2021 United States Grand Prix - Austin, Oct 22 - 24

[JordanMugen]

The only thing redbull can do after first practice and bottas engine change strategy is respond quickly and change engine to perez car immediately

Bottas changing his ICE again!?

I read somewhere that is only the 4th, and 5th and subsequent are only 5 places. It does give the option to burn through ICEs though.

Oops! That seems like a dumb rule mistake by the FIA. So you can take a new ICE every week beyond the 4th one as long as you are happy to add 5 grid places (and pay for the ICE, if you are a customer team)? What an oversight!

[PlatinumZealot]

Hmm. Well I am surprised to see such a huge gap even if it is early days.

P2/3 will know how real that gap is, if it really is going to be an extreme gap in performance or not.

If its real, then that is really surprising. Whatever they have found aerodynamically, must be a genius solution.


on Bottas' engine – no way are these engines just dropping like flies. They would be changing Hamilton's engine more often if that was the case. They must be investing and testing solutions in the ICE and opening them quickly to test if their solutions are working well. Must be using Valterri as a test bench for this and next years engine solutions.

It begs me to wonder why Honda, Renault aren't taking advantage too like Ferrari and Merc?

[Hoffman900]

The only thing redbull can do after first practice and bottas engine change strategy is respond quickly and change engine to perez car immediately

Bottas changing his ICE again!?

Bottas is now a Merc test driver.

Like I said, they probably gave him that new car (right before his announcement) and sweetened the $$ pot. With that insane schedule next year, they probably are trying to get ahead of the curve on some things.

[rogazilla]

Don't they use old engine/gearbox on Friday? RBR probably just have engine that's too old?

[zibby43]

Yea, the diresta video is just fluff to stir up the fans who don't know any better. The rear squatting down and stalling the diffuser isn't something new. For them to magically be faster than redbull down the straits by 12-15 kph, they would need to be stalling more than the diffuser.

If someone can Photoshop a tinfoil hat on PdR, that would be perfect.

What I see when Paul tries to explain Mercedes tech:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DPqErvDWsAAoMWE.jpg

Also, this seems to be pretty big news for Merc. A buddy of mine found this reply from the past 30 or so minutes:

[zibby43]

are you just straight up being dismissive of everything being said and analysed in the paddock? or did you not see what Paul showed?

What did Paul show that’s not a part of every single F1 car in the paddock this year and in recent history?

Suspension squat from aero load on the straight. It’s becoming more pronounced on the Merc now that they’ve increased the rake.

This “phenomenon” is easily observable on every car in the paddock.

its not an invention, but the point was Mercedes are extracting more from doing it better

can you explain why you think it can't be that? you think its the engine? What Brundle said undermines that idea.

I dunno, the Ferrari looks pretty good at it in Turkey:

[kenshi_blind]

Yea, the diresta video is just fluff to stir up the fans who don't know any better. The rear squatting down and stalling the diffuser isn't something new. For them to magically be faster than redbull down the straits by 12-15 kph, they would need to be stalling more than the diffuser.

If someone can Photoshop a tinfoil hat on PdR, that would be perfect.

What I see when Paul tries to explain Mercedes tech:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DPqErvDWsAAoMWE.jpg

it is moment like this when i wished this board had a like button

[dans79]

What did Paul show that’s not a part of every single F1 car in the paddock this year and in recent history?

Suspension squat from aero load on the straight. It’s becoming more pronounced on the Merc now that they’ve increased the rake.

This “phenomenon” is easily observable on every car in the paddock.

its not an invention, but the point was Mercedes are extracting more from doing it better

can you explain why you think it can't be that? you think its the engine? What Brundle said undermines that idea.

I dunno, the Ferrari looks pretty good at it in Turkey:

https://twitter.com/mickeyymedia/status ... 21827?s=21

lol that tweet, what a petulant little kid he his!

[Hoffman900]

This is a fun read about "tie down" shocks, and how they are used with (sometimes) stacked springs with different rates in circle track:
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/ctrp- ... ng-shocks/

about NASCAR:
https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/icon ... id=3579940

[El Scorchio]

I have pro motorsports photo friends. Clients often want a shot at some point up there (say a race start or even a cool pan) but it’s a commitment because getting up and down eats most of a session.

Most of them also hate photographing COTA. Poor sight lines / framing, need big lenses, and a PITA to get around to shot areas.

Interesting- thanks! Yeah, I think I'd not want to lug my gear all the way up or down there either TBH. Shame the circuit isn't more photo friendly.

I really don't think you should climb a tower where the elevator broke down because the ground is unstable...

Is that the reason? I’ll take a hard pass then.

[Hoffman900]

Interesting- thanks! Yeah, I think I'd not want to lug my gear all the way up or down there either TBH. Shame the circuit isn't more photo friendly.

I really don't think you should climb a tower where the elevator broke down because the ground is unstable...

Is that the reason? I’ll take a hard pass then.

No it's not.

[Gillian]

It seems Mercedes wringing the neck of their engines is too obvious and easy so it must be something else. Complexity bias. And to think not that long ago it was completely normal seeing huge gaps due to engine modes.

[dans79]

It seems Mercedes wringing the neck of their engines is too obvious and easy so it must be something else. Complexity bias. And to think not that long ago it was completely normal seeing huge gaps due to engine modes.

they aren't magically going to gaining an extra 60-100 HP.

[Hoffman900]

It seems Mercedes wringing the neck of their engines is too obvious and easy so it must be something else. Complexity bias. And to think not that long ago it was completely normal seeing huge gaps due to engine modes.

they aren't magically going to gaining an extra 60-100 HP.

I bet if they went to an engine every other weekend they could. Not happening with Lewis, but Bottas has been through a few lately.

We’re talking 6-10% which seems reasonable to dial an engine back when trying to make three last for a season.

[Marty_Y]

Plus it's Friday and Lewis is still using his practice engine as far as I'm aware.

The Mercedes is just performing better imo.