2021 Formula 1 Thread

[DLSTR]

Originally Posted by danegrey

my thoughts from testing
-- red bull might have gotten it right
-- Tsunoda, should give gasly a run, will be interesting
-- Riccardo and Norris will be another fun team battle
-- Williams looks super reliable with Russel turning 157 laps
-- dittio for alfa
-- if either Haas driver can get into the points it will show driver skill and not car
-- AMR a bit concern
-- Mercedes well if they are not on par, might have an interesting championship this year

Well said! You list all the reasons why we watch

[danegrey]

Originally Posted by axmea?

Has anyone used the F1TV Pro app here in the States? Interested but not available on Amazon Fire Stick / TV. Any other comments or feedback about it? I read somewhere that live TV but no commentaries.

Yes, I use F1TV Pro on my laptop during the race, biggest problem, is does not cast very well. They have made it this year to chromecast, I have tried it, but sometimes it does not start. Over all I am pleased with it. Its a big help for me, since my son (in seattle) and I can watch the race together and talk on discord. I have had some problem with the app on my iPad over the past couple of days, but have not taken the time to see what may be wrong.

[axmea?]

Thanks. Good info. That was helpful.

[ZCanadian]

Hmmm, this might explain Tsunoda's amazing times...

Notice something not quite right?

[DLSTR]

ESPN-F1 review of testing and Mercedes/RedBull. A nice look at the current post test issues.

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/3...at-formula-one

[DLSTR]

Originally Posted by ZCanadian

Hmmm, this might explain Tsunoda's amazing times...

Notice something not quite right?

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/th...times/5739247/

Yuki Tsunoda was able to charge to second place in the final classification thanks to some rapid late runs on Sunday evening in Bahrain, ending testing just 0.093 seconds off Max Verstappen’s fastest time.

It was a performance that turned heads throughout the paddock, not only for how good the AlphaTauri AT02 car is looking, but also for how well Tsunoda is already faring ahead of his F1 debut next weekend.

But was there a secret trick behind Tsunoda’s efforts late in Sunday’s Bahrain running?

Some eagle-eyed TV viewers and users on Reddit's F1 subsection spotted that Tsunoda appeared to be opening DRS far, far earlier than normal during his final qualifying simulations.


The final DRS zone in Bahrain on the main straight started 170m from the exit of Turn 15 last year. In the image from the above tweet, that is in line with the blue Aramco sign, showing just how much earlier Tsunoda had DRS activated.

It was not limited to a single lap, either, with the onboards showing that Tsunoda was regularly activating the DRS flap on the left-hand side of his steering wheel as soon as he got the car straightened up at the exit of the Turn 14/15 final complex.

The data also points to a much earlier DRS usage than typically permitted. Tsunoda comfortably topped the speed trap on the final day of pre-season testing with a top speed of 322 km/h, finishing 3 km/h clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second place.

PLUS: How Red Bull won F1 2021 winter testing

McLaren’s Lando Norris also made a cheeky comment on Instagram at the end of the day after Tsunoda posted that he had a “very smooth day with both race sims and short runs”. Norris commented: “How’s the DRS” along with the laughing face emoji.

As pre-season testing is not an official F1 race weekend, there are no restrictions on where DRS can be used around laps, not limiting drivers to the three exact zones used in Bahrain last year. It means Tsunoda’s laps remain completely valid, even if there would undoubtedly have been a gain made in his final time.

It also should not downplay just how good AlphaTauri was through pre-season testing. Asked by Autosport about Tsunoda’s impressive display, Norris quipped back: “I like how you say really impressive - he’s a good driver! I don’t think there’s any shock with it.

“The AlphaTauri is looking strong. I think looking at onboards and seeing the data that we can see, they look like they have a very strong car. It looks very nice to drive. Good in all kind of conditions.

[DLSTR]

The tech gun helping teams to master F1’s 2021 tyres

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/th...tyres/5753787/

Franco Nugnes
Co-author:
Jonathan Noble
Mar 16, 2021, 4:56 AM

Formula 1 teams have been spotted using an innovative Italian 'gun' in testing in what could be the latest move to get on top of the new 2021 tyres.
The tech gun helping teams to master F1’s 2021 tyres

F1 teams well know that mastering knowledge of tyres is key to unlocking performance from their cars in both qualifying and in races. It’s why so much work is done in checking on tyre temperatures and durability over the course of every F1 test and practice session.

But eagle-eyed observers at Bahrain’s F1 pre-season test last weekend spotted a select number of technicians doing something slightly unusual with the tyres - using a mysterious gun on them as they came off the cars.

