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Thread: 2020 F1 news/rumours

  1. #1861
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    Quote Originally Posted by SilverSpeed View Post
    Things money can buy these days huh .
    yep, look at it this way....F1 still races in countries that today use concentration camps on their own citizens OR don't let women do what men can do.

    #WeRaceAsOne....uh-huh.
    It's not how start but how you finish.

  2. #1862
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6 View Post
    Looks like Mazepin's social media stunt has been swept under the rug.

    He drives with HAAS next to Mick in 2021. Back to business as usual.
    HAAS really needs that money which is understandable. Getting rid of Mazepin would've earned them virtue points on social media, but thousands of jobs would've been lost as well.

    I really really hope that Mick will wipe the floor with Mazepin.

  3. #1863
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6 View Post
    yep, look at it this way....F1 still races in countries that today use concentration camps on their own citizens OR don't let women do what men can do.

    #WeRaceAsOne....uh-huh.
    Exactly.

    What a bunch of hypocrites.

  4. #1864
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    I think if 2022 regs don't work out, this sport must surely be done.
    "I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance." - Michael Schumacher

  5. #1865
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    Engines running on corn oil - or batteries! - milk-float technology, 'woke' drivers and who knows what other stupid gimmicks and woke/ green dimwittery lie ahead..?

    The last decade has heralded the demise of what was once a truly immense form of motorsport.
    Trying to be less angry..

  6. #1866
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    Quote Originally Posted by tifosi1993 View Post
    HAAS really needs that money which is understandable. Getting rid of Mazepin would've earned them virtue points on social media, but thousands of jobs would've been lost as well.

    I really really hope that Mick will wipe the floor with Mazepin.
    i'll drink to that.
    Silently, like a shadow

  7. #1867
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    ESPN rating 2020 drivers: Russell A- Charles B+ .

  8. #1868
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nick Singer View Post
    Engines running on corn oil - or batteries! - milk-float technology, 'woke' drivers and who knows what other stupid gimmicks and woke/ green dimwittery lie ahead..?

    The last decade has heralded the demise of what was once a truly immense form of motorsport.
    Wait until Hamilton thinks gender equality is the next fashionable thing....he'll have a nip and tuck, change her name to Louise in a bid to become the 1st female F1 champion.

  9. #1869
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    Quote Originally Posted by 330 p4 View Post
    Wait until Hamilton thinks gender equality is the next fashionable thing....he'll have a nip and tuck, change her name to Louise in a bid to become the 1st female F1 champion.
    I doubt that even the GOAT will go that far !!

  10. #1870
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    Quote Originally Posted by 330 p4 View Post
    Wait until Hamilton thinks gender equality is the next fashionable thing....he'll have a nip and tuck, change her name to Louise in a bid to become the 1st female F1 champion.
    Silently, like a shadow

  11. #1871
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    Quote Originally Posted by 330 p4 View Post
    Wait until Hamilton thinks gender equality is the next fashionable thing....he'll have a nip and tuck, change her name to Louise in a bid to become the 1st female F1 champion.
    This is silly but funny.
    Forza Ferrari
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  12. #1872
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    Stranger things have happened.

  13. #1873
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    I found it strange when MSC came back to F-1 and joined Merc!

  14. #1874
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    Vettel on the future of biofuels in F1 and F1 hybrids crossing over into production cars:

    excerpts from the interview(translated from German):

    Vettel: "An amount of 10% of biofuel will only become mandatory in F1 from 2022. As things stand today, it will only rise to 30% with the new engine regulations. That would be from 2025/2026 at the earliest. I find that very very disappointing."

    Vettel: "Because by 2025 there will surely be fuel stations for everyone that sell fuel from 100% renewable energies. Where is F1's pioneering role in the field of technology?"

    Vettel: "We have the most efficient internal combustion engine in the world but it is of no use to the world, because the way we use it will never find its way into series production."

    Vettel: "The only thing that is transferred is the brand message, because the hybrid engine is considered much more positive for the environmental balance than the normal combustion engine. The disappointing thing is that we are not taking our chance."

