2020 Spanish Grand Prix - Catalunya, August 14 - 16

[Restomaniac]

Wonder if Magnussen slowed down because he felt that Ocon impeded him

Looked to me that Magnussen moved off the racing line to get out of the way exactly at the same time as Ocon had moved to pass him on the right whilst checking for a fast moving care behind.

We then had the insane situation about 5 mins earlier where we had about 6 cars all at different approaching speeds on 1 chicane. This needs fixing as were going to have a big crash eventually due to the idiotically slow speeds on recharge laps.

Ironically the ban on Q modes would go some way towards fixing a part of this (recharge)

I’m not so sure. I would think the mapping they are talking about is ICE side. Surely that means having a bull battery would be as important as ever.

[Restomaniac]

How do you guys feel about minimum lap speeds that they were talking about? Those 6 cars barely rolling in that one chicane is an accident waiting to happen.

I think it’s got to happen.

That still can lead to a cluster of cars. Only way to fix it is allowing a single car on track at a time. This is also the most unfair option wrt track evolution.

To this level? That’s not possible.

[Laserguru]

Wonder if Magnussen slowed down because he felt that Ocon impeded him

Looked to me that Magnussen moved off the racing line to get out of the way exactly at the same time as Ocon had moved to pass him on the right whilst checking for a fast moving care behind.

We then had the insane situation about 5 mins earlier where we had about 6 cars all at different approaching speeds on 1 chicane. This needs fixing as were going to have a big crash eventually due to the idiotically slow speeds on recharge laps.

Ironically the ban on Q modes would go some way towards fixing a part of this (recharge)

As I recall it the battery is charged in the outlap so charging will take place. Teams are allowed to charge in pit but don’t as of the high voltage would reduce time mechanics can work on the car safely. It does not take that long to charge the es though.

[Laserguru]

I think it’s got to happen.

That still can lead to a cluster of cars. Only way to fix it is allowing a single car on track at a time. This is also the most unfair option wrt track evolution.

To this level? That’s not possible.

Three cars behind each other at minimum speed can always end up at a slow corner when a fast car aproaches. How would you avoid that? Minimum laptime and minimum speed per corner? Silverstone was extreme with the slow laps, lik Australia usually is, at Barcelona it is not huge already.
FIA may very well introduce something stupid as a minimum lap time, still cars will slow down where most beneficial for the tires.
FIA might better start penalizing the first car in a slow train for impeding or driving dangerously slow. These rules exist already.

[Just_a_fan]

There are at least three places that very slow cars can go that don't impede those on a lap - the outside loop at T9, the outside loop at T10-11 and the outside loop at the final chicane.

Sure, they'd get dirty tyres but that's their trade off. Go slow and dirty or go quicker and stay on the real track. Your choice.

[Racer X]

Lando faster then Sainz.
Pérez faster then Lance
Hamilton faster then Bottas
MAX faster then Albon

But only during Free practice for all we know Albon and Max Qualify top 3 ahead of Bottas in a few minutes.

And then Bottas and Everyone else behind them.

But likely probably just Max ahead of Bottas.
That right there is 60% driver 30% car for Max.

Versus 30% driver and 60% Car with Bottas's.

Which just legitimises a little bit Hamilton's skill if it was all the car Max would not be able to get ahead of Bottas.

But Hamilton is an amazing driver in an amazing car.

If Max beats him it also further gives credit to Max.

Max beating Bottas already proves so much, well I mean if Max does actually beat Bottas in Quali/Race that is'.

[Restomaniac]

That still can lead to a cluster of cars. Only way to fix it is allowing a single car on track at a time. This is also the most unfair option wrt track evolution.

To this level? That’s not possible.

Three cars behind each other at minimum speed can always end up at a slow corner when a fast car aproaches. How would you avoid that? Minimum laptime and minimum speed per corner? Silverstone was extreme with the slow laps, lik Australia usually is, at Barcelona it is not huge already.
FIA may very well introduce something stupid as a minimum lap time, still cars will slow down where most beneficial for the tires.
FIA might better start penalizing the first car in a slow train for impeding or driving dangerously slow. These rules exist already.

They can but the odds are greatly reduced which is obvious. If you cannot see that then there isn’t a lot I can do to help.

[Laserguru]

To this level? That’s not possible.

Three cars behind each other at minimum speed can always end up at a slow corner when a fast car aproaches. How would you avoid that? Minimum laptime and minimum speed per corner? Silverstone was extreme with the slow laps, lik Australia usually is, at Barcelona it is not huge already.
FIA may very well introduce something stupid as a minimum lap time, still cars will slow down where most beneficial for the tires.
FIA might better start penalizing the first car in a slow train for impeding or driving dangerously slow. These rules exist already.

They can but the odds are greatly reduced which is obvious. If you cannot see that then there isn’t a lot I can do to help.

I agree, maybe I did not make that clear, but for reducing the odds... I would say we have sufficient rules. Just need to enforce them.

