Why strategy may be less straightforward in Sochi this year

5 comments on “Why strategy may be less straightforward in Sochi this year”

1. 

   Mashiat (@mashiat)
   30th September 2018, 4:29

   Very interesting indeed that the Mercedes powered cars are quicker than the Ferrari powered cars through the speed traps. Are they perhaps running less downforce? Would be quite surprising if indeed it’s coincidental that all Mercedes powered cars run less downforce that all of the Ferrari powered ones. Although this does not bode well for Vettel at the start. He probably needed a few kph over the Mercedes to have a full run at them on the run to T2.
   1. 

      anon
      30th September 2018, 8:33

      @mashiat, Mercedes definitely seem to be running a lower downforce set up than Ferrari, who did seem to be running with comparatively more wing than normal – the rear wing in particular was noticeably larger on Ferrari’s car.

      Both of Ferrari’s drivers have been complaining about high rear tyre wear during the weekend and rear end instability, particularly in the final sector. It seems that the attempts to cure that by adjusting the rear suspension set up failed, so the team have possibly partially compensated for it by bolting on a larger rear wing.

      If the problem is related to the rear suspension layout, then it would be possible that both Sauber and Haas will have had similar issues as well. Both of those teams, if I am not mistaken, use Ferrari’s gearbox, and as the rear suspension will be bolted onto the casing of that gearbox, they will, to some extent, be forced to adopt a similar layout to Ferrari.

      If it was a mechanical set up issue, then Haas and Sauber might well be experiencing similar issues and having to run with a bit more wing to offset those problems.

      That said, it is worth noting that, at the second intermediate split, both Ferrari drivers were recording slightly higher top speeds there than they were in the speed trap. At that location, the two Ferrari drivers were the fastest – Vettel clocked 329.9kph and Kimi 328.7kph, with Hamilton next on 328.0kph. They do seem to have a fairly fast car in a straight line, just around the middle of the lap rather than in the official speed trap.
2. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   30th September 2018, 7:19

   ”Higher track temperatures may also play into the hands of those not starting on ultra-softs.”
   – You mean ‘those not starting on hyper-softs.

   Is there any chance Mercedes might lose this one? – Yes.
   Where will Red Bull finish from the back row? – 5th and 6th.
3. 

   Jelle
   30th September 2018, 7:40

   Why is there nothing mentioned about the Red Bulls starting at the back? Very good chassis – weak PU – Difficult to overtake = 5th/6th or just points?

   What will they start on? Fast tyres to gain places quickly and lose less time but be slower tyres against tougher opponents or start on slowest tyre, drive long and hope for free air to finish on quick tyre?
4. 

   F1 in Figures (@f1infigures)
   30th September 2018, 11:11

   The Force India, Haas and Sauber drivers will definitely start on hyper-softs as they used them to reach Q3. Renault’s decision not to run in Q2 meant these rivals could have gone through on a set of ultra-softs and avoided having to start on the softer rubber.

   I’m still surprised the midfield teams didn’t set a banker lap on the middle compound and try to improve it on the softest tire if necessary. I’m not completely sure why the track surface is suddenly so much more abrasive than in the past, but if starting on the hyper-soft tire is such a liability, then why not try to avoid it?

   An early Safety Car period could be a blessing for the few drivers who are likely to start the race on hyper-softs. They can expect to be at a disadvantage as they’re likely to need to pit early – potentially as soon as lap nine – before running on softs to the end.

   Just no. This race will most likely be similar to last race in Singapore, as overtaking may even be more difficult here. Pitting early and getting stuck in traffic is definitely not the way to go.

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