2018 Car Reveal and Pre-season Testing

Paul Patel95 said:Final results

Williams 🤣

Man, it’s absolute madness when the reserve driver is actually faster than both main drivers. 🙏

Kubica is driving tomorrow morning, then Sirotkin in the afternoon. Interesting stuff.

EDIT: They scrapped the plan for Kubica tomorrow morning—Lance Stroll is stepping in instead.

Hardly think those times actually mean anything meaningful...

Based on this, you'd think Honda's PU is way better than Renault's...
But let's be real, STR has always been—and will always be—aerodynamically inferior to RB...
Yet somehow they're just 0.3s slower than RB, 0.3s faster than Renault, and 0.5s faster than McLaren, all on the same tires...

I'd be thrilled if this was happening to my favorite team, but realistically? It's basically impossible...

And that idea about Ferrari being a full second faster than RB? Yeah right, no chance in hell...

I think I saw Fernando Alonso clocking in at 4 laps on HS under 1.18.
Actually, it looks like his 1.16.720 was wiped away because he apparently cut the final chicane.

Matthew Murphy91 said:Race Weather Simulations:


*Honda arrived at these tests with a dozen power units on hand, so whenever there was a significant break in the action for Toro Rosso Red Bull Honda, they simply swapped out the engine. (*Source: Sky Sports)

I have zero clue what genius decided to pull this or what logic they were using, but this definitely isn't a full race simulation... certainly not when you're talking about Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, and probably not even for Ferrari...
The only one that actually looks like a race simulation is this McLaren one ☕

I don't see any logic at all behind why Mercedes and Red Bull Racing would be running qualifying laps in Barcelona on Medium tires 🙂
let alone some weird tactic where you simulate a race just to get disqualified 🤣

McLaren's setup is a totally logical simulation, and there's some sense to this Ferrari one too, even if that Ferrari run isn't really a race simulation where you'd want the fastest possible pace...
A logical race simulation always starts with the softest tire available (like Q2) 😁

As for why anyone would simulate a first stint on Mediums, I haven't got a clue 🤔
And doing three stints on the exact same tire type—whatever it is—makes even less sense...

Have they even picked the tires for Barcelona yet?
If it’s SuperSoft, Soft, and Medium, then the logical combos are:
SS,S,S or SS,M,SS or SS,S,M or SS,M,S or SS,S,SS... blah blah... maybe even starting on Soft and varying it like S,SS,SS or S,S,SS...
but absolutely, under no circumstances would a top team start on Medium and go from there, let alone M,M,M 😵
In the end, even if they desperately wanted to run a race like that, they couldn't, because you're required to use two different types of tires during a race 🙂 🤣

And the dumbest part is that before McLaren, it made sense to run a simulation where they didn't make it through Q3 and had to start on Mediums, but that makes zero sense for Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:I think I saw Fernando Alonso clocking in at 4 laps on HS under 1.18.
Actually, it looks like his 1.16.720 was wiped away because he apparently cut the final chicane.

If what Pirelli is saying is actually true:
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/p...ltas-1013128/?

Medium
Soft - 0.8 sec
SuperSoft - 0.4 sec
UltraSoft - 0.6 sec
HyperSoft - 0.8 sec

That would mean the gap between Medium > HyperSoft is 2.6 sec...
Which would imply that Vettel's 1:17.1 on HS was total garbage, since that puts him at a 1:19.7 on Medium...
And the Bear had a way better time than that on Medium (1:19.3...) back during that first week in the snow...

Valtteri Bottas clocked a 1:18.825 on Medium today, which translates to a 1:16.2...

Everyone’s looking pretty grim if this is accurate. Ferrari isn't even close to the Bear, and McLaren—even if they cut the chicane again—isn't anywhere near it either, being half a second slower than the Bear even with the shortcut. 😳

Here’s a copy-paste from the Autosport forums. Someone over there went through all the math...

