Formula 1 2021 - General Discussion Thread (Read 1st post rules)

duploelabs

Gasly has tested positive for COVID

ELM327

I saw that, the 6th driver to do so apparently.

AMKC

duploelabs wrote: »

Gasly has tested positive for COVID

Hopefully it's only mild symptoms and he makes a full recovery.

barryribs

Jordan 199 wrote: »

So have any of you been or are watching anything F1 related during the off-season? I watched the '87 and '89 season reviews so far on YouTube.

Just finished off Drive to survive season 2. That williams episode is amazing, the body language at the test with Paddy Lowe is so cringeworthy.

Other than that, been watching some mid 00's season reviews. I really gotta catch up with the 10's. I find myself thinking that 2007 was 'just a few years ago'

johnnysmack

ELM327 wrote: »

I saw that, the 6th driver to do so apparently.

Perez, Stroll, Hamilton, Gasly...who are the other two!?

PopePalpatine

Leclerc is one, I can't remember the other.

bennyx_o

Norris also tested positive

barryribs

barryribs wrote: »

Other than that, been watching some mid 00's season reviews. I really gotta catch up with the 10's. I find myself thinking that 2007 was 'just a few years ago'

It turns my stomach watching say 2007 and realising it was 14 years ago. Like 14 years before that was '93. Also the last 10 years have been a bit of a blur tbh.
The actually good 2010 and 2012 seasons kinda disappear into the blur of over a decade. Even at that, 2012 was almost a decade ago, depressing.

AMKC

Deleted User wrote: »

It turns my stomach watching say 2007 and realising it was 14 years ago. Like 14 years before that was '93. Also the last 10 years have been a bit of a blur tbh.
The actually good 2010 and 2012 seasons kinda disappear into the blur of over a decade. Even at that, 2012 was almost a decade ago, depressing.

Yep its mad alright. Where does the time go? We must all be getting old.
I can still remember hearing about Honda pulling out in 2008 the shock, Jenson talking about it been a shock too and then Ross Brawn announcing he would run the team as Brawn F1 with Mercedes engines. What a year 2009 was. The Hungary and Massa getting hit by the spring.

Frank Bullitt

Deleted User wrote: »

It turns my stomach watching say 2007 and realising it was 14 years ago. Like 14 years before that was '93. Also the last 10 years have been a bit of a blur tbh.
The actually good 2010 and 2012 seasons kinda disappear into the blur of over a decade. Even at that, 2012 was almost a decade ago, depressing.

I was glued to F1 for 2012, Alonso was magic that year.

vectra

Jordan 199 wrote: »

I think four teams (Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren) will battle for third in the constructors championship this year. Does anyone agree?

Why not Aston Martin for 2nd?

Jordan 199

vectra wrote: »

Why not Aston Martin for 2nd?

Because I feel Red Bull will have the better car.

Wanderer78

When's testing starting?

Jordan 199

Wanderer78 wrote: »

When's testing starting?

12th of March in Bahrain for three days.

El_Duderino 09

vectra wrote: »

Why not Aston Martin for 2nd?

Because we’re not expecting huge changes to the cars this year. They will have to develop the changes for the 10% downforce reduction and there’s no reason to think AM will out-develop mclaren, Alpine and red bull.

Why do you think they will be contenders for second?

recyclebin

There could be some clever designs on the cars this year that could change up the order. Whoever can regain that lost down force the most will be in a strong position. Red Bull could have the most to lose if last year's car was so difficult to drive, imagine what it could be like this year.

Most teams have the tokens to work on that area of car except for McLaren but they may have designed something clever that's linked into their engine change to make up for it.

vectra

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Because we’re not expecting huge changes to the cars this year. They will have to develop the changes for the 10% downforce reduction and there’s no reason to think AM will out-develop mclaren, Alpine and red bull.

Why do you think they will be contenders for second?

No major changes is correct, but last years RP wasn't a bad car, This year they are using Mercs rear setup which will/should improve it further.
Also
As for out-developing McLaren, they would have beat them to 3rd last year only for the points deduction.
I also feel Vettel will be re invigorated in the new team, especially in a car that should suit his style. ( Hoping anyway )

El_Duderino 09

vectra wrote: »

No major changes is correct, but last years RP wasn't a bad car, This year they are using Mercs rear setup which will/should improve it further.
Also
As for out-developing McLaren, they would have beat them to 3rd last year only for the points deduction.
I also feel Vettel will be re invigorated in the new team, especially in a car that should suit his style. ( Hoping anyway )

Yeah but surely Red Bull are strong favourites for second? They have a better driver line-up than last year and certainly better than AM. Barring some unlikely changes, the RB will most likely be second and the AM in the battle for third.

vectra

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Yeah but surely Red Bull are strong favourites for second? They have a better driver line-up than last year and certainly better than AM. Barring some unlikely changes, the RB will most likely be second and the AM in the battle for third.

Who knows what the teams will show up with this year?
Who would have thought that through the hybrid era Ferarri were always battling att he front and suddenly struggle with the midfield.
Or that McLaren would suddenly jump from the back to upper midfield.