[Big Tea]

The system is there to display blue flags during the race, it must surely be possible to flash the warning light if a fast car is approaching?

[Phil]

It’s going to be fascinating.

The car with potentially better tire wear starting behind the two Mercedes.

From RedBulls POV, how do you beat the cars in front on a track where overtaking is difficult?
Answer: do something they cant. Go for a one stop. Of course Mercedes will try to cover that off by doing the same, but if Max can be close, they could do an undercut and at least get by one of the Mercs. If Mercedes has more wear relative to the RedBull, they may not be able to break free.

What works in Mercedes favor is that they have two cars potentially ahead at the start. One could protect the other. The problem; they may not do that, because both their drivers are in the WDC race.

I find this amusing. That Red Bull has shown better tyre life than Mercedes, for all of one race! One race with anomalous variables. For the whole of last season, it was Mercedes that has been the better race car with greater tyre life. It was the same for the first 4 races too of this season. One should wait for a few more races before getting to the conclusion that, Red Bull is the car with better tyre wear.

That's why I used the word potentially. Could be, doesn't have to be. If it is however, it makes for some interesting speculation about how a potentially quicker car might go about the race on a track that is notoriously difficult to overtake on. And what the cars who have track position might be able to do, to defend.

Personally, I think a Mercedes will win this race and RedBull, assuming they do have better wear, will split them, because Mercedes can't defend the position of both their drivers IMO.

Another point is if the car starting in 2nd could have a tow and could get ahead at the start or if the car starting on pole can make it stick.

[Laserguru]

The system is there to display blue flags during the race, it must surely be possible to flash the warning light if a fast car is approaching?

That would be the right direction. Predicting closing gaps is not that hard for FIA software. Warning light in the cockpit. Fine when impeding in practice, grid penalty when impeding during qualifying. Penalty points when dangerous. Nice. More to my liking than a minimum lap time.

Curious as to what will happen today.

[Restomaniac]

Three cars behind each other at minimum speed can always end up at a slow corner when a fast car aproaches. How would you avoid that? Minimum laptime and minimum speed per corner? Silverstone was extreme with the slow laps, lik Australia usually is, at Barcelona it is not huge already.
FIA may very well introduce something stupid as a minimum lap time, still cars will slow down where most beneficial for the tires.
FIA might better start penalizing the first car in a slow train for impeding or driving dangerously slow. These rules exist already.

They can but the odds are greatly reduced which is obvious. If you cannot see that then there isn’t a lot I can do to help.

I agree, maybe I did not make that clear, but for reducing the odds... I would say we have sufficient rules. Just need to enforce them.

Fair enough. Sorry.

On the rules I’m not sure we do. Even a car crawling along who I staying well off the line has to at some point take a corner. It’s impossible in a corner to not be on the racing line at some point due to where the racing line is. Minimum speeds means they have to clear those corners quicker which reduces the odds of a fast car finding them mid corner.

The current rules were not written with cars driving slower than an average SUV around town in mind.

[Laserguru]

They can but the odds are greatly reduced which is obvious. If you cannot see that then there isn’t a lot I can do to help.

I agree, maybe I did not make that clear, but for reducing the odds... I would say we have sufficient rules. Just need to enforce them.

Fair enough. Sorry.

On the rules I’m not sure we do. Even a car crawling along who I staying well off the line has to at some point take a corner. It’s impossible in a corner to not be on the racing line at some point due to where the racing line is. Minimum speeds means they have to clear those corners quicker which reduces the odds of a fast car finding them mid corner.

The current rules were not written with cars driving slower than an average SUV around town in mind.

I do agree with that too. Just changed my opion. I still don’t like minimum lap time though.

[Restomaniac]

I agree, maybe I did not make that clear, but for reducing the odds... I would say we have sufficient rules. Just need to enforce them.

Fair enough. Sorry.

On the rules I’m not sure we do. Even a car crawling along who I staying well off the line has to at some point take a corner. It’s impossible in a corner to not be on the racing line at some point due to where the racing line is. Minimum speeds means they have to clear those corners quicker which reduces the odds of a fast car finding them mid corner.

The current rules were not written with cars driving slower than an average SUV around town in mind.

I do agree with that too. Just changed my opion. I still don’t like minimum lap time though.

There is plenty things I don’t like. However sometimes we have to stuff that’s not nice.

[atanatizante]

...
The problem; they may not do that, because both their drivers are in the WDC race.

This!

Merc race strategy is too loose coz the team let the drivers set up their car more and more towards the race, hence this is the only strategy to win the race ...
Had I was Toto I would impose that the car should be set up entirely for the race as RBR does from the start of the season coz they look dangerous in races lately and they could lose not WDC but even WCC ...

From my point of view, VER knowing RB16 has no answer to Merc in qualy is working in tandem for race pace only with a little help of ALB, who in my mind was obliged by the team to work race pace in favour of for VER. That`s why he performed so poorly in the qualy compared to VER ...

My theory is backed up even by Rosberg when Karun at Sky F1 ask in FP3 about this possibility of RBR strategy ...