Code:

I don't fully buy these calculations, but this looks grim for Ferrari. Their fastest laps aren't even impressive when you consider how close McLaren is—especially given the issues they were dealing with.
It feels weird, though, because it basically looks like Ferrari isn't much faster than last year once you factor in the faster tires and the new asphalt.
There's plenty of chatter about the Ferrari engine being a fuel hog, but I'm not sure if I trust that...

hey there, nando

📲

By all appearances, Lujo will cruise to the championship in second gear.

Kyle Edwards5 said:Here’s a copy-paste from the Autosport forums. Someone over there went through all the math...

Code:

DRIVER TEAM TIME TYRE TYRE ADJ. DELTA
6 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:18.825 M 1:16.275 0.000
4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:18.327 SS 1:16.977 0.702
1 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:17.221 HS 1:17.221 0.946
10 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1:19.189 S 1:17.439 1.164
5 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:18.412 US 1:17.662 1.387
2 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:17.784 HS 1:17.784 1.509
3 Carlos Sainz Renault 1:17.784 HS 1:17.784 1.509
11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:19.464 SS 1:18.114 1.839
12 Lance Stroll Williams 1:19.954 S 1:18.204 1.929
7 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 1:18.949 HS 1:18.949 2.674
8 Ocon Force India 1:18.967 HS 1:18.967 2.692 9 Leclerc Sauber 1:19.118 HS 1:19.118 2.843

I don't fully buy these calculations, but this looks grim for Ferrari. Their fastest laps aren't even impressive when you consider how close McLaren is—especially given the issues they were dealing with.
It feels weird, though, because it basically looks like Ferrari isn't much faster than last year once you factor in the faster tires and the new asphalt.
There's plenty of chatter about the Ferrari engine being a fuel hog, but I'm not sure if I trust that...

When it comes to Ferrari, you can't trust the math on the first pass. It's always a mess.
I have no clue what I'm talking about, but I do know Vettel had a faster time than Kimi Raikkonen...
It actually looks like they clocked some faster times on the Medium than they did on the Hard, if you were calculating them the same way you would for the Bear...

Clearly, there’s something seriously wrong with that engine. It’s just not performing the way it should.
Check out this clip from Sky Sports. It’s worth a look.
This is all just pure nonsense. Seriously, it’s getting ridiculous. 😲

Joseph Flores15 said:By all appearances, Lujo will cruise to the championship in second gear.

We already knew that part before testing even started... and honestly, we already know exactly how the 2019 and 2020 seasons are going to play out too.
The Bears basically cruised to the title last year too. They got screwed early on by those suspension bans, but from mid-season onwards, they were clearly the undisputed No1.

It’s not even a question who's going to be the fastest. The real mystery is whether we're looking at a No2 Ferrari or a Red Bull, and which four teams actually make the cut on the grid.

I am not entirely convinced that anyone besides Red Bull will be walking away with the title. Setting Ferrari aside for a moment, Red Bull represents a genuine threat. Ricciardo mentioned yesterday that the car is nothing short of phenomenal.

Even if an alien version of Valtteri Bottas showed up, he still wouldn't be a threat to Lewis Hamilton in the title fight. 🙂

Sure, Red Bull might actually be better than Ferrari right now. It’s totally possible, and it might even be exactly what Ricciardo is saying—that this is easily the best Red Bull car he's ever sat in...
But let's be real, they aren't hitting the level of the Bear anytime soon. ☕

Red Bull was actually looking slower than Ferrari in both qualifying simulations and the race sims. Honestly, who knows how those two teams will shake out, but one thing is for sure: the Bears are going to cruise straight to the title.

Btw, Adrian Newey isn't the Red Bull TD anymore as of yesterday. Man, I wonder where he'll end up...

I’m telling you, those Italians definitely have something up their sleeves. Sure, they might be a bit messy, but even if the Bears beat them five times in a row using that same strategy, it won't matter. Sergio is cooking up something 100% certain here.
Whether it's a total masterpiece or a complete bust, we'll see.
And the German is just sitting there smirking, knowing damn well he's the best, but the Italians could still take him down with whatever secret weapon they're hiding for now.
I just hope my buddy paid me back for that bet. 🙏

The Bears will probably find themselves two tenths behind when they head Down Under, because that’s just how things usually go for them.

