2021 Dutch Grand Prix - Zandvoort Sept 3 - 5

[GOAT]

How about the flexi front wings- any updates on that?

[RZS10]

+ 200 trucks on Monday ??? For 10 teams ?!

The motorhomes alone are all probably half a dozen trucks at least - the old one McLaren had used to be 17 trucks, the new one is "only" 8 trucks.

I believe that due to the small space available on the paddock, they are in Monaco setup minus the boats, so no big entertainment palaces. A bit like a fly-away. Those 200 trucks is racing teams and support only.

Are you sure? I thought that i spotted the small Honda motorhome and the others being assembled in the aerial drone shots (vid on page one, another one from yesterday on youtube) in the area between corners 12/13/14.

[Starscreamer]

Let it be friday hope to make some nice pictures

This was Friday at Belgium

[Wouter]

Sir Jackie Stewart reveals the trofee.

...

[Zynerji]

Well, if they ask the FIA, and the FIA tells RBR and Ferrari that they think what Mercedes is doing is legal, then it would be logical to assume they themselves have something they're working on. So in practice it amounts to clarification, besides its not like the FIA makes a habit of making sudden changes that affect Mercedes negatively, they have historically had time to develop counter measures. The delay of oil burning clampdowns, delay of banning DAS, although it's good to see the FIA being fair and giving RBR and the other teams time to strengthen their flexy wings as well. So even if by some form of happenstance, the FIA makes a change against Mercedes, I'm sure they'll have time to develop a countermeasure. They have an extra 1.2 million to spend now, so It'll be fine.

I doubt it's them knowing any inner workings of the Mercedes power unit, probably just got an idea wondering what they're doing. People are allowed to contemplate and form ideas and use their imagination, within reason of course.

The FRIC ban was pretty quick and directly targeted Mercedes...

[Zynerji]

It would be madness to have the temperature sensors in a misrepresentative position becauase the ECU will not know the right temperature.
The engine mapping is extremely sensitive to air and water temperatures so the rumour is rubbish IMO.

FIA intake temp sensor != ECU intake temp sensor

[godlameroso]

Also, this claim reported by AMuS doesn’t make sense. This is an incredibly easy spot for the FIA. There’s no doubt Merc triple-checked the legality of what they were doing. As they always do.

Remember, flexibility of the rear wing was not illegal until the test was changed, so there is more grey areas than you idealze in your description of how you belive MB operate wrt the 'rules'.

Not quite. Flexi wings are per se illegal, but the tests that existed to enforce the rule became insufficient, which is why the TD was introduced. Besides, the point was that some were denying it was even deflecting, many were claiming it was irrelevant and that nothing would be done, etc.

Well nothing was done, RB's rear wing is still flexing like Hulk Hogan. There is video footage in France that RBR's wing was still flexing post directive. So either they're still using a flexing wing or something else is happening that gives that impression. There are reference dots on the cars, if they were still flexing in illegal ways we would know by now.

[TNTHead]

The other question is the undercut. The number of changes of direction is many, thus high degradation can be expected and a strong undercut?

What's the surface like?

"3" according to the Pirelli graphic...

Suspect everyone is in the dark until Friday morning.

I read in an interview with KWS (the company who did the pavement work at the circuit among others) that the asphalt mixture is close to the mixture at Silverstone, although it is said that DROMO (the company who designed to new circuit layout) specified a very specific mixture for Zandvoort.

[AriaanGert]

The track has changed and not many have raced here since. The last corner 14 is banked and easily flat. I don't know what the extra downforce will do with the tyres. But the crazy corner is 3. You drive into a wall, it is also banked. Most drivers struggle to find the best line. Depends a lot on power, you can go long (fastest in slow cars) or tight, etc. So it will be interesting to see on friday what they will come up with. Corner 7 is suposed to be big balls, but if they don't take off from the hill before it, it will be fine. No run off though, just gravel, so if you misjudge it (easy), you're out.
My fears are for the sweeping part in between (3-7), that will be flat out and very fast, with no run off at all. If it rains, or something goes wrong there, it will hurt a lot.

I am a bit surprised with estimations as 1:12. I was expecting around 1 minute.

[Zynerji]

The track has changed and not many have raced here since. The last corner 14 is banked and easily flat. I don't know what the extra downforce will do with the tyres. But the crazy corner is 3. You drive into a wall, it is also banked. Most drivers struggle to find the best line. Depends a lot on power, you can go long (fastest in slow cars) or tight, etc. So it will be interesting to see on friday what they will come up with. Corner 7 is suposed to be big balls, but if they don't take off from the hill before it, it will be fine. No run off though, just gravel, so if you misjudge it (easy), you're out.
My fears are for the sweeping part in between (3-7), that will be flat out and very fast, with no run off at all. If it rains, or something goes wrong there, it will hurt a lot.

I am a bit surprised with estimations as 1:12. I was expecting around 1 minute.

I think 1:12 is from a simulation by a forum member. I'm expecting pole to be near 1:08 from my old rFactor memory.

[Jolle]

The track has changed and not many have raced here since. The last corner 14 is banked and easily flat. I don't know what the extra downforce will do with the tyres. But the crazy corner is 3. You drive into a wall, it is also banked. Most drivers struggle to find the best line. Depends a lot on power, you can go long (fastest in slow cars) or tight, etc. So it will be interesting to see on friday what they will come up with. Corner 7 is suposed to be big balls, but if they don't take off from the hill before it, it will be fine. No run off though, just gravel, so if you misjudge it (easy), you're out.
My fears are for the sweeping part in between (3-7), that will be flat out and very fast, with no run off at all. If it rains, or something goes wrong there, it will hurt a lot.

I am a bit surprised with estimations as 1:12. I was expecting around 1 minute.

I always found corner 3 one of the easier ones of the track. It's a bit counter intuitive at first, because you take the corner almost the while 160% in the middle of the track (no apexing or anything). The more difficult ones, where the limit isn't so clear, are bocht zonder naam (corner without name) and the old/new Marlboro corner, that are added after the last GP when the circuit was shortened. They are very technical and scream understeer and patience to let the front end grip...

[bonjon1979]

Do we think cars will be able to slip-stream around the final banked corner, or will they lose too much downforce and wash out wide? I also wonder if the banking will allow for different lines to avoid dirty air through there. It's quite a short straight after it so unless they're able to I wonder if we'll see much overtaking as the rest of the track looks impossible.

[Zynerji]

Do we think cars will be able to slip-stream around the final banked corner, or will they lose too much downforce and wash out wide? I also wonder if the banking will allow for different lines to avoid dirty air through there. It's quite a short straight after it so unless they're able to I wonder if we'll see much overtaking as the rest of the track looks impossible.

I think passing is going to be more about pushing someone off the fast line with car placement than it will be by slip-streaming.

[AriaanGert]

the banking in the last corner is supposed to allow for different lines. If you're fast enough it becomes a corner again, but with downforce of F1 and the DRS opening later (that was not the initial plan) I think the F1 can take the line they want. Also the corner 1 (Tarzan) is flexible. But I am afraid the straight is simply too short to get alongside. is 650 m (1 km including last corner) enough?

[SiLo]

Interesting to see what happens if someone has brake failure or an accident going into one of these banked corners. They will get launched upwards towards walls/banks.