perhaps it's just me but all i'm seeing is the same suspension in a different angle.Phil wrote: ↑05 Oct 2017, 05:14There's an interesting article over at AMuS regarding changes that Ferrari made to especially Vettels car. Talks about him using a different suspension, while Kimi is using the old one.
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... 94341.html
https://imgr4.auto-motor-und-sport.de/F ... 122779.jpg
Article:
They point out, while Hamilton has taken 93 points from the last 4 GPs, it was actually Ferrari who was quickest/strongest across at least 3 of those 4 races (Spa, Singapore and Malaysia) in which Vettel only scored 45 points. They go on to say that only in Monza, did they have trouble dialing in the car for the track.
Apparently, the upgrades brought Ferrari 3 tenths.They updated the frontwing, diffusor, underbody and deflector. In Malaysia, new barge boards were added. There are also changed to the air-intake system as the [new spec?] engine requires more efficient cooling, achieved by water and oil cooling (charge-cooler?). That's why Ferrari needed to place new cooling piping underneath the engine cover. Better cooling means more power.
The new front suspension can be seen in the picture above, comparing Vettel and Kimis car. It's been first introduced in a test at Hungary but then during the race at Spa. The modifications achieve that when Vettel turns in to a corner, it pulls the car into that corner, as a result of the car tilts into the inner wheel. They achieve this by the construction of the wishbone/triangular control arm and a different angle to the pushrod suspension.
*Note: maybe someone with a more in-depth technical english/german can translate the parts on how exactly they achieve this by the construction seen in the picture and explained in the article.
The challenge and key to performance is to get the car in a steady position at corner exit. This didn't quite work out in Monza. I assume it's quite sensitive to track layout, certain corners and perhaps setup. Anyway, Kimi has problem with it, so he has reverted to the old spec of front suspension and he has been doing quite well regardless. Apparently though, the front suspension is rather complicated in that it requires different wheel mounts, rims and parts of the suspension.
Can you prove this no.1 and no.2 theory? From the evidence of what I have seen Bottas seems to be a number 2 and Mercedes even has the customer teams using back markers as pawns to help Hamilton in the title fight.Phil wrote: ↑08 Oct 2017, 09:14Apparently the spark plugs are a part that are outside of their control. It was run in and previously used...
Quite baffling. I wonder if they caused it by themselves by tampering with it before the race? What a pity.
I also wonder how far the element of fear goes inside Ferrari. I cant help but think that Ferrari puts more pressure on their team, engineers and staff because they see it as a necessity to win again.
There is also a point to be made that unfortunately the last few races have highlighted perfectly how “putting all your eggs in one basket” can bite you back.
If Ferrari had two equally competitive drivers, yes they might take points off of each other, but if reliability strikes one driver, the other may profit and keep the winning dream alive. A bit like at RB this year. Max has been undoubtedly quicker most of the time, but its Dan who has remained in front due to mot suffering as many DNFs and consistent drives.
By having a clear No. 1 and one they have been using as a pawn, now facing a lot of reliability issues means that their second driver Kimi is in no position to battle for the championship. Contrary, if Hamilton suddenly faces 3 races with technical and driver issues, Bottas would be right there in the mix.
That is the stuff of F1 legend, isn't it? The Commendatore firmly believed that fear was essential to get the most out of people, and he certainly ran the Scuderia that way.
- I had a similar thought but it applies more to the past (pre '14 or '09) and no incentive to winnotsofast wrote: ↑08 Oct 2017, 20:38I wonder if those "historical payments" are having a negative influence. As long as Ferrari cars end up in the top 6, the tifosi will keep coming to the tracks wearing red shirt and waving red flags, and that will be enough to convince the rights holders to continue making those payments. Ferrari's survival probably doesn't depend on them winning championships. (Take this with a grain of salt please. I'm not suggesting that the team is slacking off on purpose.)
Thus far they are only hiring and re-estructuring, if it continues it will be a nice change of pace from the people getting axed left, right and center we've been seeing since Todt left.zeph wrote: ↑08 Oct 2017, 10:31That is the stuff of F1 legend, isn't it? The Commendatore firmly believed that fear was essential to get the most out of people, and he certainly ran the Scuderia that way.
Ironically, Ferrari's most successful period was when Todt and Brawn kept Montezemolo at bay and the F1 team could breathe a little more easily and just get on with the job. After they left, Montezemolo reverted back to the time-honored Cult of Fear, and well, the results speak for themselves, methinks.
Now Marchionne thinks he can do the same, brilliant. I'm just sitting here watching Ferrari make history repeat itself, and think about the words of Villeneuve and Alonso.