Eau Rouge has been neutered which is a shame for spectators but understandable from a safety perspective. Gravel for turn 1, will catch drivers out for sure.
F1 2022 Season
- Thread starter pauldyson1uk
- Start date
DHL rescue mission avoided last-minute F1 freight crisis
https://f1i.com/news/437404-dhl-res...8-ZkgnP0J5HPKxqUo6svYFOwCObhuFQRrNEDHrML_Yl7U
https://f1i.com/news/437404-dhl-res...8-ZkgnP0J5HPKxqUo6svYFOwCObhuFQRrNEDHrML_Yl7U
Where's my package though turds?
The Haas F1 team heads into the Australian Grand Prix weekend without a spare chassis as a result of Mick Schumacher's crash in Saudi Arabia last time out.
They young German's off in qualifying in Jeddah forced Haas to rebuild a new VF-22 from a spare tub, an arduous task that the team completed this week in Melbourne.
However, with Schumacher's damaged chassis on its way back to Europe where it will undergo a thorough examination, Haas drivers are now left without a safety net for this weekend should anything go wrong on Friday o Saturday.
"The situation with spare parts is expected on race number two after a big crash," explained Haas team boss Guenther Steiner.
"We have everything, but we have no abundance of spare parts. The next question is how is the spare chassis? We haven’t got one because we have sent it back to Europe at the beginning of the week, so we’ll get it ready for Imola.
"We had to bring it here because of custom formalities, it had to enter here and then it could be shipped back to Europe from here and it’s on its way back now."
https://f1i.com/news/437422-haas-sh...8-ZkgnP0J5HPKxqUo6svYFOwCObhuFQRrNEDHrML_Yl7U
They young German's off in qualifying in Jeddah forced Haas to rebuild a new VF-22 from a spare tub, an arduous task that the team completed this week in Melbourne.
However, with Schumacher's damaged chassis on its way back to Europe where it will undergo a thorough examination, Haas drivers are now left without a safety net for this weekend should anything go wrong on Friday o Saturday.
"The situation with spare parts is expected on race number two after a big crash," explained Haas team boss Guenther Steiner.
"We have everything, but we have no abundance of spare parts. The next question is how is the spare chassis? We haven’t got one because we have sent it back to Europe at the beginning of the week, so we’ll get it ready for Imola.
"We had to bring it here because of custom formalities, it had to enter here and then it could be shipped back to Europe from here and it’s on its way back now."
https://f1i.com/news/437422-haas-sh...8-ZkgnP0J5HPKxqUo6svYFOwCObhuFQRrNEDHrML_Yl7U
Honestly it doesn't look as extreme as I expected. I still forsee f1 cars going flat out around there if they nail it.
Saying that though it looks like the walls have definitely been pushed back which was the most dangerous part. Cars should have a decent run off now to scrub some speed even if they do spin.
Hopefully that'll stop them being spat back into on coming traffic.
Australian GP FP1 Timesheet
engines sound worse this year imo.
https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-upgrades-have-f1-teams-brought-to-the-australian-gp/
Formula 1
WHAT UPGRADES HAVE F1 TEAMS BROUGHT TO THE AUSTRALIAN GP?
4 hours ago
By Mark Hughes
Formula 1 teams have declared their Australian Grand Prix updates as part of the new ‘show and tell’ format introduced for the 2022 season.
Mark Hughes runs through the new parts and what they’re each intended to achieve.
MERCEDES
No changes declared. The rear wing is exactly as in Jeddah.
RED BULL
Has brought a tweaked front wing endplate for evaluation in practice.
The leading edge is moved back and the top edge has been lowered. The intention is to maintain the performance of the standard design but with a lower volume and weight.
FERRARI
A ‘packer’ has been added around the centre line of the diffuser. This reduces the expansion angle of that part of the diffuser and will spread energy of the exiting airflow more evenly across the full width of the diffuser.
McLAREN
There’s a flow-conditioning winglet at the rear corner, redirecting the airflow around that part of the car and increasing the effectiveness of the adjacent winglets.
ALPINE
A bigger floor outer fence and realigned forward fences in an effort at improving the airflow through the underbody tunnels to increase downforce.
At the back, a flick on the brake drum has been re-angled in attempt at giving a better airflow interaction between the wheel and diffuser.
It will be trialled in practice and a decision then made on whether it will stay on the car.
