2019 British Grand Prix - Silverstone, July 12-14

[zibby43]

What is your prediction for the qualifying? I personally think that it will be a closer battle between Merc and Ferrari than in Barcelona. The reason for this is the layout. The slowest two corners are at the beginning of the track where usually Ferrari can arrive with good temp in the tyres following the out-lap, so the deficit to the Mercedes will not be that big in this slow corners. There are some slow corners towards the end of the lap but I think that having some high-speed corners before them, it will help Ferrari to keep some temperature in the tyre core. Compared to Barcelona, where the slowest corners were in the last sector and Ferrari's tyres were already out of the ideal temp window when they reach them, I feel that this weekend having the worst of it at the beginning should help to close the gap a bit. It is hard to read Redbull though. What do you think?

Stowe will put a lot of energy into the tyres increasing temps. I reckon Ferrari will struggle into Club compared to Merc.

See Lewis’ lap overview that was just posted by FOM on Youtube.

Ferrari’s issue isn’t so much tyre warmup, it’s about keeping the tyres in the optimum range, eg., Ferrari’s tyres were overheating at the end of the Barcelona lap.

Good point. It will be interesting to see whether they're able to stay in the window by the end of the lap here.

[yelistener]

https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/statu ... 85792?s=19

https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/statu ... 25088?s=19

The logic for T7 makes sense, but T17 no so much. The banana bump in 2018 was actually added in FP3 because in FP1 & 2 drivers constantly went off track at T17 and FIA was not happy about it. Replace the banana with extra kerbs would be going back to FP1 & 2. Drivers will have no problem running over the extra kerbs. Austria's last two corners can prove this.

[NathanOlder]

1 meter of grass will do the trick. and doesn't compromise safety and will not destroy the cars like the big sausage curbs.

[Just_a_fan]

What strategies for the race? Use medium to get through Q2 and then run medium followed by hard for the race?

[amr]

What is your prediction for the qualifying? I personally think that it will be a closer battle between Merc and Ferrari than in Barcelona. The reason for this is the layout. The slowest two corners are at the beginning of the track where usually Ferrari can arrive with good temp in the tyres following the out-lap, so the deficit to the Mercedes will not be that big in this slow corners. There are some slow corners towards the end of the lap but I think that having some high-speed corners before them, it will help Ferrari to keep some temperature in the tyre core. Compared to Barcelona, where the slowest corners were in the last sector and Ferrari's tyres were already out of the ideal temp window when they reach them, I feel that this weekend having the worst of it at the beginning should help to close the gap a bit. It is hard to read Redbull though. What do you think?

Stowe will put a lot of energy into the tyres increasing temps. I reckon Ferrari will struggle into Club compared to Merc.

See Lewis’ lap overview that was just posted by FOM on Youtube.

Ferrari’s issue isn’t so much tyre warmup, it’s about keeping the tyres in the optimum range, eg., Ferrari’s tyres were overheating at the end of the Barcelona lap.

Good point. It will be interesting to see whether they're able to stay in the window by the end of the lap here.

Ferrari overheated the surface of the tyres because in the medium speed corners that are before S3 in Barcelona they couldn't get enough energy in the tyre core. To heat the core you need downforce to deformed the tyre, to heat the surface you need to slide which Ferrari was doing due to less downforce. Hopefully, with this year cars, the Stowe will be a fastish corner that will help Ferrari to put enough energy in the core and do less sliding to heat the surface. Either way, if Ferrari cooks the surface of the tire towards the ends of the lap, there are less slow corners at the end of the lap to lose time, compared to Barcelona

[Just_a_fan]

The forecast is looking like it's going to be a "cold" race. Temperature around 20degC, broken cloud, so track temperature won't be that high either. Not sure if that helps any team in particular. I guess Mercedes might be rue bringing an extra set of medium rather than soft...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2637827

[bonjon1979]

The forecast is looking like it's going to be a "cold" race. Temperature around 20degC, broken cloud, so track temperature won't be that high either. Not sure if that helps any team in particular. I guess Mercedes might be rue bringing an extra set of medium rather than soft...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2637827

I thought the fast corners meant you could always get heat in your tyres at silverstone. 20 degrees is also, pretty standard temps for this time of year.

[izzy]

I don't think anyone knows what effect the new surface is going to have on the tyres do they? Personally I'm quite glad the Mercs have been conservative, in case it grains them

but in the race if the Ferrari really have some extra magic in their H generation that could be the winning factor, with so little braking

[Hammerfist]

I hope Hamilton gets pole and wins. Realistically, he's in the favourable position that he can afford to be second or third for a several races with others winning and still be leading the championship in several races time. I think that will possibly temper him in the race - finishing with good points is now the order of the day, not going for wins at all costs.

Having said all of that, I think Ferrari will be in front. They seem to be very strong in fast corners and we know they're good in a straight line. I can see Vettel on pole and winning, although young Leclerc might put a spanner in the works with one of those. He'll be fired up after Austria and desperate (too desperate?) for that maiden win.