    Vettel: "F1 could be a pioneer in technology again after a long time. I think it is precisely this pioneering role that can ensure the survival of our sport."

    Vettel: "F1 should channel its competitive spirit, ambition, knowledge, development speed in such a way that relevant technologies are developed for everyone. For example, that synthetic fuels can also be bought at the fuel station at a reasonable price."

    Vettel: "I mean the decision to race with 10% biofuel in 2022 is not an innovation. Why is F1 so behind? There is a great opportunity to authentically secure its existence. But that is being ignored.."

    Maybe because of the high development costs?

    Vettel: "F1 has always cost a lot of money. And competition and ambition have always opened up enough wallets so far.."

    Do politics play a role because nobody wants to give up their advantage?

    Vettel: "That seems to be the case. The seriousness of the situation is not understood. I find that frustrating. We know better, yet we don't do it. This is how we seal our disappearance into irrelevance."

    Vettel: "We [F1] are first and foremost an entertainment company. But there are things that no longer fit into our time. As a global sport, we have an appropriate platform to present exemplary accents worldwide and to convey a message."

    Vettel: "Individual strategies of racing teams, one wants to produce the best battery, the other the best hybrid, are of little use to us. F1 needs an overall strategy. I think we have ignored the topic of environmental technology as a development area for too long."

    Vettel: "In some races, fighter jets fly over the finishing straight, an empty commercial aircraft fly over the starting grid. Some sponsors use it for advertising, some countries perhaps to demonstrate their power. I think it's outdated and a pointless waste of resources."

    https://translate.google.com/transla...search&pto=aue
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  15. #1875
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    Quote Originally Posted by 330 p4 View Post
    Wait until Hamilton thinks gender equality is the next fashionable thing....he'll have a nip and tuck, change her name to Louise in a bid to become the 1st female F1 champion.
    Too bad Claire never became a F-1 driver.

  16. #1876
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6 View Post
    Vettel on the future of biofuels in F1 and F1 hybrids crossing over into production cars:

    excerpts from the interview(translated from German):

    Vettel: "An amount of 10% of biofuel will only become mandatory in F1 from 2022. As things stand today, it will only rise to 30% with the new engine regulations. That would be from 2025/2026 at the earliest. I find that very very disappointing."

    Vettel: "Because by 2025 there will surely be fuel stations for everyone that sell fuel from 100% renewable energies. Where is F1's pioneering role in the field of technology?"

    Vettel: "We have the most efficient internal combustion engine in the world but it is of no use to the world, because the way we use it will never find its way into series production."

    Vettel: "The only thing that is transferred is the brand message, because the hybrid engine is considered much more positive for the environmental balance than the normal combustion engine. The disappointing thing is that we are not taking our chance."

    Vettel: "F1 could be a pioneer in technology again after a long time. I think it is precisely this pioneering role that can ensure the survival of our sport."

    Vettel: "F1 should channel its competitive spirit, ambition, knowledge, development speed in such a way that relevant technologies are developed for everyone. For example, that synthetic fuels can also be bought at the fuel station at a reasonable price."

    Vettel: "I mean the decision to race with 10% biofuel in 2022 is not an innovation. Why is F1 so behind? There is a great opportunity to authentically secure its existence. But that is being ignored.."

    Maybe because of the high development costs?

    Vettel: "F1 has always cost a lot of money. And competition and ambition have always opened up enough wallets so far.."

    Do politics play a role because nobody wants to give up their advantage?

    Vettel: "That seems to be the case. The seriousness of the situation is not understood. I find that frustrating. We know better, yet we don't do it. This is how we seal our disappearance into irrelevance."

    Vettel: "We [F1] are first and foremost an entertainment company. But there are things that no longer fit into our time. As a global sport, we have an appropriate platform to present exemplary accents worldwide and to convey a message."

    Vettel: "Individual strategies of racing teams, one wants to produce the best battery, the other the best hybrid, are of little use to us. F1 needs an overall strategy. I think we have ignored the topic of environmental technology as a development area for too long."

