Andi76 wrote: ↑23 Feb 2024, 00:03
AR3-GP wrote: ↑22 Feb 2024, 23:42
Andi76 wrote: ↑22 Feb 2024, 23:40
As I just said - in the past few seasons, Red Bull and Ferrari have run similar fuel loads. And teams don't normally change this fundamentally from one season to the next. So it's quite obvious that Red Bull and Ferrari are running similar fuel loads as in previous years.
I understand what you are saying, but then when I look at the telemetry and other variables it doesn't really make sense. If Verstappen has the advantage of the night session and similar fuel load then he should be quicker than Sainz in every type of corner. If he's not despite better track conditions, then I don't see why anyone thinks RB is stronger than Ferrari.
Why should Verstappen be better than Sainz in any kind of corner? So the car characteristics no longer play a role if the track is "better"? Sorry if I doubt that very much, because it contradicts practically everything I have ever learned and experienced. Just as it is not clear to me why, if everything is so meaningless and not comparable because nothing is known, everyone can say that Red Bull is stronger than Ferrari...that makes little sense to me now and is quite contradictory.
Because the track has more grip when it is cooler and if they were on the same fuel loads and Ferrari think they are 0.5 second behind RB, then yes Verstappen should be quicker almost everywhere given what we know of their car, what worked well, what they improved over the winter, and the benefit of a cooler and more rubbered in track.
Everything isn't meaningless. Remember that I only said initially that while it is possible to make comparisons, I don't feel that this one is the right one to make. It makes more sense to me to compare Sainz's 32.5 in the morning session to Verstappen's 32.5 in the morning session. In this comparison, both drivers seem to have comparable engine modes based on velocity trace and if what you say is true, they were on relatively similar fuel loads as well.
In this comparison, Ferrari isn't convincingly better in the low speed. Very comparable to RB however.
A lion must kill its prey.