2022 Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir, March 18 - 20

[Airshifter]

Will qualifying be a bit of a mess if as predicted teams 5-8/9/10 will be quite close in pace? Has there been any update to the issue with jostling for position before the second runs? Surely getting the last lap in will be a significant advantage if there is less than a tenth between certain cars or teammates

Great point on the final runs. I'm not really sure there is any easy way to fix it and keep it fair though, so we might see that mess more and more if the cars are as tight in times as many of us hope they are.

[zibby43]

1. VER
2. LEC
3. PER
4. SAI
5. NOR
6. ALO
7. HAM
8. OCO
9. RUS
10. RIC

[JonoNic]

Question: Will teammate slipstreaming play a role in qualifying this weekend? If it does play a role then a team would want teammates that are more or less the same pace. Right?

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[Stu]

Question: Will teammate slipstreaming play a role in qualifying this weekend? If it does play a role then a team would want teammates that are more or less the same pace. Right?

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Not if the new aero regs are working !!

[Wouter]

Question: Will teammate slipstreaming play a role in qualifying this weekend? If it does play a role then a team would want teammates that are more or less the same pace. Right?

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I don't remeber the other driver who said the same. This is what Russell said:

“I think the following has been improved but the slipstream effect has been reduced quite substantially,” Russell said.

“You obviously need that delta in the straights to overtake because you can only overtake at the end of a straight and into a corner.

“We can follow closer but from what we have seen, the slipstream effect is definitely less effective. We will have to wait and see.

“I got right up behind Lando, I was a car-length or two behind him and didn’t catch the straight, so that was slightly concerning so let’s see.”

[Just_a_fan]

Question: Will teammate slipstreaming play a role in qualifying this weekend? If it does play a role then a team would want teammates that are more or less the same pace. Right?

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I don't remeber the other driver who said the same. This is what Russell said:

“I think the following has been improved but the slipstream effect has been reduced quite substantially,” Russell said.

“You obviously need that delta in the straights to overtake because you can only overtake at the end of a straight and into a corner.

“We can follow closer but from what we have seen, the slipstream effect is definitely less effective. We will have to wait and see.

“I got right up behind Lando, I was a car-length or two behind him and didn’t catch the straight, so that was slightly concerning so let’s see.”

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

[mwillems]

Question: Will teammate slipstreaming play a role in qualifying this weekend? If it does play a role then a team would want teammates that are more or less the same pace. Right?

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I don't remeber the other driver who said the same. This is what Russell said:

“I think the following has been improved but the slipstream effect has been reduced quite substantially,” Russell said.

“You obviously need that delta in the straights to overtake because you can only overtake at the end of a straight and into a corner.

“We can follow closer but from what we have seen, the slipstream effect is definitely less effective. We will have to wait and see.

“I got right up behind Lando, I was a car-length or two behind him and didn’t catch the straight, so that was slightly concerning so let’s see.”

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

On the other hand, tyre deg from following is also going to be reduced so those that couldn't get close because their tyres would be ruined will now not have that issue.

[Chuckjr]

Question: Will teammate slipstreaming play a role in qualifying this weekend? If it does play a role then a team would want teammates that are more or less the same pace. Right?

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I don't remeber the other driver who said the same. This is what Russell said:

“I think the following has been improved but the slipstream effect has been reduced quite substantially,” Russell said.

“You obviously need that delta in the straights to overtake because you can only overtake at the end of a straight and into a corner.

“We can follow closer but from what we have seen, the slipstream effect is definitely less effective. We will have to wait and see.

“I got right up behind Lando, I was a car-length or two behind him and didn’t catch the straight, so that was slightly concerning so let’s see.”

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

Isn’t that the truth!

[mclaren111]

I don't remeber the other driver who said the same. This is what Russell said:

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

Isn’t that the truth!

Just change the DRS zones...

