Formula 1 2018

[Hobby]

Sherry lives in Torbay, so driving all the way to Calais - 250 miles from here, double the distance to Caen - to drive all the way back across Southern England seems a bit too far, especially at our age.

 

We live near Brum so technically any of the "middle and west" south coast ports are nearer than the Kent ports/Tunnel to get to Western France but I just prefer the Tunnel and the drive... But when you take into account the strikes which seem to happen to regularly and at random in France it just seems to make even more sense to use the Tunnel... Personal preference, i suppose...

[Oldddudders]

Deb and I Iived in Kent, so the advantages were not lost on us then. But the Chunnel also has its bad days - as Fat Controller of this parish might concede! - and lightning strikes are very French.

[EddieB]

Almost one gone?

https://www.planetf1.com/news/arrivabene-to-leave-ferrari-for-juventus/

Home from home.  Except the spoilt brat will be wearing no.7 instead of driving no.5.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...My own feeling is that, unless he can overcome his current woes over the remaining races of this year and the first half-dozen next season, to his own satisfaction, Ferrari won't need to fire SV, he'll retire.

If Leclerc quickly demonstrates parity with SV next season, then I suspect he will walk.

 

One never quite knows how the new guy is going to do in a car capable of winning races, which means being on that very special part of the track where the other potential winners are also situated. But Leclerc looks like a driver with the capacity to exploit better machinery to very good effect.

[Gareth Collier]

Has Ferrari's performance really dropped or is it pressure? I think the latter as SV managed to put in the fastest lap right at the end when it didn't count for anything.

[EddieB]

If Leclerc quickly demonstrates parity with SV next season, then I suspect he will walk.

 

One never quite knows how the new guy is going to do in a car capable of winning races, which means being on that very special part of the track where the other potential winners are also situated. But Leclerc looks like a driver with the capacity to exploit better machinery to very good effect.

From what I've seen, Leclerc drives a good balance between competitiveness and fairness - as indeed do Ocon and Gasly - three very talented young drivers.  It's a shame only two will have a suitable car next year.

 

I don't think Vettel can live with a team-mate who constitutes a challenge to his self-appointed dominance.  Look how he flouted team orders and took out Mark Webber when they were both at Red Bull.  I can't see he's going to walk either, certainly as long as he has a potential championship-winning car.  Put Vettel in a Sauber and he may go, but it has long been his ambition to equal or pass Schumacher's records.

[Hobby]

Has Ferrari's performance really dropped or is it pressure? I think the latter as SV managed to put in the fastest lap right at the end when it didn't count for anything.

 

One fast lap in a 200 mile race doesn't really prove anything. There's certainly a difference between the total race day performance of the Ferraris earlier in the season and now, I suspect there was something going on which has been stopped a few races ago by the powers that be, I can't see any other reason for the sudden drop off... Someone of Seb's calibre doesn't just fall off the edge of a cliff and his errors in judgement point more to having to take risks he otherwise didn't need to.

[daltonparva]

From what I've seen, Leclerc drives a good balance between competitiveness and fairness - as indeed do Ocon and Gasly - three very talented young drivers.  It's a shame only two will have a suitable car next year.

 

I don't think Vettel can live with a team-mate who constitutes a challenge to his self-appointed dominance.  Look how he flouted team orders and took out Mark Webber when they were both at Red Bull.  I can't see he's going to walk either, certainly as long as he has a potential championship-winning car.  Put Vettel in a Sauber and he may go, but it has long been his ambition to equal or pass Schumacher's records.

 

 

Don't forget how long he lasted before he walked when Danny R took over from Mark W. 1 Season of a**e-kicking was sufficient.

Edited October 8, 2018 by daltonparva

[Oldddudders]

The sudden drop-off in Ferrari performance was just as dramatic as the boost earlier in the season. Others have an engine upgrade and get a modest boost, but this was significantly more than that. Suddenly Mercedes was nowhere - and other Ferrari-engined cars also stepped up a notch or two. I suspect the FIA scrutes took a close look and found something of doubtful legality - maybe imposing the battery sensor we think we know about - but did not tell the world, officially, at least.....

[daltonparva]

The sudden drop-off in Ferrari performance was just as dramatic as the boost earlier in the season. Others have an engine upgrade and get a modest boost, but this was significantly more than that. Suddenly Mercedes was nowhere - and other Ferrari-engined cars also stepped up a notch or two. I suspect the FIA scrutes took a close look and found something of doubtful legality - maybe imposing the battery sensor we think we know about - but did not tell the world, officially, at least.....

Reading between your lines I think you may be implying some slight subterfuge on Ferrari's part, but I don't think they're like that, I'm sure they kept putting bags over the cockpit camera just to keep the dust out of it.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Reading between your lines I think you may be implying some slight subterfuge on Ferrari's part, but I don't think they're like that...

Every team plays the same game, looking for the potential in 'possibilities'. Anything that brings advantage that the rules don't quite outlaw, or which are very difficult to detect if they are potential rule infringements. It's part of the game...

[Zomboid]

I can't remember exactly who said it, but it was someone in the NFL - "if you're not cheating, you're not trying". Applies to F1 as well, they'll all be playing the same game.

[ejstubbs]

I can't remember exactly who said it, but it was someone in the NFL - "if you're not cheating, you're not trying".

 

Seems to have been said by lots of people about all kinds of competitive sports, including rugby (unsurprisingly, if you have any idea of what goes on in the scrum and during rucks, even these days), baseball and NASCAR as well as the NFL.

