2022 Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir, March 18 - 20

[LM10]

I´ll take this as an opportunity to share the cumulative gap, relative to Red Bull, throughout all of Bahrain´s corners:
Mercedes +0.8s
Alfa Romeo +1s
Alpine +1.1s
Mclaren +1.2s
Ferrari +1.2s
Haas +1.7s
Aston Martin +2.2s
Alpha Tauri +3s
Williams +3.3s

Note that these were calculated from "Driven by Data"´s graphs that were shared on twitter. It also only involves each teams fastest run on each corner segment, so these numbers do not take into account the time each car gains/loses on the straights

Thanks It's like a baseline to start watching tomorrow. Hoping Ferrari aren't really mid table

It’s not even close to being a baseline. It’s just a random ranking. It does not make any sense.
Alpha Tauri surely won’t be 3 seconds adrift it’s sister team, just to name an example.
Also, no one having watched/analyzed the testing will tell you that Ferrari is in the midfield. It’s so obviously wrong that it’s a waste of time to talk about it.

[the EDGE]

Wittich simplifies Bahrain track limits rules in first event as F1 race director

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/17/wit ... -director/

Interesting that nobody has explained how this is to be Policed fairly

Are we now going to find ourselves in the situation withers some get away with it whilst other are sanctioned? & where teams spend 24 between quali & race trying to prove someone crossed a white line in some obscure area of the track with the hope of getting them sent to the back of the grid?

[izzy]

It’s not even close to being a baseline. It’s just a random ranking. It does not make any sense.
Alpha Tauri surely won’t be 3 seconds adrift it’s sister team, just to name an example.
Also, no one having watched/analyzed the testing will tell you that Ferrari is in the midfield. It’s so obviously wrong that it’s a waste of time to talk about it.

Yes you're right, I was beguiled by the numbers as I love data but they don't make sense do they

[djones]

I'm willing to laugh at myself later. But I can't see past a Mercedes one-two.

They have won the last 8 constructors and drivers championships (if we are being honest) and have the most extreme looking car that likely had the most development of any team as they allegedly started so early. They also have the best engine.

Sure they have had problems in testing, but there were a lot of signs this car has incredible pace when it's not bouncing.

RUS
HAM
LEC
SAI
ALO

Is my crazy top 5 prediction.

[AeroDynamic]

I'm willing to laugh at myself later. But I can't see past a Mercedes one-two.

They have won the last 8 constructors and drivers championships (if we are being honest) and have the most extreme looking car that likely had the most development of any team as they allegedly started so early. They also have the best engine.

Sure they have had problems in testing, but there were a lot of signs this car has incredible pace when it's not bouncing.

RUS
HAM
LEC
SAI
ALO

Is my crazy top 5 prediction.

I agree with some of your sentiments, but where is Red Bull?

If Mercedes sort out the bouncing and run the floor aggressively low to the ground, then yeah, I won't be surprised if they qualify Top 3.

[carisi2k]

I'm willing to laugh at myself later. But I can't see past a Mercedes one-two.

They have won the last 8 constructors and drivers championships (if we are being honest) and have the most extreme looking car that likely had the most development of any team as they allegedly started so early. They also have the best engine.

Sure they have had problems in testing, but there were a lot of signs this car has incredible pace when it's not bouncing.

RUS
HAM
LEC
SAI
ALO

Is my crazy top 5 prediction.

Maybe if Red Bull weren't racing you might be right. Mercedes will still have to survive the protests to their new wing structure which is clearly illegal. The crash structure is supposed to be part of the side pod and on that Merc that is clearly an aero part and not a side pod. If the FIA don't make a clear rule on this then we truly know whose pockets the FIA are in.

Also you have clearly not been watching how badly the new merc has looked on the track. While lap times don't mean anything there is still something you can tell by how the car looks on the track. Sure Mercedes could turn up and solve all their issues and be on the front row with Lewis but this is not as much a guarantee as previous seasons. The cost cap means they aren't able to just solve issues within a week like they used to.

[carisi2k]

I´ll take this as an opportunity to share the cumulative gap, relative to Red Bull, throughout all of Bahrain´s corners:
Mercedes +0.8s
Alfa Romeo +1s
Alpine +1.1s
Mclaren +1.2s
Ferrari +1.2s
Haas +1.7s
Aston Martin +2.2s
Alpha Tauri +3s
Williams +3.3s

Note that these were calculated from "Driven by Data"´s graphs that were shared on twitter. It also only involves each teams fastest run on each corner segment, so these numbers do not take into account the time each car gains/loses on the straights

Edit: not sure about this data now

Agreed. Someone has definitely been taking something funky. It isn't even remotely close to reality or take in fuel loads, tyres and power unit tune.

The real order from testing on adjusted times is more likely this.This may not be the case in the race because of the lack of running for some teams and Mercedes could possibly pull a monkey out of the hat and be with the top 2.