Only time will tell. We could be guessing Till the cows come home.

barryribs

vectra wrote: »

Who knows what the teams will show up with this year?
Who would have thought that through the hybrid era Ferarri were always battling att he front and suddenly struggle with the midfield.
Or that McLaren would suddenly jump from the back to upper midfield.

Only time will tell. We could be guessing Till the cows come home.

Yea and the Honda engine is a complete unknown. They've said that they will continue to fund and develop it and want to leave on a high, but its probably more likely that resources will be moved away from it.

El_Duderino 09

vectra wrote: »

Who knows what the teams will show up with this year?
Who would have thought that through the hybrid era Ferarri were always battling att he front and suddenly struggle with the midfield.
Or that McLaren would suddenly jump from the back to upper midfield.

Only time will tell. We could be guessing Till the cows come home.

If we take past performance as a good indicator of future performance (certainly the best indicator available), then RB will likely be well ahead of AM over the season. RP were probably second fastest at the start of last season but they couldn’t maintain it. They didn’t design the parts that most likely made them take a leap forward, (the pink Mercedes parts) themselves so they couldn’t develop it.

Jordan 199

Mercedes launch on the 2nd of March.

robinwing

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Mercedes launch on the 2nd of March.

will hamilton have signed by then ?

Jordan 199

robinwing wrote: »

will hamilton have signed by then ?

I say he will.

vectra

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

If we take past performance as a good indicator of future performance (certainly the best indicator available), then RB will likely be well ahead of AM over the season. RP were probably second fastest at the start of last season but they couldn’t maintain it. They didn’t design the parts that most likely made them take a leap forward, (the pink Mercedes parts) themselves so they couldn’t develop it.

Thats not a good indicator.
Look what happened to Red Bull previously.

El_Duderino 09

vectra wrote: »

Thats not a good indicator.
Look what happened to Red Bull previously.

In the last 11 years they dominated for four years in a row and then finished in 2nd 4th 2nd 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd ever since. What’s not a good indicator about that. It’s certainly the best indicator we have.

If form or previous performance isn’t toe best indicator of future performance, then what do you think is the best indicator we have?

vectra

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

In the last 11 years they dominated for four years in a row and then finished in 2nd 4th 2nd 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd ever since. What’s not a good indicator about that. It’s certainly the best indicator we have.

If form or previous performance isn’t toe best indicator of future performance, then what do you think is the best indicator we have?

Thats a total load of Boll*x and utter speculation.
Ferrari dominated.
Red Bull dominated,
Merc are currently dominating.
None of them ( excluding Current trend Merc ) continued their dominence.
Why do you think that is?

As for the best indicator?
We can only wait and watch.
Nobody, and I mean nobody can foresee what is going to happen.

As a side note, I did read a couple of articles recently that said Red Bull could be the big losers with the downforce changes.
Possible? Of course. In this sport anythnig is possible.

quokula

vectra wrote: »

Thats a total load of Boll*x and utter speculation.
Ferrari dominated.
Red Bull dominated,
Merc are currently dominating.
None of them ( excluding Current trend Merc ) continued their dominence.
Why do you think that is?

As for the best indicator?
We can only wait and watch.
Nobody, and I mean nobody can foresee what is going to happen.

As a side note, I did read a couple of articles recently that said Red Bull could be the big losers with the downforce changes.
Possible? Of course. In this sport anythnig is possible.

Ferrari's dominance ended when the FIA brought in drastic new tyre rules to try and shake up the order.

Red Bull's dominance ended when the FIA brought in the new engine formula after heavy lobbying from Mercedes who had been developing their hybrid for years.

Mercedes dominance has continued through a period of unparalleled rule stability where everyone just makes minor tweaks to their existing car and the competitive order has little chance of changing, with things like token limits enforcing that order even further.

So until we finally get a proper change to the formula, past performance will be a fairly reliable indicator. Fast cars don't become slow unless teams are forced to redesign them.

This is it

vectra wrote: »

Thats a total load of Boll*x and utter speculation.
Ferrari dominated.
Red Bull dominated,
Merc are currently dominating.
None of them ( excluding Current trend Merc ) continued their dominence.
Why do you think that is?

As for the best indicator?
We can only wait and watch.
Nobody, and I mean nobody can foresee what is going to happen.

As a side note, I did read a couple of articles recently that said Red Bull could be the big losers with the downforce changes.
Possible? Of course. In this sport anythnig is possible.

No one can tell the future, but we can use the information we have to make legitimate arguments for what is likely to happen.

Mercedes winning the constructors championship. Is this going to happen based on previous seasons and the information we have, most likely, yes.

vectra

I agree with the comments above, but with the 10% downforce reduction, which teams rely on downforce the most?
Mercedes?
Red Bull?

Ferrari doesn't really as they run with low downforce to gain some speed so might affect them less.

As I said already. Who knows what will happen, as well as the big shuffle of drivers this season.
Hopefully it will put a fly in Merc's ointment.