2023 Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir, March 03 - 05

[mkay]

Give AM time. Unlike the big 3 teams, AM brought a 100% top to bottom brand new car. They need to learn it and optimize it for Alonso. AM is a team with a bigger upside than the others.

They have more wind tunnel time than others! As Dan Fallows said before testing, the car is going to change 2/3rd with their development plans.

This as well. The upside for AM, if Fallows and Alonso brings the A-game, is greater than that of the big 3 teams.

This is assuming the upside is driven by CFD/wind tunnel time which so far hasn't really panned out. It will definitely help AMF1 in the development race, but whether that translates to grater upside is a question mark.

[gandharva]

Maybe Alonso can beat Perez and with some SC/VSC luck even max, who knows

Checo casually talking to DC:

"If anything, we prepared much more to the race. We have more of a Sunday race car at the moment underneath us. We knew we had to do some compromises for quali, which we ended up doing.

"They were not ideal. But hopefully tomorrow it pays out and we can have a very strong race."

[chrisc90]

Alonso 1.3 seconds faster in 23 than 22.

[organic]

Maybe Alonso can beat Perez and with some SC/VSC luck even max, who knows

Checo casually talking to DC:

"If anything, we prepared much more to the race. We have more of a Sunday race car at the moment underneath us. We knew we had to do some compromises for quali, which we ended up doing.

"They were not ideal. But hopefully tomorrow it pays out and we can have a very strong race."

Nobody has a perfect quali car and doesn't optimize for the race. All the drivers have said this today, and it's especially true because the teams are learning new cars and not able to exploit the setup window perfectly.

From the long runs in fp2 and using this as a basis, perez will fight with Alonso and charles tomorrow

[gandharva]

I doubt.

[vas_04614]

So am i right to say all of top 7 have one new set of softs?

No, I think only Ferrari does. RBR used all their tires and so did everyone else but Charles.

It should be a great strategy for a late race SC. I hope they don't use it at the begining of the race as it wouldn't be a huge advantage against the RBR with a 3 laps old softs.

Using below picture of tyres before P3
RBR both drivers: Used only 1 set of Softs in P3, so they saved one soft here (new sets: 1S, 1M and 1H)
Alonso & Both Merc: clearly they did only one run in Q3 so saved one soft set each (new sets: 1S, 1M and 2H)
SAI: He did 2 runs in Q3 so didn't save new soft but used Mediums in Q1 so also has 1 new soft (1S, 0M and 2H)
Lec: Saved one set in Q3 and also 1 more in Q1 as he also used Mediums. (2S, 0M and 2H)

So i think everyone has 1 new soft assuming drivers still get 1 new softs just for Q3

[dialtone]

What's the point of comparing 2nd run of Max with the 1st and only run of Charles. Incredible...and disappointing.

This is LEC v VER 1st.

Primary differences are:
* LEC slower in T1 and LEC kinda bad in T13.
* Ferrari incredible braking in T8, T10 and T14.
* While the top speed is kinda similar, LEC spent decidedly more time at higher speed than VER, even with a bad exit from T10 from LEC, VER couldn't open the gap on that straight.

Ferrari built a fast car and had setup compromises for this race.

[organic]

So am i right to say all of top 7 have one new set of softs?

No, I think only Ferrari does. RBR used all their tires and so did everyone else but Charles.

It should be a great strategy for a late race SC. I hope they don't use it at the begining of the race as it wouldn't be a huge advantage against the RBR with a 3 laps old softs.

RB have scrubbed set from Q2 second run that they did not start or do fast laps on, so barely any life difference to fresh

[chrisc90]

Quickly knocked up the differences to last year.

Likely not very relative, but shows the improvements from 2022

[mendis]

Quickly knocked up the differences to last year.

Likely not very relative, but shows the improvements from 2022

So Mercedes have gained a tenth over Ferrari and lost 4 tenths to RB in the last 12 months. Rusell had a messy session last year.

[avantman]

What's the point of comparing 2nd run of Max with the 1st and only run of Charles. Incredible...and disappointing.

https://i.imgur.com/0ZaZ7hC.jpeg

This is LEC v VER 1st.

Primary differences are:
* LEC slower in T1 and LEC kinda bad in T13.
* Ferrari incredible braking in T8, T10 and T14.
* While the top speed is kinda similar, LEC spent decidedly more time at higher speed than VER, even with a bad exit from T10 from LEC, VER couldn't open the gap on that straight.

Ferrari built a fast car and had setup compromises for this race.

Thanks a lot! Really appreciate it . I believe that comparison makes a lot more sense because Charles would've improved for sure, he basically said that.

[chrisc90]

Quickly knocked up the differences to last year.

Likely not very relative, but shows the improvements from 2022

So Mercedes have gained a tenth over Ferrari and lost 4 tenths to RB in the last 12 months. Rusell had a messy session last year.

Individual improvements over the year.

I guess you could put it as gap to leaders fastest qualifying time and it would look better.

For example 2022 Lewis was +1.012 to Charles, but this year Lewis is +0.676 behind Verstappen.

I could do a gap to the leader table which would show totally different results.

[avantman]

So would you say Verstappen put a better lap together, whilst Charles definitely had more in the car on that very lap?

Also, is it evident Ferrari got a bit more power overall?

[f1jcw]

I don't think the Mercs Q3 is fully representive, they seemed to have a right cocked up strategy, doesn't seem like things have improved with the leaving of Vowles.

[Artur Craft]

Everyone thinks the Ferraris will struggle with tire wear with the small wing. So basically AM and the Mercedes think that P3 is on the table (or better if the RBs make a turkey of it).

That might explain Ferrari driver´s expressions. Shal had an akward facial expression, didn´t seen confident or confortable at all. Sainz was even worse, he looked outright devastated