With the lack of progress at Renault and the opposite at Honda no shock, except the fact it is announced now and not next race in Dieters backgarden at the Austrian GP.
All pray for LeMans winner Fernando and McLaren that Renault find some extra performance over winter ;)
All pray for LeMans winner Fernando and McLaren that Renault find some extra performance over winter ;)
In between the WC footie there is time for the first race of the Triple-header, yes 3 races in the upcoming weeks. After a few years of absence we are returning to France, Le Castellet, for the FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2018.
Track used is Paul Ricard, tow longer straights, one broken up by a chicane and a more Spain like twisty section in between those two. What once was empty, desert like has been turn in to a colourful parking lot like track, mostly used for all kind of (official FIA) testing due to its sprinkler installation (wet track). Lay-out should be slightly in favour of the years Ferrari, but we are using the newer, thinner threaded "Barcelona", compounds again and Ferrari Struggled on those, so do not rule out Mercdes. The amount and length of the straights look to long for RBR to make up in corners, but maybe higher temps will help them.
Talk of the weekend will of course, for those that missed it, be the Red Bull Honda deal for 2019/20 be. If successful, or at least a little better than the Renault deal turned out, we could finally have some engine parity next season, or at least close enough. Cannot see Honda turn full mediocre again, but maybe Renault finally does deliver and RBR are going to regret it, doubt that.
And return to France means home race for a large part of the grid and we 3 of them fighting for Le Honeur. Ocon, if Force India continue there improved shape, should do well. Gasly if that improved Honda engine boost is working, might get close, but feel Toro Rosso does lack a little downforce. And Grosjean, big update by Haas should put him 1st of the three, but is just hasn't been his season, or better streak (11/12 races without points), so maybe the turn around starts here.
And Fernando after his Le Mans success steps down to the reality that is McLarens pace. Interviews coming out this week do suggest to me that Fernando, if he cannot find another team, is more or less done with driving in the midfield and it could well be his last France GP.
And because we are in France and here we do it things differently, FP1 starts an hour later than in the other European races,, as in 15 min from now.
Usual FP1 and than add a bit of new track to it, with few cars spinning. Merc slightly ahead of the RBR and Friday Ferrari pace.
Look tire compounds, only 8th race of the season, now just old/new needed ;)
Speedtraps, that new Merc engine....................probably testing it a bit more aggressively.
And Ericsson still managed to find a tire barrier to hit
Look tire compounds, only 8th race of the season, now just old/new needed ;)
Speedtraps, that new Merc engine....................probably testing it a bit more aggressively.
And Ericsson still managed to find a tire barrier to hit
By Spengo Go To PostThat's gonna be a hefty fine for Force India for sure.if not rightly attached yes, could try the "it broke"defence
Mercedes just before Ferrari in long run, RBR really off. They loose it in the final sector, the twisty part, so guess they got it wrong today and hopefully improve their balance overnight.
Midfield....................close ;)
Temps will drop during the weekend, so maybe that will throw in some changes.
Started raining in the first lap and hardly anyone got a lap, so session meaningless. Could rain tomorrow as well, so that would make this weekend more exiting.
They really should bring one wet tire set more to the tracks, cars would have gone out.
They really should bring one wet tire set more to the tracks, cars would have gone out.
Charles LeClerc, Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! , did it again P10 few hundreds, but that's all you need, Hulk biggest name out of top 10.
Mercedes and RBR start race op SuperSofts, Ferrari on the US.
Just when you think he has found his form, Grosjean parks it in the barrier :(
Looks like A mercedes pole, but Vettel found some pace in the final sector to maybe challenge them.
Looks like A mercedes pole, but Vettel found some pace in the final sector to maybe challenge them.
Merc double pole, Lewis with another P1, Vettel maximises with 3rd, but with his teammate messing up Q3 it both RBRs on the SS behind him.
Sainz p7 but amazing by non Frenchman ;) Charles on P8, Magnussen en Grosjean should have been on P7/8 :(, Haas not maximising their pace/points this season.
sign him up Maurizio please and kick Kimi out, he's done
full Q session:
Sainz p7 but amazing by non Frenchman ;) Charles on P8, Magnussen en Grosjean should have been on P7/8 :(, Haas not maximising their pace/points this season.
sign him up Maurizio please and kick Kimi out, he's done
full Q session:
F2 cars are shit this season and someone wasn't happy about it :p , never ever heard anything like this before : amazing:
Expect a Mercedes stroll in the park today, unless Vettel can do something on his US. Rain looks to fall after the race, lets hope wind picks up and brings it in a little sooner.
