Formula 1 Pre-season Testing February 2020
Discussion
kambites said:
TheDeuce said:
It's not as if it's a core engine issue, it's an ancillary issue..
We don't actually know that, although the lack of smoke implies it. Ultimately though, an oil pressure drop could be almost anything.They'll fix it, we'll forget it - that's my expectation. If I'm wrong.. I reckon even with a couple of engine penalties they would still have the car to beat.
NFC 85 Vette said:
It could be a very interesting year, but I'd worry the only racing will be in the midfield, not at the top - Merc look to have covered all the bases, and a few oil pressure snags wont be a problem in a few weeks time.
I think Red Bull will be closer to Mercedes than testing suggests so far, I've missed today's coverage but from what I've seen last week and yesterday they don't seem to be going balls out for a glory lap just yet. NFC 85 Vette said:
Just out of interest, why do you want him to leave?
He's cockblocking a seat which could be used by either a new talent or someone more established, who has potential but nowhere to go. And throughout the years he's proven that he's mentally unstable, there's plenty examples that support this. OlonMusky said:
NFC 85 Vette said:
Just out of interest, why do you want him to leave?
He's cockblocking a seat which could be used by either a new talent or someone more established, who has potential but nowhere to go. And throughout the years he's proven that he's mentally unstable, there's plenty examples that support this. 
OlonMusky said:
He's cockblocking a seat which could be used by either a new talent or someone more established, who has potential but nowhere to go. And throughout the years he's proven that he's mentally unstable, there's plenty examples that support this.
Every F1 driver there today, has aspirations of driving for Ferrari. Despite their lack of championship wins, or a strategy team who are aware of what's happening on track at any given moment, every driver wants the opportunity to drive for them. In terms of 'more established', you only have Hamilton and Kimi in that set that have been around as long as Vettel has - the rest of the grid are kids (relatively speaking). Hamilton might want to finish his career there, but I doubt he'd have that take priority over more championships and race wins while Mercedes are still the best outfit.I don't see Vettel handing that seat to anybody on the basis of "giving someone else a chance". But, you might get your wish at the end of this season - unless he signs a contract extension, I'd expect another fruitless season would trigger his departure, and perhaps Danny Ric would come in.
He's not mentally unstable (that's something all together different). Vettel struggles when under pressure in a car that isn't to his liking. Give him a car that he's comfortable in, and he becomes an unflappable robot. Hamilton isn't dissimilar in this respect, but he manages to vent down the radio and it not impact his driving when things are going Pete Tong (his Baku dashboard meltdown for example, or any strategy call that puts him behind instead of infront).
Many have already written Vettel off, because a handful of driver errors, and the assumption that WDC's don't make any errors. One thing that struck me watching the onboards of yesterday's testing, was how easy the Ferrari was to drive - so on top of all the rhetoric we've had about it not being there yet on pace, and Merc saying they're sandbagging, it's still unclear what's going on. I'm of the belief that while they've piled down force onto it, the engine power is still an unknown - we expect them to have slipped back in horsepower terms, but they might well have made further developments. The car itself looked pretty solid, it wasn't a handful, and Seb was able to put the hammer down early out of slow/medium speed corners.
There remains a hope and a chance that Binotto is just a handy poker player, and this bluff will be exposed in Q3 in Melbourne. It'll go one of two ways, either Ferrari are hiding something apocalyptic, and everyone's fallen for their "we've got this wrong again" routine, or they're going spend much of the year looking at the gearboxes of a pink Mercedes. If it's the latter, Seb's probably gone at the end of the year, and Binotto will be moved on mid-season.
2020 will either be excellent for them, or really, really miserable.
I'm betting on Mercedes having to run engines in conservative mode for the first few races at least. Red Bull to take the early championship lead and Honda to say by midterm break they're pulling out after 2021.
Vettel will sign an extension at Ferrari but will leave end of this year. Hamilton to move to the reds if Mercedes announce they're selling up.
Just predictions, could all be bulls
t!
Vettel will sign an extension at Ferrari but will leave end of this year. Hamilton to move to the reds if Mercedes announce they're selling up.
Just predictions, could all be bulls
t!kambites said:
Teddy Lop said:
there are drivers that in that ferrari would have denied Hamilton at least one title, and that might have been better to observe.
