2018 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, 22 -25 March

[ENGINE TUNER]

So I'm betting this is going to be Lewis's theme song this year!

https://youtu.be/L53gjP-TtGE

And then...

https://youtu.be/YK4ThkJKqMo

[strad]

Yes and we can just admire them for doing that even if it is wearisome.

.
Reminds me a part in Ross Brawn's book where during the time Ferrari was winning race after race.
A fan wrote him a letter saying Ross had ruined this guys Sundays because he sits in front of the TV and they win every race. He said he was disappointed if they lose but he knew they were going to win. How years ago if Ferrari won he would be out on the town celebrating with his friends but now it was normal.

[Restomaniac]

Side by side from ESPN here.

http://www.espn.co.uk/video/clip?id=22896872

OMG after the first corner you just know it's over.

Yeah, the car is better under braking, into a corner and accelerating out of the corner. Massive gap. Ferrari does have the top end, seems much more efficient there.

Look at the minimap at the end. Check out the 3rd DRS zone. That is the only place where there is a turn included in a DRS zone and guess what Mercedes smashes it. That for me proves the Ferrari speed advantage is down to a tiny rear wing in comparison to a Mercedes as the slight bend would make a driver more twitchy and not as keen to go full beans with an opened tiny rear wing.


Now let us look forward to a circuit where Mercedes doesn't need to bolt on a huge wing? Then let us look forward to where Ferrari HAVE to? None of those situations look good for Ferrari.

As somebody else said does Ferrari now have the same Diva that Mercedes have knocked into submission from 12 months ago.

[tinvek]

Indeed.
Mercedes obviously use a Mercedes powerplant and have just smashed the field. Now if it was just about the powerplant then why do Williams currently quite frankly suck?

Because they have been given of the very same software for the ECU but they didn't bother reading the man pages.

Probably

ore like williams either lost the manual or kubica has taken it home to read

[bonjon1979]

Marko said :

They have their special qualifying mode for the engine and they win three or four tenths when they turn it on.

"Even in race trim they have 30hp more, with better fuel consumption and they start with 15kg less fuel. That’s about three tenths per lap

Summary: Mercedes have done a brilliant job.

Exactly, it would be like saying during Red Bull dominat years ‘they carry 30kph through the Apex and brake fifty yards later’. I also don’t buy it. If the pu gave that much of an advantage surely Williams would be able to get out of q1 on the back of this magic engine alone!

[NathanOlder]

I feel the limit should be 0,1 liter, the actual usage of Renault and the customer Mercedes teams. You cannot be against that, right? Mercedes Burns no oil according to you,

I'm pretty sure they all burn oil, and I'd expect them to be at the limit, if they are not at the limit, they need to figure out a way to get there if its so beneficial. I'm sure Mercedes burn oil, I never said they didnt.

And as the rules allow 600ml of oil to be used, then its not cheating by doing so, and its not Mercedes fault if the others dont get as much from it as they do. What you are suggesting is something like this example,

FIA impose a 1000bhp limit, only Mercedes are at the limit and the others only make 950bhp, you are saying that Mercedes are almost cheating because they are doing the limit, and the limit should be dropped to help others who couldn't get to the previous limit.

As for last years engine change, many people including myself believe Mercedes when they said the new engine was at the reduced limit (900ml was it?) and not the 1200ml previous.

[Sieper]

ok, we are on the same page then (mostly). I disagree with the example though. It was never the intention to allow to burn oil, oil is there to lubricate the parts, not as a fuel or a carrier of additives. The rules do state that. It is smart to implement it in that way (and likely no easy feat at all) but it was never intended as such. Now, as engines can function perfectly fine with the actual usage of 0,1 liter, why continue to allow for higher limits? Yes its Been reduced to 1,2, then 0,9, now 0,6 but clearly that is still enough to assist in At least the whole Q3 and who knows how much is still left for critical’s moments in the race.

Oil is not meant as fuel as per the rulebook so why continue to allow for Some usage in that way? I think politics come in to play for that decision. Mercedes is the biggest stakeholder in F1, they spent the most of all and that brings Some political might. so that is why likely the 0,6 liter allowance is still there.

[dans79]

Now, as engines can function perfectly fine with the actual usage of 0,1 liter, why continue to allow for higher limits? Yes its Been reduced to 1,2, then 0,9, now 0,6 but clearly that is still enough to assist in At least the whole Q3 and who knows how much is still left for critical’s moments in the race.