    Vettel: "In some races, fighter jets fly over the finishing straight, an empty commercial aircraft fly over the starting grid. Some sponsors use it for advertising, some countries perhaps to demonstrate their power. I think it's outdated and a pointless waste of resources."

    https://translate.google.com/transla...search&pto=aue
    Another idealist that wants to use other peoples money and resources to save the world. I'll start taking them seriously when they buy an electric car and drive themselves to races and give up all their super expensive comforts at the track. Better yet if they donate most of their income to their cause. But he was right when he said F1 is entertainment. Maybe concentrate on making it that before you save the world.

  17. #1877
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    at $400 a ticket, I think they can waste a bit of jet fuel for some fighter jets to fly over 60,000 fans.... when there were fans.

  18. #1878
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    Quote Originally Posted by SS454 View Post
    at $400 a ticket, I think they can waste a bit of jet fuel for some fighter jets to fly over 60,000 fans.... when there were fans.
    $400 a ticket is general admission here in the states. Paddock club tickets are anywhere from $7500 to $8000 USD per ticket. Even more if you get garage tickets.
    It's not how start but how you finish.

  19. #1879
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    If you want to skip the whole "meat" of the article, just read the last sentence of the article.

    MPH: How much of Lewis Hamilton's success is down to his car?

    The Mercedes was the dominant factor in this year's F1 championship race, writes Mark Hughes. But that's not to say that any driver could have had Lewis Hamilton's success

    One of the biggest talking points of an F1 season in which Lewis Hamilton broke the all-time career stat records previously held by Michael Schumacher has been just how big a part the driver plays, relative to the car. It’s a greatly misunderstood concept.


    First of all: obviously the car is the dominant factor in deciding who wins a race. There was an average 2.3sec per lap performance spread between the fastest car and the slowest this year (if we assume they were being driven to the same level, but at least 2sec otherwise). This is a fairly typical margin for the last few seasons, actually slightly closer than the last couple. In the same car, how much lap time would there be between the fastest driver and the slowest? We’re into educated guesswork here but let’s say, at maximum, 0.8sec. It’s actually more complex than that, of course, as the answer involves how particular car traits dovetail with particular driving styles and how much could this same car be adapted to the specific skills of each driver. But, in general terms, the car’s contribution to raw performance is something in the order of three times as powerful as the driver’s. Only because the standard of the drivers is so uniformly high.

    But what that close spread between fastest and slowest driver does is put the last tenth-two tenths – of driver contribution – at an extremely high premium. Admittedly, in 2020 for Mercedes it turned out those last couple of tenths of driver input would not be particularly valuable, given that its car was round 0.7sec quicker than the next fastest. But in a more closely-matched season – like the previous three, say – it would be exceptionally valuable as it could often be the differentiator of which of two closely-matched cars won.

    Which then begs the question of how do we know which, if any, drivers have that vital tenth or so of performance beyond the norm? Definitively, we don’t of course. Not in any scientifically provable way. But we see patterns, little snap-shots of genius. We also can talk to engineers who have worked with dozens of top drivers over the years and who are armed with data gleaned from telemetry, tyre loadings etc who know when they have seen something very special and can differentiate it from just ordinary run-of-the-mill F1-level excellence. You can also sometimes see it with your own eyes trackside. There are only a handful of drivers who ever reach this last two-tenths territory (almost certainly less than half of the current grid). There are even fewer who can produce it on demand. Maybe three, possibly four, of the current grid.

    So already, despite the car being three times as powerful as the driver in general terms, in reality because there is such uniform excellence, those very few who can deliver beyond that are disproportionately important in the equation. Because if you took a random driver in one of the slower cars and placed him in a Mercedes that’s 0.7sec quicker than the next-fastest car, he will of course be competitive. But if he is 0.2sec slower than the guy in the other Mercedes, he’s not going to win very often. So of course it’s about the driver, just as it’s also about the car. Then there’s the question of why has that driver got himself into the top car? Why did that top team want him in there? Because they see the patterns too, spend many hours and some very powerful analysis tools judging such things.

