2017 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX RACE **SPOILERS**

Bahrain F1 test key for Mercedes' tyre use 'question mark' - F1 - Autosport

The car seems 'hit and miss' in a given configuration and temperature. Be interesting to see what comes out of this test in Sochi or Spain.

Lewis Hamilton thinks this week's Bahrain Formula 1 test will be crucial for helping Mercedes answer its "question mark" over getting the best out of the 2017 tyres.

Rival Ferrari appears better at managing the 2017 Pirellis, and its car is also more comfortable than the Mercedes on the softest compounds and when temperatures rise.

Those factors played a role in Ferrari's victories in both the Australian and Bahrain Grands Prix.

"We've got some work to do in the test - trying to strengthen the car, and strengthen our knowledge of the tyres, so we can be in a better position for the next race," said Hamilton after his defeat to Sebastian Vettel at Sakhir last weekend.

Eight reasons why Mercedes lost the Bahrain GP

Hamilton will test in Bahrain on Tuesday, with team-mate Valtteri Bottas taking over on Wednesday.

While Mercedes does hold an advantage on single-lap pace - having taken pole position at every race so far this year - Ferrari's better long-run form means race days are much closer.

Hamilton believes conquering the tyre use situation will allow Mercedes to get the full potential from its W08 in all situations.

"The car is obviously good," he said.

"It's just how we use our tyres on race day, particularly when it gets a bit warmer.

"But even [in Bahrain] it wasn't really that, it was quite cool. So that is definitely a big question mark for us."

The Mercedes' performance also seems particularly sensitive to fuel loads.

"In the beginning [of a race], the car's a big, heavy lump...and, yeah, the grip just does not feel good at all, it's sliding around," said Hamilton.

"Then the car gets lighter and lighter, gets more and more comfortable and, when you put the fresher tyres on in the end, as I did, you've got like new boots and the tyre is more nimble like qualifying again.

"There's like a point at which it goes one way or the other."

 

Everybody knew this might come sooner or later...Mercedes was, is and always will be Lewis´team...There is nothing wrong with it if Toto would actually say the truth instead of making it sound like there is absolutely no preference....
Just like with Nico: if Lewis is behind and faster (Monaco f.e) the team mate is called to pull over, if the team mate is faster and Lewis is told so he simply refuses it and afterwards Toto jumps his side and says he should have never asked him because he is racing for the championship That does not sound like equal treatment at all...

 

Haas F1 team trying alternative brake supplier in Bahrain test - F1 - Autosport

Romain Grosjean says the updated Brembo Formula 1 brakes Haas used during the Bahrain Grand Prix were a big improvement, but it will try an alternative in testing this week.

Brake consistency has been an ongoing difficulty for Haas, which has been working with supplier Brembo for several months n a bid to find a solution.

But it has also arranged to test new brakes from Carbone Industrie at the in-season Bahrain test, which starts on Tuesday.

After running the new Brembo brakes during the Bahrain race weekend, Grosjean declared himself happy but highlighted the length of time it had taken.

"We had an update from Brembo and it worked much better than it was before," said Grosjean, who scored his first points of 2017 with eighth in Bahrain.

"It was clearly a big step.

"It took quite a while to get the update.

"We're going to try something different and see how it goes."

 

Please find where I write that. Pretty damn sure I've said plenty of times that Vettel is quicker. Funnily enough, Toil said the same thing...

Why NOT turn your engine down if you're not allowed to overtake your teammate? Common sense.

Funnily enough I didn't mention him until yesterday. The plot thickens.

 

Exactly! And being caught is one thing, overtaking a whole 'nother ball game.

 

+1 overtaking needed a 1.5 sec rate of closure to attempt

 

yup, spot on.

all the same talk about being objective, the same claims of what is fact and what isn't according to what suits etc.. also the exact same thing of obsession with comparisons.

 

no idea. Mercedes seems to have done something smart that people can't reproduce after 3 a of hybrid aera.

agreed on both.

 

Bahrain Testing: Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes suffers early breakdown | F1 News

Contains an overall test update

 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/honda-hits-fresh-problems-in-bahrain-f1-test-895362/
Again... it is one thing to be down on power but not to be able to have an engine running more than one lap in the third year is ridiculous...

 

Doesn't Honda have a test bench? They should be running various engines 24/7 with all their embarassments.

 

James Allen's gap plot below.
I think Bottles needs to ask his team serious questions about putting him on Supersofts for the second stint.

It looks like Massa played it well to not fight Kimi and Ricciardo too hard as he had to manage the gap to Perez and that he did well.

I think it is clear that Bottas went into cruise mode once Hami was through (or tears hindered his vision..).

Given how Wehrlein's tyres lasted I wonder what Mercedes has to say with a bit of hindsight... Could Hamilton perhaps have survived on a one-stopper?
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The wishes of the fans don't always coincide with the interest of the team.

We want to see a fight, Toto wants to see results and point scored.

Preferably at 1-2 finish.

 

As I said there is nothing wrong about it but at least you could be honest...

 

Maybe.

There is a lot of coaching and instructions given during races, that just didn't exist 20 years ago.

 

Like me then.
There is something about supporting a team, like in other sports.
Players/drivers come and go. SF is always there.

 

Exactly.

 

You are correct, but that does NOT mean Enzo only cared about the WCC.

The car that won was and is the car that the WDC winner drives, so yes as long as the WDC, whoever that was, was driving a Ferrari, he was happy. Remember there was no WCC when F1 started and there actually is no need for the WCC. Last time I looked the WDC drove a car, and that car has a brand name and that is what counts

The only time the WCC counts is when you (your team) are not good enough to win the WDC.
Pete

 

He would've survived but he still had that penalty...so Vettel only had to cruise up to the back and easily snatched the win.

 

Vettel won fair and square regardless Elton's penalty.

 

A completely baseless story? A one stop on softs was within pirellis tyre guideline. Lewis did not need to stop again as shown by wherlein. A baseless story would be assuming bottas turned his engine down when he clearly gave other reasons for his lack of pace.

That is the impression I get from your posts, I'm sure I'm not the only one. Someone else said I was toil then I don't recall?

 

Hard to make that comparison as the Merc is harder on tires than the Sauber. It goes faster for one, but there is also something more to it. Also potentially Hamilton's management or comfort on the tires. This was evident in his very first stint in Australia. He pitted because he said the tires were falling off badly, but Pirelli said they still had a lot of life left. Merc has been struggling with the tires and getting the temps and abuse of them right. They've even spoken about it publicly. So it isn't just a question of material left or the life on paper from Pirelli for a specific tire, but also the temp, condition, etc. which varies from car to car and driver to driver.

 

Anyone with half a brain knew elton had to pit again, when bottas was told on the radio exactly that very early on. Elton is extremely hard on his tyres, and the merc is already a tyre hungry car, so thinking he could have kept the same set for the rest of the race would be ridiculous. He would have been so slow by the end, he'd have been lapped by the field

 

Lewis for a change put in some serious work yesterday.
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Nico's title win and work ethic taught him a thing or 2 lol