WEll, crappy day for us, hope tomorrow will be better, in pace and reliability...
Alonso third fastest today, not bad. I'm certain the McHonda is no longer a back marker. Does anyone have a list of which tires each team used today? Edit: The McLaren was on Soft tires
Nice to hear McLaren finally getting a breakthrough. But just to put their laptime into perspective, it's still a full second and change off the pacesetter Mercedes. And Mercedes is half a second faster than Ferrari when on similar tire compounds, BUT MOST ALARMINGLY only 2 tenths slower on Softs (Nico, 1:23.022 ) than Ferrari on the Ultrasofts (Vettel) which is said to at least have a clear one+ second advantage. Merc have it in the bag imho.
Can't believe some of you guys are writing it all off before they've even run in anger..... Sure, Merc are the pace setters - we knew they would be coming in. But it seems to me at least Ferrari & maybe Williams have at least closed the gap some, and it's a very long season. OK, it may get *really* long, but they're all working to the same rules. It's not like Merc have a bigger engine or something...... The others 'just' have to do a better job! Cheers, Ian
Yes and no. If others had been allowed to catch up (i.e. have proper engine development) over the last 2 seasons, we wouldn't really be in this mess.
+1 There is more development opportunity this year (and last year) than there has been for a decade. There is a well funded new team. There is a new works team / one less team with small/limited budget. The previous group of minnows is apparently shifting (McLaren finding some pace, Manor getting the Merc engine and promising to actually work on developing the car, STR stretching its wings a bit, etc.). Ferrari are starting to look like a professional organization, again. Reliability across the board seems improved (Honda and Renault are testing a LOT more than they were able to last year)... One team dominating is not new and the Mercs aren't the first to have done it. Below the surface is a lot to like, IMO.
It was well sorted in testing last year as we all know. I hope for the best but Mercedes are simply that good so it appears. Melbourne will be fun no matter.
BMWairhead + Ian, If you're wagering that the other teams will be able to "out-develop" Mercedes during the season, I will take your wagers. Given the regulations and how much of an emphasis on powerplants these last seasons have been and limited in-season power development, it is VERY, VERY unlikely we will see much of a challenge. It's very different from past seasons where the motor was pretty much constant from one team to another. Today the Merc clearly have the best powerplant and the other teams are still adrift. Merc would have to be pretty much sleeping at the wheel to be honest for the other teams to "out develop" them. Teams getting closer and capitalizing on their mistakes as the season progresses maybe, but to mount a real challenge? Odds are dismal and if anyone were to place that bet in Vegas, I would be all over the other side of it.
Lost sight is the fact that engine development hasn't been a part of F1 for nearly a decade. The engines introduced in 2006 were frozen in 2007. Anybody who thinks that things are stagnant now must not remember much of the last decade. The racing has been incredibly boring for YEARS. They are still trying to find the sweet spot, but there is so much more interesting stuff (IMO) happening now that hasn't for years. I think that if they gave them enough tires to do it properly and a pinch more fuel, there'd be some incredible action.
Case in point, WEC and lately IMSA. 24 hour races coming down to the final lap?? hours long battles LET THEM DEVELOP!
I'm not wagering anything. I'm just going to watch the races. That's all. Anyone who chooses to believe the season is over and will not watch the races...I understand that, too.
I agree. I'm simplhy pointing out that they are free to develop more now than they have been for a decade. Is it perfect (i.e., unlimited testing/modifications)...? No. Is it progress? Yes.
I'm trying to convince myself Merc is not dominant, but I'm ignoring clear facts in doing that. The fact that Merc is faster on 'softs' than most teams are on 'ultra-softs' is devastating. They'll be running super-softs and still beating teams using the fastest tires. Yes, it's a long season, but these guys seem to be doing a great job of maintaining their advantages over the rest of the field. Another year of Hami/Nico passive-aggressive battles. Just what we all wanted.
+1million Cost-cutting is some bs. It's like me walking into a Hermés store with a $100 budget. Can't buy sh!et. Only have $100? Shop elsewhere!
Merecedes' efficiency numbers for their new ICE are staggering. I'm anxious to see how it translates to kilos of fuel used per race. This is also the relevance of F1 that so many are castigating. The trickle down of this sort of efficiency is inevitable and will ensure at least some future for internal combustion in consumer hands.
I hear you, and to large extent agree. However, they can still develop, they've just got to spend their tokens wisely. They bought this mess as you call it on themselves: The FIA simply ratifies what they ask for, and they voted for tokens to try & limit costs spiraling out of control. Whether that's a good or bad thing is another debate...... Cheers, Ian
Tokens are imho another gimmick that was introduced to artificially close up the gaps between big and small teams. Keyword, ARTIFICIAL and guess what, it FAILED. Pretty much whatever tops out at testing/homolgamation is what will top at the end of the season. Nobody really has a true shot to catch up... That's why back when the notion of teams running 3 cars, I was all for it. Because the teams that can afford to play, will continuously and ferociously develop.
Yeah, watching the race with the fast forward button after recording the entire race. Watching them live is out the window. Give me the start and first couple of laps, then its time to fast forward.
pretty much what i did all of last season...for the first half. then i completely just stopped following after summer and got all my updates here, the colorful banter was more entertaining.
That was entirely different, there was barely a jump in technology. we went from 3l V10 to 2.4 V8, no added technology, fixed angle. There was so much brand new technology in the V6T switch, and it was frozen after the first 2 tests. It was ridiculous. Hmm. 2005: 2 way fight between Renault and Mclaren 2006: 2 way fight between Renault and Ferrari 2007: 2 way fight between Ferrari and Mclaren 2008: 2 way fight between Ferrari and Mclaren 2009: 2 way fight between Brawn and Red Bull 2010: 3 way fight between Ferrari, Mclaren and Red Bull 2011: Red Bull dominates with Vettel (able to work the blown diffuser) 2012: 2 way fight between Red Bull and Ferrari 2013: Red Bull dominates, but only 2nd half of the season 2014: Mercedes destroys competition 2015: Mercedes destroys competition The difference between the season and a half that Red Bull dominated vs the Mercedes walkovers is quite simple: Mercedes build a great engine (props to them), and development of which was locked for everyone. Mercedes suffered NO competition. 2015 some tokens where given. If you used them and you either didn't gain much or had to revert back to your old set up, tough luck..no power for you and your tokens are gone, so upgrades where relatively conservative. In the mean time, Mercedes could continue gathering immense data and further improve their fantastic engine... In the time that Red Bull was best, no one was limited by having a ****ty engine, no one was stopped from also building a great car. As for racing having sucked in those years. Of course there have been many dreary races. The reason for this is the way the aero was (and still is, or worse right now even!). Had everyone had the same amount of power right now I'd really wonder what state F1 would be in right now. I'd say 50% of current viewers. At best.
Fair enough. But I beg to differ on the thinking behind it. It wasn't to level the field but purely an attempt at containing costs. All the teams agreed it was the way to go & the FIA just rubber stamped their wishes. Doff the cap to Merc & do a better job! It's not easy, never has been, never will be. I also wonder if the howling about what Bas so eloquently referred to as 'this mess' would be as loud if Ferrari were doing the dominating? There's always been dominant teams in F1, & I'm certain there always will be. Someone gets it right & the others play catch up. It is what it is. Cheers, Ian
