2016 season

My 2016 season predictions after seeing the testing data:
Mercedes will take both the WDC and WCC again—Lewis Hamilton looks untouchable for the title!

As for Ferrari... they won't get much out of it. Honestly, they'll be lucky if they snag even one win...

The real shocker? I think Force India is going to surprise us all—I’m calling two or three wins for them!!!
Nico Hulkenberg with two and Sergio Perez with one.....

Red Bull, Williams, Toro Rosso, Sauber, Renault, and Haas—pretty much like last year—will be
fighting it out for those 5th through 10th spots, maybe grabbing an occasional podium
if the weather turns or if things just fall their way perfectly....

Then there's Manor and McLaren... it’s going to be a tight race to see which of those two finishes last...

McLaren seems to be improving slightly, but there's no way Honda can make it through a full race distance. Meanwhile, Manor might be slow, but at least that Renault engine actually makes it to the finish line....

swiftmaker12, you absolute legend—please, for the love of everything, share some of whatever magic you're on! 🤣

swiftmaker12 said:My predictions for the 2016 season following testing:
Mercedes takes WDC and WCC again, with Lewis Hamilton as the untouchable champion!

Nothing from Ferrari... they'll be lucky if they snag a single win...

The biggest surprise will be Force India; I'm predicting 2-3 wins for them!!!
Nico Hulkenberg with 2 wins and Sergio Perez with 1.....

Red Bull, Williams, Toro Rosso, Sauber, Renault, and Haas will be just like last year, fighting
for those 5th through 10th spots, maybe grabbing an occasional podium....
if there's rain or if things just go their way....

Manor and McLaren... it'll be a tight race to see which of these two finishes last...

McLaren is improving slightly, but there's no way Honda can last a full race distance, whereas Manor is slow but at least the Mecke engine makes it to the finish line....

So, everything is just a mess. ☕

swiftmaker12 said:My 2016 season predictions after testing:
Mercedes takes WDC and WCC again, and Lewis Hamilton is untouchable!

Ferrari? Nothing from them... they'll be lucky to grab even one win...

The biggest surprise will be Force India—I'm calling 2 or 3 wins for them!!!
Nico Hulkenberg gets 2 wins and Sergio Perez gets 1.....

Red Bull, Williams, Toro Rosso, Sauber, Renault, and Haas will just be fighting
for those middle spots, maybe grabbing an occasional podium if
it rains or if things just go crazy....

Manor and McLaren... it’s going to be a tight race to see who finishes last...

McLaren looks slightly better, but there's zero chance Honda lasts a full race. Meanwhile, Manor is slow, but at least that Mecka engine actually makes it to the finish line....

Hulk - Spa, USA
Perez - Abu Dhabi
Vettel - Singapore

Looks like the FIA finally did something right for once. 😲🙏
It’s about time they actually listed what drivers *can* say instead of handing them a 7,000-page manual on everything they aren't allowed to mention. 🤣

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/an...o-ban-677934/?

After this, Nico Rosberg might actually have a shot at the title. 😬
No more "Hammer Time" messages coming through. 🤣

Total nonsense, team radio should be used for whatever the hell they want and needs to be completely open for everyone.

Not even going to bother reading this—just another piece of nonsense in a long line of them...

With another season of mediocrity right around the corner...

It feels like today's grid is just a bunch of washed-up cats—sort of like Patin...

nothing more than fading shadows of the real drivers we used to see...

Today's "rulers"—if you can call them that—who have probably never even held a conversation with a woman in person, let alone had one look their way—have actually taken the old saying:
"Racing is life, everything else is just waiting!" and turned it into a total joke...

just a small nod to the legends who actually knew what they were doing...

Pirelli has released the tire selections for all the drivers...
I won't bother hunting for the link right this second...🙂
Does anyone have any thoughts on this? It looks like Mecke has a completely different selection than the others. Is it possible that Lujo is playing games here? I can't help but wonder if they might try to claim they're being biased because of my race again...🙂

Picking the right tires for the opening race:

Is the rule still in effect where they have to use two different compounds during a race?
Do the drivers actually get to pick which specific tires they want from the available options, or are they stuck with whatever three compounds Pirelli brings to the table?

