[ 2020 ] Racing Point F1 Team - Mercedes

[Big Tea]

IF, and it is not likley, but possible, IF RP finish the season infront of Mercedes, does anyone think they will protest them? If anyone knows where the bodies are berried,its Merc

lets be real, thats has 2 chances of happening, bob chance.. and no chance

And covid chance

[McG]

Big Tea you seem like a nice guy but lay off the hard liquor and switch to the healthy alternative beer for a while.

[Big Tea]

Big Tea you seem like a nice guy but lay off the hard liquor and switch to the healthy alternative beer for a while.

If Hamilton, or some of the essential crew come down with covid at the wrong time it can easily lead to 3 missed races.
If the whole drivers 'bubble" gets 3 weeks off even with out anyone actually getting it there could be 111 points up the swannie

And I am too young to drink. (NOT)

[godlameroso]

It looks like in the really high speed corners the pink mercedes is very fast, in fact even has the edge on the W11. The W11 is faster in slower and mid speed corners, the pink panther has less drag and also has a little bit better high speed downforce. Last year's RB15 was faster than the Mercedes in the slow corners, but slower in the mid and high speed. This year's W11 has sacrificed some of their high speed downforce for less drag, but increased mid and low speed downforce. Because the RP has less downforce, by nature it also has less drag, and so is as fast as Mercedes in the really high speed corners as it sacrifices less high speed downforce due to having less of it to begin with. We end up with a slight crossover.

I wonder how this will pan out on circuits with lots of high speed turns like Spa for instance, Silverstone is another circuit with a lot of high speed corners. If I had to guess, Mercedes would be up in 3 parts of the circuit, but RP could potentially be ahead in maybe 2 or 3 parts.

[adrianjordan]

Merc will have more budget to develop a circuit specific aero package though, so things might not be so straightforward.

[Manoah2u]

It looks like in the really high speed corners the pink mercedes is very fast, in fact even has the edge on the W11. The W11 is faster in slower and mid speed corners, the pink panther has less drag and also has a little bit better high speed downforce. Last year's RB15 was faster than the Mercedes in the slow corners, but slower in the mid and high speed. This year's W11 has sacrificed some of their high speed downforce for less drag, but increased mid and low speed downforce. Because the RP has less downforce, by nature it also has less drag, and so is as fast as Mercedes in the really high speed corners as it sacrifices less high speed downforce due to having less of it to begin with. We end up with a slight crossover.

I wonder how this will pan out on circuits with lots of high speed turns like Spa for instance, Silverstone is another circuit with a lot of high speed corners. If I had to guess, Mercedes would be up in 3 parts of the circuit, but RP could potentially be ahead in maybe 2 or 3 parts.

I wonder how the Pink Merc would do with DAS and a top-tier driver against the black Mercs.

That said, there are some things to take into account though. I personally believe that a benefit that racing point has is that their engineers have been shown to be outstanding and excellent in doing great things with a small budget. I would thus argue that they can get a whole lot from this very potent design due to their creativity, flexibility and abilities. Perhaps even in that area, they are better than the Mercedes engineers (especially looking into 'efficiency'). As such, perhaps they would even be able to 'exhalt' MORE from the W11 than the team itself does, who knows. Again, imagine the pinks having a top-tier driver (Hamilton/Vettel/Verstappen/Alonso).

The thing is though, i do believe that the pink merc does not have the same margin for development/improvement as the W11 has. This would mean that despite certainty that the pink car would evolve throughout 2020 positively, the rate of development and room for development for the W11 will be a fair bit greater. Especially taking into account that the pink merc only was meant to last 1 season and then we get the new rules.
Instead, the pinks must do two seasons with the same vehicle.

That said, it's not guaranteed we won't see the pinks essentially get a W11 for 2021 though.

I believe that the pink W10 is fairly at the 'top' of it's development ability already, where the W11 is at the 'start' of it's development capacity, i think the difference in dominance betwen race 1 and race 3 is clear on that.
Meaning, by the end of 2020, the W11 has developed to be greatly improved and faster than the race 1 W11,
whereas the pinkW10 will be more or less the same at the end of 2020 as it was at the start of 2020.

