GPR -A wrote: ↑20 Mar 2019, 04:04
Tyres this year are harder than last year! Last year it was, Medium-Soft-SupserSoft and this is year it is, C1(Hard)-C2(Medium)-C3(Soft). This is the most abrasive circuit on the calendar and may be Pirelli is too worried to have brought C2-C3-C4. It's a shame.
Expect the lap times to increase due to this and not to mention the super draggy rear wing, due to which cars lost around 12-13 kph on straights in qualifying in Melbourne. Sakhir has more straights and that means, draggy car all around. Cars might have recovered downforce and might corner around the same speeds as last year, but on straights it's another matter.
Expect the Ferrari to bounce back due to more aero friendly nature of the circuit.
Pole prediction. Pole time would be slower by a few tenths around low 1m29.xxx.
1. Mercedes/Ferrari
2. Red Bull + 0.5
It only has like 2 proper fast corners. The rest are either slow or medium speed with several hard braking zones (areas where Ferrari struggled massively). If anything, Ferrari could be in a world of pain again, especially if they truly have PU issues as being rumoured.
Only thing that could save them is if the car was indeed compromised in AUS by the bumpy nature of the track (as rumoured)? Bahrain is very smooth like Barcelona which should help them.