[forzaferrari]

   

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Well FP1 and FP2 confirmed what we thought, Mercedes back on top, and by some margin, FP2 could form the grid if Sunday Qualifying doesn't take place for whatever reason, and even right at the end of the session with fresh rubber and the very best of the conditions with their engines turned up Ferrari and RBR still couldn't match Mercedes. So as things stand the grid will be Bottas, Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc and Vettel.

FP1 will have been eye opening. Straight out the box Mercedes were a second a lap quicker while carrying fuel. 

Toto confirmed Mercedes ran less fuel and higher engine modes that than they have ever done on a Friday to proof the new parts where working as expected/hoped.....for once I hope he`s telling the truth lol

[Jody Barton]

Forza... I really don't think he was. I could be wrong, but that Merc looked heavy in both FP1 and FP2. Horner might be a dick, but he also said he didn't think Mercedes ran there party modes today, and to be fair to Horner he's usually right about those things. But we already knew that in Medium and High speed corners the Merc is in a league of it's own, and in the slow stuff only RBR get close. It's just straight line speed they're down on relative to Ferrari. Sure, Ferrari have improved their low speed cornering, and the differences in high speed were never that bad (although the apex speed deficits look bad, given how short a period it is in high speed stuff it's negligible),  the deficits were still there. Where Mercedes excel is the medium speed stuff. In Silverstone they were carrying 15 to 20 Kph more than RBR and nearly 30 Kph more than Ferrari in the Medium stuff. The W10 has always been a lovely balanced car. If they find the extra grunt, or can find a way to use those extra engine modes PU3 has, but they can't use, well I think the Mercedes goes back to probably being comfortably the all round quickest car again.

[forzaferrari]

Youre probably right Jody, I was only going off the Toto interview (and also the speed trap figures) as I havent watched any of the fp`s as yet.

[PaddyB]

realise this is a bit off topic but prompted by forza's comment - Am I the only one who is struggling with Sky box not recording the practice sessions - I haven't been able to watch either of the practices as my box doesn't seem to feel like recording them on series link as its supposed to?

[forzaferrari]

realise this is a bit off topic but prompted by forza's comment - Am I the only one who is struggling with Sky box not recording the practice sessions - I haven't been able to watch either of the practices as my box doesn't seem to feel like recording them on series link as its supposed to?

Paddy, Ive just got back indoors and checked the Sky planner, my recordings seem fine, might need to reboot yours?
https://skyepginfo.co.uk/HowToGuides/System-Reset.php

[PapaofGags]

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I just think Mercedes were over confident coming into the second half of the season. 
So they were probably thinking take it easy and work on next year's car and engine.

      Again agreed mate. 

[PaddyB]

Thanks guys, I'll give that a try.

[NeilP]

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I just think Mercedes were over confident coming into the second half of the season. 
So they were probably thinking take it easy and work on next year's car and engine.

      Again agreed mate. 

I dont buy into that. Mercedes is far too well organized and professional to take anything that lightly yet alone a whole second half of a season.  I think all the credit goes to a vast improvement by Ferrari.  Clearly they found a resolution to some previous rather large issues.

I am not surprised at all that Mercedes are ahead of Ferrari here, it is an all round better car.  Ferrari were always destined to win at Spa and Monza their top end speed is such a huge advantage at those circuits. However lets not forget Mercedes were hardly miles behind and finished second and third at both of those tracks.  Singapore was a bit of a surprise but again its never been a great track for them either and despite wins in the last three years some of those wins were "inherited".  Vettel is a master of Singapore until he brings out his inner Death Race 2000 mentality!

[PapaofGags]

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I just think Mercedes were over confident coming into the second half of the season. 
So they were probably thinking take it easy and work on next year's car and engine.

      Again agreed mate. 

I dont buy into that. Mercedes is far too well organized and professional 

Ok bit late but I do agree with Jody, it looks like Mercedes thought they had an advantage who could blame them & moved more resources to 2020, who saw Ferrari becoming so strong so quickly after the summer break? 

"I think all the credit goes to a vast improvement by Ferrari." > Yes agree bud fantastic job done by the red team, next year should be amazing, though I still feel Mercedes started moving resources to 2020. (Imo of course)

Sleeps 

[Jody Barton]

NeilP for once I think we can say Mercedes did take their foot off of the gas / maybe got complacent. Let's be clear, them doing so is understandable, they were quickest at 10 of the first 12 races. They won 10 of the first 12 races, and barring Hamilton's brain fart in Germany it'd have be 11 races. That's as dominant as they've ever been. They brought very little new to their car in both Spa and Monza, and some tweaked Monaco like barge boards in Singapore. They clearly thought they had enough from the first half of the season, in terms of points they were probably right. The next planned major update when asked at the start of the Singapore weekend was Mexico / USA. They had clearly taken their foot off of the gas. Also I think you'll find in this very thread I said right away I expected Mercedes to dominate here.

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On a different note I have to say yet again seeing the cars go round Suzuka I'm reminded of just how fabulous this circuit is. Anywhere else the glorious turn 1 would have a name, it's a magnificent corner, but here? It's just turn 1. Up the hill through the esses is also a truly fabulous section of tarmac, but there's zero rest as we're then straight into the deceptively brilliant Dunlop, taken flat out it is a blind corner over the crest of a hill that require the driver to really, really push to make up speed, totally banzai corner. Zero breather and we have not one but two of the finest corners anywhere in the world, Degna 1 and 2, deceptively simple, devilishly hard in practice. Sure the hairpin isn't a great corner, but if you nail the run through the Degnas and the guy in front doesn't the camber makes it a cheeky over taking spot. Sure 200R isn't much of a corner anymore, and probably never was, but the fact it leads into Spoon means it is vitally important to get it spot on. Then we have spoon. The unsung hero in many respects of Suzuka, it is just so God damn technical, multiple lines can be taken through it, but cock one of those lines up and there's nowhere to hide because you'll leave the corner in a terrible state for the back straight. Then we have 130R... balls... of... steel stuff. Think the end of the lap is a bit meh, like Spa, but I understand why the Casino triangle chicane is there. Every time we come back to Suzuka I'm reminded of just how superb it really is. Sure, Spa has Eau Rogue & Raidillon, Les Fagnes, Stavelot and Rivage, of course Silverstone has Brooklands, Luffield, Copse, Maggots, Beckett's, Chapel and Stowe, and lest we forget Monza has... well... The Parabolica and Curva Grande and lots and lots of straight bits (Maybe the Lesmos if you're being kind), but you know what? I think Morini might be right, Suzuka could just be the finest of them all.