2023 United States Grand Prix - COTA, Oct 20 - 22

[Cs98]

AMUS did report Russell was running a different set-up with higher rear ride height.

[basti313]

Merc BONED Lewis. Race strategy sodomy. Lewis should hire a proctologist.

Dunno if this is so black and white:
Without any tire offset the middle stint would have been much slower. The undercut by RB was also that strong, that it was borderline to cover it and there were ATs all around. I think, this is the point that is missed, Ham would have ended behind Tsunoda...
In the end the question is if it would have made any sence to run the rest of the race with simial old or older tires than Lando....and giving in contrast RedBull the chance to extend the middle stint.

[Wouter]

Lando likes to fight hard against Hamilton only.

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Yeah I have seen this many times and how he talks about Hamilton he's made digs at him. Also doesn't look in Hamilton's direction if they're in the podium room. Strikes me as the guy that shows loyalty to a friend(Verstappen) by attacking said friends enemy. Just an observation not trying to stir --- on the forum honestly. I like all three drivers btw

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Complete nonsence.

[Xyz22]

AMUS did report Russell was running a different set-up with higher rear ride height.

How convenient

[napoleon1981]

Assuming the failure rate is accross the field is 50% is a bold extrapolation. Running the car too low gives a performance advantage, leading to high finishing pkaces, so measuring the front runners is incredibly effective at picking up the cheaters.

[AMG.Tzan]

I'm laughing at people writing "Russell was slower because he was running a legal car"

Imagine thinking that two teams decide to run their car illegally just to finish 2nd and 6th in a championship long finished! Setup has nothing to do with skid block wear! Skid blocks get worn out because of kerbs, bumps or going off track somewhere! Just like Schumacher at Spa 1994 after he spun! It was pure setup preference since Hamilton has been saying for a while that he wants to feel the rear end more!

After 2 Qualifying sessions and 2 races at a track so bumpy as COTA it was inevitable that some skid blocks might have been worn out! Had the FIA checked all the field I'm sure over half of the field would have been DSQed! Maybe Verstapen for example got away with it by going off the racing line down the straight in the last few laps, which looked strange to me but maybe it now makes sense! No one would want to get DSQed for such a reason...they just got unlucky!

[chrisc90]

Setup has everything to do though.

If you deck the car and run it on the skid blocks constantly, Is the the bumpy track, kerbs or track excursion to blame or the fact that the team decked the car to run on the skid blocks?

[Cassius]

I'm laughing at people writing "Russell was slower because he was running a legal car"

Imagine thinking that two teams decide to run their car illegally just to finish 2nd and 6th in a championship long finished! Setup has nothing to do with skid block wear! Skid blocks get worn out because of kerbs, bumps or going off track somewhere! Just like Schumacher at Spa 1994 after he spun! It was pure setup preference since Hamilton has been saying for a while that he wants to feel the rear end more!

After 2 Qualifying sessions and 2 races at a track so bumpy as COTA it was inevitable that some skid blocks might have been worn out! Had the FIA checked all the field I'm sure over half of the field would have been DSQed! Maybe Verstapen for example got away with it by going off the racing line down the straight in the last few laps, which looked strange to me but maybe it now makes sense! No one would want to get DSQed for such a reason...they just got unlucky!

You say it is inevitable, I say it is a mistake. And Mercedes themselves agree it was an error, admitting it was a result of limited track time with the sprint format. Although I don't buy this excuse. Merc opted to do a sprint race run in fp1 (mid fuel), while RB ran with a full tank.

[Tiny73]

If I were a shrewd and strategic man I’d suggest that teams don’t seem to be too upset about the DSQ but might be very keen to use this example to highlight the BS parc fermé rules that allow no set up changes after 1 hour of qualifying?

[search]

Setup has everything to do though.

indeed, but COTA is one of Hamilton's best tracks on the calendar, where he has only been beaten by a team mate once in 11 starts. So it's also fair to assume that his advantage over Russell wasn't purely down to the illegal car either.

[basti313]

If I were a shrewd and strategic man I’d suggest that teams don’t seem to be too upset about the DSQ but might be very keen to use this example to highlight the BS parc fermé rules that allow no set up changes after 1 hour of qualifying?

No, I think this is rather an interesting topic in terms of Sprint...and legality in the Sprint:
The field will get closer and closer in the future. In case someone usually in the lower top 10 could opt for a one hit wonder in the Sprint by running the car just lower and aim for a win in the Sprint. Then correct for Sunday with a pitlane start.

I guess we will see many pit lane starts in the future, it was also a good strategy for AM.

[Juzh]

On a different note, here we have Ocon yet again doing Ocon things. Getting involved in "racing incidents" where he is the primary instigator.
He is completely oblivious to Piastri on his outside. Only looking in his right hand mirror, crash coming to him completely by surprise. This guy is a slightly faster Grosjean, and thats all he is. Dude's taken out 5 cars in 2 races, more than even Perez managed in Japan and Singapore?

[ali623]

On a different note, here we have Ocon yet again doing Ocon things. Getting involved in "racing incidents" where he is the primary instigator.
He is completely oblivious to Piastri on his outside. Only looking in his right hand mirror, crash coming to him completely by surprise. This guy is a slightly faster Grosjean, and thats all he is. Dude's taken out 5 cars in 2 races, more than even Perez managed in Japan and Singapore?

I don't see what Ocon is meant to do there? You're always going to wash out wide, it's a racing incident.

Haven't seen Piastri's onboard so not sure how big of a risk he took.

[grubschumi13]

AMUS did report Russell was running a different set-up with higher rear ride height.

Interesting. Russell does not go public and give use it as an excuse. Had it been Ham with the higher rear height we would have heard it all weekend.

"Hey man, i'm gonna be a sitting duck man"

[Juzh]

On a different note, here we have Ocon yet again doing Ocon things. Getting involved in "racing incidents" where he is the primary instigator.
He is completely oblivious to Piastri on his outside. Only looking in his right hand mirror, crash coming to him completely by surprise. This guy is a slightly faster Grosjean, and thats all he is. Dude's taken out 5 cars in 2 races, more than even Perez managed in Japan and Singapore?

I don't see what Ocon is meant to do there? You're always going to wash out wide, it's a racing incident.

Haven't seen Piastri's onboard so not sure how big of a risk he took.

Throttle works both ways. From piastri's view there is no risk, ocon is just slow over the bumps which allows piastri to get slightly ahead very early and he's ahead for a good 2-3 seconds before the crash, which ocon was perfectly able to avoid, had he not been solely fixated on beating gasly out of turn one. Another Ocon habit, nothing else matters except beating his teammate, thats why he doesnt even entertain the possibility of someone coming from the outside, its completely out of his mental capacity in that moment.