This gun appeared to hammer into the rubber and, while those using it tried their best to keep their work secret, the answer as to what they were doing can be revealed.

The ‘gun’ is known as the VESevo – derived from the Latin name of the famous volcano – and is produced by Italian start-up company MegaRide.

It stands for ‘Viscoelasticity Evaluation System – EVOlved’ – and is the result of a research project by the Group of Vehicle Dynamics Simulations from the University of Naples Federico II.

What the gun does is help collect information on the tyre tread to understand how it has reacted and behaved while running out on the track.

Using a unique post-processing algorithm, the gun allows its user to fully understand the physical properties of the tyre: offering better analysis of inner temperatures, the stiffness of the compound, the wear of the treat and its damping properties.

These can all be mapped out on graphs (below) and then used as a tool to better understand what impact tyre temperature and track surface is having on the performance and durability of the rubber.



This information can be crucial for offering added insight into the behaviour of a certain tyre compound, which can then help teams better predict how to get the most out of the rubber.

While Pirelli already provides teams with extensive data on the correct working range of the tyres, that does not stop drivers sometimes complaining to their engineers that the tyre is still not working perfectly when in that window, or its degradation is much worse than had been expected.

While the VESevo gun has a ‘hammer’ motion on the tyre when it’s used, it is actually a non-destructive testing tool, so the rubber itself is not damaged. Instead, the motion is simply there to help the tool better understand the viscoelastic characteristic of the tread and rubber.



It is unclear exactly how many F1 teams are using the VESevo gun, but the fact that several MegaRide technicians were seen downloading information on to computers suggests that several teams have already signed up – with more likely to follow now they have seen what their rivals are doing.

The MegaRide gun has already been used by Trident in F2, F3, while other squads have used it in Formula E, DTM and MotoGP.

However, it is understood that Bahrain testing was the first time it’s been put to use in the F1 pitlane.

[DLSTR]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1...di-gp/5783588/

Jeddah will host Saudi Arabia’s first F1 race on 5 December this year after the country signed a long-term deal to host the championship.

Race organisers have now revealed the 6.175km layout for the track, which will make it the second longest on the F1 calendar after Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

The long straights and high-speed sections are expected to deliver an average lap speed of around 250km/h, with the potential for there being three separate DRS zones.

The fastest part of the track is expected to be on the long sweep down to the final left-hand hairpin corner, Turn 27, where cars are expected to reach 322km/h before they approach the braking zone.
Jeddah Street Circuit

Jeddah Street Circuit

Photo by: Formula 1

While the circuit has been crammed into a narrow area of land by the Jeddah seafront, it features a total of 27 corners and runs anti-clockwise – with the first corner being a tight left-right chicane.

Ross Brawn, F1’s managing director of motorsport, expressed his belief that the layout would be one that produces good racing.

“It’s always very exciting to release the details of a new circuit and the Jeddah Street Circuit is no exception,” he said.

“We have worked closely with the team at Tilke and with the promoter to ensure we have a track that provides exciting wheel-to-wheel racing for our fans and challenges all of the drivers.

“The design brings out the best of a modern street circuit but also has fast paced free flowing areas that will create fast speeds and overtaking opportunities.

“The setting is incredible, on the Red Sea, and we can’t wait to see the cars on track in December.”

The track is located in the Corniche area of Jeddah, which is about 12km north of the main city centre.

It has been designed in partnership with Tilke and F1’s own Motorsports Division, and utilises as many of the existing roads as possible around the narrow stretch of coastal land.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be held at night, and is planned to be the penultimate round of this year’s F1 world championship.

[DLSTR]

https://youtu.be/UCiNvuB56xg - Jeddah video driving the circuit.

[DLSTR]

https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id...m-team-ranking

Red Bull the team to beat for race one: Team-by-team ranking

[danegrey]

Originally Posted by DLSTR

https://youtu.be/UCiNvuB56xg - Jeddah video driving the circuit.

27 turns, it was fun to watch, but the walls look awful close.....

[DLSTR]

Originally Posted by danegrey

27 turns, it was fun to watch, but the walls look awful close.....

Monaco will be good practice.

[ZCanadian]

Originally Posted by DLSTR

Monaco will be good practice.

But much slower. Monaco on crack!

[Hotrodz]

Originally Posted by DLSTR

Monaco will be good practice.

That was exactly what I thought. The flow is the same!

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[Hotrodz]

Originally Posted by ZCanadian

But much slower. Monaco on crack!

Agreed!

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