2020 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, March 12-15

[godlameroso]

RB Honda in Verstappen's hand will be Hamilton's closest competitor.

The key to the lap time will be from turn 11 to the end of the lap. Watch that section.

[TAG]

No overtaking here. I'd imagine a Hamilton Pole with Verstappen in 2nd hounding him all race long would be the best way to start the season and put this whole Ferrari controversy behind us.

[bluechris]

You forget that Ferrari was at 80-90% of it's engine power and even with that it was faster in slow turns so i predict when they will open the engine in qual at least they will get pole.

[Joseph Hudson]

not sure if this is good or not
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2158177

[godlameroso]

It just means the rain will wash the track after it rubbers in during both FP sessions.

[kimetic]

not sure if this is good or not
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2158177

Dry qualy and light rain through the race, sounds perfect to me! What a great start to the season, let's hope it doesn't change.

[Wass85]

Last season was unusually dry, could do with some wet races to make it a bit more exciting.

[zibby43]

No overtaking here. I'd imagine a Hamilton Pole with Verstappen in 2nd hounding him all race long would be the best way to start the season and put this whole Ferrari controversy behind us.

Speaking of no overtaking, I just read an AMuS piece that stated because of the continuity with the rules this year, the cars have substantially more downforce than last year.

The drivers have reported that following in the '20 cars is the worst that it has ever been. On some tracks, cars behind will need a delta of 3-4 seconds (!) to be able to overtake the car in front.

Consequently, I think the '20 season is going to be about qualifying. The cars that can qualify on the front row will streak off into the distance in clean air.

[Sombrero]

It's gonna be difficult to start the saison next Sunday in Melbourne I think.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-07/ ... r/12023438

[RZS10]

Because some random doc tested positive?

[carisi2k]

Only thing is that you might need to bring your own Tissues and Toilet Paper. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-08/ ... s/12037046

[carisi2k]

Aside from that all precautions are being undertaken at major events. The davis cup in Adelaide took precautions and so will the womens T20 cricket world cup in about 6-7 hours time and I'm sure it will be the same at the GP.

[GPR-A]

Speaking of no overtaking, I just read an AMuS piece that stated because of the continuity with the rules this year, the cars have substantially more downforce than last year.

The drivers have reported that following in the '20 cars is the worst that it has ever been. On some tracks, cars behind will need a delta of 3-4 seconds (!) to be able to overtake the car in front.

Consequently, I think the '20 season is going to be about qualifying. The cars that can qualify on the front row will streak off into the distance in clean air.

I don't think it has been so much about increased downforce that creates problem in following. It was more about the following car understeering due to heavy reliance of the front of the car on clean air, which is why the front wings were simplified AND the increased thermal degradation of the tyres while following, both of which creates massive lack of grip while making turns while following. For 2020, the teams had asked for better tyres that are less susceptible for thermal degradation, which PIRELLI has failed to produce. They are planning to increase the tyre pressures for this year, which would most likely negate some of the added downforce.

I would expect the show to be more or less like 2019.

[zibby43]

Speaking of no overtaking, I just read an AMuS piece that stated because of the continuity with the rules this year, the cars have substantially more downforce than last year.

The drivers have reported that following in the '20 cars is the worst that it has ever been. On some tracks, cars behind will need a delta of 3-4 seconds (!) to be able to overtake the car in front.

Consequently, I think the '20 season is going to be about qualifying. The cars that can qualify on the front row will streak off into the distance in clean air.

I don't think it has been so much about increased downforce that creates problem in following. It was more about the following car understeering due to heavy reliance of the front of the car on clean air, which is why the front wings were simplified AND the increased thermal degradation of the tyres while following, both of which creates massive lack of grip while making turns while following. For 2020, the teams had asked for better tyres that are less susceptible for thermal degradation, which PIRELLI has failed to produce. They are planning to increase the tyre pressures for this year, which would most likely negate some of the added downforce.

I would expect the show to be more or less like 2019.

I definitely understand where you're coming from. And I emphatically agree about the need for better tires.

Put another way, the problems are created by the result of how these cars are generating their downforce.

At the distance of 1 car length behind another car, the "following" car is expected to lose about 50% of its total downforce this year. There is so much turbulent wake coming off the sophisticated aerodynamic surfaces of the car ahead (even with the FW changes of last year), that the car behind isn't left with much useful air to work its own complicated aero surfaces.

In other words, the teams have already found ways to claw back the gains erased by the '19 changes.

As Ricciardo points out in the piece, the braking distances have become even shorter with these cars, which is another factor that makes overtaking more difficult. https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... ng-rennen/

[bosyber]

Speaking of no overtaking, I just read an AMuS piece that stated because of the continuity with the rules this year, the cars have substantially more downforce than last year.

The drivers have reported that following in the '20 cars is the worst that it has ever been. On some tracks, cars behind will need a delta of 3-4 seconds (!) to be able to overtake the car in front.

Consequently, I think the '20 season is going to be about qualifying. The cars that can qualify on the front row will streak off into the distance in clean air.

I don't think it has been so much about increased downforce that creates problem in following. It was more about the following car understeering due to heavy reliance of the front of the car on clean air, which is why the front wings were simplified AND the increased thermal degradation of the tyres while following, both of which creates massive lack of grip while making turns while following. For 2020, the teams had asked for better tyres that are less susceptible for thermal degradation, which PIRELLI has failed to produce. They are planning to increase the tyre pressures for this year, which would most likely negate some of the added downforce.

I would expect the show to be more or less like 2019.

I do not quite agree about the Tyres, because it seems to me like the proposed 2020 tyres might have been a bit better at degradation, overheating, but the different construction meant they also bulged more; at the late point they got to testing tehm, the teams felt it was better to stick to the evil they knew, rather than rediscover how the new ones interacted with aero, and had to be used.

I do agree that Pirelli is slow to improve, but the testing restrictions and quick pace of development of the cars do both make their work a lot more difficult.