I'm not convinced that's true; not because the car wasn't good enough but because Ferrari themselves weren't. Only about half of the mistakes which cost Ferrari dear over the last couple of seasons were driver error. While it would be asinine to describe Mr 4x WDC as not all that, he hit a golden sweet spot of being in a best on grid car that happened to suit his way of driving, flatter his small physique when half the grid looked like walking skeletons, with a journeyman for a team mate who was right on track to beat him to the first but for falling of his bike and qualifying/ racing with cortizone (?) dulling him just to manage the pain. When he had a car that wasn't perfect, with issues to drive around he floundered and Danny spanked him like it was 1935, and I think leclerc will probably do the same if the ferrari is as bad as people think.
Its like, that's okay, unlike too many I can reconcile that formula 1 is unfair and I don't say he should not have said titles, but also I take a perspective on how they were won.
I'd bet the farm that Alonso (in an alternate timeline) or Ricardo would have the broad skills and also the chutzpah required to conquer the ferrari (team) and make those titles a thing.
OlonMusky said:
NFC 85 Vette said:
He's not mentally unstable(...). Vettel struggles when under pressure
That's the very definition of mentally unstable.
OlonMusky said:
That's the very definition of mentally unstable.
Wow just wow. I take it you have zero practical experience of true mental health issues then?Making mistakes under pressure isn't a sign of mental instability. The vast majority of people in the world make mistakes under pressure.
robbieduncan said:
McLaren join the teams able to post a 1.16 time. Things looking a little bit up from them?
Puts them level with Ferrari's best time, so that's pretty good for them! Or terrible for Ferrari.. Or a mixture of both 
Mercedes standing over a second faster from last week: 1:15.732
TheDeuce said:
Mercedes standing over a second faster from last week: 1:15.732
I'm basically assuming Mercedes are fastest by a comfortable margin (until proven otherwise). But it seems there may be a good fight for the next few places and it'd be nice to see McLaren back up in that packrobbieduncan said:
I'm basically assuming Mercedes are fastest by a comfortable margin (until proven otherwise). But it seems there may be a good fight for the next few places and it'd be nice to see McLaren back up in that pack
Indeed. This year was in theory a sequel to 2019 but it seems a few teams might shift up/down the order. McLaren look great and perhaps able to tangle with Ferrari like the good old days!Let's see what times are posted by end of play today...
TheDeuce said:
OlonMusky said:
NFC 85 Vette said:
He's not mentally unstable(...). Vettel struggles when under pressure
That's the very definition of mentally unstable.With Vettel, if the shoe fits, he'll always be accused of being careless and unstable. With someone like Senna, he ran people off the road deliberately, with intent, and was viewed as a hero. I suppose it's a matter of perspective, and separating actions from personalities.
It comes back to F1 needing a hero and a villain. Hamilton (the hero) has Vettel and had Alonso, Hill had Schumacher. The common denominator here is Ferrari - I wonder if they get judged less the villain if Hamilton moved there. My guess would be they'd actually be judged as saboteur to his GOAT legacy.
Anyway, back to testing - has Max had his daily spin yet?
Supersam83 said:
What about when McLaren obtained (stole) Ferrari design blueprints in 2007 and used bits of this in their car for 2007 and 2008 when Hamilton won his 1st championship?
At least the Racing Point "Pink" Mercedes is copied design concepts by the engineers and not from actual Mercedes 2019 blueprints stolen from Mercedes themselves.
That's a slight rewriting of history. Technically speaking Ferrari, namely Nigel Stepney, gave the plans to McLaren, namely Mike Coughlan. Nothing was stolen by McLaren, but McLaren shouldn't have accepted the plans that Stepney appropriated and offered. It's a subtle point, but an important one.At least the Racing Point "Pink" Mercedes is copied design concepts by the engineers and not from actual Mercedes 2019 blueprints stolen from Mercedes themselves.
Investigation showed that McLaren's chassis didn't have any Ferrari bits on it. The Ferrari plans did however highlight to McLaren that Ferrari were running an illegal floor on their car.
Edited by VladD on Friday 28th February 10:17
Kraken said:
OlonMusky said:
That's the very definition of mentally unstable.
Wow just wow. I take it you have zero practical experience of true mental health issues then?Making mistakes under pressure isn't a sign of mental instability. The vast majority of people in the world make mistakes under pressure.
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