2024 Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail, Nov 29 - Dec 01

[venkyhere]

Temperatures have been the biggest differentiating factor this year with Mercedes looking like only working in low temps! This graph looks interesting…Qatar is going to be low temp too!

This chart would have been more meaningful, had it been based not on 'winner', and rather on 'average laptime, without crash/mechanical damage/rain'.

[Farnborough]

I thought interesting too, but then with same observation.

Notable that three of the MB wins are with foundation in MV failure (Silverstone Q, Austria crash, Belgium engine penalty) and with Miami McL success derived from SC handling that skews the temperature dependent theory by using "win" as defined achievement.

It can't, in reality, tell us much.

[Farnborough]

I do feel that MB has a good chance here though, if they don't cock~up their setup.

It looks to me like lifting the chassis a little in Las Vegas (speculation in protecting floor thickness) and everyone having to use raised tire pressure, pushed it into range of this chassis for them.

[Chuckjr]

I really liked the mandated 3 stops. It forced all drivers to push 100% the whole race last year. I really hope they bring in some races where 3 stops are mandated 2025 or 26. It’s such a great test for the drivers and we get to see 100% push racing the whole time. I really want races that push drivers to their limit constantly. I want races where pacing only leads to losing places. I want quali pace every lap. I want more mistakes from drivers from sheer mental and physical exhaustion. I want drivers collapsing on the podium like the old days. Hopefully it would lead to more power unit and gearbox failures and thus some additional randomness, chance, and unpredictability to both championships. I don’t know why the FIA haven’t clued into this very simple idea.

[dia6olo]

I heard a lot of people saying that Ferrari will struggle in Qatar. Why is that?

General perception is that Ferrari's strength is slow speed rotation and traction, plus straights. The Qatar track doesn't have many of those. Lots of long radius corners, where 'driver skill' will make it's presence felt. In fact, apart from T6 (slow hairpin), all of them are long radius corners, medium speed and high speed. Sector3 has all of the high speed corners (T12-T16) and Sector1 and Sector2 have all of the medium speed corners (T1 to T10, except T6). McLaren will be mega in Sectors 1 and 2 and Redbull (if they get the car right) has an advantage in Sector 3.

It's a proper 'drivers track' like Brazil, Suzuka etc, very flowing. No jerks.

Am I missing something?
Car strength and weaknesses aside, to me a driver's skill makes its presence felt in the slow corners, were a chunk of time can be gained/lost.
I don't really see the driver skill in the long radios corners, that's surely mostly down to the car...