2018 Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir, April 6-8

[lawnmower]

engine modes comparison
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c6 ... b5b5a8.png

Ferrari is the same size (or bigger considering number of bolts) as Mercedes just captured from distance

Mercedes looks like this

[Saxmansaxman]

Ferrari is painted potmetal ... Mercedes is inconel and Ti.

[Just_a_fan]

Isn't the reason those Bridgestone michelin days seemed better the fact that refuelling during the races was allowed? Then you can have tires that last forever and drivers can push. It opens up different strategies...

I sat through those races. They were dull and the only passing was in the pits. Refuelling didn't make the races better, it was a sticking plaster to try to add excitement to the races.

F1 has been largely dull, with the occasional bit of racing thrown in, for years.

[Unc1eM0nty]

F1 has been largely dull, with the occasional bit of racing thrown in, for years.

Lets face it, there's a lot to fix, Ross Brawn has his work cut out.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Isn't the reason those Bridgestone michelin days seemed better the fact that refuelling during the races was allowed? Then you can have tires that last forever and drivers can push. It opens up different strategies...

F1 has been largely dull, with the occasional bit of racing thrown in, for years.

It has always been like that since 80s. When was the last time, we saw 4 cars on track at the sharp end of the grid without re-fuelling, trying to overtake on track and how many times, if at all?

- We need, cheaper engines (f***k these hybrids). Which a** h*** asks that the F1 be pinnacle of technology, technology that can be transferred to road cars, at the cost of show? Instead of a team paying in excess of 20 millions for a few engines, an engine should cost less than a couple of millions and use 8 to 10 engines per season.
- Durable tyres, without any thermal wear.
- Less aero. Two element front wings without any rubbish, complex decorations (read vanes and all that s***).
- Less of wind tunnel and CFD.

I think Liberty Media and especially Ross Brawn, instead of trying to find balance between Top manufacturers and the racing show, should take a leap of faith and revolutionize the engine and aero regulations for 2021, if that means losing some teams, so be it. Sorry for going off topic.

[ME4ME]

It has always been like that since 80s. When was the last time, we saw 4 cars on track at the sharp end of the grid without re-fuelling, trying to overtake on track and how many times, if at all?
[/quote]

Probably 2013 before the summer break. Rosberg & Hamilton in a quick but tire-eating Mercedes. Vettel and Webber. Alonso. Kimi and Grosjean.

[PlatinumZealot]

I think Liberty Media and especially Ross Brawn, instead of trying to find balance between Top manufacturers and the racing show, should take a leap of faith and revolutionize the engine and aero regulations for 2021, if that means losing some teams, so be it. Sorry for going off topic.

Fight techbology with technology. Cut all forms of fuel savings. Fuel is free. Refueling is free. Aero is free. Engines are free.

The cars would be so fast that ie wouldn't make any difference who has more money - it would come dwont to whose drivers have the heart, and the balls! to survive 8g corners.

[Saxmansaxman]

I have to agree with LESS AERO. Simple wings only, both ends.
Smaller cars would solve the track problems (too narrow, single racing line).

Saves a lot of $$, solves the passing problem (maybe).

I kind of like 1L formula, almost unlimited engines. 400kg cars.

[Just_a_fan]

Of course, the real question is: WTF does any of this have to do with the 2018 Bahrain GP?

[godlameroso]

It'll be a dry weekend.

[Gaz.]

The bad taste of Melbourne is still in my mouth. Such a shambles by Mercedes. Bahrain was a track that suited the Ferrari last year. Fortunately for Mercedes, the car characteristics seem to have flipped: Ferrari are fast on the straights and Merc are fast in the corners.

There's probably a few scores to settle up and down the grid, in fact apart from Vettel and Alonso I'm not entirely sure many teams or drivers left Melbourne happy or as happy as they could have been.

Merc- Bottas stacked it on Saturday, Hamilton will again regret deferring to the pitwall's stop watch on Sunday.
Ferrari- Kimi would be right to ponder WTF to himself when he was nailed on for 2nd.
RBR- Ricciardo hit with a grid penalty but considering he started 8th he did really well, without the penalty finishing on the podium was surely on the cards? Verstappen's car looked evil on Sunday.
Mclaren- must be terrified to click their heels three times.
Renault- they must surely want to be beat Mclaren this weekend after losing out under the VSC.
Force India- inexplicably slow, they've always out performed their budget, even in the V8 era.
Sauber- to be fair they must be pretty happy they weren't last.
Williams - their form is dire, you expect Sauber to back here but not Williams.
Torro Rosso - after a fantastic winter test they had a dismal opener, they must be burning to correct this.
Haas, you've gotta feel for the pit crew, car seems ace though so they should get some redemption in the desert.

[techman]

this race is more accurate representation of which team is doing well and which team is not.

[dren]

Sounds like you guys want this:

[dren]

As for the race, Hamilton should snag pole and the win. I'm hoping for a better Haas performance.

[f1316]

I think it’ll be very interesting to see if Ferrari really is that good on the straights vs the Mercedes (as Lewis is talking up) - as a result of a combination between good PU and overall low drag concept - or whether it was wing level due fuel consumption. I think this race should tell us.

As was pointed out in the Ferrari car thread, the front wing angle looked smaller than the Mercedes in Melbourne, but not really the rear (in fact in some shots I think it could be argued that they had more rear wing angle and hence drag). As was also discussed there, it seems like this could be more a function of trying to balance the car, which is so far lacking for rear downforce, perhaps because they’re yet to get their new (RB-style) diffuser concept working as they would like.

So it’ll be interesting to see if they’re still fastest on the straights in Bahrain despite Mercedes also trimming their wings, which I’m sure they will do.