[Just_a_fan]

I don't remeber the other driver who said the same. This is what Russell said:

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

On the other hand, tyre deg from following is also going to be reduced so those that couldn't get close because their tyres would be ruined will now not have that issue.

Maybe. But if the drivers are struggling to be able to pass for want of a tow on the straights, I fear we will see some desperate lunges in to corners as drivers resort to dive bombing to make a pass.

It will be interesting, if that does occur, to see which drivers are able to pull off such moves successfully and also which drivers are ham-fisted in their defence of such moves. I foresee a lot of contact if this does come to pass.

[Just_a_fan]

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

Isn’t that the truth!

Just change the DRS zones...

The issue will still exist once cars get in to DRS trains, just as it did before.

[mwillems]

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

On the other hand, tyre deg from following is also going to be reduced so those that couldn't get close because their tyres would be ruined will now not have that issue.

Maybe. But if the drivers are struggling to be able to pass for want of a tow on the straights, I fear we will see some desperate lunges in to corners as drivers resort to dive bombing to make a pass.

It will be interesting, if that does occur, to see which drivers are able to pull off such moves successfully and also which drivers are ham-fisted in their defence of such moves. I foresee a lot of contact if this does come to pass.

Yes, it may well be that simply the dynamic of the overtakes change, but even if it is more "natural" and more can happen around corners then it's an improvement.

What I'm expecting to see with this new aero regs is a noticeable difference in traction on corner exit and I think this will bring about closer racing on the straights, at least to start. Factors that will make a big difference are how the cars are able to treat their front tyres.

I don't think the fastest cars will necessarily be the best cars right now, although that doesn't mean they won't be. Those that can maintain good tyre wear and be consistent in their handling can do very well simply by maintaining a decent pace and also staying on track(!). The Merc is fast enough to be a front runner, but one spin off from what seems to be a twitchy car right now can change it all and a solid midfielder could pounce. We haven't seen these drivers racing the cars under pressure at full race pace in race conditions, I'm expecting a lot of excitement!

[kalinka]

I expect more dive-bombing accidents and penalties, as it's very easy to lockup the fronts with these cars.

[Stu]

It would be ironic if all the effort to come up with these regs ended up with cars that can't overtake on the straights.

On the other hand, tyre deg from following is also going to be reduced so those that couldn't get close because their tyres would be ruined will now not have that issue.

Maybe. But if the drivers are struggling to be able to pass for want of a tow on the straights, I fear we will see some desperate lunges in to corners as drivers resort to dive bombing to make a pass.

It will be interesting, if that does occur, to see which drivers are able to pull off such moves successfully and also which drivers are ham-fisted in their defence of such moves. I foresee a lot of contact if this does come to pass.

Is that what overtakes were before DRS?

What it will give the drivers is the option to hang back and then carry more speed through a corner onto the straight. DRS may not be required & neither is a desperate lunge. DRS has probably created more desperate lunges than any other technology on the previous generation of cars (because the skill of the overtake has been diminished).

[Jolle]

On the other hand, tyre deg from following is also going to be reduced so those that couldn't get close because their tyres would be ruined will now not have that issue.

Maybe. But if the drivers are struggling to be able to pass for want of a tow on the straights, I fear we will see some desperate lunges in to corners as drivers resort to dive bombing to make a pass.

It will be interesting, if that does occur, to see which drivers are able to pull off such moves successfully and also which drivers are ham-fisted in their defence of such moves. I foresee a lot of contact if this does come to pass.

Is that what overtakes were before DRS?

What it will give the drivers is the option to hang back and then carry more speed through a corner onto the straight. DRS may not be required & neither is a desperate lunge. DRS has probably created more desperate lunges than any other technology on the previous generation of cars (because the skill of the overtake has been diminished).

Before DRS, for 1 ½ decade, overtaking was mainly done at the refuelling pitstops. Before that, cars were much less reliant on clean air for their downforce plus the cars had a lot more speed difference between them.