    But we’ve discussed only one-lap speed so far. There is also the matter of putting a race together. This is where those not quite so blessed with the freakish one lap speed can use circumstances to bring themselves into contention. The biggest sensitivity in this area is tyre usage – the ability to minimise the energy you are taking from the tyres while still maintaining a competitive pace for a long enough stint to make your strategy work. Daniel Ricciardo is phenomenally good at this – and is close enough to the ultimate in one-lap pace that in combination he is one of the handful that can be the best on any given day. Sergio Perez is similarly good with the tyres but is probably not close enough on ultimate pace to be one of the absolute elite. Valtteri Bottas can occasionally reach super-fast qualifying territory, bit still takes a lot from the rubber. Carlos Sainz has shown signs of being able to put together Ricciardo-like races. Hamilton is a virtuoso at this – and has the searing single lap pace. Max Verstappen has the searing pace and is always on top of the tyres, and though we’ve yet to see any of those ‘miracle’ stints, they are probably within him. Charles Leclerc has the single-lap pace but admits there is still work to do on always getting the tyre part of the equation right. George Russell had been doing some extraordinary things with the Williams in qualifying this year. It is not a Q2 level of car but many times he put it into Q2. And many times the data was suggesting he was doing something beyond the norm. So it was exciting when he got his Mercedes chance in Sakhir. His performance in what was a thermal deg race suggested he was on top of the tyre demands too.

    All this puts yet another layer on the importance of the driver – and why not just anyone could achieve the same level of success as Hamilton in Hamilton’s car. Because Hamilton will be in the other one. So to achieve Hamilton levels of success, you’d need to be able to go bat-to-bat with him on single lap pace, have as deep an understanding of the dynamics, be as in tune with the tyres as he is, be able to attack and defend as well as him, be as in tune with his engineering core as him. How many of the other 19 on the grid could do that? I’m guessing there are no more than three contenders, possibly four.

    But yes, apart from all those requirements, it’s only about the car.

    https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...own-to-his-car
    It's not how start but how you finish.

  20. #1880
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6 View Post
    If you want to skip the whole "meat" of the article, just read the last sentence of the article.

    MPH: How much of Lewis Hamilton's success is down to his car?

    The Mercedes was the dominant factor in this year's F1 championship race, writes Mark Hughes. But that's not to say that any driver could have had Lewis Hamilton's success

    One of the biggest talking points of an F1 season in which Lewis Hamilton broke the all-time career stat records previously held by Michael Schumacher has been just how big a part the driver plays, relative to the car. It’s a greatly misunderstood concept.


    First of all: obviously the car is the dominant factor in deciding who wins a race. There was an average 2.3sec per lap performance spread between the fastest car and the slowest this year (if we assume they were being driven to the same level, but at least 2sec otherwise). This is a fairly typical margin for the last few seasons, actually slightly closer than the last couple. In the same car, how much lap time would there be between the fastest driver and the slowest? We’re into educated guesswork here but let’s say, at maximum, 0.8sec. It’s actually more complex than that, of course, as the answer involves how particular car traits dovetail with particular driving styles and how much could this same car be adapted to the specific skills of each driver. But, in general terms, the car’s contribution to raw performance is something in the order of three times as powerful as the driver’s. Only because the standard of the drivers is so uniformly high.

    But what that close spread between fastest and slowest driver does is put the last tenth-two tenths – of driver contribution – at an extremely high premium. Admittedly, in 2020 for Mercedes it turned out those last couple of tenths of driver input would not be particularly valuable, given that its car was round 0.7sec quicker than the next fastest. But in a more closely-matched season – like the previous three, say – it would be exceptionally valuable as it could often be the differentiator of which of two closely-matched cars won.

    Which then begs the question of how do we know which, if any, drivers have that vital tenth or so of performance beyond the norm? Definitively, we don’t of course. Not in any scientifically provable way. But we see patterns, little snap-shots of genius. We also can talk to engineers who have worked with dozens of top drivers over the years and who are armed with data gleaned from telemetry, tyre loadings etc who know when they have seen something very special and can differentiate it from just ordinary run-of-the-mill F1-level excellence. You can also sometimes see it with your own eyes trackside. There are only a handful of drivers who ever reach this last two-tenths territory (almost certainly less than half of the current grid). There are even fewer who can produce it on demand. Maybe three, possibly four, of the current grid.

