Formula 1 - 2021 Season

This was a pretty good explanation of different driving styles by Peter Windsor (if I got the link right), and the sort of thing I’d like to hear in commentary with side-by-side video:

 

the very detailed and specific tyre temperature stuff was pretty insightful dont you think?

 

Yeah, he's commentary on Saturday during qualifying was top notch. The other commentators were there to just be annoying as usual.

 

Joe Saward’s post-race travelogues are always an enjoyable motoring history lesson of the places he drives past between races. His latest Green Notebook had some Ocon-Gasly history and, as usual, some interesting historical addenda from his audience in the comments.

Just to clarify the tire temp Rosberg nugget we’re all talking about, he mentioned the two aspects of tire performance over a hot lap: carcass and surface temps (IIRC, it was surface temps, not defects like graining/blistering). He said the tire carcass ideally starts at 150°C and loses 30° over the course of a lap. I can’t remember if he said the reason a tire typically falls off at the end of a lap is because the core temp drops too low or if the surface gets too hot or is otherwise affected. It’s neat to know what drivers like Lewis and Max aim for when they line up on the grid with their front brakes smoking (Lewis in Baku) or even on fire (Max more recently), to stay close to the ideal 150° while they wait for the rest of the field to amble into place.

 

yeah joe is the OG
he's not afraid to ruffle some feathers

 

Continuation of Windsor’s driver technique analysis:

Good stuff that I’d love to be able to visualize with static camera shots to easily see different lines through a corner. Pity that F1 cameras love zooming and swooping.

 

Nice bit of automotive history here with an interview of Gian Dallara and his integral contributions to the Lambo Miura:


Tangentially F1 related in that Dallara builds Haas’ chassis.

 

Suzuka cancelled.

Peter Windsor’s latest video driving along some of the old Spa led me to this video of Spa-Francorchamps in 1958, when it was a lot longer and driven on public roads. Incredible. I may have to get GP Legends working again….

The Race posted a good video illustrating the current McLaren’s traits (eventually—start at 5:00) and why Ricciardo is having trouble with it. The comments section isn’t too keen on Windsor’s driving style analysis. Even if Windsor’s opinions aren’t spot on, they seem to be good starting points.

 

Holy smokes. No-context qually: Ver P1, Rus P2, Ham P3. Norris may have been in contention but he wiped out going up Eau Rouge in the wet beginning of Q3. Thankfully it was a glancing blow that sent him spinning across an empty track, coming to a stop in the extended (not F1) pit lane exit at the top of the hill.

 

Your description was right but made Noris accident sound like he just lightly glanced barrier and spun. Car is write off, that's how heavy it was.
He was definitely looking good to be right up there.

 

I didn’t mean to undersell it, but I also didn’t want to evoke any similarities to much worse, recent Eau Rouge crashes. It certainly looked violent, taking all four corners off, but hopefully that meant the force of the impact was dissipated over the relatively long time it took his car to stop spinning and come to rest. He got out of the car pretty quickly but favoring an arm and you could see him walk away from the medical car with a slight limp, but the latest I heard was that his elbow x-ray (or whatever) was negative and he’d be ready to race tomorrow.

Max’s impact at Silverstone may have taken place at roughly the same speed, but IIRC he basically speared into the tire barrier and stayed there. Lando “glanced” off the barrier and spun away, going all the way across the road and a ways up the hill.

 

I might sound too old school for some, but this new baby F1 is ridiculous! Bit of rain and best drivers in the world can't drive? Only one Max has balls to say let's go!
At this rate I will soon abandon watching this joke of a racing series ... it's getting softer and more protective every year and I for one don't like it.

 

No-context results: P1 Ver, P2 Rus, P3 Ham, P4 Ric, P5 Vet. Maz fastest lap.

One clue: Sainz gets half a point.

Spoiler

Total washout. Perez crashed out at T5/6 on formation lap. Mazepin out of top ten, so no points for fastest lap (~3:18). Masi regime still confusing with continual, minor blips (race clock didn’t start at rollout, Perez initially ruled out of race because he required assistance to get back to the pits but the race technically hadn’t started so the assistance rule didn’t apply). but later clarified that he could start). They did a few laps under safety car, and two laps give half points (75% of race laps required for full points). Unrelenting rain meant they couldn’t get any running in within the three hour race limit. I guess they couldn’t postpone it to tomorrow because once they start the race, the three hour limit kicks in. Apparently first F1 race in history without any racing.

* Forgot about Danny. In my defense, I couldn’t see him in the spray.

 

Max didn't have the spray at the front that everyone else had so he could see.
Aquaplaning was also a real (likely) possibily.

 

Did you see what happened with the W series quali yesterday with full visibility (admittedly on slicks, I think)? There have been enough fatal accidents at Spa in recent memory. The race would have been great with so many people out of position, so calling it off is hugely disappointing, but they ultimately made the right call once they officially started the three hour race timer and were stuck with finishing it today.

 

This is ridiculous. Just like Brundle said, he drove in worse conditions as did everyone else back when F1 was still racing. This kindergarten merry-go-round is a joke.
Safety is pathetic excuse for it, if the drivers can't fit their speed to fit conditions they're not drivers at all.

 

The cars are too fast for such conditions and too expensive.

 

My car is too fast and expensive for the road conditions I deal with all winter, I still manage to get where I am going without piling into things.

Just because it can go 330 on the straight it doesn't mean you have to.

They would have to cancel every rally race if they put f1 in charge.

 

No they're not. The drivers might try to drive them too fast for the conditions, but that's just their stupidity if they do. Also bring back the monsoon tires.

 

I've seen W series and still think they should let them race, especially after all the teams could make all the changes to the cars they wanted to, including change of front and rear wings to make setups more wet friendly.

Why do they even bother making full wet tyres when they are not allowed to use them in conditions they meant for?

I have 800hp+ daily car and I drive it in proper rain, snow and hail conditions. It's my dearest thing I own and I still use it in bad conditions as I know its limits. So the best drivers should know their machines and adjust to weather and track conditions. There were no rivers on the track, that I would call a good reason to stop the race, not constant rain and wet surface.

Anyway, I hope the fans who wasted all day today at the race track get their money back. Teams will get paid as they did 2 laps behind safety car, drivers will get paid for job well done, but fans should get refunds for today or free entry next year.

Safety is important, but should not be taken to extremes, otherwise we get to a point where you won't be allowed to go out as meteorite can strike you or lightning...