- 6,290
- Washington State
- OutlawQuadrant
Ferrari doing Ferrari things as always. Start strong in the season, then fade away with strategic blunders and crashes.
Formula 1 2018 Honda Japanese Grand PrixFormula 1
- Thread starter Dennisch
- 179 comments
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- 414
- Hofuf
- Fishylocked
No body could have predicted when is the rain was going to get heavier. It was a matter of seconds, had it started 15-20 seconds earlier, everybody will be saying wow they have got it right!
Stop the hate!
Stop the hate!
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
Not hate, but hey why think with rational when you can get emotional.
As for the strategy, Ferrari as shown had the best track position, and Mercedes were able to along with others call the right strategy. Vettel had a chance to make up the mistake and screwed it up still. This is the reality of things, don't conflate that with hate.
Everyone else could see the track was dry enough for slicks... rain was due later on in Q3 so why risk the opener on Inters when you could get a dry banker?
That said, Ferrari never had the pace of the Merc and even in slightly damp conditions you’d have to give the edge to Lewis anyway.
If Lewis wins and Vettel gets no points, can we get a repeat of last year with the title being won at Mexico?
- 939
- Zürich
All the teams have Doppler Radar piped to their displays, which shows the position, progression, and intensity of the rain. It's very very good. Good enough to show where on the track it's raining, and by how much. It's relatively easy to predict fairly accurately where, when, and how much it will rain within a 10 to 15 minute window - longer if you're just looking for general indication.
It's not hate at all. Ferrari had the information, didn't use it, and therefore screwed up on that count. Vettel then made a mistake which compounded the error, hence he's way back down the grid.
- 414
- Hofuf
- Fishylocked
It's rational, Vettel's attempt was on an increasingly wet track at the worst time possible on slicks, even in case he made the lap, he would 5th at best. While not denying that Merc are doing the better job in "off track activities" denying the fact they were "lucky " more than one occasion is emotional.
This is an incorrect assessment. Vettel was on the right tyres at the right time, he simply ran too deep at Degna 2 and Spoon.
- 414
- Hofuf
- Fishylocked
- 23,800
- Philippines
Honestly, whatever gave you that idea...
The Mission Winnow site is all headache-inducing doublespeak. Wish I'd get paid that much for writing absolute gibberish.
What a tremendous muck-up that Q3 was. They didn't even split qualifying strategies for the two drivers, just in case it was dry enough for a banker lap on slicks (and when everyone else is going out on slicks, that should give you a clue it was).
Vettel can obviously claw his way back up to fourth or third... but barring any major disaster for Mercedes, that points gap is going to extend further tomorrow.
Wonder if Max is going to be feeling lucky off the line. He's got nothing to lose, and he'll be hoping Lewis will be playing it safe.
- 414
- Hofuf
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- 939
- Zürich
That's exactly what Doppler Radar enables you to do - I use a commercial less accurate version on my smartphone pretty frequently, It's easily good enough for me to time whatever journey I'm going make to ensure that I don't get wet - even down to a 5 minute gap in the rain. So far it's worked wonderfully.
Also worth pointing out that Vettel’s race is made extra difficult because he’s starting on the super softs rather than both Mercs on the softs.
He should be quicker than the cars around him, but he’s not exactly the best when he’s got a good start around slight slower cars into turn one...
He should be quicker than the cars around him, but he’s not exactly the best when he’s got a good start around slight slower cars into turn one...
- 414
- Hofuf
- Fishylocked
- 23,800
- Philippines
Funny.
I didn't notice, but someone in our local discussion group noted that the Mercs were on inters before the start of Q3. Once Ferrari went out on track, the slicks went back on.
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Not sure if true, but it would be a hilarious way for Ferrari to have lost that qualifying battle.
I didn't notice, but someone in our local discussion group noted that the Mercs were on inters before the start of Q3. Once Ferrari went out on track, the slicks went back on.
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Not sure if true, but it would be a hilarious way for Ferrari to have lost that qualifying battle.
- 4,806
- Sweden
This was a nice read, Hakkinen getting to drive the MP4-13 on Suzuka once more, twenty years on.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/hakkinen-drives-title-winning-mclaren-at-suzuka/3189451
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/hakkinen-drives-title-winning-mclaren-at-suzuka/3189451
![Tak[TEC]](/forum/data/avatars/m/145/145882.jpg?1433492469){kind=avatar}
- 3,600
- Middelburg
Not sure if I saw it right*, but it looked like the tire warmers/covers were with a green stripe but the actual tires were slicks
* it was very early in the morning so I was still a bit sleepy
In general: yes great strategy of Ferrari again...Part of extra stress factor? You would expect better from a professional team with a very long history.
Feel sorry for Ricciardo. Especially with the knowledge this engine brand will be his future. So he cannot complain in public about that engine failure. Altough that scream says enough.
Max did mention it over the radio: "same engine stuttering again" but he completed his quali with a good P3.
- 29,154
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
That's not at all true and is very disingenuous. Mercedes have done a better job with strategy and advancement of their car, all teams have had some benefit of luck but the main reason for Mercedes being better than Ferrari in the second half is that simple. They're just better.
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
If my Aunty had balls, etc. etc.
Even Vettel noted "it's too dry" before even leaving the pit lane. Ferrari got it very wrong when every other team in the session got it right. If a slower team try something radical (as with STR earlier this season, I forget when) and it goes wrong then they had nothing to lose. Ferrari are not in that position and have to get it right.
Might be of some interest;
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/139204/arrivabene-ferrari-blunder-unacceptable
- 3,600
- Middelburg
Just send him to Juventus
- 939
- Zürich
I was under the impression that the Renualt C spec engine, that RIC‘s using, was still a work in progress, in which case you should kind of know you‘re taking a gamble by running it.
That said I totally understand his frustration.