    So already, despite the car being three times as powerful as the driver in general terms, in reality because there is such uniform excellence, those very few who can deliver beyond that are disproportionately important in the equation. Because if you took a random driver in one of the slower cars and placed him in a Mercedes that’s 0.7sec quicker than the next-fastest car, he will of course be competitive. But if he is 0.2sec slower than the guy in the other Mercedes, he’s not going to win very often. So of course it’s about the driver, just as it’s also about the car. Then there’s the question of why has that driver got himself into the top car? Why did that top team want him in there? Because they see the patterns too, spend many hours and some very powerful analysis tools judging such things.

    But we’ve discussed only one-lap speed so far. There is also the matter of putting a race together. This is where those not quite so blessed with the freakish one lap speed can use circumstances to bring themselves into contention. The biggest sensitivity in this area is tyre usage – the ability to minimise the energy you are taking from the tyres while still maintaining a competitive pace for a long enough stint to make your strategy work. Daniel Ricciardo is phenomenally good at this – and is close enough to the ultimate in one-lap pace that in combination he is one of the handful that can be the best on any given day. Sergio Perez is similarly good with the tyres but is probably not close enough on ultimate pace to be one of the absolute elite. Valtteri Bottas can occasionally reach super-fast qualifying territory, bit still takes a lot from the rubber. Carlos Sainz has shown signs of being able to put together Ricciardo-like races. Hamilton is a virtuoso at this – and has the searing single lap pace. Max Verstappen has the searing pace and is always on top of the tyres, and though we’ve yet to see any of those ‘miracle’ stints, they are probably within him. Charles Leclerc has the single-lap pace but admits there is still work to do on always getting the tyre part of the equation right. George Russell had been doing some extraordinary things with the Williams in qualifying this year. It is not a Q2 level of car but many times he put it into Q2. And many times the data was suggesting he was doing something beyond the norm. So it was exciting when he got his Mercedes chance in Sakhir. His performance in what was a thermal deg race suggested he was on top of the tyre demands too.

    All this puts yet another layer on the importance of the driver – and why not just anyone could achieve the same level of success as Hamilton in Hamilton’s car. Because Hamilton will be in the other one. So to achieve Hamilton levels of success, you’d need to be able to go bat-to-bat with him on single lap pace, have as deep an understanding of the dynamics, be as in tune with the tyres as he is, be able to attack and defend as well as him, be as in tune with his engineering core as him. How many of the other 19 on the grid could do that? I’m guessing there are no more than three contenders, possibly four.

    But yes, apart from all those requirements, it’s only about the car.

    https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...own-to-his-car
    We all knew that from the beginning, except Brembo!

  21. #1881
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    I read an article recently which states that Ferrari learned at the Barcelona test that they will suffer this season. My question is, why didn't they know before? Surely they knew from before the test that they had a slow engine and a slow car? It would be a real shame if they were just as surprised as we were of the car's lack of pace.
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  22. #1882
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    Quote Originally Posted by ntukza View Post
    I read an article recently which states that Ferrari learned at the Barcelona test that they will suffer this season. My question is, why didn't they know before? Surely they knew from before the test that they had a slow engine and a slow car? It would be a real shame if they were just as surprised as we were of the car's lack of pace.
    I’m pretty sure they kind of knew they’d be doing bad just from the engine alone, they must have known from the Dyno that the engine was pretty low on power compared to the 2019 engine....but their hands were tight up to make any changes due to Covid, lock down...etc

    So in winter testing it was a rude awakening for them....and then with the engine freeze, they were all done like dinner

  23. #1883
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    Quote Originally Posted by stefa View Post
    We all knew that from the beginning, except Brembo!
    How could any driver in that Merc not at least finish with 100 wins and 100 poles?

  24. #1884
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    The competition is rendered virtually a non event .Mercedes and the fia have destroyed f1.They made it want they wanted purley to boost mercedes car sales globally.There is more at play here than you think.This is bigger than f1 this relates to the German car industry and its future direction fi is just the pawn.As a result not much will change next season just mercedes dumping one or two races just to keep it interesting they will manipulate the f1 season as they wish.Really who can stop them.Barring a miricle when it comes to f1it strongly appears nobody can.

