[morini]

Last Qually of 2019, enjoy folks!

The season has flown by. Boring winter break incoming.

[PapaofGags]

Well chuffed for Lando, out qualifying a driver as good as Carlos in his rookie season.  

[forzaferrari]

   

[Jody Barton]

And there was me thinking that was Boris Johnson's cabinet!!!

What a cock up from Ferrari again... but once more, their prodigious straight line speed wasn't really there again was it? We are back at pre-winter break levels. Any way, matters not one jot now. As to qualifying Lewis nailed it today, will be an interesting race tomorrow... maybe, because he has zero rear gunner and Ferrari and RBR have cars that can screw with him strategically.

[forzaferrari]

What a cock up from Ferrari again... but once more, their prodigious straight line speed wasn't really there again was it? 

Yep another major cock up indeed, seems to be what we do best unfortunately. Yeah speeds are down but still enough to top the main traps (I think, only got to watch bits of quali)

   

CLC v LH video comparison https://www.formula1.com/en/video/2019/1...Dhabi.html

[Jody Barton]

Yeah, but those top speed figures could be drag related Forza, and don't seem silly numbers ahead of Mercedes nor Red Bull, and that's the rub. In Spa and Monza Ferrari were absolutely miles ahead in straight line speed. This continued to be a trend until those rules "clarifications" and the extra sensor added. Now we're back to pre-summer break levels you have to question whether Ferrari were finding a way around the fuel flow sensor.

[forzaferrari]

Yeah, but those top speed figures could be drag related Forza,

Yes, could well be Jody but then when you look at the grunt down low Ferrari has especially out of that hairpin when drag has minimal effect, no?

---

   

[Jody Barton]

The drive out of the hairpin wasn't "that" much better. We know the Ferrari motor has better ERS deployment, especially in the first phase compared to the Merc. However, the difference was minimal, the gap really started to open after halfway down the straight, right when drag kicks in. I think the Ferrari engine is better, no question, but not by much. From Spa to Mexico it was massively better over one lap.

[morini]

None of the above makes any difference really. The "straight line speed versus overall lap time" balance is what Ferrari got massively wrong this year. You've only got to look back as far as the RBR dominant years to know that out and out engine performance is not the most important factor in F1 success. The naturally aspirated Renault was nowhere near the Mercedes in the back of the McLaren back then - but Newey did a far, far better job designing a race car that could go around corners. The same thing going on here.

If Ferrari downforce levels were aligned with Mercedes (and even RBR) we wouldn't be hearing the perceived "massively more powerful" Ferrari engine comments. It's nonsense IMO. Put the Merc and Ferrari PU on the dyno and I bet there is nothing between them. It is the nature of stable regs that performance converges over time (and that is what has happened here). Were Ferrari bending the rules somewhere after the summer break? Maybe, but who cares? I'd rather that than see innovation stifled.

[Jody Barton]

I agree Morini, which is why I said the Ferrari engine isn't massively better. It has it's advantages, no question, but then the Mercedes PU supposedly has better drivability. The point is the massive straight line advantage the red cars had post summer break has gone.