2024 Pre-Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Feb 21 - 23

[stonehenge]

It's 2023 2 basically.
Same teams, same driver lineups, same regulations.

Probably the least exciting season buildup I've seen in 21 years of watching the sport.

I can't event think to another boring year like the last one.

"It's no more of a competition than there's a competition
between men and maggots...
or dragons and wolves...
or men riding dragons,
throwing wolves at maggots."

[half-quote]

And there is still 2025 in which there won't be any upgrades for the 2025 cars as everyone will be fully focused on 2026

48 races in total + sprints

If Max is really as dominant as it *seems* right now (still early of course) it’s an unmitigated disaster for F1. DTS+2021 led to a huge surge in popularity of the sport after years of uncompetitive seasons that saw declining TV numbers every year. Budget cap + testing restrictions + 2022 regulations were a huge effort to ensure F1 would remain competitive and not go back to eras of dominance. First half of 22 was good but really only because Red Bull was overweight. Since then it’s been complete domination, and now they can’t fix anything until 2026 at the earliest. What a way to throw away all of the excitement and interest in the sport after 2021.

[organic]

Can the people who want to moan do it in a different thread

[Fede90]

It's 2023 2 basically.
Same teams, same driver lineups, same regulations.

Probably the least exciting season buildup I've seen in 21 years of watching the sport.

I can't event think to another boring year like the last one.

"It's no more of a competition than there's a competition
between men and maggots...
or dragons and wolves...
or men riding dragons,
throwing wolves at maggots."

[half-quote]

I guess that just depends on who you support. Several of the MB-dominated years were as boring/more boring to me; in those years, even the qualifying outcome was guaranteed, and last year that was certainly not the case - as was the fight for P2.

IMHO everything is boring if you miss the competition that is the soul of this sport.

[CaribouBread]

Can the people who want to moan do it in a different thread

Left for an hour or so and suddenly the thread's turned into mope central!

[organic]

Right now Russell, Sainz and Norris are all doing race runs. Sainz and Russell each starting on C2 tyre, whilst Norris begins with C3. All in the mid 1.37s

[dialtone]

Sainz is doing consistent high 37s.

His and Norris times are on the same pace with similar aged tires.

[organic]

Sainz is doing consistent high 37s.

His and Norris times are on the same pace with similar aged tires.

Sainz C2 and Norris C3 also

[CouncilorIrissa]

Right now Russell, Sainz and Norris are all doing race runs. Sainz and Russell each starting on C2 tyre, whilst Norris begins with C3. All in the mid 1.37s

I think it's the second stint for Norris.

[CouncilorIrissa]

Sainz is doing consistent high 37s.

His and Norris times are on the same pace with similar aged tires.

Sainz C2 and Norris C3 also

You sure about that?

[dialtone]

Sainz is doing consistent high 37s.

His and Norris times are on the same pace with similar aged tires.

Sainz C2 and Norris C3 also

Sainz's looked yellow bordered and are Ms on the live timing, is it wrong?

[organic]

His and Norris times are on the same pace with similar aged tires.

Sainz C2 and Norris C3 also

Sainz's looked yellow bordered and are Ms on the live timing, is it wrong?

I stand corrected. I looked at the onboard but must've been mistaken

[FittingMechanics]

Sainz C2 and Norris C3 also

Sainz's looked yellow bordered and are Ms on the live timing, is it wrong?

I stand corrected. I looked at the onboard but must've been mistaken

How are you watching onboards?

[AmateurDriver]

Max is on a monstrous stint

Verstappen ha completato un altro stint, questa volta con una C3:
34,975 - 35,247 - 35,332 - 35,489 - 36,093 - 35,414 - 35,46

Maybe "monstrous" is a bit of an overstatement.

Do provide us with a stint of similar length that with an average time within a second.
EDIT: Preferrably on worn tires

Gasly on C1 tyres

36,415 - 36,928 - 37,088 - 36,889 - 36,851 - 37,213 - 36,995 - 37,02 - 36,89

Not humbled at all by Ver's C3 stint. Of course fuel load should be factored.

[organic]

Alpine found their C3 tyres at last!

[CouncilorIrissa]

Verstappen ha completato un altro stint, questa volta con una C3:
34,975 - 35,247 - 35,332 - 35,489 - 36,093 - 35,414 - 35,46

Maybe "monstrous" is a bit of an overstatement.

Do provide us with a stint of similar length that with an average time within a second.
EDIT: Preferrably on worn tires

Gasly on C1 tyres

36,415 - 36,928 - 37,088 - 36,889 - 36,851 - 37,213 - 36,995 - 37,02 - 36,89

Not humbled at all by Ver's C3 stint. Of course fuel load should be factored.

So a 35.5 avg for Max vs 36.9 for Gasly.
Dunno how the tires compare in race trim, though. I think C2 is the race best tire around Bahrain? Not sure.