  25. #1885
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    The Friday FP1 and FP2 sessions is set to be just for one hour in 2021 as the FIA regs state. No reason given but could be for the carryover/cost saving - back to 1.5 in 2022.
    It's not how start but how you finish.

  26. #1886
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    Schumacher is at Haas to prepare for Ferrari seat - Binotto

    Mick Schumacher has the chance to race for Haas in 2021 because Ferrari believes he has the potential to represent the Scuderia in future, according to team principal Mattia Binotto.


    Haas has signed Schumacher and fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin as its 2021 driver line-up. The German secured the Formula 2 championship shortly after his promotion was confirmed, adding to the European F3 title he claimed two years earlier, and Binotto said that he views the 21-year-old’s Haas deal as a stepping stone toward a future in Maranello.

    “Mick Schumacher will be one of the drivers for Haas next year, which for us is a great opportunity, showing the strength of collaboration we’ve got,” Binotto said. “Mick is part of our FDA (Ferrari Drivers Academy) and the FDA program is not there to develop drivers for F1, but it’s there to develop drivers that one day may drive a Ferrari seat, a red car.


    “When you move from F2 and jump into F1, the very first year cannot be a directly into a red car because that would be too much responsibility and not enough experience. So knowing that we’ve got customer teams or partners on which we may count to continue developing our drivers in F1 is an important element.”

    As part of Schumacher’s development, veteran engineer Jock Clear will work with the rookie as well as the other members of Ferrari’s Driver Academy to try and help them along their learning curves.

    “Jock is a great person, a great professional who has been in Ferrari for many years,” Binotto said. “His role in 2020 was driver coach – an engineer who is supporting the drivers in order to perform in terms of driving to their best; looking at the lines, look at the way they are braking, through the corner, accelerating, managing tires… to make sure that the driver is developing well.

    “We had some chats with Jock in the past weeks. We would like to develop him some more as a driver coach not only for Charles, but looking ahead to the future to all of our young driver line-up that we’ve got in the Ferrari Driver Academy. So next year we’ve got Mick in Haas starting his experience in F1, but we’ve still got young drivers competing in F2 – for example Robert – or Callum Ilott, who will be our test driver next year who still will do the simulator and free practices.

    “So the role of Jock will be to assist all these drivers to develop themselves as drivers and try to exploit the most of their potential.”

    https://racer.com/2020/12/29/schumac...-seat-binotto/
    It's not how start but how you finish.

  27. #1887
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    Quote Originally Posted by jgonzalesm6 View Post
    If you want to skip the whole "meat" of the article, just read the last sentence of the article.

    MPH: How much of Lewis Hamilton's success is down to his car?

    The Mercedes was the dominant factor in this year's F1 championship race, writes Mark Hughes. But that's not to say that any driver could have had Lewis Hamilton's success

    One of the biggest talking points of an F1 season in which Lewis Hamilton broke the all-time career stat records previously held by Michael Schumacher has been just how big a part the driver plays, relative to the car. It’s a greatly misunderstood concept.


    First of all: obviously the car is the dominant factor in deciding who wins a race. There was an average 2.3sec per lap performance spread between the fastest car and the slowest this year (if we assume they were being driven to the same level, but at least 2sec otherwise). This is a fairly typical margin for the last few seasons, actually slightly closer than the last couple. In the same car, how much lap time would there be between the fastest driver and the slowest? We’re into educated guesswork here but let’s say, at maximum, 0.8sec. It’s actually more complex than that, of course, as the answer involves how particular car traits dovetail with particular driving styles and how much could this same car be adapted to the specific skills of each driver. But, in general terms, the car’s contribution to raw performance is something in the order of three times as powerful as the driver’s. Only because the standard of the drivers is so uniformly high.

    But what that close spread between fastest and slowest driver does is put the last tenth-two tenths – of driver contribution – at an extremely high premium. Admittedly, in 2020 for Mercedes it turned out those last couple of tenths of driver input would not be particularly valuable, given that its car was round 0.7sec quicker than the next fastest. But in a more closely-matched season – like the previous three, say – it would be exceptionally valuable as it could often be the differentiator of which of two closely-matched cars won.

