Spa predictions 2015 - New start and starting procedures :)

Quali-Ham, Ros, Vet
Race-Ham, Ros, Vet

Long Shot-Alonso, Bottas, Button-Due to the clutch change on the start Merc and Ferrari get into each other, Massa stalls, everyone else takes over.

 

Tks as well.

 

LOL!

I got smoked! ; )

 

Well...I got smoked myself on the announcement of Kimi Räikkönen renewal by Ferrari: It's NOW OFFICIAL since 16:05 here.

Rgds

 

Pits can no longer assist with finding the right "teething" point for the most efficient start. Once the car leaves the pits, the drivers are on their own.

No assistance= greater chance for wheel spin and more unpredictable starts (as we've seen from the Merc duo the last couple of races). I won't say it will be a lottery at the starting line, but it's more like the days of yore when some drivers would have rocket starts while others created smoke.

 

+1

Given that the start line is fairly steeply uphill at Spa, it could just be highly entertaining!

No idea why, but also seems they more often "bog down" than have huge amounts of wheelspin these days.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Totally. Personally if I'm launching a car I want wheel spin over a bog. You can recover for the former much easier than the latter. We'll see which way this one goes shortly. Probably no coincidence they chose spa either for the first implementation of the new rule.

 

Watch out for Massa, he's the best starter out there!!!

 

The way I see it the new starts actually give merc an advantage. Currently their software has been malfunctioning preventing good starts but now no one can use it.

Or was it due to their tyres? I think it was the softeare or the engineers setting it wrong?

 

If Toto is to be believed, Mercedes are investigating a number of issues with their starts. They seem a bit nervous and that tells me they have not solved yet even after Hungary. We will know more on Sunday.

 

I know that this is just a dream due to the car not really being there yet, but I would love the Quali and Race finishing order to be as follows:
Quali - Rosberg, Vettel, LH
Race - Raikkonen, Vettel, Ricciardo

 

One would have to think that this change favors the more experienced drivers, but we will see. It may only favor the better drivers.

 

Now that Kimi's future is sorted out...Who knows what his plans will be at Spa

 

It will be interesting to see how Mercedes does with the new regulations with all of the comments by Toto and Lewis, I think they are genuinely concerned. Mercedes can be beaten if they are passed at the beginning of the race, Forza Sebastian and Kimi, Forza Ferrari!

 

I think the new start regulation will benefit Ferrari. Mercedes drivers have a start problem as is. Imagine now without help.
Quali:
1)Lewis
2) vettel
3) Nico

Race:
1) vettel
2) Lewis
3) Nico

 

Hopefully we can back-up from a great performance in Hungary.
Ferrari 1-2

 

Nice preview with data about engine performance as well.

Belgian Grand Prix preview

 

Toro rosso rear wing
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Qual:
ROS
RAI
HAM

Race:
RAI
VET
ROS

Kimi has a new contract at his favorite track.
Lewis won't be able to figure out how to start without assistance, then panic trying to recapture lost places and do something dumb.
Seb will drive a smart race, but won't have the speed of Kimi
Maldonado will perform superior idiocy in the first turn on the order of Roman a few years back.

 

A lot of folks feel that Ferrari will out-qualify the Mercs? I think the race results can realistically be questioned, but this type of circuit plays to the strength of the Mercs.

Ham- Ros will qualify at the top with Vet/Rai likely in the next two positions. Of course, a high-speed circuit gives other teams a chance to jump up the grid that haven't been there lately (ie, the Toro Rosso young guns)

The race itself will be truly entertaining. No idea who is the best starter, no idea if Merc's issues are more about design than software, but we'll be among the first to know in two days. Ferrari and Williams have been strong starters all season, but was that effective bite-point execution by the pits or efficient clutch design making it easier to find the point. Will that advantage remain? Can't wait to see.

 

Anyone betting against Mercedes coming back stronger than ever, especially after losing in Hungary, will do so at their own peril. There have been comments (particularly from Lauda) suggesting that even Kimi may win because he is a past master of Spa, but on a high speed circuit like Spa it will be very difficult to overcome the power deficit to Mercedes (even if I hope they can).

 

I'm no fool, but I do think Ferrari have a decent chance here. At tracks with big straights Ferrari have had the highest and close to the highest top speeds. The one thing working against them this weekend is the low temperature. If by some miracle the track becomes hot enough they not only have a decent chance, I dare say this will be their weekend!

Saturday will be Merc's, as per usual. But Sunday is hopefully a different story!

 

Better rain, since Seb is by far the better driver on the wet out there....

 

Can they do something special?
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There is bus station in Liege named Tilman