2019 [R09] Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, 28-30 June

[erudite450]

Hoping the rain forecast for Monday arrives a day earlier. We've not had a wet race in a while.

[bosyber]

While using the old turn one and the uphill 'bent straight' would mean access to the back/top of the track might be more difficult (currently they have people walking to that top/back part of the track over it, and busses, and catering supplies/cleaning; plus, all F1 trucks parked at the top, in what otherwise would probably be the runoff) it would be pretty epic to get that part, including the corner connecting to the track again, as part of the track/

edit: eh, and the fanzone is also on the bit between that and the current T1 - lol, it would be quite a change! Also, I suspect there'd be a chicane after the uphill fast bit, and before joining with current T3.

[Mattchu]

I agree bosyber, the track [imo] is much to short and with only 7 (possibly corners it`s over in a flash. Good bang for your buck if you`re watching in the stands though.

Could we see 1.02 pole time...

p.s. Hope you have a great time @ ajdavison2

[ajdavison2]

Currently enroute to Spielberg for the grand prix. Can't wait, although we are driving from Newcastle (north east England for those that are curious) so wish me luck Haha! Doing a pitlane walk on Thursday for the first time so I'll try and snap any photos I can!

Hope you only start the bbq once you get there, not while seated in the car - it's pretty scorching all through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria! It's quite the road-trip, but sounds like a great tour, enjoy the views, and hope you have a smooth ride and a great time!

Are you camping, or got a place 'nearby'? The latter is what we did two years ago, got an hotel in the mountains - added week with family, was pretty great, and traffic into the track was (as expected really with Red Bull as event organiser) orderly and swift, but, you are not as much in the race/party atmosphere then.

Yeah we're camping at the track itself, got 3 day general admission tickets so we'll be scoping the whole track out with plenty of nice cold beers Haha! Does anyone know what there is in the way of bars and stuff there? And mainly if you can take your own alcohol in?

[dans79]

Binotto told that the floor had been planned to not stay on the car beforehand. It was just tested for verifying reasons and further delevopment decisions.

Hmmm well it didn't sound quite like that on scuderiafans.com

“I don’t think we got all the answers from this weekend because the floor not working properly [is] a lack of answers,” he admitted. “So we will still work on that one. I think we’ll have some test items again in Austria, try to better understand. I think we will fully understand only when all the parts properly work as expected.”

it sounds like Mattia was hoping for more than they got. i'm not wishing you down, just i wouldn't build your hopes up too much, just yet. I mean it's only a week

It will definitely be interesting. Ferrari is in the process of adding more DF so they don't loose so much time in the corners to Mercedes, but the consequence of this is that they will also be adding drag that eats away at their strait line advantage.

Mercedes is most likely working to reduce their current drag levels So they don't loose so much time to Ferrari on the straits, but the consequence of this is that they will also be reducing df and that eats away at their advantage in the turns.

I honestly have no idea who should have an edge this weekend. Their aren't many corners, but the straits aren't that long either, so it's kind of a toss up.

[izzy]

It will definitely be interesting. Ferrari is in the process of adding more DF so they don't loose so much time in the corners to Mercedes, but the consequence of this is that they will also be adding drag that eats away at their strait line advantage.

Mercedes is most likely working to reduce their current drag levels So they don't loose so much time to Ferrari on the straits, but the consequence of this is that they will also be reducing df and that eats away at their advantage in the turns.

I honestly have no idea who should have an edge this weekend. Their aren't many corners, but the straits aren't that long either, so it's kind of a toss up.

yes they are converging aren't they, we saw that in France a bit already as edit zibby said i think. And who wouldn't love to see Charles vs Lewis in equal cars??? Still, i'm not really predicting that based on what we know, but hopefully TV coverage of the midfield is a bit better this time, at least

[zibby43]

I honestly have no idea who should have an edge this weekend. Their aren't many corners, but the straits aren't that long either, so it's kind of a toss up.

That's a key point re: the straights. While there are straights at this circuit, they aren't very long ones because the lap is so short. Ferrari's straightline advantage has primarily been in the final phase of acceleration in longer straights.

I'm still trying to figure out how Mercedes completely ate up Ferrari's straightline advantage in Q3 in France.

There are a few critical corners, and a few short (relative to other circuits) straights. Going to be a fascinating weekend.

[MtthsMlw]

I honestly have no idea who should have an edge this weekend. Their aren't many corners, but the straits aren't that long either, so it's kind of a toss up.

That's a key point re: the straights. While there are straights at this circuit, they aren't very long ones because the lap is so short. Ferrari's straightline advantage has primarily been in the final phase of acceleration in longer straights.