 

Myself, I prefer to imagine that it was first coined by James T Kirk when he reprogrammed the Star Fleet Academy Kobayashi Maru simulation.  One problem with that view is that he isn't due to be born until 2233.  But I'm sure there's a simple explanation.

 

(Link for those who know not to what I refer.)

[Oldddudders]

I can't remember exactly who said it, but it was someone in the NFL - "if you're not cheating, you're not trying". Applies to F1 as well, they'll all be playing the same game.

Colin Chapman was famous for trying to get one over on competitors in the Good Old Days. I think it was his attempts to make everything as light as possible, with attendant risk of inadequate strength in components, that helped towards the need for definition of a minimum weight for an F1 car.

[alfsboy]

Chapman would switch wings for one full of water to get the weight up for post race scrutineering .He also use thinner tubing for roll bars than  spec.Drilled out drive shafts ,drilled out drivers brains .All the same for him.

[mudmagnet]

Most of the top teams have at one time or another 'stretched' the rules where they can see a potential loop hole - such as 'flexible wings' on the Red Bull and exhaust ports etc etc 

It usually takes a few races for the other teams to be able to either copy or complain to the governing body to make some changes. 

It just seems apparent that for once Ferrari have needed to change somethin on their engine, hence the apparent reduction of pace in recent races.

 

There of course is the issue of limited engine parts and are Ferrari concerned about taking engine penalties and therefore preferring to limit the stress on the engine parts and running at lower levels? It does seem that at times Mercedes have similar concerns - judging by LH making comments about the engine not being as driveable - is this something to do with the engine mapping and the engineers restricting certain aspects to also reduce stress?

[57xx]

The sudden drop-off in Ferrari performance was just as dramatic as the boost earlier in the season. Others have an engine upgrade and get a modest boost, but this was significantly more than that. Suddenly Mercedes was nowhere - and other Ferrari-engined cars also stepped up a notch or two. I suspect the FIA scrutes took a close look and found something of doubtful legality - maybe imposing the battery sensor we think we know about - but did not tell the world, officially, at least.....

 

Talked about last week by Scarbs.

 

[trisonic]

Could it be as simple as wiring some of the batteries components in series vs parallel? Or am I being a dozy git?

What the hell is "Haitch", sorry, he means Aitch.....

 

Best, Pete.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Whatever has happened on the Ferrari, we have Raiko as another reference point. He's an uncomplicated fellow: 'Sit in car. Drive fast.'. That's what he did at Suzuka, and not only was the Ferrari not as fast as the Merc, it was soundly beaten by the Red Bull cars, including the one with the truly talented driver who had to get through from further back than SV's start position.

 

Some credit to SV for intention at the start. He is in desperation city, needs to harvest every podium point going and hope for either LH to lose his gift, or the Merc to have massive technical problems for the rest of the season, or a bit of both, if he is to have any chance of the championship. Played the hand he held well, until the red mist or sense of entitlement (whichever the reader prefers) got the better of him. Thereafter, not a happy chappy at all.

[Oldddudders]

I suspect that SV’s success in carving through the pack is at least partly due to him simply being SV, in a Ferrari. Those starting in front of him are well aware of his combative style, in a car they know is quicker than theirs, so they yield fairly easily. Except when “they” are the four cars from the other leading teams, of course, or indeed, Kimi. Schumacher had the same effect on minnows, in a car of the same colour.

[GeoffAlan]

I suspect that Ferrari have thrown in the towel on 2018. Their failure to swap the cars position on track, and this from a team who managed to issue team orders when they were supposed to be banned, suggests they know they're beaten.

 

As to the engine issue, Ferrari had certainly done something 'special' and were obviously told to stop it by the FIA. The differences in performance between Mercedes and Ferrari before during and after those races says it all.

[njee20]

To be fair Seb was 40 seconds behind Kimi on track, and that's a huge amount to ask Kimi to slow down over a comparatively few number of laps. He was closing him down, so I imagine they'd have swapped the cars if he got there, but unless Kimi coasted the straights he wasn't closing that much down!

[Pete the Elaner]

I suspect that SV’s success in carving through the pack is at least partly due to him simply being SV, in a Ferrari. Those starting in front of him are well aware of his combative style, in a car they know is quicker than theirs, so they yield fairly easily. Except when “they” are the four cars from the other leading teams, of course, or indeed, Kimi. Schumacher had the same effect on minnows, in a car of the same colour.

& Verstappen is building up the same reputation. It is not working for him just yet, but may well do in a couple of years time.

[Gareth Collier]

To be fair Seb was 40 seconds behind Kimi on track, and that's a huge amount to ask Kimi to slow down over a comparatively few number of laps. He was closing him down, so I imagine they'd have swapped the cars if he got there, but unless Kimi coasted the straights he wasn't closing that much down!

All they needed to do was call Kimi in for new tyres and have a sticky wheel gun....

[Chameleon]

I used to be an avid watcher of F1. I I couldn’t see it live, I’d go to great lengths to not find out the result so I could watch the recording “live” as it were.

He last couple of races I’ve not even bothered with, which is a shame as I e always enjoyed it but it has become so mind numbingly predictable that there’s no point watching after Q3 on Saturday. If Lewis is on pole, game over. Even if Bottas is on pole, Lewis will win.

The other teams really need to up their game to challenge them, Ferrari did for a while but have really dropped the ball since.

I thought I’d be upset that Sky have bribed their way to exclusive rights but, until something changes drastically, I’m not that fussed and will stick with the highlights.