I wonder however whether the 'development margin' of the W11 is enough to last through 2021 too.
After all, all teams were expecting to bring a new car by 2021, not 2022.

If Mercedes is going to pen down a similarly 'different' W12 to the W11, like the W11 is to the W10,
then I think it's very possible that racing point will see a pink W11 in 2021.

However, if the W11 has enough development margin to 'safely' use a W11-B if you may for 2021,
then i think racing point is going to have to stick to the pink W10 for 2021.

Which i THINK will mean that their relative competitiveness for 2020 will be greatly less in 2021.

It all depends on how MUCH Aston Martin is willing to invest both financially and 'in name' to be a top 3 team from the get-go.

My gut tells me they do. After all, they're in a top-3 team right now with RedBull. So they're already carrying that 'name'. So i actually expect them to start throwing money and means into the team, so in the end, i'm really expecting a pink (or whatever livery AM is gonna have in 2021) W11 in 2021.

[McG]

Very funny guys, very funny.

[Raleigh]

Mercedes will still be running the W11 in 2021, the rules allow a W11B of sorts but everyone has to use the same basic chassis. I'd be interested to see if Racing Point can update their car to include the suspension and sidepod changes from the W10 to W11, would probably say the W11 suspension is possible but the sidepods would require moving the crash structure mounting points so unlikely.

Notwithstanding changes from the W10 to W11 the RP20 still shares much of the aero philosphy with the W11 so borrowing further inspiration from Mercedes remains very possible.

Also worth mentioning, not every team came up with a blank sheet design for 2020. Renault for example look like they decided to refine the RS.19 and concentrate on 2021, out of the 2019 Merc and the 2019 Renault I know which car I'd rather have for 2020 and 2021.

[NAPI10]

Looking at RP form; this is going to hurt lot of teams -
https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/5483 ... ntroversy/

[Raleigh]

Looking at RP form; this is going to hurt lot of teams -
https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/5483 ... ntroversy/

I just saw that article, with only 2 development tokens allowed for 2021 this is a big advantage for Racing Point.

Mercedes for example can spend their 2 tokens turning the W11 into a W11B. However Racing Point can take the W11 suspension/gearbox for free and then spend their 2 points on rearranging their side-crash structure and sidepod layout to mimic the W11, effectively upgrading their W10-alike car into a full W11-alike.

Essentially Racing Point may well get a full year upgrade where key rivals are only getting a B spec car, and some less (McLaren for example needs their 2 tokens for the Mercedes engine change).

[bill shoe]

Prediction for Renault protest of RP's copy of Merc-10:

The Stewards will essentially (explicitly or otherwise) conclude that RP does not have the exclusive right to run those brake ducts in 2020. However, due to practical considerations (much hand waving by the stewards here) it is unfair to penalize them for that because brake ducts only became listed parts this year, and you can't unlearn things, etc., etc., etc. So the stewards will basically say RP is copying illegally, but the FIA has made rules that are unenforceable so no penalty.

[Racer X]

That sounds like the FIA when it comes to Ferrari/Merc/Redbull the top 3.... Will this essentially make RP a top 3 team?

RedBull/Merc/RP??

[trinidefender]

I'm hoping that the additional backers, Aston Martin included, force Lance Stroll to be the one to lose his seat should Seb get a contract. It would honestly be madness if Perez loses his seat before stroll does.

[bill shoe]

Rumors are that Vettel has been offered a contract by RP starting next year, and further details of the offered contract are unknown. RP has given Vettel a deadline of July 31 to sign the contract, because they can't legally end Perez's contract after July 31. Yes, it's obviously crazy that Perez is on the chopping block rather than Stroll.

Seems like straight-forward situation for Vettel. But... maybe Vettel is waiting to see the outcome of the Renault protest against RP. If RP lose then they will become a much less attractive proposition to a driver like Vettel. So I figure any flurry of driver contract announcements will only come after the FIA stewards announce the result of the protest against RP.

[selvam_e2002]

I think Vettel waiting on RB seat. Else he could signed the contract no need to wait for last momement.

or

he has other plan to retire or sit out for an year and come back in 2022.