The Azerbaijan GP Chat & Predictions thread

We're back to Baku.

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As i recal this track throws up power results but also some odd things like where hamilton ended up on grid a couple years back.

If ferrari are "really quick" then in theory they should be 1/2 here no?

However.... I think ferrari have the aero wrong now and i think they are just slow in corners and who knows.

 

I think they've got engine reliability problems when they 'turn it up to 11', aero makes sense as well, as they seem to have gone the opposite way to Mercedes, but only time will tell. So far the results have been contrary to last years, maybe Ferrari will come on strongly in the latter part of the season a la mercedes in the last 2 seasons.
TBH, I don't really care, as long as there's a race with a bit of action.

 

Dunno why but I just want to see Leclerc kick Vettel’s bum. I suppose it’s the prospect of the underachieving number 1 versus the megastar of the future. Time Ferrari stopped with the orders.

 

I dunno.

Right now its an utter whitewash around any track with any sort of down force so it looks really bad for a championship. the only think is bottas has done well enough to at least compete for the first half of season.

I honestly think the aero part is that its nice and stable and slow.

 

Agree with your last sentence.

 

Ferrari have an important update this weekend. Mercedes will storm this race

 

Option 9

 

With these rear wings, it should be absolute pandemonium in the run to turn two and then throughout the race on the straights.

I hope it’s absolute barmy but I fear a Ferrari blast away this weekend.

Likely to be some safety cars though so some interesting restarts for sure!

 

I've got a feeling that Ferrari will be fastest here, but absolutely muller their tyres to such a degree they can't and won't win

 

Provided there are no team orders I believe Le Clerc could win it. Holding back before I vote though.

 

Seems like Honda are changing all PU to their second version at this race!!! Seems like they found a 'quality control' issue that caused Kvyat retirement in China. They are saying it has a small increase in ICE power but better durability. So looks like they are changing PU at 4th race of 21 this year!!! Seems well too early but if there is a QA issue they don't really have a choice. I wonder how many PU they will use all season, I guess it will be a coupe more than 3!!!
Hopefully it will be more powerful and better reliability. That might give the 4 in front a bit more of a challenge?

 

They are not serious contenders for the title so a penalty for using too many engines is not a major concern, if done at the right races where overtaking is possible they will be close to their expected result. If they have genuinely fixed an issue, as apposed to maybe or even creating another, then good.
Poor old Mclaren, this could have been for their benefit. I wonder who really broke the relationship with Honda and whether there was too much of a blame game from end of year 1 on.

 

I think you are right about Honda/Red Bull really using 2019 as a semi test year.
I think McL were shocked by first year performance and reliability after having Merc PUs. I think McL underestimated the work that went into Mercs PU development. I also think McL put too much pressure on Honda to make the PU fit in a small space and that compromised Honda learning by forcing them to package to such difficult requirements. Then Honda sticking to their principals for so long at not accepting outside help didn't help.
Overall I think the relationship was damaged by both parties 50/50.
Honda switched to TR with a clean slate and I believe they were given much more freedom on packaging and much less pressure. By that time I think Honda realised how to progress plus I think TR/RedBull also helped Honda 'understand' the way F1 rules worked a little more. That said I do think Honda are working much more honorably in respect to the rules than maybe RedBull would like

 

How many Renault PU's did they go through last year? Getting an upgrade every 3 or 4 GP's gotta be worth the grid hit, they'll still finish 5&6th if they start at the back, so it's not that much of a loss. As to RBR Honda, I think that's right, 2018 was the test to see if they could work together, 2019 is about 2020, so possibly they'll be upgrading a lot.

 

I think the tokens were a part of it too. Honda should have been allowed to catch up, free of the token regime. There have been no tokens for a couple of years now and that has helped Honda. the McL strategy, a manufacturers team, was the right strategy. Water under the bridge now.

 

100%. Whilst I applaud Mercedes and the incredible job that team has done, the regulations meant that because of just what a GREAT job they did in prep for 2014, the token system locked in their success for these past 5 years. Ferrari have actually done a really good job in closing the gap.

Renault and Honda are only now beginning to close the performance gap now that tokens are gone but of course the testing limitations are now their Achilles heel in terms of reliability. They need to be able to pound round a track and get that sorted.

 

The additional DRS could make overtaking farcical on the main straight.

 

It is going to make everyone use very low downforce so that might be interesting on the corners

 

Racing India Point of the Force should go well here, Stroll and Perez have 3 podiums between them here?