Thursday check GP Canada
06.06.2019
D Thursday is the PR day before a Grand Prix. auto motor und sport will find stories and rumors in the paddock for you. We ask the engineers what's new about the cars and the drivers what they think of the race. Here is our foray through the ten garages.
Mercedes
Mercedes is coming to the seventh race of the year with new engines. Since the defending champion starts with more power, it will be even more difficult for the opponents to win. Lewis Hamilton is happy: “Montreal is a power track. The new engine comes at the right time. A fresh engine always has more power than an old one. And, of course, our guys did better again. But it is a small step. Jumps as big as at the beginning of the hybrid era are no longer possible. '
Hamilton tries not to take away the frustrated Formula 1 fans' hope of an exciting race:' We know how good Red Bull is in the corners and how strong Ferrari is on the straights. It's going to be a tough fight. ”But the world champion also says:“ We're better equipped this year than in the past. Our car has gotten a lot better in the slow corners. ”
The engine upgrade is worth about a tenth in terms of lap time. The fresh engine brings another tenth compared to one that has already had six races under its belt. 'Ferrari should still have the fastest car on the straights,' fears Valtteri Bottas. We could see a more angular engine cover on the Silver Arrow. The rear wing has already been used in Bahrain.
Motorsport Images
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his seventh Canada -Victory? He would draw level with Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari
If there is to be a second Bahrain for Ferrari,then in Montreal. The routes have a lot in common. A high proportion of straights, a small proportion of curves. Ferrari still dampened the hopes of its fans. Team boss Mattia Binotto admitted in the team's official press release: “We know that we are not competitive at the moment. In the near future, we will not have any modifications to the car ready that would significantly change the problems that we have been dealing with since the beginning of the season. '
Sebastian Vettel says that Ferrari not only recognized the problems, but also already has solutions ready. “We won't know whether there are really solutions until we've tried them out on the track.” The third place in the World Cup admits: “In terms of paper, this track should suit us better. The biggest question mark is the asphalt. It's pretty smooth here and it won't be easy to get the tires to work. ”
Red Bull
Pierre Gasly is upset about the rumors that Nico Hulkenberg could do him soon to replace at Red Bull. “I actually have better things to do than deal with bullshit like this. Spreading such rumors is bad journalism. ”The Frenchman had checked with sports director Helmut Marko over the phone whether there was anything to the speculation. The doctor reassured him. One would not even comment on such nonsense, was the answer from the Graz headquarters.
Red Bull will do tougher in the competition against Ferrari this time than last in Barcelona and Monte Carlo. Montreal is a high-speed track that suits the red cars. Max Verstappen reveals: “We'll reduce downforce so as not to lose too much time on the straights. But it's not as dramatic as it was in the past. “When it comes to upgrades, we've seen new vertical baffles on the front end.
Motorsport Images
Pierre Gasly was not enthusiastic when he was approached in Montreal about the rumors that Hulkenberg would replace him at Red Bull could.
Williams
Many straight lines, few curves: is that an advantage for Williams? Robert Kubicadoes not believe: “We are not kings on the straights either. That was the Williams once, but it was two years ago. 'Since the corners are mostly slow, Kubica fears a great loss of time:' If you lose 10 km /h in a slow corner, that's worse than if you lose yourself happens in a fast corner. ”
According to Kubica, how big the gap between Williams and the rest of the field is depends on how quickly the team can find a solution to set the tires on fire. “In Monte Carlo we were completely off track on Thursday. The tires didn't work, I had no feeling for the car. Suddenly things went much better on Saturday. Probably because there was more rubber on the track. So we gave away a day of training. This time we need a clean start to the weekend to get a feel for the car. Then our backlog is not that big either. ”
Renault
It's the calm before the storm. Except for the rear wing end plates, the Renault R.S. 19 have hardly changed compared to the last race. Of course there are smaller wings on the car than in Monte Carlo. In Enstone, however, preparations are already underway for the B version of the car, which is due to debut at the home game in France in 14 days. An engineer reveals: “Half the car will be new.”
