2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku, June 04 - 06

[nzjrs]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/57360662

Singapore cancelled!

Good. One less Red Bull track.

The rate Mercedes are losing performance now, mostly due to the new floor regs, they need as many races for them.

I hear it's cancelled because it was too bendy...

PZ is referring to his 'FIA is conspiring against Mercedes' theory.

(Note: the recent rear wing rule change)

[marcel171281]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/57360662

Singapore cancelled!

Good. One less Red Bull track.

The rate Mercedes are losing performance now, mostly due to the new floor regs, they need as many races for them.

You do know that RB has never won in Singapore in the hybrid era? Yet Mercedes 4 times.

[El Scorchio]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/57360662

Singapore cancelled!

Good. One less Red Bull track.

The rate Mercedes are losing performance now, mostly due to the new floor regs, they need as many races for them.

You do know that RB has never won in Singapore in the hybrid era? Yet Mercedes 4 times.

To be fair they might well have were it not for that amazing first corner crash in (2018?)

[marcel171281]

Good. One less Red Bull track.

The rate Mercedes are losing performance now, mostly due to the new floor regs, they need as many races for them.

You do know that RB has never won in Singapore in the hybrid era? Yet Mercedes 4 times.

To be fair they might well have were it not for that amazing first corner crash in (2018?)

2017. But Vettel had pole. Only because the start was wet a lot of people assumed Verstappen was going to win. But RB didn't have the fastest car, so to call it a RB track is a bit far fetched in my view.

[JPower]

In terms of fastest cars tomorrow I'm going:

1. Red Bull
2. McLaren
3. Mercedes
4. Ferrari
5. Alpine
6. AT

[PlatinumZealot]

It's an RB track again this year they way things have been going. RedBull seemed to havw unlocked their upgrades full potential meanwhile at Merc the word upgrade doesn't exist. A few layers of carbon on the steering knuckle was just about it. A thicker steering knuckle! Sigh. Give it to Max already!

Look at this comment from Toto below. Merc basically has one arm tied behind the back! No way to compete. Another Freebie for RedBull (the fastest car by a mile now).

“We have a strong race car, but we are struggling to get it for one lap. It is the same as we have seen in Monaco, we don’t deliver in some sections, and it seems to continue in Baku,” he said.


“There are only 90-degree corners here, so it was always clear that it would be difficult for us. You can clearly see in the lap times that something is fundamentally wrong. We are now trying to tune the car so that it works.

“Probably qualifying will be one of the most difficult session I have ever seen for us. It reminds me of Singapore 2015.”

[zibby43]

Hamilton was 0.7s off Ferrari in FP2 in 2019. Bottas was 1.3s off.

A bit of a different circumstance this year as Merc is under-performing relative to midfield teams. They just have to hit 2 goals tomorrow: 1) through Q2 on Mediums and 2) no worse then 3-4 on the grid.

Don’t think pole is on the cards unless Merc nail the tow with 1 car and the Bulls make a mistake or blow a PU.

[dans79]

Don’t think pole is on the cards unless Merc nail the tow with 1 car and the Bulls make a mistake or blow a PU.

Or can figure out a set-up change overnight that allows them to get the softs into the proper operating window, but doesn't sacrifice their long run pace on the other compounds.

[zibby43]

Don’t think pole is on the cards unless Merc nail the tow with 1 car and the Bulls make a mistake or blow a PU.

Or can figure out a set-up change overnight that allows them to get the softs into the proper operating window, but doesn't sacrifice their long run pace on the other compounds.

That’s definitely the ideal outcome for them, but I think it has the longest odds. Toto made it sound like they’re resigned to taking a beating tomorrow haha.

Monaco (with Bottas) definitely showed that they *could* get the single lap pace sorted, but at the expense of degradation.

[dans79]

Monaco (with Bottas) definitely showed that they *could* get the single lap pace sorted, but at the expense of degradation.

You can actually pass here though, so as long as they don't severely degrade their long run pace they should be ok.

[zibby43]

Monaco (with Bottas) definitely showed that they *could* get the single lap pace sorted, but at the expense of degradation.

You can actually pass here though, so as long as they don't severely degrade their long run pace they should be ok.

That, plus the fact that the race *will* be a Safety Car festival, also helps.

[Sieper]

It's an RB track again this year they way things have been going. RedBull seemed to havw unlocked their upgrades full potential meanwhile at Merc the word upgrade doesn't exist. A few layers of carbon on the steering knuckle was just about it. A thicker steering knuckle! Sigh. Give it to Max already!

Look at this comment from Toto below. Merc basically has one arm tied behind the back! No way to compete. Another Freebie for RedBull (the fastest car by a mile now).

“We have a strong race car, but we are struggling to get it for one lap. It is the same as we have seen in Monaco, we don’t deliver in some sections, and it seems to continue in Baku,” he said.


“There are only 90-degree corners here, so it was always clear that it would be difficult for us. You can clearly see in the lap times that something is fundamentally wrong. We are now trying to tune the car so that it works.

“Probably qualifying will be one of the most difficult session I have ever seen for us. It reminds me of Singapore 2015.”

Bottas was on for a potential pole in Monaco. I don’t buy it fully. I do agree RedBULL seems strongest here for now. But we are still seconds from pole time and Max was not happy with the set-up yet.

[914hald]

Look at this comment from Toto below. Merc basically has one arm tied behind the back! No way to compete. Another Freebie for RedBull (the fastest car by a mile now).

So every Merc fans shout out that Redbull is faster even though when a race with hard compunds coming around Merc is clearly faster and then its suddently a surprise.
2 races with softes compund and low speed corners, its the end of the world .

Redbull seem to be fastest on softer compund tires, and Merc on the harder.

Merc have been top of the class on hard compund since Hybrid era and it seem to be why they are 7 time WC

[Sieper]

Look at this comment from Toto below. Merc basically has one arm tied behind the back! No way to compete. Another Freebie for RedBull (the fastest car by a mile now).

So every Merc fans shout out that Redbull is faster even though when a race with hard compunds coming around Merc is clearly faster and then its suddently a surprise.
2 races with softes compund and low speed corners, its the end of the world .

Redbull seem to be fastest on softer compund tires, and Merc on the harder.

Merc have been top of the class on hard compund since Hybrid era and it seem to be why they are 7 time WC

No. That is very far from the truth. They have sometimes been qualifying 1,5 second ahead of the competition. And very regularly 0.6 or so off. You can’t do that if you cannot get the qualy tires to work.

[PlatinumZealot]

Ferrari looks handy.