Thanks Jody, I really didn't pay much attention to car details in Bahrain, glad you cleared that up. The flowviz I saw is easily understandable when you say they changed the top of the side pod turning vanes. Which really should be leaving the car soon, surely they are part of the huge drag that car has. They need to dial some it out: Like there rear wing, there are so many appendages on it that scream drag.
Practice wise, what we thinking? thank the skies we have something to think about, completely dry day, perfect.
- It's nice and close, thats what we like. However, for the important sessions to be close, Ferrari need to be ahead on Fridays.
- Ferrari powered cars looking comfortable in the speed traps figures, topping outright ans sectors. Which begs one question, do they now have the greater raw power output? They have gone through a big change which is an assumption based purely on what we are physical seeing out the back of the cars.
- -Mercedes seemed very interested in Bahrain practice, when they voiced to the media that they had analysed Ferrari engine acoustics and stated they were on a higher engine mode. But at the time I queried why would they? they have never in the past, and season is all about wear, why waste it in practices. maybe Maranello made the right choice ridding Matiz (lol, what was his name Jody?) I said maybe they have found someone better, maybe we are seeing it.....
- RedBull are close, but not maybe not enough to break top 4. I though they may be owning sector 2, but I knew it was going to be Merc in there.
- Qualy runs, the Merc had no tyres left for any of sector 3, perhaps confirming they are really over heating and it's a 2013esqu rear limited car, but Bottas had the purple final sector, after a slow first sector. Maybe just all about picking your fight, which corners gain you the most time.
- On track Ferrari look more stable, Merc a little twitchy on exit, Redbull twitchy on direction change.
- Long run, equal match between Merc and RB. Ferrari results perhaps a little skewed for comparison, but perhaps ahead of the two or equal also. After doing a leap from the lions head(Indy Jones:Last Crusade ref) with the soft tyres last race, I'm wondering the wealth of information they gathered due to it. With this track being a tyre churner, that the Ferrari just serenades their tyres, will they be most comfortable.
Midfield, it's so close one could be here all night.
Mag, loving his Haas, with Ferraris top speeds, going well.
Renault engines coming alive, filling two of the top 3 speed trap figure.
Renault team, both drivers going well, Hulk running a comfortable 0.2-3s advantage to Sainz so far this season.
McL, TR, Fi impossible to seperate. if we go by previous McLaren will fall back in the qually pecking order, they just dont improve on Saturday. So a TR and an Fi in Q3.
Sauber, Williams, not too far away. That Willimas handling though, it's problems shone during practice.
Pirelli
says there is 0.7s gap between the Ultrasoft & the Soft tyre and another 0.9s gap between the Soft & the Medium tyre compound (total 1.6s between Ultrasoft & Medium). No Supersoft in China.
Theoretical best laps.
Might explain Renault speed traps.....
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/renau...e-1025524/