langedweil wrote: ↑09 Jun 2024, 23:40
chrisc90 wrote: ↑09 Jun 2024, 23:28
FittingMechanics wrote: ↑09 Jun 2024, 23:15
I wouldn't say that "saved Max" as he was pretty fast as well but the timing of that SC did help Max. If it was thrown 10 seconds earlier NOR engineer would have had enough time to figure it out.
Max would have probably won even without that SC as Sainz SC bunched everyone up and VER had good pace in the dry.
Even on lap 26 there us a LONGGG way to go. Together with another SC which neutralised the race again on lap 55. Dont forget, lando had a pitstops time ahead of Max at the crossover from inters to slicks, but he decided to stay out another lap on the inter when Max crossed onto the medium. It was fully strategy at that point to whether the lead of the race was held or lost. Probably 1 lap too late for lando in responding to Max. There was certainly no gifting of Safety Cars at that point in the race and relied totally on strategy. Later SC should have put the ball marginally in Lando's court with the newer tyre, but they couldnt find the pace. If anything, the final SC gave the favour back to Lando with the newer tyre - whilst the earlier mclaren strategy marginally failed Lando
IIRC the lap before Lando pitted the gap was 20.1, when he pitted it was up to 22.
Pit exit was wet as well, so those 18s that was thought to be needed was never enough. I think Lando pitted at the right time, cuz Max's tires were getting in the right temperature window really quickly.
One lap later wouldn't have been a benefit either for that same reason.
The insane pace he had before was just not there on the mediums ...
There isn't any race where Norris kept that lead after that stop. Mclaren was already behind on the track (4 seconds back before Verstappen stopped). If Mclaren stopped first, Red Bull would have just pitted a lap later and the time Norris lost on his outlap would have given Verstappen cushion for his own out lap, just. Verstappen had 4 seconds to play with after all. Norris was the opposite, down 4 seconds and needed the overcut to be worth 8 seconds to account for his own slow outlap.
For every lap that Norris stayed out, only on the very first lap with Verstappen's outlap did the gap actually grow from 18 seconds to 21 seconds. If Norris pitted here, Norris would have come out alongside and Verstappen would have overtaken while Norris navigated his own outlap, 3-4 seconds off the pace. Norris instead stayed out an extra lap where mid-way through the lap Verstappen got tire temp and started driving the gap back down to 20 seconds.
Considering that Norris lost a further 3-4 seconds on that outlap alone just after Verstappen passed. It didn't matter at all. He never had the margin taking into account the time he would lose on his own outlap. In a bone dry track, he could fight, but on a dying track the outlap would be too difficult to defend a car going 3-4 seconds faster.
A lion must kill its prey.
