2019 Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, August 2-4

[FrukostScones]

I think LEC will win this .

[Mansell89]

Unless Merc decided to gift RB the plans to their W10 there is no reason to think the RB15 can beat the W10 under normal conditions at this time. People somehow think Austria and Germany were a reflection of a change in structural pace, but it is not. It were two races were team operations, specific car trouble (cooling) and especially driver errors (Bottas crash Germany, Ham crash Germany, Ham breaking his front wing over yellow curbs in Austria) made a big enough impact to overrule the normal running order. Just look at the Merc pace in Silverstone race and Germany FP long runs.

We don’t know Max’ real pace in Silverstone. He was caught behind Leclerc who made very sure Max wasn’t getting passed. RBR seem optimistic. I am very curious. Also what Ferrari can do. They might outqualify them all. Passing on track in Hungary is so very very hard.

yeah, I agree that Spielberg and Hockenheim didn't reflect a change, but in Silverstone (especially in the Qualifying) Red Bull and Ferrari were way closer than what I expected. A couple of races ago, Mercedes would have taken pole by half a second.

I take a similar view- Merc still top the pecking order but both Ferrari and even more so Red Bull have begun to understand and then maximise the potential of their car philosophies.

That said, Hungary really does lend itself to mechanical grip and Merc are kings of that right now.

If RBR and Ferrari get close here then we should acknowledge their progress further.

A good test of development this weekend.

[f1316]

So Toto seemed to indicate the upgrade had done its job at the German GP but it didn't seem that way. Ya think there's a chance they are gonna revert the upgrades for the Hungary GP? I am thinking not. But during qualifying it didn't seem like the car was that bolted to the ground. I mean last year's lap record still stands.

Personally, I think they set the car up for a wet race, and thus compromised their dry & mixed running pace.

That makes sense actually.

Not really. A. The prevailing wisdom is that there’s really no significant benefit these days in changing your set up from the optimum dry level (there is no ‘wet setup’ any more); there’d be no benefit of them dozing something so risky as doing everything they could to get on pole (the forecast was pretty changeable and no guarantee it would rain on race day), particularly as they were fully expecting to be competing with Ferrari B. They qualified significantly ahead of the lead Red Bull - and way ahead of everyone else - you think they did with a compromised setup?

It’s just not logical nor reflected in anything we saw in the car’s handling performance throughout weekend; it may well have worked as expected - and wouldn’t be the first time this year a track just doesn’t suit the W10 as much as the SF90 - and I fully expect Mercedes to be well ahead, particularly on race pace vs Ferrari, this weekend.

[Bill_Kar]

Weather says overcast all three days around 25 degrees , probably some rain just before FP3.

[digitalrurouni]

Personally, I think they set the car up for a wet race, and thus compromised their dry & mixed running pace.

That makes sense actually.

Not really. A. The prevailing wisdom is that there’s really no significant benefit these days in changing your set up from the optimum dry level (there is no ‘wet setup’ any more); there’d be no benefit of them dozing something so risky as doing everything they could to get on pole (the forecast was pretty changeable and no guarantee it would rain on race day), particularly as they were fully expecting to be competing with Ferrari B. They qualified significantly ahead of the lead Red Bull - and way ahead of everyone else - you think they did with a compromised setup?

It’s just not logical nor reflected in anything we saw in the car’s handling performance throughout weekend; it may well have worked as expected - and wouldn’t be the first time this year a track just doesn’t suit the W10 as much as the SF90 - and I fully expect Mercedes to be well ahead, particularly on race pace vs Ferrari, this weekend.

I would have thought aero levels would be tweaked and suspension at the minimum for mixed weather driving.

[dans79]

Personally, I think they set the car up for a wet race, and thus compromised their dry & mixed running pace.

That makes sense actually.

Not really. A. The prevailing wisdom is that there’s really no significant benefit these days in changing your set up from the optimum dry level (there is no ‘wet setup’ any more); there’d be no benefit of them dozing something so risky as doing everything they could to get on pole (the forecast was pretty changeable and no guarantee it would rain on race day), particularly as they were fully expecting to be competing with Ferrari B. They qualified significantly ahead of the lead Red Bull - and way ahead of everyone else - you think they did with a compromised setup?

They still have wet set-ups, they just aren't as dramatically different as they once were. Its no different to when a front of the grid team tweaks the set-up when they know they have to start at the back or from the pit lane. It's not dramatic but it makes a difference!

[izzy]

Shov was saying on F1i they set the cars up with too much oversteer, in those conditions

[bosyber]

Shov was saying on F1i they set the cars up with too much oversteer, in those conditions

Well, in their own Mercedes youtube debrief really, but indeed, that was one of the many mistakes they can say, with hindsight, they made: 'we had a lot to look at today' (ie. Monday)

I wouldn't be surprised to see the package work scarily well the coming weekend, as Mercedes really do seem to learn from mistakes, and sometimes very quickly. But, with Red Bull/Verstappen looking solid, it might still be a good fight. Not sure Ferrari will be up there though, not much straights and high speed corners to get them in the mix.

[digitalrurouni]

Well with 3 barnstorming races I am gonna be optimistic but I suspect probability dictates this will be a boring race. I really hope I am proved wrong though. One thing I can see is Hamilton coming back with a vengeance at this track.

[bosyber]

I guess we still haven't really gotten an actual Hamilton/Verstappen fight for the win, who knows maybe next race then? Or a borefest

[izzy]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the package work scarily well the coming weekend, as Mercedes really do seem to learn from mistakes, and sometimes very quickly. But, with Red Bull/Verstappen looking solid, it might still be a good fight. Not sure Ferrari will be up there though, not much straights and high speed corners to get them in the mix.

Yes Max could be right there this weekend, that car is getting better every race, and yes at the same time Mercedes will be out for revenge on maximum attack! Intense...

[TAG]

Distracted with US Presidential Primary debates, completely forgot there was a race this weekend. Have to focus on the more important things in life, like F1.

[holeindalip]

Distracted with US Presidential Primary debates, completely forgot there was a race this weekend. Have to focus on the more important things in life, like F1.

refreshing to see another fellow member from stateside, Hello from illinois mate!

[Big Tea]

Distracted with US Presidential Primary debates, completely forgot there was a race this weekend. Have to focus on the more important things in life, like F1.

Its not as if its a matter of life or death, its FAR more important than that

[Saxmansaxman]

Several US F1 fans here.

Howdy from sunny SoCal.