You compromise always your qualy pace if you focus on race pace but its easier to do when you have an agressive PU map like Mercedes has. Ferrari needs to achieve a similar map if they really want to beat Mercedes.dans79 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:50 amI think the quali gap will remain the same, but I think Merc might pull ahead in race trim pace. Over the last 2 days they have done 240 laps worth of running in what is arguably the hottest most abrasive conditions they will face all season. From what I have seen/read it looks like they focused almost exclusively on trying to improve long run pace and tire degradation, while not compromising short and single lap pace.
But Ferrari beat them 66.667% of the time sofar this season without a similar "map"Vasconia wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 6:46 amYou compromise always your qualy pace if you focus on race pace but its easier to do when you have an agressive PU map like Mercedes has. Ferrari needs to achieve a similar map if they really want to beat Mercedes.dans79 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:50 am
I think the quali gap will remain the same, but I think Merc might pull ahead in race trim pace. Over the last 2 days they have done 240 laps worth of running in what is arguably the hottest most abrasive conditions they will face all season. From what I have seen/read it looks like they focused almost exclusively on trying to improve long run pace and tire degradation, while not compromising short and single lap pace.
I know, but if they start every single race in the first row its only a matter of time that Mercedes will begin to win races, if Hamilton leads the pack it will be very hard to beat him unless Ferrari has clearly a better race pace.Chene_Mostert wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:46 am
But Ferrari beat them 66.667% of the time sofar this season without a similar "map"
And they ran the most laps in preseason testing and what good did that do them?dans79 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:50 amI think the quali gap will remain the same, but I think Merc might pull ahead in race trim pace. Over the last 2 days they have done 240 laps worth of running in what is arguably the hottest most abrasive conditions they will face all season. From what I have seen/read it looks like they focused almost exclusively on trying to improve long run pace and tire degradation, while not compromising short and single lap pace.
Like in AustraliaVasconia wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:51 amI know, but if they start every single race in the first row its only a matter of time that Mercedes will begin to win races, if Hamilton leads the pack it will be very hard to beat him unless Ferrari has clearly a better race pace.Chene_Mostert wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:46 am
But Ferrari beat them 66.667% of the time sofar this season without a similar "map"
It has brought them arguably the quickest car in qualifying and a car that is arguably as quick as the Ferrari in race trim. If the problems Hamilton alluded to that they had during pre-season testing (e.g. genuinely feeling that Ferrari were quicker at that point), the large amount of data they did gather meant that they were able to solve some of the problems, know where to focus resources, make the right choices and show up in Melbourne with a very competitive car.giantfan10 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:41 pmAnd they ran the most laps in preseason testing and what good did that do them? Some of you are really grasping at straws to convince everybody else how great mercedes is in 2016.dans79 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:50 amI think the quali gap will remain the same, but I think Merc might pull ahead in race trim pace. Over the last 2 days they have done 240 laps worth of running in what is arguably the hottest most abrasive conditions they will face all season. From what I have seen/read it looks like they focused almost exclusively on trying to improve long run pace and tire degradation, while not compromising short and single lap pace.
whats going to be the excuse if Ferrari wins in Sochi?
Australia is considered an exception. Ferrari has a great race pace but not clearly the best one as they showed in Australia.Santozini wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:51 pmLike in AustraliaVasconia wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:51 amI know, but if they start every single race in the first row its only a matter of time that Mercedes will begin to win races, if Hamilton leads the pack it will be very hard to beat him unless Ferrari has clearly a better race pace.Chene_Mostert wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:46 am
But Ferrari beat them 66.667% of the time sofar this season without a similar "map"
There will never be a straight forward race.GPR-A wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:16 pmI must say, I get absolutely amazed with the loyal Ferrari fans for the never ending optimism and belief that somehow Ferrari is ahead of Mercedes (every year as the season starts)! Ferrari already introduced a new Front wing and floor modifications, but that didn't made a great deal of difference, atleast in Qualifying where in fact, the gap grew.
I wish the race in sochi is straight forward for Hamilton and Vettel to simply settle the picture. This is not a track that punishes the tires and hence, even if Mercedes hasn't made great inroads (considering it would be just one week to the race from Bahrain test), they should still be in good stead for Russia. Whatever setup improvements they could do from the learnings of Bahrain test, should help the race pace.
This report says Red Bull is going to bring a heavily revised chassis to Barcelona. I hope it is not like the 70% new car type of upgrade that Ferrari had brought in 2015. We need Red Bull to challenge Mercedes as the season progress as Ferrari usually go backwards.
That is exactly what has happened in the last 3 years and Ferrari dominated!Chene_Mostert wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:23 pmThere will never be a straight forward race.GPR-A wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:16 pmI must say, I get absolutely amazed with the loyal Ferrari fans for the never ending optimism and belief that somehow Ferrari is ahead of Mercedes (every year as the season starts)! Ferrari already introduced a new Front wing and floor modifications, but that didn't made a great deal of difference, atleast in Qualifying where in fact, the gap grew.
I wish the race in sochi is straight forward for Hamilton and Vettel to simply settle the picture. This is not a track that punishes the tires and hence, even if Mercedes hasn't made great inroads (considering it would be just one week to the race from Bahrain test), they should still be in good stead for Russia. Whatever setup improvements they could do from the learnings of Bahrain test, should help the race pace.
This report says Red Bull is going to bring a heavily revised chassis to Barcelona. I hope it is not like the 70% new car type of upgrade that Ferrari had brought in 2015. We need Red Bull to challenge Mercedes as the season progress as Ferrari usually go backwards.