2023 Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail, Oct 06 - 08

[AR3-GP]

Merc don't have enough underlying pace in a like for like situation, so I don't believe they can do much.

I am not so sure. Have you analyzed Hamilton’s free air lap times? There weren’t many so difficult to tell. They are likely behind Max but that can not be concluded from this sprint.

I dont see where mercedes can pull from those 3-4 tenths they lacked in quali on friday and in general this year.

I had a look at hamilton's onboard and interestingly he was doing no management whatsoever and his pace was getting better, yet all we're hearing from RB to max is to keep doing management all the time. confusing
Maybe deg can give merc some edge for once.

It's possible that the circuit has gone away from RB with the extra rubber going down. Verstappen was really out on his own in the GP qualifying on Friday. So comfortable that even 1 used tire run was good enough to get into Q3.

Today Mclaren was basically ahead over 1 lap and arguably in the race while RB was killing the front tires. Maybe there are tire pressures and diff settings that they can play with.

[atanatizante]

Pirelli has 3 solutions (at least) for the race:
1. Increase the tyre pressure, as usuall in these particular circumstances
2. Due to the above action the tyre life will increase, hence C1 tyre could last let's say 25 laps, C2 tyre 20 laps and C3 some 15 laps and should be mandatory to be used at the last stint, knowing the cars are lower on fuel but most of all for the need to spice up the show.
3.Just fetch some 80 C1 or C2 tyres coming out of the factories from Romania or Turkey in order to clear up this tyre mess and their lowering prestige, for Christ sake!

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Pirelli has 3 solutions (at least) for the race:

well, they have already announced their solution yesterday: 3 stops mandotary and 20 laps max per set. Which will be imposed "In the event the problem is still evident".

I don't see much room for a new solution there.

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Current usage
https://i.ibb.co/5jMXXb8/Screenshot-202 ... 202551.png

This list fits with my notes as well (apart from the sprint sets, which go back to Pirelli).

I found it interesting that Vasseur said (in the AmuS article) "If it's a three-stop race, everyone will need to use the Softs. With our approach [in the sprint] we have saved a set of mediums for Sunday."

So to me that sounds like he doesn't see the hard compound as a good tire for the race, but would more likeky opt for S-M-M-M.

In the 10 minute session yesterday, Alfa Romeo also did a lap or two on brand new hards. So that would also speak for them not expecting to need that compound much in the race.

[chrisc90]

I’d still expect everyone to run the hard though.

[r85]

M - H - M is what we'll probably end up seeing today. The drivers would rather drive 5 - 10s off the pace to manage their tires instead of stopping more times.

Edit: Perhaps softs at the end for the medium runners in the sprint

[chrisc90]

M - H - M is what we'll probably end up seeing today. The drivers would rather drive 5 - 10s off the pace to manage their tires instead of stopping more times.

Edit: Perhaps softs at the end for the medium runners in the sprint

Anybody's guess at the minute. Most likely strategy IF Pirelli dont mandate the life of a tyre. If they do, its anyone's game.

The wording could also be quite important IF it comes in too. Pirelli have allowed 2 extra laps for a OUT and IN lap on a used tyre, but you are using 1 lap out of the allowance for at least 1 quali run. So a USED tyre, could only be good for 19 racing laps.

[search]

M - H - M is what we'll probably end up seeing today. The drivers would rather drive 5 - 10s off the pace to manage their tires instead of stopping more times.

I guess everyone is expecting a mandatory 3-stopper. With all those SC laps in the sprint, Pirelli will struggle to come to a proper conclusion, and therefor likely play it safe.

[basti313]

3 safety cars in a sprint what a joke.

I have been posting this here since more than a year: It simply calls for a penalty if someone is unable to park his car right and causes a Safety Car.

Yesterday was not even as bad on causing SC without reason as in the past, but still...Sar, Law, Per and Oco...all stupid driving. You may argue, that Per was not at fault (arguable if you stick your car on the outside of two other cars), but all others made their own bed. Especially Sargeant was not even beached, he simply switched off the car without reason. That would have been well deserved 3 places grid drops for all destroying big parts of the Sprint.