Nico Hülkenberg finally wants to shed his bad luck, which has actually been going on since the second race in Bahrain. What worries him most is that Daniel Ricciardo is ahead in his specialty. The training duel is 5: 1 in favor of the Australian. “Daniel is certainly a strong caliber. But it's still annoying that he always hit me recently. Somehow I am not getting into the right rhythm and have to find my way back to my old form in qualifying. My racing speed fits. “
xpb
Hülkenberg commented on the rumors linking him with Red Bull as fake news.
Toro Rosso
Daniil Kvyat sees no reason why Toro Rosso should not repeat the good performance of Monte Carlo in Montreal: “Our car works on every type of track. It's up to us to make it happen. ”Kvyat drives in MontrealIncidentally, his 58th race for Toro Rosso. No one has served in Red Bull's junior team longer. 'I almost feel a little old.'
The STR14 has new rear-view mirrors and new baffles on board. The rearview mirrors are similar to the type that Ferrari was the first team to bring to market in 2018. The mirror is surrounded by a shell that works together to accelerate the flow and direct it in a certain direction.
Haas
The US racing team wants hydraulic elements on the rear axle for the first time in Montreal instead of the conventional dampers and springs. The system is Ferrari. Haas has already tested it once after the Spanish GP in Barcelona. We hear that it is not easy to vote. A car is supposed to drive it on Friday. The moment is chosen carefully. Kevin Magnussen's car gets a new transmission on schedule. It is already equipped with the new hydraulic elements.
The other car saves you the conversion. It is so complex that you need a night shift. Magnussen is confident: “We had the tires under control in Monte Carlo. Although there are hardly any fast corners. It shows that we have learned something. I don't dare to say whether it will be enough for us to succeed on every track. ”
Racing Point
After two clear laps, Racing Point wants to score again. “Historically, it should be a good route for us,” believes local hero Lance Stroll. Sergio Perez sums up the problems of the car: “We lack downforce and we have no balance.” In other words: The downforce shifts in the curves from the entrance to the exit.
The engineers still have brought modifications once. A hooded wing is now attached under the nose, just a little smaller, based on the Mercedes model. The front brake vents are also new. The baffles, on the other hand, have been taken back to an old state. This is supposed to calm the flow towards the stern. And provide the engineers with the answer as to whether the latest development steps were perhaps a step backwards.
Head of Technology Andy Green says: “We don't lack that much downforce. But just enough that the tires are not optimally in the window and thus provide less grip. ”For Lance Stroll, Montreal is a special Grand Prix. A whole grandstand was reserved for his fans. Scoffers ask the question: 'Does he even have that many?'
Motorsport Images
Lance Stroll in front of his own grandstand. Can the local hero end the series of bankruptcies at home?
McLaren
Montreal is a new route for Lando Norris: ' I only know them from the simulator. Already there it looks pretty difficult. The walls are incredibly close to the track. 'The Englishman does not trust himself to make predictions:' In the midfield it is incredibly tight. Five teams drive on the same level, each car has its strengths and weaknesses. It's hard to predict where the cars will show their strengths. ”
McLaren has started the development machine again. The rear-view mirrors are new in the same style as the Toro Rosso and the underbody, which now has even more delicate slits in the rear area. Initially, however, it will only be tried out on Carlos Sainz's car in practice.
Alfa Romeo
After two races without points, Alfa Romeo in Montreal should improve again. The omens are good. The cars from Hinwil are usually among the fastest on the straights. 'I hope we will take up our usual positions here again,' said Kimi Räikkönen, who has been driving on the Ile de Notre Dame since 2001 and therefore has the greatest experience in the field on this route.
The Finn drives his team: “We have to make the car faster. In Barcelona we circled two independent problems that we now need to solve. There is nothing fundamentally wrong. We just have to find more speed. ”
