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Post by Joel_W on May 23, 2019 10:22:37 GMT -8
1st practice session showed promise as Vestappen in his Red Bull was literally right behind the two Mercedes, but by practice session #2 it was back to the same old pecking order. Hamilton #1, Bottas #2 by only .08 sec, but then it was . 76 sec back to Vettel's Ferrari. Gasly was the only Red Bull out there @ .820 sec back. Seems that Verstappen's car was in the garage with some kind of water leak.
Best bet for the one remaining podium finish of Verstappen. I'd love to see him split the two Mercedes and put some life into the F1 series.
Joel
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Post by Chris K. Hale on May 23, 2019 11:11:19 GMT -8
Monaco My Favorite with Monza and Spa close... unfortunately New race, same smell !!! Chris
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Post by Joel_W on May 23, 2019 12:02:57 GMT -8
Chris,
Monaco is so different then anything else they run. All the other tracks have been reconfigured over and over again, with the result of most loosing much of what they once were. For me that's the comparison to the 1967 season. I'm just hoping that it's not as bad as what we've been treated to so far this season up front for the win. If Vestappen is on pace he'll make a race out of it. I really don't have any faith in Ferrari at this point. All talk but no real results.
I'll be recording it, so I can watch it after dinner, which will be whenever the 500 is over, and hopefully a Penske car has won once again.
Joel
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cc
Full Time Ride
Posts: 141
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Post by cc on May 23, 2019 16:47:19 GMT -8
This should be a track that can be a level playing field. Hope it gives us a good race. Being a Mercedes man I would still like to see it shake up the running. It’s best when you have to overcome a challenge to win. So Vettel, Vestappen, or Ricardo time to step up your game. It’s going to be a loooong Sunday.
CC 🏁
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Post by Joel_W on May 24, 2019 5:08:35 GMT -8
Unfortunately, the driver is only one small part of the overall equation for what it takes to win. I'm still puzzled why Ferrari blamed their issues on tires when the rest of the field has the same tires from the same manufacturing lot, and there's been no report of other teams having those issues. Perhaps it's not directly a tire issues, but rather a suspension or aero issue that causes the tires to react in that way.
We all have favorite teams and drivers either past and/or present. But when the entire series is basically one or two teams that consistently battle for the win, it looses the essence of what F1 really should be. And in my thinking being the most technical, most expensive, and world wide series, doesn't seem to work with the concept of what the racing really should still be.
Joel
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Post by Chris K. Hale on May 24, 2019 7:25:15 GMT -8
Monaco was 2700 meters long and was reconfigured some years ago to 3800 meters, it was reconfigured in the modern age to accommodate a longer race, passing is a big problem at Monaco, being city streets there are only a few places a car can safely pass. Ferrari appears to have gotten the Concept wrong before the car was built this year.IMHO This is the first year that F-1 changed to 19 inch wheels up from the ridiculous 13 inch they have run forever. I think what they are have a problem with is sidewall rebound and deflection, the tires are the same outer diameter as the 13 inch wheels just less sidewall. The added stiffness on the sidewall makes warming and maintaining good temperatures harder, it is possible they didnt build in the right amount of adjustment in the chassis to make up for the ratio of rebound, and side deflection that changed, although the other teams dont seem to have a problem that we know of..Chris
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Post by Joel_W on May 24, 2019 7:47:37 GMT -8
Chris,
Thanks for the updated specs on the track, as it's only been the last few years that I once again started to follow as real F1 fan, rather then just an occasional one.
Street courses even in Indy Cars is an issue, but they do seem to make passes, and the racing is generally very exciting. So F1 needs to do whatever it needs to do to put the racing back in the races for all tracks.
Your points about the increased diameter of the wheels while the tires OD stayed the same sure sounds correct. But for them not to have focused on this issue seems nuts as just about every other team has. A least the front to mid pack teams. Whether or not Williams did doesn't mean much as always last is still always last.
Joel
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Post by Chris K. Hale on May 24, 2019 17:11:33 GMT -8
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Post by Joel_W on May 25, 2019 6:08:40 GMT -8
Chris,
A interesting article. But the questions still remain why they focused on Aero wash when Mercedes and other teams seemed to have been more concerned with needed downforce. I'm also sure that those teams found a better solution to the issues created by the new wheels and smaller side walls, which really should have reduces sidewall flex and distortion.
I'll be following qualifying today to see just where Ferrari is on the starting grid, but I'm thinking that at least Vestappen/Red Bull outqualifies them. And for the overall concept of F1 racing, that is a good thing.
Joel
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Post by Joel_W on May 25, 2019 9:40:16 GMT -8
Qualifying Results. Same front row, but Verstappen is in 3rd place, The best Ferrari could manage with Vettel is 4th on the grid. Seems that Ferrari never bothered to get Leclerc back on the track and ended up 16th on the Grid. How can Ferrari make that mistake? Joel  |
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Post by Chris K. Hale on May 25, 2019 10:10:06 GMT -8
Ferrari F*&^%Ked up with Vettel crashing in P3 and then leaving Leclrc sitting until it was too late in Q-1 they managed to get Vettel's car sorted enough for P4 but when Luca De Montezemello ran the F-1 show for Ferrari Something would have changed by now...maybe time for an all new Concept/Chassis, Team Principal , Design Team and get a fresh start before the entire season is a wash.. I have not seen this kind of lack of performance ever.. The changes coming for 2020 are more severe than this year.. time for wholesale changes!! Chris
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Post by Joel_W on May 25, 2019 10:42:18 GMT -8
Ferrari F*&^%Ked up with Vettel crashing in P3 and then leaving Leclrc sitting until it was too late in Q-1 they managed to get Vettel's car sorted enough for P4 but when Luca De Montezemello ran the F-1 show for Ferrari Something would have changed by now...maybe time for an all new Concept/Chassis, Team Principal , Design Team and get a fresh start before the entire season is a wash.. I have not seen this kind of lack of performance ever.. The changes coming for 2020 are more severe than this year.. time for wholesale changes!! Chris Chris, Agreed 100% with everything you said. This is the classic case of shooting yourself in the foot. They had their traditional 3 & 4 on the grid and really screwed it up big time. It's almost like they from the Team Principal on down have been actively training with Williams, who by the way will be once again occupying the very back of the grid. Joel |
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Post by 2whl on May 25, 2019 11:50:56 GMT -8
It will be interesting watching LeClerc come through the field.
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Post by afx on May 27, 2019 8:37:07 GMT -8
I love Monaco as a track, it's got the be very challenging to drive. The race is another story. Hamilton got in front and could drive as slow as he wished, yet no one could pass. It was a F1 parade after the first turn.
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Post by Joel_W on May 27, 2019 11:16:57 GMT -8
Yesterday's Monaco's race once again proved that F1 with it's high tech everything has no idea of how to put the racing back into racing. The Monaco F1 GP was simply horrendous from a fan's perspective.
Absolutely no racing nor passing at the front from the start to the finish. Gee what a surprise. Verstappen should have taken 2nd place but that stupid accident in the pits due to Ferrari's pit crew blocking their vision, which caused him a 5 sec penalty and dropped him down to 4th place in the final standings. That literally was the only reason for a position change for the 1st 4 places.
The time has finally come for F1 to realize that Monaco's street circuit has been passed by time and technology. The whole race depended on tire strategy and pit stops, rather then the performance on the track was a complete disgrace, and one of the most all time boring sleepers of a non F1 race period. Calling F1 a traveling circle better describes what it currently is, rather then what its status should be.
Joel
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