LookingGlass wrote: ↑24 Jul 2023, 23:59
I do believe the tyre change isn't helping and likely wasn't favorable to Aston but before then it was obvious they were not progressing at the same rate as other teams, namely McLaren.
Seeing how RB struggled to dial in the new upgrades over the weekend before figuring it out on raceday, I've been musing over other possibilities, mostly leading back to the outsourcing due to the new factory/facilities transition. I don't believe the engineers forgot how to do their job, they simply can't implement upgrades as effectively as it is taking longer and costing more not able to keep it in house.
It looks the same to me in regard to change in tyre construction. The teams that were very good with tyre life in races AM, RB, now appear to have moved into a situation that gives difficulty in getting the tyre going for qualifying.
They can't change anything of significance between qualifying and race start, subject to Parc Fermè rules. But it shows the decision making RB say they take, set the cars up for the race pace, tyre life etc. Then accept it as that which is definitely a compromise for qualifying and the need to get the tyre hot very quickly.
Other teams appeared to do the opposite, set up for qualifying glory and then suffer in the race with tyres and ultimately pace.
The AM doesn't look substantially different in pace throughout qualifying to the lead RB than it has all year. Other teans have jumped into that gap that now gives them track position and race strategy advantage. How to now contain that is the problem AM face.