[Official] Australian Grand Prix 2019: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 1 of 21

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I think there is nothing stopping Leclerc having a go at Vettel under normal circumstances, but they obviously needed both cars to the finish. I think he's getting quicker and quicker. Vettel may be number 1, but Leclerc can still race him at times. I think we could see Ferrari out of the title fight this season under current form

I think if Leclerc had beaten Vettel in the first race VET would start to get the old red mist before too long, overdrive and throw it off the road. Personally I think VET is a great lead from the front driver, but not been sure about him in wheel to wheel stuff and mental strength.


This was nothing about getting two cars home, it was about 'reassuring' VET that he is No1 driver. How long that will last if CL gets quicker regularly remains to be seen.

[S griffin]

Well hopefully that’s not the case. Vettel is good at looking after his car, but sometimes a bit of patience is needed in traffic, which I know he can do

Maybe it was lucky Vettel was in front, but it’s not the end of the world if Leclerc beats him

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Re floor damage..... Yes, we’re waiting for clarification, if it ever comes, on what the actual damage to LH’s Merc was. It was odd. Hope for a bit more detail when the print race reports come out.....

Here you go.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...ralia/4355058/

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Here you go.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...ralia/4355058/

Thanks- They’ve all suddenly got the story! https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14...r-floor-damage

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Here you go.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...ralia/4355058/

He didn't go off the track but if a bit of debris did damage that part of the car floor, enough to impede Hamilton significantly, I thank that could be of some concern for Mercedes.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Here you go.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...ralia/4355058/

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

He didn't go off the track but if a bit of debris did damage that part of the car floor, enough to impede Hamilton significantly, I thank that could be of some concern for Mercedes.

Just goes to show how vulnerable F1 cars are now with all their delicate aero bits! Get rid of them and problem would be much reduced.....

[Peter Mallett]

Indeed. And I still don't know why a wing is called a floor.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Here you go.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...ralia/4355058/

so im a bit confused...part of Kubica's (or i suppose it could have been from someone else's) front wing was already on the track for the start of the race? did it just fall off on its own or did Kubica make contact with something during the formation lap?

this is weird no?

from the article:

Hamilton believes that he may have run over debris that had been left on the track from Robert Kubica’s damaged front wing.

As the below photograph shows, the part was present at the start of the race.

[Peter Mallett]

I think it means the floor was intact at the beginning of the race.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

so im a bit confused...part of Kubica's (or i suppose it could have been from someone else's) front wing was already on the track for the start of the race? did it just fall off on its own or did Kubica make contact with something during the formation lap?

Article mentions the problem started on lap 4. Hamilton says he was able to keep up with Bottas until then. I think I read elsewhere that Kubica had front wing damage early in the race, but not on the start of the race.

Either way... Bottas had a great start and was strongly leading the race prior to Hamilton having mechanical issues. So whatever was going on with Hamilton, it was more than floor damage. We will never know however if Hamilton would have been able to challenge and pass Bottas or not.

Lastly... The small part that broke off the rear of the floor. I am somewhat skeptical as to the severity of the impact. We seem to regularly see cars that have the entire end-plate torn off of the front wing and you can't see any real negative performance with respect to lap times. It is always the joke that the commentators have the same conclusion as to why do the engineers obsess over small details when large chunks are missing and have no apparent impact! And with the front wings (particularly end-plates and related aero bits)... they have a large impact on the airflow over the entire car including the impact of end-plates that direct flows around the front wheels and sets the stage for the flow pattern around the bodywork and eventually rear wing and diffuser. All trying to improve efficiency of the rear wing and diffuser.

But never say never. Maybe it was a big impact.

Richard

[steve_r]

Not sure that the result would have been any different without the damage. Of course we will never know - perhaps Hamilton could have done something strategy wise around the pitstops, or at least kept the pressure on his teammate by filling his mirrors. Bottas as the leader would presumably had first call re the pitstops.

The Mercedes performance was yet again brilliant. Pretty ominous signs for the rest of the grid. Without that damage, presumably both Mercedes would have been well up the road from everyone else.

[Greem]

I suppose it just goes to show how close to perfection (under the current regs) the Mercedes cars are, and how critical some of the little spiky dangly aero bits can be. They look pointless to the untrained eye, but lose a tiddly bit and there goes 0.5s per lap.

