2013 Monaco Grand Prix

graniteharbor502 said:Is there actually any logical basis for losing one's mind over lap times during the very first practice session? Just how long have you been following F1?

For quite some time now... yet it seems Ferrari consistently hemorrhages time in those sluggish sectors, so perhaps if people would simply instruct the engineers to focus on the aerodynamics... everything revolves around that nowadays, especially since the FIA clamped down on everything from the engines upward.

Brian Campbell36 said:It’s been a relatively long time... yet Ferrari always seems to be bleeding time in those slow sectors, so perhaps if people would just hire some engineers to focus on that aerodynamics... everything revolves around that nowadays, especially since the FIA clamped down on everything from the engines onwards.

http://www.formula1.com/results/seas...tor_times.html
I don't see a massive loss of time in the final sector here, do I? And honestly, what should Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel even do after the first practice session besides pack up their gear and head out for a weekend of fishing? We won't truly see how the power levels balance out until qualifying begins.

graniteharbor502 said:http://www.formula1.com/results/seas...tor_times.html
I fail to see any significant loss of time in that final sector. What more could they expect from Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel after just the first practice session? Should they simply pack up their gear and head out fishing for the weekend? We won't truly understand the actual power balance until qualifying rolls around.

Looking at those sector times, I can see that Felipe Massa is losing +0.341 in the third sector—he’s only sitting seventh there—yet he remains within the top five for both the first two sectors.

Red Bull Racing seems to be playing the role of the sleeping beauty here... they are clearly waiting for the rear tire changes ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. One can't help but wonder: who stands to gain, and who will ultimately lose ground against Mercedes, Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren, and Red Bull?☕

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Brian Campbell36 says: Looking at those sector times, I notice that Felipe Massa loses about 0.341 seconds in the third sector—he’s only sitting in seventh place during that final stretch—even though his performance in the first two sectors keeps him within the top five. It seems Red Bull Racing is acting like a sleeping beauty right now... they clearly seem to be biding their time until the rear tire compounds are swapped for the Canadian Grand Prix (and honestly, one can't help but wonder who will come out on top and who will suffer when Mercedes, Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren, and Red Bull all adjust, wouldn't you agree?) ☕>

That may be true, but we have to consider that Ferrari is running two drivers who might actually be following entirely different programs. Even then, the other driver shows a completely different best time in that final sector. Then again, perhaps I am being a bit naive myself, as I find it quite presumptuous to dive into deep debates regarding pure pace immediately after the very first practice session...

graniteharbor502 said:True, but we have to consider that Ferrari is running two drivers who might be following entirely different setups or programs. Even if you look at the data, that second driver posted a completely different best time in the final sector. Honestly, I suppose I’ve proven myself to be quite naive here, attempting to engage in any serious debate regarding raw pace immediately following the first practice session...

We really ought to wait another thirty-five minutes before drawing conclusions...
I am anticipating a qualifying time in the neighborhood of 1:14:500 for the pole position... ☕

Brian Campbell36 said:I suppose we are left with nothing but the passage of time, for we must wait another thirty-five minutes before anything truly begins... Is it not curious how such brief intervals can feel so interminable when one is poised on the edge of anticipation?
I find myself anticipating a qualifying lap time in the neighborhood of 1:14.500 for pole position, though one can never truly say for certain in a sport defined by such razor-thin margins, can one? ☕

1:13... that’s my take on it, at least. Provided the weather holds up and we don't get caught in a downpour, of course.

It seems Romain overestimated his grip levels, which ultimately resulted in him finding himself lodged in the barriers immediately after the first turn.

It looks like Lotus is currently leading the pack with their simulations, with Mercedes and Red Bull right on their heels, followed by Ferrari.
Alonso is driving with a lot of aggression, pushing as hard as he can, though the car seems quite twitchy on track.
Räikkönen's long run looks incredibly solid—I'll go as far as to say he’s on a completely different level than the rest of the field.

Well, at least we finally got something decent out of Sebastian Vettel.
Once that helmet hits a certain temperature, things start getting interesting. 😁

Supposedly. 😁

Anyway, Free Practice in Monaco is just the usual story.
Boring, boring, boring... just a lot of kissing the barriers.
(Not that the race itself will be any different. 😁)

Grožan, business as usual. 🙂

Brian Campbell36 said:Looking at those sector times, Felipe Massa is losing +0.341 in the third sector—he's only sitting seventh there—even though he's in the top 5 for the first two sectors.

Red Bull Racing is acting like a sleeping beauty here... clearly they're just waiting for the rear tire change for the Canadian Grand Prix (I'm dying to see who gains ground and who loses out against Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren, and Red Bull Racing) ☕

God, the lack of info is killing me.🤦
With the rear tire change, Mercedes-Benz is the only one actually gaining anything.😳
Nobody loses anything... except everyone else compared to Mercedes-Benz.

