[LotusLover]

@neil I’m guessing Ferrari and RB quite evenly matched with Scuderia just edging it atm, Mercs currently struggling

[morini]

I'll be back on here Monday!!!

Late to the party (as usual)!

Hope you have a great weekend at the Hungaroring. Budapest is a great place for a boozy weekend - cheap as you like. Put something in the "attending events" section when you get back.

[morini]

So, the P sessions didn't throw any surprises. Damage limitation for Merc as expected.

[NeilP]

No Morini no surprises in F1 or F2. Unless you count Mercedes being pretty much a second down. The long runs were better than their single lap pace but as we all know the race is as much about qualifying as it is the race itself. Red Bull look strong especially on the Yellow walled soft and maybe with Ferrari having issues on that tyre in the last few races that is something they can take advantage of.

Mercedes best hope is to pray to the weather gods and bring hell and fury down during the race. Vettel looked very strong today both single lap and longer runs. All things being equal I would expect him to get pole with the Red Bulls and Raikkonen filling the front four spots on the Grid.

Ferrari are my favourite to win Red Bulls best chance I believe is the start and maybe running longer than the Ferrari's and hopefully finish on better tyres. That said this is F1 and we all know anything can and frequently does happen

[morini]

Moved some amusing banter posts into the cuckoos nest. Don't be offended, this is a "race weekend" thread.

[Monster Hesh]

Well so far it looks like Heshy is way out with the Merc prediction. They were fast enough on the early S runs, but their qually sims fell away quickly during the lap, and they tyres and car stability was none existent into sector three. Maybe a change to their rear aero will be seen for FP3, lower T-wing, sidepod fins etc.

Ferrari to lead the Friday, very interesting. I wondering whether they ran a little more aggressive on the engine front for some reason, or whether they turned up with a very good setup. If not and it is the usual affair of seriously de-tuned engine, and overnight virtual garage and sim setup. Then they are going to be very comfortable.

RedBull leading sector 2, as well predicted, by 0.1s, maybe not enough to do the same in qualifying. Very closely matches in sector 3 with Ferrari. As C.Horner stated so far, it really is sector 1 where they are loosing massively. Which will only worsen in qualifying. End of straight speed trap they are only a couple of KPH down, but at sector 1 intermediate they are 13kph down. So that's acceleration from mid corner at T2, through T3, to the end of sector 1 which is just before the little kink right before the T4 left. That's quite significant, and relatively odd place to be so slow. Maybe that is a key section T2-T3 & maybe T4 for tyre life at the end of the lap.

Long run all tyres held on well, only some micro blistering on the US and none on the other compounds. Longs runs were heavily affected by traffic for everyone. However: In the first US stints, VET had the longest most consistent stint, only RIC was averagely a couple of tenths quicker, but had a shorter stint. Further back both Merc's. Come the second stints, VET ahead on the softs, a few tenths quicker than both Merc and RedBull who were a bit more evenly matched. RAI ran mediums, they showed the classic sign of fuel burn off and very little deg, times kept getting quicker during his 16 lap stint. VES ran US again, and was quick on them as you would expect with lower fuel levels, around 1s a lap quicker to his high fuel oad run. Tyres similar to RAI, showed signs of lasting while the fuel bruns away and time get quicker.

As for the rest, quite spaced really. Who will actually be best of rest couldn't quite say, Haas and Suaber on the next Ferrari power unit before Ferrari actually bring it. Haven't heard or read what its expected gains are, maybe a tweet to our mate Crofty to see if he knows. FI looking strong, Renault I think may be top, McLaren the only team to be worse off than last year at the track so far, everyone else has gained time.

Time deltas for the tyres.
• between ultrasoft and soft: about 0.8s/lap
• between soft and medium: about 0.5s/lap

I think pole time will be a 1:15.1 

Over to you weather, are you going to make this all meaningless? and wreck my Fantasy Team again!



Yes got to agree, sky commentary was a wreck yesterday. maybe its because it been a long haul and they are delirious. Crofty was the worst I've heard in a long while. Frigin Herbet rocks up and drags the presentation down further. Any was the only one holding it together and even he had lost interest when he knew what a sh*t show it was becoming. Then FP2 got worse as Di Resta replaced Ant, it was really difficult to listen to.

[LotusLover]

Unfortunately I think because it’s practises they have too much time to fill hence the talking bollocks!! And wtf is that stupid darts game!!!

[Monster Hesh]

Their banter used to be great, in the BBC days it made the practice sessions, it contributed to them being the highlight of the weekend for me. Beef I've got is the fundamental mistakes commentators should not be using, and completely baseless assumptions they spew out, tyres, slowlaps. It's like they are being told to be as over dramatic as possible, with fake news to boost viewing figures. Just like the AR, this mutli billion dollar sport doesn't need it.

[NeilP]

Time to see what if anything Merc can bring to the table, a poor practice here and its time to pray to the rain gods!

That said I am totally expecting Ferrari and Red Bull to top the time sheets but I would like to see Mercedes close the gap to a manageable amount that gives some hope for the race itself.

[PapaofGags]

 And wtf is that stupid darts game!!!

This niggles me, bloody darts.......

Ditch Crofty & put Martin & Ant in the commentary box, my view.

Hoping the Red Bull's can get in front of Ferrari/Sebastian.