Both the consensus and the drivers themselves are well aware that the Bears are the fastest on track, which Valtteri Bottas confirmed right after the race simulation. He stated plainly that they are the quickest, and he even added a little smirk while shutting down those rumors that they were somehow a full second faster than everyone else—basically telling us to calm down. I appreciate his honesty.

https://www.f1puls.com/26462/adrian-...ora-red-bulla/

Now the big question is how much Red Bull is actually going to upgrade throughout the season...
Up until now, they’ve always stepped things up big time during the year, but with Adrian Newey gone, who knows if they'll keep playing that same tune...

Besides, this could be a subtle hint that Red Bull might just pull out of F1 altogether🤔
F1 Čuno told me that Guzda allowed something like this, so clearly he isn't even that interested in all this stuff anymore...

It looks like the teams over at Renault have already locked in four engines for the season. I suppose they might be aiming for those penalty penalties to grab extra engine upgrades, maybe more for development purposes than actually needing the reliability boost.
McLaren has announced an aero update ahead of the race in Australia. Plus, word on the street is that their tire degradation is looking really promising.
The big question mark this year is whether Ferrari will slip in the standings, and if so, by how much. That ban on oil burning seems to have really thrown them for a loop.

http://cro1.net/index.php/2018/03/10...kog-direktora/

It looks like Adrian Newey is actually staying with Red Bull, but only in a different capacity.

stormybadger8 said:https://www.f1puls.com/26462/adrian-...ora-red-bulla/

Now the big question is how much Red Bull is actually going to upgrade throughout the season...
Up until now, they’ve always stepped things up big time during the year, but with Adrian Newey gone, who knows if they'll keep playing that same tune...

Besides, this could be a subtle hint that Red Bull might just pull out of F1 altogether🤔
F1 Čuno told me that Guzda allowed something like this, so clearly he isn't even that interested in all this stuff anymore...

Man, you have got to be kidding me! Seriously!

stormybadger8 said:Even if an alien version of Valtteri Bottas showed up, he still wouldn't be a threat to Lewis Hamilton in the title fight. 🙂

Sure, Red Bull might actually be better than Ferrari right now. It’s totally possible, and it might even be exactly what Ricciardo is saying—that this is easily the best Red Bull car he's ever sat in...
But let's be real, they aren't hitting the level of the Bear anytime soon. ☕

Did someone actually bring up Bottas? Did you all have a psychic premonition that Mercedes would dominate? You were slightly off with that one.

Max Verstappen is going to cause serious problems for both Lewis Hamilton and Vettel. Serious. If Red Bull is even half as fast as the rumors suggest—and I suspect they might actually be faster than people realize.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:It looks like the teams over at Renault have already locked in four engines for the season. I suppose they might be aiming for those penalty penalties to grab extra engine upgrades, maybe more for development purposes than actually needing the reliability boost.
McLaren has announced an aero update ahead of the race in Australia. Plus, word on the street is that their tire degradation is looking really promising.
The big question mark this year is whether Ferrari will slip in the standings, and if so, by how much. That ban on oil burning seems to have really thrown them for a loop.

In my view, it is better to go for five—even six engines over the season. That way, you can extract more performance from every single unit since it doesn't need to last as long.

Red Bull should specifically adopt this tactic. Even if they start at the back, they are headed for a top 5 finish regardless. Meanwhile, there is always the chance that Mercedes or Ferrari might lose ground due to an engine failure and pick up a penalty themselves; it isn't exactly a massive handicap.

mellowtiger83 said:In my view, it is better to go for five—even six engines over the season. That way, you can extract more performance from every single unit since it doesn't need to last as long.

Red Bull should specifically adopt this tactic. Even if they start at the back, they are headed for a top 5 finish regardless. Meanwhile, there is always the chance that Mercedes or Ferrari might lose ground due to an engine failure and pick up a penalty themselves; it isn't exactly a massive handicap.

It really all comes down to the overall development dynamics, I suppose. If you’re already mapping out three major upgrades for the car, then a brand-new engine might not actually mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, maybe.