That change does absolutely nothing for Red Bull Racing. Zero. It's irrelevant.☕
Red Bull Racing's issue is strictly with the front tires; they aren't having any real trouble with the rears.

If they seriously overhaul those rear tires and they actually last longer through the end of the season, we'll be looking at a German championship contender again. Only instead of Sebastian Vettel, it'll be Nico Rosberg.😳

Anyone have a clue who this kid at Lotus ???


Are those some kind of pipes for tire cooling or just some kid messing around?😕

The cables or stays that link the front wheel, specifically the hub, directly to the monocoque.

stormybadger8 said:Does anyone actually know which kid they're talking about at Lotus ???


Maybe those were just some cooling pipes or something, or some rookie driver😕

Honestly, looks to me like Kimi had a nasty bout of vomiting all over it. Given how the steering wheel is turned, he was clearly in a massive rush. He didn't even wait to be pulled out of the seat before scrambling aside and dumping it straight onto the tire.

stormybadger8 said:If there is a significant shift regarding those rear tires—and if they truly prove to be noticeably more durable as we approach the end of the season—we are likely looking at another German championship winner. However, I highly doubt it will be Sebastian Vettel; my money would be on Nico Rosberg instead.😳

But there remains one significant complication: how on earth does one intend to bridge such a massive deficit?
Does anyone else see how much more leverage Lewis Hamilton actually holds here? Even with that 39-point deficit hanging over his head, he still carries far more momentum than Nico.
It appears that someone among us is facing significant difficulties; at least, that is what the various stakeholders trackside are claiming. Can we honestly say that Red Bull Racing’s driver pairing has ever been more precarious than it is right now? One might argue that the tension within the garage has reached a boiling point, where even a single lap can shift the entire hierarchy of the team. Is it possible that the internal rivalry is actually doing more harm to their championship aspirations than the competition itself? When you look at the data from the recent sessions, the gap between the two drivers seems less like a margin of skill and more like a crack in the foundation. We often hear the pundits speculate about who holds the true authority at Red Bull Racing, but does anyone actually possess the stability required to lead such a high-pressure outfit? If one driver manages to pull ahead by a mere handful of seconds during a qualifying session, does that truly signify dominance, or is it simply a temporary reprieve from an inevitable collision of egos? It brings to mind those classic eras of racing where teammate rivalries weren't just about speed, but about psychological warfare. Are we witnessing a similar breakdown in communication today? It feels as though the engineers are caught in the middle of a tug-of-war, trying to balance the aerodynamic preferences of two very different personalities while the clock relentlessly ticks toward race day. Can a team truly function at peak efficiency when its primary assets are constantly looking over their shoulders at one another? One has to wonder if the management is prepared for the fallout when this fragile equilibrium finally snaps.

It was worth noting when Sebastian Vettel mentioned they struggled through the Free Practice sessions last year before finally nailing the setup during qualifying.

Brian Campbell36 said:But there’s one massive issue—catching up from a gap like that is brutal!
Lewis Hamilton has a better shot even being 39 points down than Nico does.
Apparently, someone's having a rough time; at least that's what the drivers on track are hinting at.

Total nonsense.😁
Sebastian Vettel was pulling great times during those long runs...
Sure, he's lagging by about 1.2 seconds on single-lap pace... but honestly, that's debatable.😁
That time was set on soft tires (not supersofts), and on top of that, he had KERS issues. Who knows if his KERS was even working.🤷

“Can you even fathom the absurdity of the fact that we still haven't secured a new contract?”
“We might not even be here next year…”, Hembery remarked.

🤦

It isn't as if Pirelli is at fault for providing the specific tires requested... wasn't that something even Bernie Ecclestone eventually admitted himself?

So, what kind of rubber are they actually developing for the 2014 season? 🤷

The shifts in regulation are so massive that we're looking at a complete re-engineering of the tires. However, the clock is ticking, and we are rapidly running out of time to actually get the work done.

This is an interesting shot comparing tire wear from yesterday's Free Practice 2.
https://twitter.com/Loose_Wheel_Nut/...539456/photo/1
The big question is which simulation lap this photo actually captured...

Brian Campbell36 said:But there’s one massive issue—catching up from a deficit like that is brutal!
Lewis Hamilton has a better shot even being 39 points down than Nico does.
Apparently, someone is having a rough time out there, or at least that's what the drivers are hinting at on track.

No, you're dead wrong. stormybadger8 is spot on here. I shouldn't have poked my nose in.

If Mercedes-Benz could just fix even a fraction of those rear tire change issues, they'd be on the podium every single weekend.
Fix it more substantially, and the championship is basically theirs.

Sure, the points gap looks significant right now, but we've only finished a quarter of the season. There's still plenty of road left. Don't forget they've got two fast, powerhouse drivers. When it comes to a single lap, they're already at the top.

stormybadger8 said:Anyone got a clue who that kid over at Lotus is???


What even is that? Some kind of cooling pipes for the tires or what? Who is this kid?😕

Pretty sure they're just testing aero.