ALPHATAURI
No changes reported.
ASTON MARTIN
Higher downforce rear wing to be trialled in practice. The changes to the track may mean reverting to the wing used so far.
WILLIAMS
Slightly more aggressive-angled lower beam wing, which is circuit-specific.
A material change to the rear floor stays (which are there to control deflection and porpoising) after damage was found on the old-spec ones in Jeddah.
A bigger gurney flap on the front wing as a set-up option.
Front brake duct guide vane has been re-aligned, tweaking the airflow down the sides of the car.
ALFA ROMEO
No updates reported.
HAAS
Revised diffuser, seeking to have better flow-conditioning of the air coming off the skid plates.
Formula 1
WHAT UPGRADES HAVE F1 TEAMS BROUGHT TO THE AUSTRALIAN GP?
4 hours ago
By Mark Hughes
Formula 1 teams have declared their Australian Grand Prix updates as part of the new ‘show and tell’ format introduced for the 2022 season.
Mark Hughes runs through the new parts and what they’re each intended to achieve.
MERCEDES
No changes declared. The rear wing is exactly as in Jeddah.
RED BULL
Has brought a tweaked front wing endplate for evaluation in practice.
The leading edge is moved back and the top edge has been lowered. The intention is to maintain the performance of the standard design but with a lower volume and weight.
FERRARI
A ‘packer’ has been added around the centre line of the diffuser. This reduces the expansion angle of that part of the diffuser and will spread energy of the exiting airflow more evenly across the full width of the diffuser.
McLAREN
There’s a flow-conditioning winglet at the rear corner, redirecting the airflow around that part of the car and increasing the effectiveness of the adjacent winglets.
ALPINE
A bigger floor outer fence and realigned forward fences in an effort at improving the airflow through the underbody tunnels to increase downforce.
At the back, a flick on the brake drum has been re-angled in attempt at giving a better airflow interaction between the wheel and diffuser.
It will be trialled in practice and a decision then made on whether it will stay on the car.
ALPHATAURI
No changes reported.
ASTON MARTIN
Higher downforce rear wing to be trialled in practice. The changes to the track may mean reverting to the wing used so far.
WILLIAMS
Slightly more aggressive-angled lower beam wing, which is circuit-specific.
A material change to the rear floor stays (which are there to control deflection and porpoising) after damage was found on the old-spec ones in Jeddah.
A bigger gurney flap on the front wing as a set-up option.
Front brake duct guide vane has been re-aligned, tweaking the airflow down the sides of the car.
ALFA ROMEO
No updates reported.
HAAS
Revised diffuser, seeking to have better flow-conditioning of the air coming off the skid plates.
No Mercedes upgrades, for me this does not change them being the 3rd team in the grid, but brings some of the others closer, Red Bull and Ferrari maybe a bit further ahead.
Bit shocked they have brought nothing here, maybe they have something big for Italy on 24th.
Todays FP1 times are not fantastic, but its only practice.
Bit shocked they have brought nothing here, maybe they have something big for Italy on 24th.
Todays FP1 times are not fantastic, but its only practice.
So, I have now finished all four seasons of Drive to Survive and now consider myself a die-hard F1 fan.
Here are my completely non-biased expert observations:
Here are my completely non-biased expert observations:
- Mercedes are obviously the worst of the worst. George Russell seems like a massive cnut, and they are a bunch of cry-babies. Hamilton is presented as a saint, but regularly drives his opponents off track. They lost all likability with Bottas.
- Red Bull are only a bit better. Chris Horner seems like a giant douche, but is married to a Spice Girl, which is of course mega cool. Verstappen is a good guy, who fully deserved his championship.
- Ferrari are the most likable of the top teams. Coolest brand and drivers with good personalities (although maybe a bit boring).
- McLaren will be one of the teams I root for. Lando and Ricciardo are great!
- Haas is a bit of a circus, but I have to root for them as well with the return of K-Mag and the up and coming Schumacher. Gunther is also fun, in an awkward sort of way.
- All other teams are irrelevant (especially Williams).
Australian GP FP2 Timesheet
So are Mercedes still sandbagging or...?
Obviously. All part of their plan. Russell being consistently faster than Lewis is a dead giveaway.
