiny errors with braking, steering and just dull inputs. Maybe he is getting old. lol. Anyhow mercedes doesn't seem to have a chance unless they push qualy laps all the way through and have perfect pitstops. Ferrari have more pace in hand.

Renault looks to have more power than the honda here from what i can see between it and the redbull on the straights. High speed in the renault and better acceleration, despite rubbish braking and traction.

[mkay]

Hamilton in 3rd gear in the chicane, while ferraris in 2nd gear.
Hamilton had an error coming out of the first turn, but i from his brake and throttle inputs, he seems to be wringing the neck of the W10 and still 7 tenths off. Vettels lap looked the dullest with the most tiny errors with braking, steering and just dull inputs. Maybe he is getting old. lol. Anyhow mercedes doesn't seem to have a chance unless they push qualy laps all the way through and have perfect pitstops. Ferrari have more pace in hand.

Renault looks to have more power than the honda here from what i can see between it and the redbull on the straights. High speed in the renault and better acceleration, despite rubbish braking and traction.

From the looks of it, Merc did not use its Q3 power mode today by precaution.

Also, Ferrari’s race sim didn’t look so hot on a Friday as they chewed through their tyres. Colder temperatures on Sunday should help them but they could be vulnerable...

[dans79]

Also, Ferrari’s race sim didn’t look so hot on a Friday as they chewed through their tyres. Colder temperatures on Sunday should help them but they could be vulnerable...

If it's actually cool, I think it could be worse for them because they have a harder time than Mercedes and Red Bull at energizing the tires.

[zibby43]

This didn't help Mercedes today (via AMuS):

"The Mercedes pilots could not drive as usual in Q3 mode. After two engine damage in customer cars whose causes are not yet cleared, Mercedes was careful. After Sergio Perez lost an engine on Friday, it caught in the qualification Robert Kubica. Mercedes had to fight this Saturday in Spa but still with other problems."

No Q3 mode used because of the engine problems with the customer teams.

I'm betting it's a cooling config issue between Mercedes and its customer teams.

Getting an answer as to the cause of the failures prior to the race will be vital in determining how hard Merc end up pushing in the race, where the PU is supposed to yield it's most significant gains.

[digitalrurouni]

Wait so Hamilton was only that much slower than Vettel without using qualy modes? He had a good shot at pole then it seems.

[izzy]

Wait so Hamilton was only that much slower than Vettel without using qualy modes? He had a good shot at pole then it seems.

Yes i was thinking this. It explains why the story is so different in race pace, the Mercedes is actually a much faster car round here.

[siskue2005]

Wait so Hamilton was only that much slower than Vettel without using qualy modes? He had a good shot at pole then it seems.

Yes i was thinking this. It explains why the story is so different in race pace, the Mercedes is actually a much faster car round here.

i dont think so, coz they lost 1.3 sec in first and last sector combined. no Q3 mode is worth that much!
he could have got p2 easily thats it....the ferrari is much better car here

[atanatizante]

This didn't help Mercedes today (via AMuS):

"The Mercedes pilots could not drive as usual in Q3 mode. After two engine damage in customer cars whose causes are not yet cleared, Mercedes was careful. After Sergio Perez lost an engine on Friday, it caught in the qualification Robert Kubica. Mercedes had to fight this Saturday in Spa but still with other problems."

No Q3 mode used because of the engine problems with the customer teams.

I'm betting it's a cooling config issue between Mercedes and its customer teams.

Getting an answer as to the cause of the failures prior to the race will be vital in determining how hard Merc end up pushing in the race, where the PU is supposed to yield it's most significant gains.

Besides their one cooling solution, it seems that both RP and Williams are having other lubs&fuel providers (maybe someone could enlightening us). Don't they test back at the factory the new spec with customers fuels and lubs? Though to entierly franc in qualy having 28 dregees C was not helping either... It was almost like Austria to me...

[Just_a_fan]

i dont think so, coz they lost 1.3 sec in first and last sector combined. no Q3 mode is worth that much!
he could have got p2 easily thats it....the ferrari is much better car here

A power deficit of caused by no Q3 mode would easily be worth that on the two long, very fast straights (which is what S1 and S3 are in effect for these cars). If the Q3 mode is worth 50hp, and we don't know what it's worth but that's probably not a bad guess, then the loss would be felt for nearly half of the lap. Look what happened to RedBull when their Renault engine didn't have a Q3 mode - they were left behind on any circuit with decent straights involved.

Compare the cornering speeds and you see the Mercedes is generally faster in the corners and only lacks on the straights.

[izzy]

i dont think so, coz they lost 1.3 sec in first and last sector combined. no Q3 mode is worth that much!
he could have got p2 easily thats it....the ferrari is much better car here

well it's the longest circuit and with less power they start losing time from the beginning of each straight, with acceleration, and then they keep losing time all the way and have a lower vmax as well. But we'll see in the race, the FP race sims were so different after all.

They'll have analysed the RP and Williams engines at Brixworth by now tho, so they might be back to normal. But most likely they decided pole wasn't a big thing round here so not using party mode was just the cautious thing. Anyway good luck to Ferrari if they are quicker, i wouldn't mind either Charles or Seb getting the win, but they'll have to get it 100% right i think, to beat Lewis. Bring it on

[Big Tea]

And of course, how long can Ferrari maintain that mode? They have to nurse the fuel, or start heavier, they could be stressing the engine or pushing the boundaries of cooling.
They could be 'storing' enough energy for just that one balls out effort, and how will the tyres last in that 'mode'.
Also, there are other cars involved in a race.

[Phil]

I think mercedes or verstappen could win this. If it rains, i think Verstappen could be the dark horse. If it’s dry, i’m inclined to say Hamilton or maybe Vettel (if he gets passed Leclerc thanks to a tow and then is protected strategy wise).