    Which then begs the question of how do we know which, if any, drivers have that vital tenth or so of performance beyond the norm? Definitively, we don’t of course. Not in any scientifically provable way. But we see patterns, little snap-shots of genius. We also can talk to engineers who have worked with dozens of top drivers over the years and who are armed with data gleaned from telemetry, tyre loadings etc who know when they have seen something very special and can differentiate it from just ordinary run-of-the-mill F1-level excellence. You can also sometimes see it with your own eyes trackside. There are only a handful of drivers who ever reach this last two-tenths territory (almost certainly less than half of the current grid). There are even fewer who can produce it on demand. Maybe three, possibly four, of the current grid.

    So already, despite the car being three times as powerful as the driver in general terms, in reality because there is such uniform excellence, those very few who can deliver beyond that are disproportionately important in the equation. Because if you took a random driver in one of the slower cars and placed him in a Mercedes that’s 0.7sec quicker than the next-fastest car, he will of course be competitive. But if he is 0.2sec slower than the guy in the other Mercedes, he’s not going to win very often. So of course it’s about the driver, just as it’s also about the car. Then there’s the question of why has that driver got himself into the top car? Why did that top team want him in there? Because they see the patterns too, spend many hours and some very powerful analysis tools judging such things.

    But we’ve discussed only one-lap speed so far. There is also the matter of putting a race together. This is where those not quite so blessed with the freakish one lap speed can use circumstances to bring themselves into contention. The biggest sensitivity in this area is tyre usage – the ability to minimise the energy you are taking from the tyres while still maintaining a competitive pace for a long enough stint to make your strategy work. Daniel Ricciardo is phenomenally good at this – and is close enough to the ultimate in one-lap pace that in combination he is one of the handful that can be the best on any given day. Sergio Perez is similarly good with the tyres but is probably not close enough on ultimate pace to be one of the absolute elite. Valtteri Bottas can occasionally reach super-fast qualifying territory, bit still takes a lot from the rubber. Carlos Sainz has shown signs of being able to put together Ricciardo-like races. Hamilton is a virtuoso at this – and has the searing single lap pace. Max Verstappen has the searing pace and is always on top of the tyres, and though we’ve yet to see any of those ‘miracle’ stints, they are probably within him. Charles Leclerc has the single-lap pace but admits there is still work to do on always getting the tyre part of the equation right. George Russell had been doing some extraordinary things with the Williams in qualifying this year. It is not a Q2 level of car but many times he put it into Q2. And many times the data was suggesting he was doing something beyond the norm. So it was exciting when he got his Mercedes chance in Sakhir. His performance in what was a thermal deg race suggested he was on top of the tyre demands too.

    All this puts yet another layer on the importance of the driver – and why not just anyone could achieve the same level of success as Hamilton in Hamilton’s car. Because Hamilton will be in the other one. So to achieve Hamilton levels of success, you’d need to be able to go bat-to-bat with him on single lap pace, have as deep an understanding of the dynamics, be as in tune with the tyres as he is, be able to attack and defend as well as him, be as in tune with his engineering core as him. How many of the other 19 on the grid could do that? I’m guessing there are no more than three contenders, possibly four.

    But yes, apart from all those requirements, it’s only about the car.

    https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...own-to-his-car
    That last paragraph is a joke. He says that other drivers wouldn't achieve what Hamilton has because Hamilton would be in the other car hounding them. Why would he expect the other driver to have a competitive team mate?

  28. #1888
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silent Bob View Post
    That last paragraph is a joke. He says that other drivers wouldn't achieve what Hamilton has because Hamilton would be in the other car hounding them. Why would he expect the other driver to have a competitive team mate?
    Some of your posts are harder to understand than mine!

  29. #1889
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    It's the holidays. Some are written with only 1 eye open and many empty bottles.

  30. #1890
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silent Bob View Post
    It's the holidays. Some are written with only 1 eye open and many empty bottles.
    Great! I'm not alone !

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