1. Red Bull
2. Ferrari equal or 0.2 slower
3. Mercedes at about 0.5 - 0.8 slower. (Could be faster although the car didn't look that good. The car with a full sidepod at Barcelona looked faster)
4. Mclaren (only because of the brake issues but is roughly the same as Mercedes and maybe a touch faster if reliable)
5. Alpha Tauri +0.9
=6. Haas +1 - +1.2 (those fast laps were done in cooler conditions and probably on lower fuel)
=6. Aston Martin +1 - +1.2
8. Alpine +1.3 (looks like a dog in slow corners)
9. Alfa Romeo +1.4 (reliability hurt and could be level with number 6)
10. Williams +1.5 (mainly due to lack of running and it could be faster although not quite sure by how much)

[holeindalip]

I'm willing to laugh at myself later. But I can't see past a Mercedes one-two.

They have won the last 8 constructors and drivers championships (if we are being honest) and have the most extreme looking car that likely had the most development of any team as they allegedly started so early. They also have the best engine.

Sure they have had problems in testing, but there were a lot of signs this car has incredible pace when it's not bouncing.

RUS
HAM
LEC
SAI
ALO

Is my crazy top 5 prediction.

Maybe if Red Bull weren't racing you might be right. Mercedes will still have to survive the protests to their new wing structure which is clearly illegal. The crash structure is supposed to be part of the side pod and on that Merc that is clearly an aero part and not a side pod. If the FIA don't make a clear rule on this then we truly know whose pockets the FIA are in.

Also you have clearly not been watching how badly the new merc has looked on the track. While lap times don't mean anything there is still something you can tell by how the car looks on the track. Sure Mercedes could turn up and solve all their issues and be on the front row with Lewis but this is not as much a guarantee as previous seasons. The cost cap means they aren't able to just solve issues within a week like they used to.

Show me in the rules the sips have to be part of the side pod, all they have to be is covered in cf….

[chrisc90]

Im a little confused on the white line too.... Is it going to be any part of the wheel outside the white line (same as if the ball crossed the goal line in football)

Is it going to be the inner most wheels crossing the line? meaning the car can be fully across the line, providing the wheel doesnt cross it.

[carisi2k]

Show me in the rules the sips have to be part of the side pod, all they have to be is covered in cf….

Show me in the rules where it says a wing is allowed in this area? Wings, winglets and bargeboards were all banned as part of the new rules. It needs to be banned immediately if the FIA have accidentally left this loophole open.

[carisi2k]

Im a little confused on the white line too.... Is it going to be any part of the wheel outside the white line (same as if the ball crossed the goal line in football)

Is it going to be the inner most wheels crossing the line? meaning the car can be fully across the line, providing the wheel doesnt cross it.

I think that it means that the car must have a part still within the white line that marks the track.

[nevill3]

Wittich simplifies Bahrain track limits rules in first event as F1 race director

https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/17/wit ... -director/

Interesting that nobody has explained how this is to be Policed fairly

Are we now going to find ourselves in the situation withers some get away with it whilst other are sanctioned? & where teams spend 24 between quali & race trying to prove someone crossed a white line in some obscure area of the track with the hope of getting them sent to the back of the grid?

I hope this simplification lasts all season, I presume the usual warnings will be given for persistently driving off track with penalties applied during the race, and lap times deleted during qualifying etc.

I have always disagreed with drivers being allowed to drive off track at certain corners and not others, the only excuses should be either avoiding a collision or driver error ( snap oversteer or locked brakes etc.)

[TimW]

Show me in the rules the sips have to be part of the side pod, all they have to be is covered in cf….

Show me in the rules where it says a wing is allowed in this area? Wings, winglets and bargeboards were all banned as part of the new rules. It needs to be banned immediately if the FIA have accidentally left this loophole open.

Well a loophole is a loophole. If it is there, it's legal.
What surprises me a bit it that they did not close it. As I understand they kept a close look into the designs of all the cars, so they could intervene if something came up that they did not want. I think that means that they don't see it as a big performance differentiator.

[PlatinumZealot]

Basically back to normal with the white lines. If you go off, you better have a good reason for doing it, and you better not gain an advantage either. These sitauations were not really the source of contention though, it was the situations in which drivers were allowed to go off track in certain corners in certain sessions.

[izzy]

Agreed. Someone has definitely been taking something funky. It isn't even remotely close to reality or take in fuel loads, tyres and power unit tune.

The real order from testing on adjusted times is more likely this.This may not be the case in the race because of the lack of running for some teams and Mercedes could possibly pull a monkey out of the hat and be with the top 2.

1. Red Bull
2. Ferrari equal or 0.2 slower
3. Mercedes at about 0.5 - 0.8 slower. (Could be faster although the car didn't look that good. The car with a full sidepod at Barcelona looked faster)
4. Mclaren (only because of the brake issues but is roughly the same as Mercedes and maybe a touch faster if reliable)
5. Alpha Tauri +0.9
=6. Haas +1 - +1.2 (those fast laps were done in cooler conditions and probably on lower fuel)
=6. Aston Martin +1 - +1.2
8. Alpine +1.3 (looks like a dog in slow corners)
9. Alfa Romeo +1.4 (reliability hurt and could be level with number 6)
10. Williams +1.5 (mainly due to lack of running and it could be faster although not quite sure by how much)

Yes this is more like it isn't it. Tho now for this weekend my mind is open, with all the updates coming especially Mercedes, and setup being huge probably, harder tyres, and twilight temperatures - which turned Haas into a rocketship with the denser air so this on its own might switch porpoising on or off for example, change the balance, let them close louvres and who knows what. Engines all turned up finally...