2022 Saudi Arabian GP: Post Race Analysis

Nice summary Chris.

 

Good summary.

RE the VSC delta, it could be that Max maximized the Delta and Charles was off slightly right around take off time, or indeed the track went green simply on a better spot for Max.

Max's dummy on Leclerc was excellent and was the set up to overtake Charles.

Great battle so far this year.

 

Yes and the whole grid knows how to play the DRS swap. Is slowing to make sure you get DRS on your rival... "racing?" The lay public see cars swapping leads and that's cool and all but as a racer, I'm not impressed with the "DRS swap." What do you guys think about this technique?

 

Latifi messed Merc last year. While not as serious in race 2 of the new season, he isn't playing favorites and messed up RB just to show he's an equal opportunity screwer upper.

 

I absolutely despise DRS, and I honestly can't believe that when the rules where written from scratch (!), DRS was in consideration.

DRS is unnatural and had they written the rules properly we could've gotten rid of it completely.

 

And since the cars of this formula show they can stay close and pass let's get rid of dorky simulated push to pass button called DRS.

 

Yep. Glue the DRS shut, give them bigger brake ducts in return.

No more overheating brakes and real overtakes return.

 

I feel the races prior to the DRS era were more challenging as it really brought the race craft to the fore. These days, its just used to overtake or get closer to the rival before getting the overtake done at the next zone.
Seeing your question reminds me on an interview wherein the interviewer asked Alonso if too many gadgets, buttons on the dashboard has made the monkey(in this case, the driver) more dumb. While the essence of the question was lost as it was too long, I still feel that F1 is not what it should be.
Fans watch F1 for the drivers skills, competitiveness while maintaining respect for your rivals. Atleast, I do.

 

I enjoy watching old races, and the name of the game used to be to do everything you could to get close to the car you're trying to pass because the closer you got to the car ahead, the faster you went. Unless and until that comes back, I'm afraid we're going to be stuck with DRS.

FWIW, I watch F1 to see large teams of brilliant, dedicated engineers, strategists, and technicians pushing the edge of innovation and execution to compete against each other. The drivers are a necessary part of the team, but not the most important or even the most interesting.

 

DRS is part and parcel of the development of aero which, IMO, has gone out of hands.

Without DRS now, I fear there would be no meaningful racing left, and surely less passes.

 

Yes, but with a blank sheet technical revolution, they could've easily designed a formula which got rid of DRS.

 

I think the problem is the excess of aero, and the FIA has taken the decision to surrender to it.
I think they should have made rules to significantly reduce downforce, by imposing varifiable limits.
The cars would be more difficult to drive, the grip would be less, the drag greatly reduced, etc ... and probably the racing closer.

Some aerodynamicistss have proposed that 5, or 10 years ago, only to be ignored by the FIA.

 

Yes that's about it.

For the same reasons I'm pissed off with the FIA for implementing DRS in F2 and DRS. They're spec cars. Make the design so that close following is possible and let the driver do the rest. What these drivers are doing now in junior formula's is instead of learning to overtake, they just get to a straight, press the DRS button and ease passed. It's creating a lazy driver.

People often say that the refueling created racing where drivers didn't always go for an overtake because it would be easier to get it done on strategy, and the real overtake happened in the pitlane/in/outlap. The DRS "overtaking" is just as bad if not worse.

 

The problem with this strategy is the F1 would become slower than some other series. Something F1 cannot afford.

 

If we go back to the formula I posted a week ago (<625Kg cars, NA v10/V12 powered, 1800mm width) some of the current downforce could still be scalped off. That (more than) takes care of the speed issue imposed by reducing downforce.

 

Looking back to the OP, it was a great race, edge of my chair all the way through. Nobody at the front folded up. SC and VSC played with everyone's luck...and such is racing. Yes, less aero and no DRS would be ideal.

 

F1 had periods in its history when it was slower than some other series. The 1.5L period, for example (1961-1965).

 

I personally despise the inevitability of a DRS pass and agree with Bas that it is developing a 'lazy' form of racing all the way down the food chain.

This year more than ever before you can see the weight of the cars and how much less nimble they are. The cars remind me of Indy Cars from the mid 90's and that is far from a good thing.

Back to Latifi I cannot understand why this guy does not get more hate. He had a sub-standard junior formula career and has been dominated by his teammates. All of this while filling the stereotype of the rich kid who never had to worry about his finances. Now he is becoming more often a strategy piece when he crashes yet guys like Stroll and Mazepin are labelled as talent-less sons of billionaires and Latifi is no different.

 

No one knew DRS would not be needed with the current regs. No one knew if cars could get close and race. two races in and with all cars close running they should try a GP, just like they tried sprint qualifying, and just have a race with no active DRS and see what happens. I think it is contrived when you slam on the brakes to get your opponant over the detection line first so you can DRS the guy.

 

I agree about the Indy cars, they even start to look alike! I know they're very fast, but when they aproach a corner, they look like porkers to me! Those things are bigger than an S class Mercedes! DRS is a horrible contraption, and it should be a priority to get rif of it! As fro Latifi, he's just as bad as Mazepin and Stroller. They are all useless in a grid filled with good talent.

 

I would risk saying that apart from his driving indiscretions, Latifi doesn't attract attention like those other 2.

You know probably that it's the social media that start these "hate" campaigns, and you can escape their attention to a point by not being too ostentatious.

 

There is no doubt Latifi is a fine young man with a clean cut who keeps himself out of the spotlight. That said he is not F1 material either. Excellent world class driver no doubt by not quite at the level of the pinnacle of the sport.

 

The thing is, DRS is there to stay.

Some drivers will extract more from it than other, and Leclerc seems to get it to perfection.

Instead of defending like mad, Chas let VER sail by, get the detection and passes him in the next straight.

I think Verstappen felt outfoxed a few time before understanding there was a method in Charles' madness of braking early.

Leclerc is a smart cookie in my book !!

 

The merit of some drivers to be in F1 has been debated several times.

If a driver meets all the criteria to obtain a Superlicense, and the backing to get a seat, what can possibly stops him from racing?

Some teams see the financial benefit of having them onboard.