Motors Bit-Tech F1 2017 thread - Season Complete

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Did we watch the same race ? Mercedes said they turned his engine down as there was no chance he could pass Vettel.

Maybe a different winner but if this is the racing going forwards I will not be watching. Nearly put me back to sleep lol.

 

The winner didn't drive a silver car is enough of a miracle for now, can't really ask for the second one of exciting racing as well

 

Hamilton's complete and utter failure to get even remotely close to getting his freshly-shod Merc past Verstappen I think confirms what most suspected about overtaking this year.

 

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

sorry i must have missed the 'Race' part of that race...

another race decided by the pitlane instead of on the track.... yawn

Cant wait to see how people are going to be overtaking around Monaco...

 

Easy, they aren't... They just aren't...

 

So: Cars that are faster - that is a given

DRS is said to be less effective this season, and it's quite clear that following is hard.

Vettel didn't really manage to make a move on Lewis either.

It seems a pity, since it seems we have 2 teams running quickly here, and the midfield seems like there could potentially also be some racing.


That race was a snoozefest.

 

Ive been watching F1 for more than 30 years, and that has to have been one of the most boring races I've ever watched.
I can only hope that was not an indication of things to come.

 

I think the tracks with harder tyres the Mercs will dominate, the ones with softer tyres Ferrari will win, is a feeling. Do not think Vettel or Lewis will pass each other on track all season.

Hamilton on fresh rubber could not get close to Verstappen and that car is around a second a lap slower, what hope have Vettel or Lewis got vs each other to pass.

Bottas vs Kimi will decide constructors title and reliability will likely decide drivers title.

 

Race was meh, but it was a circuit that doesn't lend itself to take advantage of the new cars ie high speed corners rather than point and squirt. Interesting tho Verstappen's brakes at the end which could be a pointer for what is to come in the likes of Canada.
I'm going to go analyse (unless someone beat me to it) the split times from previous seasons to see if the racing was any closer. Some circuits the split between fist to last is a couple of seconds while others its a few seconds. Melbourne might fall into the former.

Hamilton: Claim that the suspension didn't provide much benefit here compared to other races but decided not to run it in case they won and it was made illegal after. Probably why Hamilton wasn't fully comfortable in the car and increased tire ware over the Ferrari. Wonder who made that pit call instead of trying to keep Hamilton out until he was able to leap frog Verstappen. Done well nothing nothing of note apart from the pit call

Bottas: Decent opening race. Finished ahead of Kimi which is important but disappointing compard to Hamilton. Will have to improve but depending on how you place Merc and Ferrari I say he performed very well.

Vettel: Race winner, had more pace in the car as seen due to the fast laps near the end, like Hamilton didn't do anything of note either right or wrong apart from the pit call

Raikkonen: Very disappointing compared to Vettel. Racing Red Bull when should be racing Merc.

Riccardo: "Sorry mate. Car is done. Let's get the f*** out of here,"

Verstappen: Red Bull is in a world of their own, Slower than Merc and Ferrari and Faster than everyone else. Again nothing of note apart from closing in on Kimi which turned into nothing

Massa: Another driver in a world of his own. Not fast enough to catch Red Bull but faster than the rest of the pack

Stroll: oh dear. Not as bad as predicted but a car that is possibly 4th best with this years Merc Engine should not struggle to pass a Sauber using last years Ferrari Engine. Bring back Badoer.

Grosjean: Haas have a decent car but I reckon the magic formula is the Ferrari engine. Grosjean looks like the next Rosberg.

Magnussen: Meh, Grosjean smoked him trundled around at the back before the car died. Need to improve to survive.

Perez: Excellent race.

Ocon: Solid. Like Bottas is second to his team mate but wasn't that bad. Will need to do better going forward now

Alonso: Spectacular, done what he could to drag that McLaren round in 10th for so long. Couldn't prevent loosing those places in the end.

Vandoorne: Didn't look anything special.

Kyvatt/Sainz: Torro Rosso looks solid, Will hope to push on and challenge Williams and beat Force India over the next few races. Drivers are evenly matched which may hurt Sainz's chance of ever making it to Red Bull. I could be underestimating Kyvatt

Hulkenberg: May be disappointed with the result but I thought he done excellent. Definitely an improvement for Renault

Palmer: caught Magnussen towards the end of last season but looks just as far behind Hulkenberg. Did have problems but if he doesn't improve this will be his (and possibly Magnussen's) last seasons in Formula one.

Giovanni: Driver of the race. Kept up and ahead of his team mate for a good portion. Ericsson's car died but it would of been nice to see the two race each other.

Ericsson: Didn't do anything wrong. Didn't do anything right. Car failed and looked second best to his rookie team mate.

What I took from the race, Most of Ferrari's pace is possibly from the engine. Merc possibly have theirs turned down still or have possibly went backwards in development. Assuming Haas's car is good but not the best they could be the tell of how good that Ferrari Engine is. Renault have also stepped up but not massively and are also are having problems. Honda is probably better than last years Ferrari engine, still hard to tell.

Constructor's race pace rough estimate (Based on car not drivers)
Ferrari/Merc
Red Bull
Williams
Force India/Torro Rosso/Haas
McLaren/Renault
Sauber

 

After three years of all and sundry getting misty eyes over the 2004 cars and demanding a return of the high downforce monsters, people have got their wish.

Welcome back to to Formula 1 circa 2004.

I still would prefer the FIA to make a very simple front wing, rear wing and diffuser and force all the teams to use them, but let them all go nuts with the suspension and engines.

FRIC, Mass Dampers, unlimited revs and fuel flow, but very little aero grip, that would be fun to see.

 

According to the Sydney Morning Herald [who were less than impressed with the race], there was only 1 on-track overtake, and that was Hulkenberg and Ocon diving past Alonso and even that might not have happened had Alonso's McHonda not been about to kick the bucket.

1 overtake.

One.

 

I heard Perez made 2 on his own - on both Torro Rosso's?


But still, glad I didn't get up at stupid o'clock to watch live. I was trying to keep up with news while out for mothers day celebrations, hearing that Nando kept it in the top 10 for so long was the only thing keeping me interested... He must have been holding that car together with sheer will of The Force or something.

But as I said after practice, Albert Park is not really representative of the Formula as a whole, be nice to see how it all plays out on some wider, more flowing racing circuits.... the few we have left anyways.

 

That's what I remember as well. And Hulk was coming in at well over a second a lap quicker. that should have been a way easier overtake than that.

I suppose what IS cool now is that McLaren have a legitimate shot at points, so long as they qualify reasonably, get a good start and keep the car in one piece.

Fair enough. Albert park IS not really representative.

 

Wehrlein still isn't 'fit to race'. Will miss China. May not return until Russia.

Another good opportunity for Giovinazzi. At this rate Wehrlein might not have a seat to be 'fit enough' for.

Part of me thinks his bottle has gone after that Race of Champions crash.

 

I don't think he was nearly as 'unhurt' as the official statements made him out to be after his ROC crash. The guy's head was sandwiched between the car and the barriers at speed, it wouldn't surprise to find out later on in the year he actually suffered a concussion and ligament damage in his neck.

 

No more Malaysia in 2018:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39525076

 

If we ignore the complete boredom of pole / leading every lap / win at the front it wasn't actually too bad of a race.

 

I still feel like Ferrari are waiting on Merc screw ups and not actively trying to win a race there own way.

Bottas has a long way to go and a short time to do it. Difference between Merc and Ferrari is Lewis at the moment