As weeks go by, I am more and more baffled at how Merc have managed to feck up this badly 
Seb under investigation for doing a lap of the track on a moped after the session ended. He had to get out of his car with issues, but instead of getting back to the paddock off track, he just did a lap on a moped.
What a guy
Seb under investigation for doing a lap of the track on a moped after the session ended. He had to get out of his car with issues, but instead of getting back to the paddock off track, he just did a lap on a moped.
At this point of his career I think Vettel is just driving for the last big paycheck.
and who can blame him, I would be doing the same.
When he does retire, he will still be around commentating.
I rate him.
Seb under investigation for doing a lap of the track on a moped after the session ended. He had to get out of his car with issues, but instead of getting back to the paddock off track, he just did a lap on a moped.
don’t blame him. that moped is from his deliveroo job that he does as a form
of secondary income. he needs all the money he can get.
Can’t wait to see the hidden potential for the Merc… they might hit the top 10
Great run from Alonso. Would love to see him on podium.
Oh, Im not saying I blame him. Not much to get excited about in a Stroll led team in my book.
Leclerc looking like the favourite, marginally. Mercedes 
Those upgrades better start coming soon.
Those upgrades better start coming soon.I agree, never used to like Seb, but now I think he is OK.
Merc can't get the sandbags out of the narrow sidepods, wedged in tight.
Dont have any expectations of Mercedes to do much to change the status quo until they get onto of the porposing issues. A new floor is in development so we may have to wait for that.
Like the Aston Martin, the car on track in nowhere near the times that the simulations say they should be achieving. Get the porposing resolved (without raising the ride height and losing downforce) and i expect huge improvements from both teams.
Like the Aston Martin, the car on track in nowhere near the times that the simulations say they should be achieving. Get the porposing resolved (without raising the ride height and losing downforce) and i expect huge improvements from both teams.
I think its the Merc's engine is the real problem tbh. They are so much down in power that no amount of tweaks of aero/car design can compensate for that.
I don't think the porpoising is as big of a problem as they make out. If you look at the Ferrari they are probably bouncing the worst of anybody at the moment. Either their drivers can handle it better or it's just not upsetting the car more than the others.
Last season reliability was suspect but the car was like a rocket, this season it like they are bogged down in treacle.
I have read they are struggling with the new E10 shite fuel, other teams dont seem to be.
The engine is part of the problem, but I most is down to aero and porpoising, get that sorted and they will be faster.
Looks like Alpine's upgrades have made them the third fastest now.
Mercedes pretty much on a par with Mclaren at Melbourne.
Mercedes pretty much on a par with Mclaren at Melbourne.
It’s has to be the new engine design that is causing this and potentially causing the porpoising by being to tight as you would think at least one of the merc teams would of got it right or at least close to right.
Mercedes have said that at peak deployment their engine is on par with Ferrari's. That doesnt mean its a match at lower or medium deployment. Too many variables such as engine maps, porposing, downforce levels, ride height etc to get a truly representative picture, but they have definitely lost their engine advantage they had before.
Porposing is the no1 issue for Mercedes. Its huge. There are loads of quotes from Mercedes to that effect. They cannot develop or try to unlock potential or properly tune the car for a race circuit until porposing is resolved. Its going to take time.
They're just using porpoising as a shield to try and mask the other weaknesses the car has. Ferrari has worse porpoising around Melbourne and yet is the fastest car on the grid.
With 3 customer teams they obviously dont want to admit that their engine development hasn't kept pace with Renault and Ferrari. Politics at the end of the day.
It's a convenient excuse that's for sure
While they probably aren't being able to ground the car quite as much as the others, it's quite obvious the merc engine has big problems also.
It's no coincidence every Merc engined team are struggling. Mclaren seem to be doing ok this weekend yet are still 1 second off the pace.
Mercedes haven't even got little upgrades, it looks like they are coming at Imola earliest. They better hope something works, Russell is heading back to his Williams days.
Definitely seems like that. As someone said previously, Mercedes lost a number of engine specialists to other teams including RB. And even if they have not suffered any deterioration (even if), they have gone backward compared to their rivals.It's a convenient excuse that's for sure
While they probably aren't being able to ground the car quite as much as the others, it's quite obvious the merc engine has big problems also.
It's no coincidence every Merc engined team are struggling. Mclaren seem to be doing ok this weekend yet are still 1 second off the pace.
Merc performance due lack of Tyre temperatures.