2023 São Paulo Grand Prix - Interlagos, Nov 03 - 05

[TFSA]

Verstappen was half a second slower than in Q2 himself, so the track conditions really weren't compareable anymore, I'd say.

...which applies to everybody, maybe except the last few cars in Q3.

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Verstappen was half a second slower than in Q2 himself, so the track conditions really weren't compareable anymore, I'd say.

...which applies to everybody, maybe except the last few cars in Q3.

yes, of course, but it would not have been the case with a regular starting time. That's the "lucky" part I was referring to.

[avantman]

Verstappen was half a second slower than in Q2 himself, so the track conditions really weren't compareable anymore, I'd say.

how much slower than themselves(or their teammates in the same car) were others?

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Sainz, Perez and Piastri are out of new softs for SQ3 tomorrow, btw. Everyone else should still have at least one set.

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Verstappen was half a second slower than in Q2 himself, so the track conditions really weren't compareable anymore, I'd say.

how much slower than themselves(or their teammates in the same car) were others?

my point was just that the conditions were not the same anymore, so I can't really see how it's relevant.

If you're interested in the times, the full results are available here, for example.

https://www.motorsport-total.com/formel ... qualifying

[AR3-GP]

Lando will be on pole for the sprint tomorrow I bet.

[AR3-GP]

Sainz, Perez and Piastri are out of new softs for SQ3 tomorrow, btw. Everyone else should still have at least one set.

Isn't it mandatory to have new softs?

[astralx]

yes, Max is very good and consistent, but what is very important especially in difficult conditions is trust in car and the team...this is why f.e. Leclerc is fast, but not so consistent...

[avantman]

Verstappen was half a second slower than in Q2 himself, so the track conditions really weren't compareable anymore, I'd say.

how much slower than themselves(or their teammates in the same car) were others?

my point was just that the conditions were not the same anymore, so I can't really see how it's relevant.

If you're interested in the times, the full results are available here, for example.

https://www.motorsport-total.com/formel ... qualifying

That's the point people were trying to make above. It was still dry for all of them, conditions were still similar for most of them. Checo Perez was just 0.45s off Max time when he had to lift off because of Piastri. Grip was still there, it is not like the track was 1s slower for the last(Perez was the last on the track by big margin) compared to the first car in Q3(Stroll). But the wind picked up and no one had reference from previous runs, it was all about feel and touch basically. This is where driver and his skills made the difference. In the dry Q2, Red bull, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Mercedes were within 0.1s of each other, Mclaren were 0.14s faster. In Q3 Verstappen open a gap of almost 0.3s on still completely dry circuit to the 2nd best and even more to the others. Was it the car? This is just laughable at this point.
This is why he is 1second faster than anyone on his first lap in Fp1 on most occasions. This is why he is so special on out laps. It's feeling, he just feels and predicts the grip a bit better than the bests of the rest.

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Sainz, Perez and Piastri are out of new softs for SQ3 tomorrow, btw. Everyone else should still have at least one set.

Isn't it mandatory to have new softs?

not anymore, no, they changed that after the first sprint of the season, when someome noticed that it could result in a race for 9th on intermediates . Used softs are okay now, only mediums must still be new.

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That's the point people were trying to make above. It was still dry for all of them, conditions were still similar for most of them. Checo Perez was just 0.45s off Max time when he had to lift off because of Piastri. Grip was still there, it is not like the track was 1s slower for the last(Perez was the last on the track by big margin) compared to the first car in Q3(Stroll). But the wind picked up and no one had reference from previous runs, it was all about feel and touch basically.

yeah, I got that, but I'd still consider it "lucky" for him that the conditions changed to begin with. Not betweet the drivers, but in general. Same as Ferrari needed luck with the track to suddenly go their way in Q3 in Mexico last week.

But sure, when someone is good at almost everything, changing conditions are obviously more likely to play into his hands.

[Cs98]

yes, Max is very good and consistent, but what is very important especially in difficult conditions is trust in car and the team...this is why f.e. Leclerc is fast, but not so consistent...

And what is even more important is having a driver who is really quick to adapt to the changing grip levels. If I had to pick just one skill Verstappen excels at more than anything else it would be that. He's always rapid from the word go, he doesn't need ten laps to find the grip. That's very useful in sessions like we just had.

[Incognito]

Verstappen's recent performances are reminiscent of Hamilton's performances in similar conditions over the previous decade-and-a-half when he dominated in these conditions in a whole range of cars. If I recall correctly, the general consensus at the time was that it was always down to the car? It's unfortunate for Verstappen that his recent dominance happens to coincide perfectly with his car being a second faster than the rest of the field, but it's good that those who were sure it was the car previously have, coincidentally, changed their views to recognise the skills of the driver are what counts in these conditions.

[grubschumi13]

Verstappen's recent performances are reminiscent of Hamilton's performances in similar conditions over the previous decade-and-a-half when he dominated in these conditions in a whole range of cars. If I recall correctly, the general consensus at the time was that it was always down to the car? It's unfortunate for Verstappen that his recent dominance happens to coincide perfectly with his car being a second faster than the rest of the field, but it's good that those who were sure it was the car previously have, coincidentally, changed their views to recognise the skills of the driver are what counts in these conditions.

Hamilton has never performed anywhere near this level.

[astralx]

yes, Max is very good and consistent, but what is very important especially in difficult conditions is trust in car and the team...this is why f.e. Leclerc is fast, but not so consistent...

And what is even more important is having a driver who is really quick to adapt to the changing grip levels. If I had to pick just one skill Verstappen excels at more than anything else it would be that. He's always rapid from the word go, he doesn't need ten laps to find the grip. That's very useful in sessions like we just had.
[/quwithout a car that is working for you, suits you , it can never be like that, is always combination...f.e. Ferrari is very wind sensitive, is changing balance even in stable conditions from corner to corner, unstable tyre temperatures(rear overheating fast-to protect rear Leclerc has to run the car very often to understeary what he doesnt like very much) , the team isnt helping either( you must have maximum free head capacity, without trust in your team not possible.) etc etc....Max is very talented and now the best driver, what i want to say, to be so consistent you need all this and much more...