I'm guessing:
1. Vettel
2. Hamilton
3. Verstappen/Leclerc/Bottas (in that order of likelihood as I think Max might sneak this one)

McLaren for a good solid points finish behind the above guys.

Negative on Ferrari being on pole. I reckon they will be more than half a second behind in qualifying. If it is closer than that I will be impressed. They just don't generate as much downforce as the Merc and that is VERy important at Silverstone. I thought everybody knew this by now? Anyways,they are going to get killed, barring some trouble with Merc. I think the Redbull might be in front of them here too, well Max only that is.

[djones]

I think it's important to not get carried away with the last race where Mercedes had catastrophic cooling issues and at points in the race were coasting for 400m of the straight..... yet still finished 3rd.

Cooler conditions play into their hands for not just cooling, but they seem to get the tyres working better than anyone when it's not really hot.

Add Hamilton home race motivation and I predict he is 0.5 seconds clear of the best Ferrari in qualifying.

[godlameroso]

What strategies for the race? Use medium to get through Q2 and then run medium followed by hard for the race?

C1 is useless, C3 can probably do half race distance without much drama. I think they went too hard this race. Having a bunch of C3 tires is the way to go.

[digitalrurouni]

I think it's important to not get carried away with the last race where Mercedes had catastrophic cooling issues and at points in the race were coasting for 400m of the straight..... yet still finished 3rd.

Cooler conditions play into their hands for not just cooling, but they seem to get the tyres working better than anyone when it's not really hot.

Add Hamilton home race motivation and I predict he is 0.5 seconds clear of the best Ferrari in qualifying.

Pretty much this!

[amr]

I hope Hamilton gets pole and wins. Realistically, he's in the favourable position that he can afford to be second or third for a several races with others winning and still be leading the championship in several races time. I think that will possibly temper him in the race - finishing with good points is now the order of the day, not going for wins at all costs.

Having said all of that, I think Ferrari will be in front. They seem to be very strong in fast corners and we know they're good in a straight line. I can see Vettel on pole and winning, although young Leclerc might put a spanner in the works with one of those. He'll be fired up after Austria and desperate (too desperate?) for that maiden win.

I'm guessing:
1. Vettel
2. Hamilton
3. Verstappen/Leclerc/Bottas (in that order of likelihood as I think Max might sneak this one)

McLaren for a good solid points finish behind the above guys.

Negative on Ferrari being on pole. I reckon they will be more than half a second behind in qualifying. If it is closer than that I will be impressed. They just don't generate as much downforce as the Merc and that is VERy important at Silverstone. I thought everybody knew this by now? Anyways,they are going to get killed, barring some trouble with Merc. I think the Redbull might be in front of them here too, well Max only that is.

look how skinny the RW are this year. The cars have more downforce this year compared to last year so the peak downforce levels are not so important anymore. I would say downforce efficiency is more important.
I'm not saying Ferrari has the pole in the bag, but I expect them to be only somewhere around 0.3 sec behind. Way better than Barcelona or Paul Ricard anyway.

[Just_a_fan]

What strategies for the race? Use medium to get through Q2 and then run medium followed by hard for the race?

C1 is useless, C3 can probably do half race distance without much drama. I think they went too hard this race. Having a bunch of C3 tires is the way to go.

Hence my earlier:

I guess Mercedes might be rue bringing an extra set of medium rather than soft...

[mkay]

I hope Hamilton gets pole and wins. Realistically, he's in the favourable position that he can afford to be second or third for a several races with others winning and still be leading the championship in several races time. I think that will possibly temper him in the race - finishing with good points is now the order of the day, not going for wins at all costs.

Having said all of that, I think Ferrari will be in front. They seem to be very strong in fast corners and we know they're good in a straight line. I can see Vettel on pole and winning, although young Leclerc might put a spanner in the works with one of those. He'll be fired up after Austria and desperate (too desperate?) for that maiden win.

I'm guessing:
1. Vettel
2. Hamilton
3. Verstappen/Leclerc/Bottas (in that order of likelihood as I think Max might sneak this one)

McLaren for a good solid points finish behind the above guys.

Negative on Ferrari being on pole. I reckon they will be more than half a second behind in qualifying. If it is closer than that I will be impressed. They just don't generate as much downforce as the Merc and that is VERy important at Silverstone. I thought everybody knew this by now? Anyways,they are going to get killed, barring some trouble with Merc. I think the Redbull might be in front of them here too, well Max only that is.

https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl ... rb15-1.jpg
https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl ... -w10-1.jpg
look how skinny the RW are this year. The cars have more downforce this year compared to last year so the peak downforce levels are not so important anymore. I would say downforce efficiency is more important.
I'm not saying Ferrari has the pole in the bag, but I expect them to be only somewhere around 0.3 sec behind. Way better than Barcelona or Paul Ricard anyway.

Not just that... it's also due to the resurfacing.

From AMuS/Hulkenberg:

"In recent years, the asphalt was pretty wavy here. We had to drive at maximum downforce in 2018 to keep the cars on the track. This has thrown us back badly, because we lertztes year still had a large power deficit. Now we are top with the engine. And the track looks much smoother. We'll go to the first practice with less downforce right now. "