Pre-Season Testing 2020
- Thread starter TopClass
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Very very early thoughts, but Ferrari are doing the opposite of last year. They look down and their car dated compared to RB and Merc.
Far to early to say but the McLaren and Renault both 'look' more sophisticated than the Ferrari, which seems very square.
Added to that it keeps breaking. Not the best start for team red.
William's looks better, but are the sponsor appeasing? Interested to see how MerRacing Pointedes goes, however I've got a bad feeling Alfa (not alpha) are destined to race at the back.
Far to early to say but the McLaren and Renault both 'look' more sophisticated than the Ferrari, which seems very square.
Added to that it keeps breaking. Not the best start for team red.
William's looks better, but are the sponsor appeasing? Interested to see how MerRacing Pointedes goes, however I've got a bad feeling Alfa (not alpha) are destined to race at the back.
Someone has to be at the back. If it’s not feeling sorry for Williams it will be feeling sorry for someone else. They can’t all have a good year.
Not sure I like the Renault, hopefully it's just testing colours.
Force India look to be Merc B team. Once 2021 comes it's no good just being top team but to maximise use they need 2 budgets to 'spread' development 60/40!
I am surprised not all teams are trying to get max use of air and using slim nose.
Force India look to be Merc B team. Once 2021 comes it's no good just being top team but to maximise use they need 2 budgets to 'spread' development 60/40!
I am surprised not all teams are trying to get max use of air and using slim nose.
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Can we all give some thoughts on Racing Point rocking up with what is essentially the W10?
I absolutely HATE this in F1.
I will always admire McLaren and Williams for being the true racers, even in their dark times they stick to a racing principle.
I'd love to know how much of it is literal copying using Mercedes data, and how much is just trying to emulate the overall best car.
They use the Mercedes PU and gearbox so it makes sense to try and use the suspension setup the gearbox was designed to mount.
We almost lost Force India from the grid so I feel like that gives them some leeway, but all said and done I dont want clone cars pushing out the likes of McLaren.
Talking of constructors, William's are already bringing new parts for their car, positive signs of them attempting to improve their already better car.
Pretty sure I read somewhere the Renault is a one off colour scheme .
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I dont like the idea of b teams much , but they are not breaking any rules . Just makes life hard for the independents. Well the independent. What happens when merc get bored?
We've seen it before with Haas, Torro Rosso and other 'B' teams, so not sure why everyone is so upset with it now?
What is not right though, is if they have been given access to Mercedes designs, rather than just use some tracing paper on photographs to design their car and hope they have got it to work.
It's a shame for the true independents, who share very little with the works teams, but if nothing else it does close up some of the midfield to the bigger teams so hopefully the racing will improve.
What the?
#F1 [HASHTAG]#Mercedes[/HASHTAG] latest trick on the straights: pulling steering wheel narrows front track width, decreases drag thus increases top speed https://t.co/iDswRZuNr0
#F1 [HASHTAG]#Mercedes[/HASHTAG] latest trick on the straights: pulling steering wheel narrows front track width, decreases drag thus increases top speed https://t.co/iDswRZuNr0
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Nice trick but to use it on day 1 either they are testing for 2021 but if they found loophole in 2021 rules then the let cat out of the bag OR they think they have a loophole in 2020 regs. From what the media are saying changing suspension on track isn't allowed but it's not changing suspension but steering angles!!! Plus the bit about it can't be powered, well they don't consider human input to be powered so they may have found a loophole in 2020 regs.... Not sure allowing everyone to see it on day 1 was a great idea but suppose they had to test but why not 'forget' to connect the camera up????
B teams my view:
When the FIA and Liberty (I group them together) allowed teams to sell each other parts AND introduce a budget what did they think was going to happen?????
It's simple, each Big team (A team) gets a second team (B team). Then they effectively have 2x$175M ($350M) budget to build 1 car (A) and the B car uses as much as possible from A car. So probably only need to spend $70M on B car so $280M of the full $350M budget gets spent on A car!!!!!
OK so I am way over simplifying as both teams have staff and infrastructure costs.
The accounting is easy too as B team build say suspension and 'sell' it to A team. A Team build brakes and 'sell' to B team etc etc.......
So that just leaves McLaren ( I did think they were going to be Merc B team, until yesterday when the Pink Merc arrived), Williams and Renault out in the cold....Maybe Merc are going 1 bigger and having a C team????
The budget cap and the ability to share parts are incompatible systems that will make the gaps between Big teams and everyone else worse...
Once again the people who make the rules have made a c0ck up.......
When the FIA and Liberty (I group them together) allowed teams to sell each other parts AND introduce a budget what did they think was going to happen?????
It's simple, each Big team (A team) gets a second team (B team). Then they effectively have 2x$175M ($350M) budget to build 1 car (A) and the B car uses as much as possible from A car. So probably only need to spend $70M on B car so $280M of the full $350M budget gets spent on A car!!!!!
OK so I am way over simplifying as both teams have staff and infrastructure costs.
The accounting is easy too as B team build say suspension and 'sell' it to A team. A Team build brakes and 'sell' to B team etc etc.......
So that just leaves McLaren ( I did think they were going to be Merc B team, until yesterday when the Pink Merc arrived), Williams and Renault out in the cold....Maybe Merc are going 1 bigger and having a C team????
The budget cap and the ability to share parts are incompatible systems that will make the gaps between Big teams and everyone else worse...
Once again the people who make the rules have made a c0ck up.......
I imagine it would be hard to copy, would need to completely redesign the steering system.
True, I wonder if the steering is also part of the crash test??
Maybe they have found a loophole I suspect they have and had it checked by 'Charlie's' replacement. I guess there must be a mechanism that locks it normally, maybe a pedal as you wouldn't want steering angles changing mid corner!!!!!
Is it my imagination or are teams taking advantage of the 'close doors if floor is off' and just taking the floor off so they can close the doors on garages????
So the whole system must be running through one hell of a complex system of hyrdaulic and bearings to allow the steering to make these adjustments without any affect of the suspension. Wonder if the FIA will try and get it banned on safety grounds, as surely the steering system should be considered non adjustable as well?
Would love to know what the anticipated lap time gain is on this, and then the expense forked out for developing it............. and that is why the small teams just don't stand a chance.
If the Mercedes steering wheel does what people say it does then surely that wont be legal for long.