Schumacher 2010 insight and 2011 W02 testing

It is only to a minor degree about the nationality (although being Japanese is a major cultural difference from Europe). However there are huge differences in labor laws, power of the unions, perception/support of the public etc.

Just because you have a shop in England assembling the cars doesn't mean the approach is the same. There is a huge difference between a truly British shop (e.g. McLaren) and a German shop building the cars in England (MB).

Just putting your shop into England is no guarantee for success. As even Ferrari learned with Barnard.

I think the similarities between BMW and MB are the biggest. Which is also why I don't give MB much hope for ever winning the title and eventually giving up on building their own F1 car altogether.

 

I have to wonder if MB is pulling a play from Ferrari's old playbook where Ferrari built a completely different chassis to test stuff and then had hiding in the rafters the actual chassis. I think it was the Ferrari 639 which tested the F1 'box and then it was put into 640 (F189).

I'm not saying W02 currently is just a test mule, but I 'get' where they are sort of going if they indeed having something interesting coming out. This 'interim' car business isn't being said by anyone else so naturally many are curious. Then again it could be a load of PR hooey.

 

I think those tactics went away with the FIA crash tests

 

No - In this era track time is far too valuable. The currennt MB is a midfield car.....

 

yup, it is pretty much fail unless a miracle happens

 

what's with all the hating? That's my role to play here

 

Breaks my heart. Really it does, but the truth shall set me free.

 

MS bet on the wrong horse with MB. Had he stayed on at Ferrari chances are he'd bagged more titles. Just saying.

 

Tru dat.

 

Not sure where Nico pulled this time out of, but he just pulled a 1m23.752 which is the quickest time today thus far. How crappy would MB feel if the car could qualify well but had zero race pace. Sad sad.

 

Don't get too upset. This is only testing. God knows where they're at right now

 

You seem to be losing your faith pretty quickly now

 

Well, after the second test I really had concerns as their qualy pace appeared to be ok by their race pace was horrid. It seems the car may act terribly different when loaded with fuel?

IMO, this will be a Red Bull vs Ferrari year and it's going to get downright ugly. My dime is on Alonso though. He is the 'cooler' driver who carries more out-of-the-box thinking with his driving and maneuvering style.

 

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HAHAH. that genuinely made me chuckle. good stuff

 

I think you should keep your faith until after the first race or after the updates

I agree, alonso imo is the most complete driver on the grid. Last year when everybody was on their toes, getting nervous and ****. Alonso stayed cool and just kept chipping away podiums.

The problem i see now though is Vettel. The guy has the speed, the car and now has a championship in his back. The pressure is of to some extent.

I hope Alonso clinches it though it´s time for Ferrari to grab a title again.

 

He stayed cool in the last few races but also made some bonehead errors earlier in the season. He used to be bulletproof when it came to avoiding mistakes.

Hopefully for ferrari's sake he can go back to being solid all season. Last year's performance was no better than Kimi would have managed IMO.

 

Vettel will definitely be a different Vettel this year, but if Alonso or even Schu were in a Red Bull I have no doubt they would give Vettel a serious run. Alonso has a serious job ahead of him this season and I think if he can regularly get ahead of Webber in qualy he will go all the way.

MB is still unk as I heard today that they had not been doing some of their long runs without KERS. Just idle twitter rumors but my gosh it's certainly interesting to think that several teams could be doing such things.

 

agreed, Alonso is probably hungrier then ever now. And that´s an Alonso you do not want behind you.

I think that if he can get to Vettels gearbox before the first lap is over he got him.

Man i can´t wait for the first race to kick of and see the light go from red to nothing

 

lol

 

Little update here: It is highly rumored that the sidepods just under where it says 'Malaysia' are to be seriously radiused with the floor area to either create a double floor (a la Toro Rosso) or have simply a large radiused area like everyone else. Also, the MB exhaust will incorporate somehow to this area. My 2 Euros says this is what will happen as this is the only car on the grid without fully radiused sidepods and MB has that weird crash structure bar right dead center at their current radiator inlets which certainly alludes to the double floor method.
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Cool, I just hope they find some speed!! come on MB!

 

That is a great big chunk of surface area under the sidepod there. I believe the rule which applies to the radius says something like a radius of curvature of 75mm and it must conform to a tangent continuous curve. Prevents winglets/chimneys and the like

 

Cool, I learned a new verbe today:

To radiuse, meaning a) to dissipate heat b) to blow some hot air c) to obtuse the real issues.


Seriously, it sounds like a major overhaul is due. At least they now just won 2 free weeks of development courtesy of the Bahrainis.

 

gotta laugh there lol. ZING