sutton-images.com Schmidt's F1 blog
15.05.2018
E There are racetracks that are only limited suitable for car races. At least with the current Formula 1 cars with their rugged aerodynamics and their limited possibilities to differentiate themselves with a limited amount of power surplus. Melbourne is one of these routes, as is Barcelona. Although there is one of the longest DRS zones there with a length of 950 meters, only 13 overtaking maneuvers were counted in the end. Most of them in midfield. In principle, it wouldn't be that bad if you had the feeling that a duel might be on the way. But the car's pearl necklace was fanned out far too far for that. The distance between the cars was too great to even think of an attack.
It is well known that the filigree aerodynamics, which always need an optimal flow, play the main role. The fact that some routes do not offer ideal conditions with their layout. But you can't just change the aerodynamics and the routes. Other factors are also to blame for the overtaking problem. For example the engine. If a Mercedes engine has 30 horsepower more than Renault's, then that's not the delta you need to overtake. That would have to be 100 hp. There used to be that in the old turbo days. Because the drivers could turn up the boost on the handwheel, but only over a limited race distance, because otherwise they would have run out of fuel. For example, that would be a consumption regulation that would make sense with regard to good racing. What we have today is rather the opposite.
More compounds, more problems
The tires are an even bigger problem. It starts with them kneeling way too quickly when you attack or slip in the slipstream of another car. Pirelli has done itself a disservice by expanding its range to seven mixtures. Because the time differences between the individual tire types have become smaller and the working areas smaller. If cars of almost the same speed have equally good tires, even with different compounds, no one can overtake. In Barcelona, the fact that the thinner tread reduced the time intervals between the Supersoft, Soft and Medium tires made things even more difficult. We saw jumps of only two tenths of a second. Pirelli defended its 'safety measure against bubble formation' by saying that the Spanish GP would otherwise become a lotterywould. If only it had been, the fans answer.
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Pit stop as a suspense maker: There was little action on the race track at the GP Spain 2018.
Pirelli has been terrified of tire damage since Silverstone 2013. At that time, however, they had nothing to do with the rubber compounds or the rubber pad, but with the construction. A steel ring in the jacket caused the tires to overheat under certain conditions. The problem has long been resolved. Blisters on the tires are only a minor risk with the current generation of tires. Pirelli has shown often enough that you can drive it for a surprisingly long time without the tire bursting. The fear that the teams might overdo it is completely unfounded. If you lose grip dramatically, you come to the pits all by yourself. There is a greater risk that the teams will go to the limit of wear and tear and the tires will give way because they are already driving on the screen.
FIA and F1 management should change the tire rule
What I mean by that. Pirelli has to show more courage. Why don't you let the teams choose their tires from the entire range? It is up to you how you put your 13 sets of tires together. Get rid of all this complicated nonsense of three compounds, one of which must definitely be used in a race. That would reward the teams whose cars handle the tires more gently. And who have a better hand when putting together the 13 sets. A midfield team can get involved in the big game, at least in part. If someone wants to ride a set of hypersoft tires in Barcelona, let them do it. Some did that during the test drives and nothing happened. It doesn't fall back on Pirelli if the driver is in the pits after three laps to pick up new tires. The team will get the slaps in the face for it.
It is just as nonsensical that the top ten teams are allowed to start the race on the tires on which they qualify in Q2. They should drive on the tires with which they drove their absolute fastest lap in qualification. With the current rule you play them theThe advantage is that they start on the same tires as the midfield. The smaller the differences between the individual compounds, the greater the chance of getting through Q2 on the harder tire. That is why the GP England 2015 was the last race in which a team other than Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull unwound lead kilometers. That was almost three years ago. Guys, what kind of indictment is that? If the FIA and the F1 management want to bring back the surprise factor, then they change the tire rules as soon as possible. Whether the teams like it or not.
