Canadian Grand Prix (Circuit of the Americas) June 7-9, 2019

Based on what I witnessed out on the track today, the competitive landscape in NASCAR is looking pretty grim. It’s no secret that Ferrari has already pivoted their focus toward developing next year's car, and word around the paddock is that Red Bull is following suit.

Jerry Moore61 said:Based on what I caught seeing out on the track today, the competitive landscape in NASCAR doesn't look great. It’s been common knowledge for a while now that Ferrari has already pivoted toward developing next year's car—and word around the paddock is that Red Bull is following suit.

Reminds me of '88—nobody even bothered trying to catch the low line, everyone just turned their attention to the next season instead.

Good grief, I realize this is just Practice 1, but a full second behind Ferrari?
This track shouldn't be a layout that suits them at all.

Jerry Moore61 said:Based on what I witnessed at the track today, the competitive landscape in NASCAR doesn't look great. It’s been common knowledge for a while now that Ferrari has already shifted their focus toward developing next year's car, and word around the paddock is that Red Bull is following that exact same strategy.

Well, obviously they've moved on to next season; we weren't exactly sitting there doubting that. XD

Jerry Moore61 said:Based on what I observed at the track today, the competitiveness of NASCAR seems rather questionable. It has been common knowledge for some time now that Ferrari has already pivoted toward developing their car for next season, and rumors are swirling through the paddock that Red Bull is following suit.

Where on earth do you people find these pieces of misinformation? They aren't neglecting development; quite the opposite, they completely dismantled Mercedes during Practice 2. 🍿

Even Lujo was pushing his limits, which ultimately resulted in him kissing the wall. 🤣

Charles finished ahead of Sebastian Vettel in Practice 2, having shaved six tenths of a second off their Practice 1 times.

Joseph Flores15 said:This might just be a minor hiccup, maybe one or two glitches at most.☕

During Practice 1 ☕

☕

All that was missing was a few practice sessions.😬

If you’d actually paid closer attention during Practice 2, you would have noticed that Lewis Hamilton only managed eight non-representative laps. Valtteri Bottas spent most of his time running long stints to prep for the race. He was mostly on the hard and soft compounds; they didn't even touch the medium. And yet, he still finished just -0.134 behind Charles Leclerc.
Beyond that, I was watching the trackside action myself, so I know exactly what I'm talking about.

As for the Ferrari development situation, here is a link—read it. Try reading between the lines, too. Maybe then you'll actually grasp what's happening.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.moto...r/4394908/amp/

Here I am, just lounging by the hotel pool. And right there in front of me, Kai EBEL is soaking up the sun on a deck chair.

Jerry Moore61 said:If you had paid even the slightest bit of attention during Practice 2, you would have realized that Lewis Hamilton only completed eight laps that actually meant something. Valtteri Bottas was primarily focused on his long stint runs to prepare for the race, alternating mostly between the hard and soft compounds. They didn't even touch the medium tires. On top of all that, he ended up a mere -0.134 behind Charles Leclerc.
Beyond that, I was following the trackside practice personally, so I know exactly what I am talking about.

As for the development situation at Ferrari, here is a link for you to examine. I suggest you try reading between the lines; perhaps then you might actually grasp the reality of the situation.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.moto...r/4394908/amp/

Fine, you clearly possess more information since you are there on the ground.
In your estimation, just how much faster is Mercedes per lap based on those long runs, and what kind of actual advantage does Mercedes hold over the rest of the field?

Ferrari didn't even touch the softest tire compound during Ferrari Practice 1, so that huge gap? It’s kind of a fakeout. Once the track actually starts getting rubbered in and that annoying dust from Practice 1 finally clears out, things are gonna shift. Daniel Ricciardo was actually quicker in Practice 1 than he was in Practice 2, which tells me they were just grinding through long runs during the second session. But if you want my two cents on the Mercedes vs. Ferrari battle, Mercedes is sitting pretty with a 3-4 tenth advantage.

wiredfalcon2 said:During Ferrari Practice 1, they didn't even utilize the softest tire compound, which explains that perceived advantage. However, one must consider how the track surface will evolve; as the rubber builds up and that unbearable dust from Practice 1 settles, the entire dynamic of the session will shift. Daniel Ricciardo actually clocked faster times in Practice 1 than he did in Practice 2, which suggests his second session was strictly dedicated to testing long runs. But if you want my honest assessment regarding the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari, I believe Mercedes holds a 3-4 tenth advantage.