And to answer the debris question; Kubica ran into the back of Gasly at turn 1 and the wing fell to pieces shortly afterwards.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Greem

I suppose it just goes to show how close to perfection (under the current regs) the Mercedes cars are, and how critical some of the little spiky dangly aero bits can be. They look pointless to the untrained eye, but lose a tiddly bit and there goes 0.5s per lap.

And to answer the debris question; Kubica ran into the back of Gasly at turn 1 and the wing fell to pieces shortly afterwards.

Thanks for the clarification re Kubica’s front wing.

I’m wondering if the ‘floor’ just in front of the rear tyre is more crucial than some of the other spiky dangly, or tiddly bits. BTW Good technical terms, there, Greem!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

so im a bit confused...part of Kubica's (or i suppose it could have been from someone else's) front wing was already on the track for the start of the race? did it just fall off on its own or did Kubica make contact with something during the formation lap?

this is weird no?

from the article:

Hamilton believes that he may have run over debris that had been left on the track from Robert Kubica’s damaged front wing.

As the below photograph shows, the part was present at the start of the race.

According to that article, Hamilton said it was 4 laps into the race.

[chillibowl]

my bad folks...i just re read the article which i clearly had misread and assumed the picture was of LH driving over the debris at the start.

sorry for making it confusing!

[ApexTurtle]

Ferrari have stuff to worry about but looking back at some laptimes Leclerc was faster than Verstappen when they were both catching up to Vettel and Hamilton respectively. But Leclerc was on the hard tyres, Verstappen on the medium.

Without Leclerc's off he would have been able to challenge Verstappen for third easily, in my submission.

[S griffin]

Ferrari do have a lot to worry about. Leclerc, yes he is fast. No surprise he was up there with Max in laptimes, although that shouldn’t be a problem. Of course he needs to avoid mistakes like the one he made in the race

[S griffin]

I think Ferrari might be looking at a long season. Good job they have Leclerc attacking, but to see them behind Red Bull is not good. But will overdriving get the better of one of them?

[ApexTurtle]

You do have to take into account the only reason Vettel lost out to Verstappen was the terrible strategy and whatever problem he had afterwards. On pure speed the Ferrari definitely seems the faster car.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by ApexTurtle

You do have to take into account the only reason Vettel lost out to Verstappen was the terrible strategy and whatever problem he had afterwards. On pure speed the Ferrari definitely seems the faster car.

Indeed. But to win lots of races, or either championship, a team has to have a car and driver combination that is both fast and reliable, repeatedly.

It's been a long time since the Scuderia have been able to do both. The reasons are many and complicated but I don't really see any changes coming unless they knuckle down and let Leclerc have a crack at winning. I really do think Vettel has already shot his bolt at Ferrari.

Controversial, I know...

[ApexTurtle]

Many people seem to agree with you, although not me. Personally I find it very strange how people can think Vettel is not at least as good a driver as Hamilton, who is also world class. In my opinion the thing Ferrari needs is simply a faster car at every track. You can't win a championship if you can't fight for victory at tracks like these

You also can't win races if you qualify 4 tenths behind your teammate and go off track to lose 10 seconds in the first stint

[Greem]

I agree; Vettel is world class - even with the best car you don't repeatedly win the WDC if you're not.

But... He's a romantic. He went to Ferrari believing they would change, and they have not changed. They implode at the slightest provocation and become angry & aggressive in their PR on a predictable basis. Maybe the changes in management will change the team outwardly, but having watched them for a very long time I doubt it.

They've got a pair of genuine hotshoes in their cars right now; one a multiple world champion and one an upstart. A nice guy, but an upstart. How they manage that will be interesting, and I hope not entirely predictable!

[Skam85]

10 pages of discussion and no driver bashing or vociferous cheering at a team's lack of pace.

Pat yourselves on the back!

[S griffin]

Looks like we all enjoyed F1 being back without getting angry or mocking. Certainly I have enjoyed it

[VIVA GT]

I notice that Seb's latest tactic is to sport a Nigel Mansell style 'tache, will his attitude mirror 'Our Nige' now too?
(I did question myself about posting this after reading the last two posts, but then thought it's a valid, if not totally serious comment).