I'm still trying to figure out how Mercedes completely ate up Ferrari's straightline advantage in Q3 in France.

There are a few critical corners, and a few short (relative to other circuits) straights. Going to be a fascinating weekend.

Maybe partly due to a new technical directive further clamping down on RW flexing.

[dans79]

Maybe partly due to a new technical directive further clamping down on RW flexing.

what's this, I didn't hear anything about a new directive?


Edit: I found this when I went searching.
https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -fia-2019/

[MtthsMlw]

Maybe partly due to a new technical directive further clamping down on RW flexing.

what's this, I didn't hear anything about a new directive?


Edit: I found this when I went searching.
https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -fia-2019/

Yep, that's what I was referring to.

[zibby43]

I honestly have no idea who should have an edge this weekend. Their aren't many corners, but the straits aren't that long either, so it's kind of a toss up.

That's a key point re: the straights. While there are straights at this circuit, they aren't very long ones because the lap is so short. Ferrari's straightline advantage has primarily been in the final phase of acceleration in longer straights.

I'm still trying to figure out how Mercedes completely ate up Ferrari's straightline advantage in Q3 in France.

There are a few critical corners, and a few short (relative to other circuits) straights. Going to be a fascinating weekend.

Maybe partly due to a new technical directive further clamping down on RW flexing.

Interesting. So Ferrari were dumping drag on the straights by bolting the RW mainplane in a way that would facilitate movement/flexing.

Ferrari also apparently asked for 2 races worth of time to re-write their software that was exhaust blowing the crash structure furniture area.

[dtro]

More interested to see if Renault/McLaren can continue their upward trend in form over the last couple of races in Austria. As much as I want to believe there are more similarities than differences between Austria and Bahrain- I don't see much changing in terms of the average performance of the top 3 teams. The length of the lap makes me think that there will be some embarrassing strategy calls/mistakes in cut-off times for the Reds, potentially for Gasly as well given his below average performance compared to Verstappen.

Also interested to see what upgrades, if any, will the teams that have struggled over the last few races bring.

[LM10]

That's a key point re: the straights. While there are straights at this circuit, they aren't very long ones because the lap is so short. Ferrari's straightline advantage has primarily been in the final phase of acceleration in longer straights.

I'm still trying to figure out how Mercedes completely ate up Ferrari's straightline advantage in Q3 in France.

There are a few critical corners, and a few short (relative to other circuits) straights. Going to be a fascinating weekend.

Maybe partly due to a new technical directive further clamping down on RW flexing.

Interesting. So Ferrari were dumping drag on the straights by bolting the RW mainplane in a way that would facilitate movement/flexing.

Ferrari also apparently asked for 2 races worth of time to re-write their software that was exhaust blowing the crash structure furniture area.

That's not a fact. Ferrari was accusing Mercedes of doing so and Mercedes was accusing Ferrari of doing so. There is nothing which got confirmed.

[TAG]

Maybe partly due to a new technical directive further clamping down on RW flexing.

Interesting. So Ferrari were dumping drag on the straights by bolting the RW mainplane in a way that would facilitate movement/flexing.

Ferrari also apparently asked for 2 races worth of time to re-write their software that was exhaust blowing the crash structure furniture area.

That's not a fact. Ferrari was accusing Mercedes of doing so and Mercedes was accusing Ferrari of doing so. There is nothing which got confirmed.

Nothing is ever confirmed in this sport, but somehow performance is impacted the next race. Remember last year's additional oil tanks and plumbing with the "smoky" Ferrari ICE? I love this sport.

[LM10]

Interesting. So Ferrari were dumping drag on the straights by bolting the RW mainplane in a way that would facilitate movement/flexing.

Ferrari also apparently asked for 2 races worth of time to re-write their software that was exhaust blowing the crash structure furniture area.

That's not a fact. Ferrari was accusing Mercedes of doing so and Mercedes was accusing Ferrari of doing so. There is nothing which got confirmed.

Nothing is ever confirmed in this sport, but somehow performance is impacted the next race. Remember last year's additional oil tanks and plumbing with the "smoky" Ferrari ICE? I love this sport.

There were no additional oil tanks last year and Ferrari kept on smoking the whole of last year, no matter the amount of sensors which were put on the car and the amount of scrutineering done.

In France Ferrari was still faster than Mercedes on the straight, despite having a bigger RW and a significant disadvantage coming out of the slow chicane right before the straight leading to the finish line.
But it’s a no-brainer they will lose top speed when gaining downforce, isn’t it?