I would be for a very simple rule:
- If a SC is needed to remove your car -> 3 places for the next race.
- If a SC is needed to remove parts from (only) your car -> 3 places for the next race.
Only exception if you are crashed out, the other driver receives a pen and there was no chance to get the car to a safe place -> 3 places for the one causing the crash.

This rule would bring the SC likelihood strongly down...

[organic]

Could be a barnstormer of a race. Expecting Norris to be the quickest car but requiring SCs to come back into win contention

[Mogster]

3 safety cars in a sprint what a joke.

I have been posting this here since more than a year: It simply calls for a penalty if someone is unable to park his car right and causes a Safety Car.

Yesterday was not even as bad on causing SC without reason as in the past, but still...Sar, Law, Per and Oco...all stupid driving. You may argue, that Per was not at fault (arguable if you stick your car on the outside of two other cars), but all others made their own bed. Especially Sargeant was not even beached, he simply switched off the car without reason. That would have been well deserved 3 places grid drops for all destroying big parts of the Sprint.

I would be for a very simple rule:
- If a SC is needed to remove your car -> 3 places for the next race.
- If a SC is needed to remove parts from (only) your car -> 3 places for the next race.
Only exception if you are crashed out, the other driver receives a pen and there was no chance to get the car to a safe place -> 3 places for the one causing the crash.

This rule would bring the SC likelihood strongly down...

Sometimes there are issues with bad parking. However, the teams may have told the drivers to shut down to avoid a nasty repair bill. Also do you really want drivers staying on track with a damaged car, shedding fluids or carbon? A pointless attempt to leave a gravel trap can deposit gravel on the circuit. Any of these situations can bring out an SC.

[AR3-GP]

Current usage
https://i.ibb.co/5jMXXb8/Screenshot-202 ... 202551.png

This list fits with my notes as well (apart from the sprint sets, which go back to Pirelli).

I found it interesting that Vasseur said (in the AmuS article) "If it's a three-stop race, everyone will need to use the Softs. With our approach [in the sprint] we have saved a set of mediums for Sunday."

So to me that sounds like he doesn't see the hard compound as a good tire for the race, but would more likeky opt for S-M-M-M.

I think he's taking the 20 lap rule into consideration here. With that in mind, a S-M-M-M wouldn't be possible for most due to the mediums that were burned in the sprint.

[search]

Current usage
https://i.ibb.co/5jMXXb8/Screenshot-202 ... 202551.png

This list fits with my notes as well (apart from the sprint sets, which go back to Pirelli).

I found it interesting that Vasseur said (in the AmuS article) "If it's a three-stop race, everyone will need to use the Softs. With our approach [in the sprint] we have saved a set of mediums for Sunday."

So to me that sounds like he doesn't see the hard compound as a good tire for the race, but would more likeky opt for S-M-M-M.

I think he's taking the 20 lap rule into consideration here. With that in mind, a S-M-M-M wouldn't be possible for most due to the mediums that were burned in the sprint.

why not? Most teams still have three sets of decent mediums, so they could do ~8 laps on the softs, and then three 13 lap stints on mediums.

No idea if a 7-lap-old medium really is a better race tyre than a new hard, though. For short stints like this, maybe.

[AR3-GP]

This list fits with my notes as well (apart from the sprint sets, which go back to Pirelli).

I found it interesting that Vasseur said (in the AmuS article) "If it's a three-stop race, everyone will need to use the Softs. With our approach [in the sprint] we have saved a set of mediums for Sunday."

So to me that sounds like he doesn't see the hard compound as a good tire for the race, but would more likeky opt for S-M-M-M.

I think he's taking the 20 lap rule into consideration here. With that in mind, a S-M-M-M wouldn't be possible for most due to the mediums that were burned in the sprint.

why not? Most teams still have three sets of decent mediums, so they could do ~8 laps on the softs, and then three 13 lap stints on mediums.

No idea if a 7-lap-old medium really is a better race tyre than a new hard, though.

oh right, that would work. 8 laps on softs will still be dire though. Those softs were really gone after only 4 racing laps.

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wasn't Pirelli supposed to make an announcement one hour ago, by the way, or did I mix up the time zones?