advertisement


The 2018 F1 Thread

Tony Lockhart said:
So many people predict Max will be a multiple WDC, but I’m not so sure. If RB go down a blind alley next year, and are left in the Ferrari/Merc dust, where will he go? And other teams always have a selection of fast, young drivers to choose from.

The RB is looking fast again, but there’s nothing guaranteed for next year.
Click to expand...

The rumour is that the RBs are looking good for next year under yet more rule changes. All these rule changes, if they want to even it up - just insist Lewis has to tow a caravan and be done with it.
 
I don’t know what the horse power difference is between the Renault & Mercedes but if RB get can close up the gap by even a few, the way the car manages it’s tyres in the race shows it’s clearly the best chassis on the grid. If Honda get the engine right, I can see RB with Max being WC next season.
 
Max looks like a younger version of Vettel, both are fast in the right conditions but have a temper.

I think if this new guy Leclerc is as good as they think he is, then maybe next year will be Vettel's last at Ferrari, similar to what happened when he was at Red Bull.
 
Excellent tantrum from Vestappen! Understandable in some respects as that one, for once, wasn’t his fault, but one would have thought he’d taken enough other folk out over the years not to behave that way!
 
Tony L said:
Excellent tantrum from Vestappen! Understandable in some respects as that one, for once, wasn’t his fault, but one would have thought he’d taken enough other folk out over the years not to behave that way!
Click to expand...

It may not have been his fault, but once it was obvious that the guy was not going to yield, more space was required. As Lewis said to him in the backroom, he was the one with something to lose. At that stage there was plenty of time.
 
Rack Kit said:
I don’t know what the horse power difference is between the Renault & Mercedes but if RB get can close up the gap by even a few, the way the car manages it’s tyres in the race shows it’s clearly the best chassis on the grid. If Honda get the engine right, I can see RB with Max being WC next season.
Click to expand...

I haven't followed any of the conjecture about next year, but on the face of it, and assuming neither Ferrari or Merc make too large a technical jump then next year could indeed be rather interesting.

This year has been a lot more entertaining with a championship being mainly fought out by two drivers from different teams - the prospect of Verstappen making that a three way battle would certainly add another dimension to things!

Then of course there is Leclerc; whilst Vettel is absolutely no slouch and I'd find it hard to think that any other driver could show him a clean pair of heels, Leclerc looks like the real deal.
 
Tony Lockhart said:
So many people predict Max will be a multiple WDC, but I’m not so sure.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think people are underestimating how hard it is just to win even one. Being as naturally talented and fast as Max is just table stakes and so many other things have to align to win a championship.
 
They need to sort the engine penalties sensibly for next year (unless they already have and I missed it): ruining Ricciardo's race because a marshall destroyed a turbo at the previous round is just ludicrous.
 
SteveS1 said:
It may not have been his fault, but once it was obvious that the guy was not going to yield, more space was required. As Lewis said to him in the backroom, he was the one with something to lose. At that stage there was plenty of time.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. I see Max's lack of care as similar to what happens when you cross the road on a zebra crossing; if you have your foot on the road traffic should stop for you. It is sensible to check though....you could cross without looking and might be in the right but you'd be "dead" right.
 
SteveS1 said:
The rumour is that the RBs are looking good for next year under yet more rule changes. All these rule changes, if they want to even it up - just insist Lewis has to tow a caravan and be done with it.
Click to expand...

It is really quite simple if they want to have close championships. Just stop changing the technical rules.

The rule changes for 2019 were part of a brilliant strategy by Mercedes to give them a better chance of winning even more championships. They had flat lined on their aero development curve and needed the rule to be changed for 2019.

So Merc went to the FIA and persuaded them the a new set of rules for the front wing that had less outwash, would enable more overtaking (FOM already researching this area for 2021 so it was suggested to use the most up to date research). Most of the rest of the grid fell for this and voted for it. Mainly as I understand it because most aero departments said that they needed the change to help them to catch up with the teams at the front as they were running out of ideas with the current regs! So the team owners fell for it (instead of asking how their small aero department was going to compete with Merc, RBR and Ferrari with new rules vs everyone ending up with a similar solution and similar performance) and voted for it.

RBR voted against the rule change as they currently have the best aero and were still able to develop. And so stood a good chance of being in the championship next year with stable rules. This is why Christian Horner said that the rule change was really stupid.
 
So Christian was bluffing last night? They will be glad just to have an engine that doesn't leave bits all over the track.
 
IanW said:
It is really quite simple if they want to have close championships. Just stop changing the technical rules.

The rule changes for 2019 were part of a brilliant strategy by Mercedes to give them a better chance of winning even more championships. They had flat lined on their aero development curve and needed the rule to be changed for 2019.

So Merc went to the FIA and persuaded them the a new set of rules for the front wing that had less outwash, would enable more overtaking (FOM already researching this area for 2021 so it was suggested to use the most up to date research). Most of the rest of the grid fell for this and voted for it. Mainly as I understand it because most aero departments said that they needed the change to help them to catch up with the teams at the front as they were running out of ideas with the current regs! So the team owners fell for it (instead of asking how their small aero department was going to compete with Merc, RBR and Ferrari with new rules vs everyone ending up with a similar solution and similar performance) and voted for it.

RBR voted against the rule change as they currently have the best aero and were still able to develop. And so stood a good chance of being in the championship next year with stable rules. This is why Christian Horner said that the rule change was really stupid.
Click to expand...


It would be interesting to see the lap time difference if RB and Mercedes swapped engines.
 
SteveS1 said:
So Christian was bluffing last night? They will be glad just to have an engine that doesn't leave bits all over the track.
Click to expand...

What did Christian say last night?

I think that RBR will have the best aero in 2109 as well so it probably won't matter that much, but it would have been easier for RBR if the rules had not changed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top