It isn't quite as dire as it seems; after all, Mercedes is running their new Power Unit specification. If the Ferrari strategists can perform at the same caliber as the Mercedes crew, they might just have a legitimate shot at securing the win. 🍿

Do you happen to have any data regarding the speed trap? Specifically, which Power Unit shows more strength on the straights—does Ferrari still maintain an edge over the updated Mercedes Power Unit? 🤔

Everyone is complaining about the tires. It’s actually quite warm for this time of year here in Montreal. None of the three compounds have really proven themselves yet. In my estimation, the soft—the C5—is going to be incredibly short-lived. That explains why Valtteri Bottas spent so much time out there on the hard compound.
Given that temperatures are expected to climb even higher this Sunday, I’m leaning toward Mercedes right now. Lewis Hamilton only managed eight laps, so it remains an open question what kind of mode he’ll actually find himself in tomorrow.
It seems to me that Mercedes handles the medium and hard tires far more effectively than Ferrari does. Since those softs aren't going to last long in this heat, I see a clear advantage for Mercedes.

Here’s what Sebastian Vettel had to say, which pretty much mirrors exactly what I observed at the Ferrari garage today.

"We ran into tire issues yet again, particularly when it comes to maintaining pace over a long stint. We'll need to sort this out during Practice 3, because securing a solid starting spot is absolutely critical."

Brian Campbell36 said:It’s not actually that bad. I mean, look, Mercedes has that new Power Unit spec now, so if the Ferrari strategists can finally start acting like they actually belong at the same level as the guys over at Mercedes, they might actually stand a chance at pulling off a win. 🍿

Anyone got the scoop on the speed traps? Just wondering who’s actually killing it on the straights right now. Is Ferrari still holding that edge over the new Mercedes Power Unit, or has the gap finally closed? 🤔

Honestly, I can't even be bothered to dig into all this right now... but here’s my take on the short and long runs so far:

Single-lap pace:
Ferrari's got Charles Leclerc out there clocking a 1:12.177. One Ferrari on the board.
Two Mercedes (Valtteri Bottas), 1m12.311s.
McLaren's got Sainz clocked at a 1:12.553. Looks like they're sitting pretty in third.
Haas (Kevin Magnussen), 1:12.935s.
Sergio Perez in that Racing Point, clocking a 1:13.003.
Renault (Daniel Ricciardo) clocked in at a 1m13.016s for that sixth lap.
Red Bull (Gasly) sitting at 1:13.345s in P7. Just another day in the grind.
8th for Albon in that Toro Rosso, clocking in at a 1m13.436s. Not exactly jumping out at me.
Kimi Raikkonen in that Alfa Romeo clocked a 1:13.542. P9. Not exactly anything to write home about, I guess.
Williams is sitting at 10th with George Russell, clocking in at a 1:15.036. Not exactly tearing up the track, but hey, we'll see how the session shakes out.

Long runs: nothing like them. Just sitting there, watching the tires degrade while everyone pretends they aren't sweating through their suits. It’s where the real drama happens, if you can even call it that. Most people just want the flashy qualifying laps, but the long stuff? That’s where you see who’s actually got the guts and who's just riding on luck. Total grind.
One Mercedes (Valtteri Bottas), 1m17.293s.
McLaren’s got Carlos Sainz down at a 1:17.673. Solid enough, I guess.
Renault (Nico Hulkenberg) sitting at 1:17.696. Three of them. Whatever.
Sebastian Vettel in that Ferrari clocked in at 1:18.661.
Sergio Perez in that Racing Point, clocked in at 1:18.832.
6th for Haas (Kevin Magnussen), clocking in at 1m18.976s.
Red Bull (Gasly) sitting at 1:19.037 after 6 laps. Solid enough, I guess. Not exactly mind-blowing, but we'll see how it shakes out.
Kimi Raikkonen in that Alfa Romeo, clocking in at 1:19.108. Not exactly breaking any records.
9th place for the Toro Rosso (Kvyat), clocking in at 1m19.289s after 5 laps. Not exactly jumping out of the gate, is it? Just another day in the grind.

Word on the street is Ferrari's pulling a 0.7-second lead on the straights.

There’s just so many variables at play here... like, did Mercedes actually order a fresh engine to last through the end of the season? Usually, you aren't gonna push a brand-new power unit to its absolute limit during the first practice sessions anyway.

I honestly think Mercedes is going to cruise through qualifying without much trouble at all. It seems pretty much a given to me.

wiredfalcon2 said:Ferrari didn't even run the softest compound during Ferrari Practice 1, which explains why they looked so much faster. But as the track gets more rubbered in and clears out all that nasty dust from FP1, things are going to shift. Daniel Ricciardo was actually quicker in Practice 1 than in Practice 2, so he was basically just running long stints during the second session. If you ask me, looking at Mercedes and Ferrari, Mercedes still holds a 3-4 tenth advantage.

From what I saw, Valtteri Bottas was about 0.8 seconds ahead of Ferrari...
That’s comparing Bottas on hards against Ferrari on mediums 🤦

Not that it means much given how filthy the track is—those times are pretty much useless right now...
And don't get me started on the soft tire times either; Mercedes is going to be hitting 1:10 or even 1:09 in qualifying anyway...

This whole thing is a total joke, honestly, I’m not even sure if I’ll bother tuning in for the race. I’m just waiting to see what kind of rumors start swirling around the paddock first, then I'll make up my mind.
🍿

Where’s all the plastic gone?