Robert Cox46 said:Does the rule still hold that races must be run on at least two different tire compounds?
And do the drivers themselves get to decide which specific tires they want to use from all the available options, or is it restricted to just the three compounds provided by Pirelli?

If you look closely at the first page of the opening post, you will find all the essential details laid out right there:

Out of the 13 sets available to a driver throughout the weekend, Pirelli selects 3 specifically—two intended for the race and the softest compound for Q3. As for the remaining 10 sets, the driver is free to choose whatever they prefer from the three available compounds.

Thanks. Just had a look.
They’ve really overcomplicated things with these tire regulations—it feels like they're trying too hard—but at least they gave the drivers some actual options now, which might actually make things interesting for once.
I’m honestly curious to see just how long those ultra-softs are going to hold up before they fall apart.

As far as my understanding goes, the Ultrasoft tires aren't even being considered yet... they don't seem to bring them into play until we get closer to the race in Canada...

This strategy choice is weird, to say the least...
If I’m following you correctly, you spent the whole GP weekend 🤔
Well, if that's the case, there's zero logic in only having one set of medium tires available 😕
Dammit, they should be testing them in the race sim during FP just to see if they actually last long enough to matter for the race..
But if you burn through that single set during FP, you're screwed for the race. If you don't test them during FP, you have no clue how long they'll hold up or how fast they are, which means you're flying blind on the best tactic...
All in all, a pretty bizarre call 🤔

Mecka, RB, Haas, and Sauber all have a No. 2 driver whose entire job is testing so the No. 1 driver can use that data and run a more aggressive strategy...
It's strange that Mecka started playing that political game from the very first race; looks like they're genuinely terrified of Ferrari and the rest of the pack 😲

It’ll probably be Mecka, Sauber, and Haas... since Red Bull gives both of their drivers the exact same sets.

jadeseal7 said:Probably Mecka, Sauber, and Haas.. RB gives both drivers the same sets.

Yeah, you're totally right. 👍
Can't blame me for misreading my phone at 5 AM before my first cup of coffee. 😬

stormybadger8 said:It seems like a pretty strange choice to me...
If I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying they're sticking to just one set of mediums for the entire GP weekend? 🤔
Well, if that's really the case, then I honestly don't see the point of having just a single set of medium tires at all. 😕

It looks like those mediums are strictly reserved for Friday and Saturday morning sessions. They'll likely
run all their practice sessions on them, testing out a single set of Softs and Supersofts, while saving the other 10 sets
specifically for qualifying and the race. Fine, I suppose I could manage two sets of Softs and Supersofts during practice.

stormybadger8 said:The choice is strange, to say the least...
If I’ve understood this correctly, you're talking about the entire GP weekend 🤔
Well, if that's the case, then the purpose of running just one set of medium tires is completely unclear. 😕
It’s frustrating. They really ought to test them in a race simulation during FP so they can determine their longevity and see if they even make sense for the actual race..
But if you burn through that single set during FP, you don't have them for the race. Yet, if you don't test them during FP, you have no idea how long they'll last or what the pace will be, which leaves you guessing on the optimal strategy...
All in all, an unusual selection. 🤔

Mecka, Red Bull, Haas, and Sauber all employ a No2 driver whose job is to run tests to provide data for the No1 driver, who then utilizes that intel to execute a more aggressive strategy...
It is odd that Mecka has implemented this policy starting from the very first race; it seems they are genuinely intimidated by Ferrari and the rest of the field. 😲

What do you mean "strategy"? The drivers are the ones choosing the tires.

mellowtiger83 said:What kind of "tactic" is that? The drivers don't even pick their own tires.!!

You sure about that? 😁
Maybe the trick is just that everyone is forced to grab at least one set of every compound available. 🤔
Could be a setup where they all take that one set just to check the box, even if they have zero intention of actually using them...