Lewis WC :p
start, Vettel error no spatial awareness at all, when he has to make discussions quickly, not 1st time :(
at least race willbe more interresting ;)
vettel
Bottas
replay
start, Vettel error no spatial awareness at all, when he has to make discussions quickly, not 1st time :(
at least race willbe more interresting ;)
vettel
Bottas
replay
By Spengo Go To Post5 seconds issa yoke … a yokeif you are Grosjean it would have been S&G ;)
Pace difference between top cars and Midfield is just to big, makes Vettel/Bottas to easy :(
By markao Go To Postif you are Grosjean it would have been S&G ;)ok 5 seconds, lap 32 for 1st lap incident, #FRENCHGP
Pace difference between top cars and Midfield is just to big, makes Vettel/Bottas to easy :(
Kimi with that Leclerc pressure actually passing a car on track : Hallelujah:
poor Carlos, loosing power with few 4 laps to go.
And Lance off, tire gone .....run off to the rescue.
poor Carlos, loosing power with few 4 laps to go.
And Lance off, tire gone .....run off to the rescue.
He absolutely destroyed that tyre over the stint. Have you seen the number of flat spots on it? And it understandably blew up through the fastest corner with a lot of stress on left front.
Well done Ham and Max.
Better race than everyone was anticipating in my opinion, a lot due to the madness at the start.
Well done Ham and Max.
Better race than everyone was anticipating in my opinion, a lot due to the madness at the start.
Lewis dominant after start chaos, Max max and Kimi profits from DannyRic prob? And yes, Stroll was indeed bit by bit destroying that tire by over driving the car.
Kevin best of the rest and Leclerc another point!
Full results and back to footy ;)
Kevin best of the rest and Leclerc another point!
Full results and back to footy ;)
Round 9 of the championship and part two of the triple header and we went from a parking-lot in France to the beautiful scenery of the Austrian Alps for the FORMULA 1 EYETIME GROSSER PREIS VON ÖSTERREICH 2018 in Speilberg.
Track is shortest of the calender and its mainly 3 long straights, followed by a medium speed twisty section. But due to the long straights bit more tricky, as the teams are running medium downforce packages. Talking part will be the yellow "baguette" curbs, because running wide in few corners will probably lead to front wing/floor damage. (as FP1 already showed us Gasly/Stoffel/DannyRic) Car to beat, between Mercedes and Ferrari, slightly tilting towards Mercedes for me. Expect the RBR, even though they added 3rd DRS section (less drag for weaker engines), to loose to much time on the straights to make up for in the twisty section, but sort lap and one error is extremely costly.
Not much happened since last race, most surprising is the updates we saw on the Mercedes and Toro Rosso, new front wing end plate design is different from all others. Mercedes is bit strange as they have been doing their own thing and now for the 1st time see three changes that come from other cars, Ferrari floor bit/McLaren rear wing end-plate and RBR mirror-sidepot design.
And were few races ago everyone was asking which team DannyRic would pick, it now looks more and more that his only options are with team slower than the Red Bull, so I would guess he stays for few more years at RBR.
FP1 results
all according plan ;) and FP2 in 15 minutes
Stoffel curbs
Max 360
FP1 fom highlights:
Weird session as in drivers not or hardly improving on the US tires and RBR destroying their US tires on the long run, something they were good on earlier in the year. Long run pace Merc just ahead of Vettel, Max 0.5/0.6 behind that and DannyRic another few tenths behind Max. So RBR need to find a better balance or hope better weather rest of the weekend bringing the track to them.
midfield Haas looks just ahead of rest, but close as always.
Gasly on yellow kerbs brakes front suspension:
Weird session as in drivers not or hardly improving on the US tires and RBR destroying their US tires on the long run, something they were good on earlier in the year. Long run pace Merc just ahead of Vettel, Max 0.5/0.6 behind that and DannyRic another few tenths behind Max. So RBR need to find a better balance or hope better weather rest of the weekend bringing the track to them.
midfield Haas looks just ahead of rest, but close as always.
Gasly on yellow kerbs brakes front suspension:
FP3:
Close between Fer/Merc, middle sector Ferrari territory, high speed corners last sector Mercs....close !
RBR cannot find any pace and electrical problem for Max did not help, DannyRic even further of pace.
Haas/ Renault mega close but others not more than 2 tenths behind, so probably clean track, no traffic or error is going to determine the grid in the midfield.
Some action from session
Stoffel with another front wing gone
Toro Rosso running out of wings to ;)
Max prob:
Close between Fer/Merc, middle sector Ferrari territory, high speed corners last sector Mercs....close !
RBR cannot find any pace and electrical problem for Max did not help, DannyRic even further of pace.
Haas/ Renault mega close but others not more than 2 tenths behind, so probably clean track, no traffic or error is going to determine the grid in the midfield.
Some action from session
Stoffel with another front wing gone
Toro Rosso running out of wings to ;)
Max prob:
Leclerc yellow means all cars behind him on track cannot improve and means Stroll is lucky for once and through to Q2. Perez and Hartley most disappointing, Haas got pace :wow: