F1 2021 Round 7 : French GP (Paul Ricard)

Joeface

SESSIONS
FP1 Fri, 18 Jun 10:30
FP2 Fri, 18 Jun 14:00
FP3 Sat, 19 Jun 11:00

QU Sat, 19 Jun 14:00

Race Sun, 20 Jun 14:00

Hopefully , maybe too much that this weekend can be good on what is a poor track for racing . As someone pointed out in the main thread the track has been resurfaced and some corners reprofiled to try help it .

lots to look out for this weekend . Can Mercedes find there way back after 2 poor weekends ( they were out played every where) . Perez after winning start to believe he could make himself into a contender.

Lurching

I don't expect to see a Ferrari pole this weekend anyway.

Frank Bullitt

Would be great to see RB and Merc super close. I think that might be the case.

Merc should be much stronger here too.

Inquitus

Frank Bullitt wrote: »

Would be great to see RB and Merc super close. I think that might be the case.

Merc should be much stronger here too.

Should be a Merc track, if Red Bull can really bring it to Merc here then it will certainly bode well for them going forwards.

Frank Bullitt

Inquitus wrote: »

Should be a Merc track, if Red Bull can really bring it to Merc here then it will certainly bode well for them going forwards.

For the most part, the Merc is the more temperamental car, RB have generally been ok at most tracks. RB seem to be still adding parts and developing their car, haven't seen too many new parts on the Merc.

Lurching

Merc come across as nervous to me.
The rear wing changes have been knee-jerk.

This will be an interesting weekend. We have a long way to go to the next street circuit, so this race may be an indicator of how the track circuits will go over the next few months.

RunningFlyer

Have never seen a race at Paul Ricard as always clashed with plans so looking forward to tuning in this weekend.

Dont be at yourself

The track has been resurfaced apparently. That caused havoc in Turkey and Portimao recently, will.it throw a spanner in the works here too?

Faugheen

This is my favourite track on the calendar*

*said no-one, ever.

Three races back-to-back though, right? Every reason to be excited just for that alone.

flazio

<Insert pondering emoji>

https://twitter.com/JennieGow/status/1405506335236669441?s=19

El_Duderino 09

flazio wrote: »

<Insert pondering emoji>

https://twitter.com/JennieGow/status/1405506335236669441?s=19

At the last race, BBC reported that Bottas felt there was a problem with his chassis wanted a new chassis but Toto told him he just needed to have more confidence in the car like Louis has. Interesting that they're making a change.

What do the #4 and #6 refer to?

flazio

I would have thought 6 was the newer one and 4 is the older one.

In another bit of news nobody really cares about Jack Nicholls is unavailable for BBC Radio this weekend so they're bringing back ex BBC TV/ Channel 4 and by extension Setanta/Eir Sports commentator Ben Edwards.

Lurching

That's more upset within Mercedes.
My money is on RB this weekend.
Or, at least that's what I'm hoping.

quokula

Lurching wrote: »

That's more upset within Mercedes.
My money is on RB this weekend.
Or, at least that's what I'm hoping.

Back at a more normal circuit, without weather interfering, I'd expect Mercedes to dominate again tbh. They've consistently had the fastest car in regular conditions this season, there have just been a number of unusual circumstances that have cropped up.

Joeface

Yeah the gap at front is back , Ocon is inside a second but 6th back is well behind .

I might be ok with Bottas winning . Been a tough start to the year .....Throw Perez second

donspeekinglesh

flazio wrote: »

In another bit of news nobody really cares about Jack Nicholls is unavailable for BBC Radio this weekend so they're bringing back ex BBC TV/ Channel 4 and by extension Setanta/Eir Sports commentator Ben Edwards.

Eurosport too, showing my age.

Zookey123

Joeface wrote: »

Yeah the gap at front is back , Ocon is inside a second but 6th back is well behind .

I might be ok with Bottas winning . Been a tough start to the year .....Throw Perez second

Yeah not a bad time for Perez considering he was on the harder compound. I expect a mercedes 1-2 in quali. Hopefully we see a close race any overtake would defo have to be earned here though even with the slight re profiled corners.

SureYWouldntYa

Have Red Bull fitted the new Honda engines yet? I think they were planned for the weekend but maybe they're saving them for Saturday idk

Anything to give hope of something other than a Merc 1-2 :pac:

Charlie-Bravo

Red soft tyres not up to the task today. Tyre choice for Q2/race start might be interesting.

And weather looks like possible Thunder Storms on Sunday at lunchtime. Will know more the nearer we get to then!

muckwarrior

RunningFlyer wrote: »

Have never seen a race at Paul Ricard as always clashed with plans so looking forward to tuning in this weekend.

You might want to temper your expectations.

eviltimeban

Alonso going well in FP2.

El_Duderino 09

eviltimeban wrote: »

Alonso going well in FP2.

Alonso and Ocon in P4 and P6. They're doing great but it might be showboating as it's the Alpine home GP. It would be a big jump up if they're actually best of the rest after the Mercedes and Red Bull.

