The Mercedes looks stunning. Still no side pods though, which didn’t prove beneficial last year. Fingers crossed they’ve got it covered off this time.
I presume they have worked out that their design woes were either not related to side pods or if they where they have found a solution.
I see an issue if there is a clear benefit to having a black unpainted car. Ultimately, we will see a grid full of black umpainted cars. We already seem to have cars with a lot of black on them. Probably can be solved by a rule that x percent of the car has to be painted, whether that be any other colour or indeed black.
The Mercedes looks stunning. Still no side pods though, which didn’t prove beneficial last year. Fingers crossed they’ve got it covered off this time.
I presume they have worked out that their design woes were either not related to side pods or if they where they have found a solution.
I see an issue if there is a clear benefit to having a black unpainted car. Ultimately, we will see a grid full of black umpainted cars. We already seem to have cars with a lot of black on them. Probably can be solved by a rule that x percent of the car has to be painted, whether that be any other colour or indeed black.
Yes so many are 50%+ black. What I don't really get is just how much weight not painting all, or part, actually saves! I mean a thin layerr of modern paint can't actually save that much - can it!?
The Mercedes looks stunning. Still no side pods though, which didn’t prove beneficial last year. Fingers crossed they’ve got it covered off this time.
I presume they have worked out that their design woes were either not related to side pods or if they where they have found a solution.
I see an issue if there is a clear benefit to having a black unpainted car. Ultimately, we will see a grid full of black umpainted cars. We already seem to have cars with a lot of black on them. Probably can be solved by a rule that x percent of the car has to be painted, whether that be any other colour or indeed black.
Yes so many are 50%+ black. What I don't really get is just how much weight not painting all, or part, actually saves! I mean a thin layerr of modern paint can't actually save that much - can it!?
Between 1 and 6kg it seems. Minimum car weight is 798kg. Very quick back of fag packet style calculation results in between 0.1 and 0.75% of the cars total weight.
With the amount of black on show (I read Mercedes may be running and black and silver car this year) to allow for bare carbon fibre, I reckon it might be a bit tough distinguishing between cars on TV this year.
Yeah their race suits dont have any of the Petronas blue in it this year, so be surprised if its on the car as well.
Do you mean green?
Blue / Green, more of an Aqua colour
It’s called teal…….of which there are many shades.
I woud favour a rule which meant all cars weighed the same with the driver included. Otherwise it surely favours thin, short drivers where their skill should be the important thing.
Red Bull look like years ahead on short and longer runs. Still think Mercedes have an inherent issue with the philosophy they followed. That car just doesn't look right.
Can see Mercedes needing a big upgrade package by the first European race , just think the zero sidepods idea is the wrong path.
Also mystified by what on earth has gone wrong with the McLaren's - could see Piastri as a Q1 casualty for the first few rounds and Lando struggling to get that car into Q3
Is there a race calendar anywhere which has the lights out time in GMT? I want to try and be a little more organised this season.
The Official F1 app is pretty good for this. It's what I use anyway.
Thanks so much for this. They've probably advertised the app at every race for the last decade but I never paid any attention to it. The app is good - has got both my time and track time, so exactly what I needed. Ta.
Well if practices 1 and 2 are anything to go by, any conspiracy theories that Merc were sandbagging in testing were well wide of the mark. They look in a lot of trouble. Didn't think I'd ever find myself cheering for Alonso, but hopefully his pace in the Aston proves to be real and he can actually take the fight to Red Bull tomorrow and Sunday.
I heard Martin Brundle say that if Lance Stroll pulls some of the moves on Alonso, that he tried to pull on Vettel last season, then he will end up in the grandstand. Hopefully, the same fate awaits Verstappen if he continues to use his kamikaze tactics.
I think the issue is Red Bull have the best package overall AND have made a step forwards with it.
It says something that Aston have basically copied the Ferrari idea and made it more extreme, that's where Ferrari should have taken their concept to.
Mercedes' zero sidepod idea isn't working clearly, and they need to bite the bullet and scrap it. Sky Sports literally spent 15 mins of a 30 minute program with Ted Kravitz wanking himself into oblivion over their car, and it's just not there.
Williams have turned into the perennial backmarkers, and if they aren't careful McLaren will be joining them, they seem to have a mishmash of about 4 different ideas all slapped on the same car
Is there a race calendar anywhere which has the lights out time in GMT? I want to try and be a little more organised this season.
The Official F1 app is pretty good for this. It's what I use anyway.
Thanks so much for this. They've probably advertised the app at every race for the last decade but I never paid any attention to it. The app is good - has got both my time and track time, so exactly what I needed. Ta.
Well Q3 ended up being a bit of a let down after Q1 and Q2
No surprise to see RB strong once again - Need to remember their penalty for breaking the budget cap came AFTER they'd done a lot of their development for this car.
Be interesting as the season progresses, and into next year
They should suffer from a lack of wind tunnel time.
Brilliant F2 race this morning. Theo Pourchaire, in a league of his own, wins by 19 seconds from Ralph Boschung. Great action behind with Zane Maloney producing some superb overtakes to finish 3rd from a starting place of 18th.
Comments
I see an issue if there is a clear benefit to having a black unpainted car. Ultimately, we will see a grid full of black umpainted cars. We already seem to have cars with a lot of black on them. Probably can be solved by a rule that x percent of the car has to be painted, whether that be any other colour or indeed black.
Yes so many are 50%+ black. What I don't really get is just how much weight not painting all, or part, actually saves! I mean a thin layerr of modern paint can't actually save that much - can it!?
Stroll cleared to race
I want to try and be a little more organised this season.
https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2023.html
Not sure if you get the UK times though - Presume that you would do
Also mystified by what on earth has gone wrong with the McLaren's - could see Piastri as a Q1 casualty for the first few rounds and Lando struggling to get that car into Q3
Ferrari don't look any better than last season.
I'm pinning my hopes on Alonso giving Max a challenge this season
Hopefully, the same fate awaits Verstappen if he continues to use his kamikaze tactics.
It says something that Aston have basically copied the Ferrari idea and made it more extreme, that's where Ferrari should have taken their concept to.
Mercedes' zero sidepod idea isn't working clearly, and they need to bite the bullet and scrap it. Sky Sports literally spent 15 mins of a 30 minute program with Ted Kravitz wanking himself into oblivion over their car, and it's just not there.
Williams have turned into the perennial backmarkers, and if they aren't careful McLaren will be joining them, they seem to have a mishmash of about 4 different ideas all slapped on the same car
No surprise to see RB strong once again - Need to remember their penalty for breaking the budget cap came AFTER they'd done a lot of their development for this car.
Be interesting as the season progresses, and into next year
They should suffer from a lack of wind tunnel time.
Great action behind with Zane Maloney producing some superb overtakes to finish 3rd from a starting place of 18th.