Where did you come up with 0.1? These aren't road car motors you know!

At the end of 7 race weekends I'll bet you they will be burning through way more than 0.1, and it won't be for the sake of additives.

[Phil]

Now, as engines can function perfectly fine with the actual usage of 0,1 liter, why continue to allow for higher limits? Yes its Been reduced to 1,2, then 0,9, now 0,6 but clearly that is still enough to assist in At least the whole Q3 and who knows how much is still left for critical’s moments in the race.

Where did you come up with 0.1? These aren't road car motors you know!

At the end of 7 race weekends I'll bet you they will be burning through way more than 0.1, and it won't be for the sake of additives.

According to AMuS (quote by Helmut Marko), that is what the Renault engine uses.

It was never the intention to allow to burn oil, oil is there to lubricate the parts, not as a fuel or a carrier of additives.

This is no better or different than the EBD, the f-duct, FRIC and especially the flexi wings (feat RedBull) and other ingenuities F1 comes up with.

[dans79]

]
Where did you come up with 0.1? These aren't road car motors you know!

At the end of 7 race weekends I'll bet you they will be burning through way more than 0.1, and it won't be for the sake of additives.

According to AMuS (quote by Helmut Marko), that is what the Renault engine uses.

So a very questionable figure at best!

[Sieper]

0,1 liter per 100 km, that is about 0,3 liter for a race distance. Streetcar engines are no reference, agreed. That is what Renault uses up and apparently even the Mercedes customer teams, this data was posted last year. When the limit was reduced to 0.9 the actual usage was 0,89 liter in that chart. To me that shows it has no reference to real oil usage but can be strictly controlled (If there is truth to these numbers;which I do believe).

Listen I am for the one top three teams with the biggest power deficit, (RBR) so offcourse I would like the playfield leveled a bit more (how much it is I don’t know) but it is the actual rule book oil is not meant as fuel and the merc engine seems capable (If the Numbers posted are correct) of meeting the next to zero oil burn If that were now to be the enforced rule.

And If it were enforced to 0,1 and merc would still be party moding in Q3 at least that would shut my whining up for good! A good thing for all parties involved so Lets hope 0,1 will get enforced at Some point.

[Restomaniac]

0,1 liter per 100 km, that is about 0,3 liter for a race distance. Streetcar engines are no reference, agreed. That is what Renault uses up and apparently even the Mercedes customer teams, this data was posted last year. When the limit was reduced to 0.9 the actual usage was 0,89 liter in that chart. To me that shows it has no reference to real oil usage but can be strictly controlled (If there is truth to these numbers;which I do believe).

Listen I am for the one top three teams with the biggest power deficit, (RBR) so offcourse I would like the playfield leveled a bit more (how much it is I don’t know) but it is the actual rule book oil is not meant as fuel and the merc engine seems capable (If the Numbers posted are correct) of meeting the next to zero oil burn If that were now to be the enforced rule.

And If it were enforced to 0,1 and merc would still be party moding in Q3 at least that would shut my whining up for good! A good thing for all parties involved so Lets hope 0,1 will get enforced at Some point.

Were you moaning when RedBull found a clever way to dominate?

[Phil]

So a very questionable figure at best!

If you are willing to doubt that as a legitimate source, we might as well disregard anything we read on the internet, by anyone. That would include various quotes by Toto as well.

Perhaps there is a little selective belief at play here, but if you have been following the McLaren-Honda topic last year, you will note reports by people trackside reporting and also confirming that all Mercedes powered cars have a very distinctive smell of burnt oil to them. I see no reason why that above quote of 0.1l for Renault engine should not be true.

Renault has the weakest PU, confirmed by various teams. Check.

Mercedes and Ferrari have both been highlighted to be investing into burning additives in the oil as reported throughout last season. Check.

Again, why should the above figure not be plausible? Because you think so?

[FightingHellPhish]

The side by side comparison is interesting. Hamilton made so much time in a few corners, particularly in the first sector. Kimi was catching on the straights. But that Mercedes was on rails through the corners. No magic buttons help with that, just spot on aero and a driver who has a total feel for and trust in the car.

You think they use that extra power only to go faster in a straight line? No. They use it to work the aero more aggressively.

[NathanOlder]

This is no better or different than the EBD, the f-duct, FRIC and especially the flexi wings (feat RedBull) and other ingenuities F1 comes up with.

Exactly Phil, so its more than likely just sour grapes.

The Marko effect goes a loooooong way