El_Duderino 09

Hamilton complained on the radio that there's something wrong with the car. Given the chassis switch, maybe there was something wrong with Bottas' car. I wouldn't bet on it though.

Frank Bullitt

Looks close at the front. Merc don't really have an advantage but the gap of the last few races is gone. RB seem to have dialled in the car a bit better now.

Should be a close one.

Charlie-Bravo

Funny that Hamilton said that on the radio, then brushed it off during interviews saying it's a different track. Maybe he now doesn't want to let on he's had the better Merc!

Jordan 199

McLaren paying tribute to Mansour Ojjeh:

flazio

Mazepin has half spun. Mark it on your bingo card.

Hijpo

Can it be definitively said that merc cars are not the same?

It would be pretty funny if after swapping chassis Bottas suddenly destroyed Hamilton. Though Merc would probably make another new chassis from scratch if it looked like there might actually be an issue for Hamilton.

Hijpo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It would be pretty funny if after swapping chassis Bottas suddenly destroyed Hamilton. Though Merc would probably make another new chassis from scratch if it looked like there might actually be an issue for Hamilton.

They said bottas was running a higher power mode than Hamilton. What's the point of that? They are restricting there potential championship winner with a lower power mode and a potentially worse chassis??

Then both had the same power mode there and bottas was still two tenths quicker apparently.

I have 13 minutes of FP3 left to watch.

muckwarrior

Verstappen shows his potential at the end of FP3!

flazio

FIA now highlighting turn 6 for track limits but looking at the session, seems that there's a dip on the apex on turn 5 that's unsettling the cars as they approach turn 6.

ctrl-alt-delete

Nice insight there from Rosberg on what is happening at Mercedes and with Lewis. Speaking from experience you would imagine.

El_Duderino 09

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

Nice insight there from Rosberg on what is happening at Mercedes and with Lewis. Speaking from experience you would imagine.

What did he say?

El_Duderino 09

Hijpo wrote: »

Can it be definitively said that merc cars are not the same?

Not on the basis of one weekend. Only had practice so far. I'd say if Lewis asks for a new chassis, he will be given it - Bottas was told to have more confidence in the car.

ctrl-alt-delete

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

What did he say?

The other lads were talking about the chasis change, how they have four, but one was more or less wrote off in Imola.

Brundle was of the opionion that Mercedes rotate the chasis and that was why Lewis got Bottas' one.

Niko said he reckons Lewis would have requested it and told the team he wanted to try it out to try and figure out what was wrong with his car.

It hasn't made much of a difference now that he has it and Niko reckons that will have affected Lewis even more, that it will be in his head now about is it the car, or what is it?

Something along those lines from memory, I just think Niko will know more than Brundle about the internal workings of the Merc team and maybe even Hamilton's mind.

*disclaimer - this is from memory (in case i come across as a Lewis hater) , I just like listening to Rosberg.

ctrl-alt-delete

I am getting a bit tired of these red flags, we were getting some nice camera and chopper work of Gasly and then his team mate Tsunoda in the barriers.

Itssoeasy

Red flag early doors. Yuki Tsunado going off.

Faugheen

Tsunoda hasn’t exactly been lighting it up this season. I know he’s a rookie but he’s been having a mare for the most part.

ctrl-alt-delete

Some shudder there on the replay, you can see the car was all locked up, that has to have caused some major damage you'd think.

skipper_G

He needs to get a move on, taking forever to clear his car and get going again.

Itssoeasy

Faugheen wrote: »

Tsunoda hasn’t exactly been lighting it up this season. I know he’s a rookie but he’s been having a mare for the most part.

Well it’s been a fine line with him. When he lines it up he’s shown some glimpses of real talented but when it goes wrong it goes really wrong.

Itssoeasy

That rear wing looks in a bad way.

ctrl-alt-delete

Looking good for redbull.

Horner reckons Merc have about a half a second from fp3 when they play all their hand - he never said if redbull were running full tilt.

Max nearly 7/10ths clear of both on the first run.

duploelabs

Hijpo wrote: »

They said bottas was running a higher power mode than Hamilton. What's the point of that? They are restricting there potential championship winner with a lower power mode and a potentially worse chassis??

Then both had the same power mode there and bottas was still two tenths quicker apparently.

I have 13 minutes of FP3 left to watch.

engine modes aren't legal anymore though

ctrl-alt-delete

Decent lap from Hamilton there to go with 2/10th's - probably won't see him again in Q1.

Ferrari struggling a bit, LeClerc in particular.

ctrl-alt-delete

Schumacher bins it for another red flag.

Disaster of a session for Lance Stroll.

Itssoeasy

Stroll : “Should I go this lap ?”

Team: you’ve no choice.

skipper_G

That sums Stroll up in a nutshell, he put in a decent effort on his first run but has it deleted for exceeding track limits. Has speed but makes too many mistakes at times when it counts.

And qualy over with Schumacher in the barrier, shame for Mick his first run was impressive ahead of both Williams.

Faugheen

Russell was on a flier on that lap. Was only 0.3 off Max after S2

Itssoeasy

Red flags to me used to be for serious issues on track but they seem to be used for any time a driver goes off.