[Jody Barton]

Most of the modes are more to do with managing acceleration / deployment curves. Quali modes tend to be around "firing Timings" and setting them hyper aggressive. Mercedes have never really pushed quali modes during the hybrid era as much as the other manufacturers. So I really don't get this push from the FIA. It won't slow Mercedes or hinder them as much as others it seems. Renaults quali mode actually looks good, and Honda's actually sees them almost matching Mercedes. However, you take quali mode away, run those cars on fumes and Don't spare the rubber and I think it'll favour Mercedes. Those are just my thoughts and observations. The fact Honda and Renault were whinging and Mercedes said they're already not running those modes means I think the FIA might regret it.

[morini]

Mercedes have never really pushed quali modes during the hybrid era as much as the other manufacturers. So I really don't get this push from the FIA. It won't slow Mercedes or hinder them as much as others it seems.

Why does Horner bang on about it all the time then? Every race he says something along the lines of "we were really close to them right up until Q2 then Mercedes turn their engines up and find another 4/10ths" (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist). Horner is adamant Mercedes quali modes are the best.

I don't know about anyone else but now, reading what you say above, I am thoroughly confused about the definition of "quali mode". Surely any ability to alter the maps / curves / settings (call them what you will) constitutes a potential "quali mode". I thought what the FIA want moving forwards is for all engine manufacturers to pick a setting (map, curve, mode, whatever you want to call it) and run with it right through quali and race. That means no switches, strat modes, overtaking modes, nothing. The only concession to this is an ability to turn the motor down for safety cars, VSC's etc.

That was my understanding, if I've got it wrong willing to be educated. What I'm expecting is for all drivers to have 1 engine mode for the entire quali and race.

[morini]

Bit far out yet, but looking like wall to wall sunshine

   

[Beano]

Mercedes have never really pushed quali modes during the hybrid era as much as the other manufacturers. So I really don't get this push from the FIA. It won't slow Mercedes or hinder them as much as others it seems.

Why does Horner bang on about it all the time then? Every race he says something along the lines of "we were really close to them right up until Q2 then Mercedes turn their engines up and find another 4/10ths" (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist). Horner is adamant Mercedes quali modes are the best.

I don't know about anyone else but now, reading what you say above, I am thoroughly confused about the definition of "quali mode". Surely any ability to alter the maps / curves / settings (call them what you will) constitutes a potential "quali mode". I thought what the FIA want moving forwards is for all engine manufacturers to pick a setting (map, curve, mode, whatever you want to call it) and run with it right through quali and race. That means no switches, strat modes, overtaking modes, nothing. The only concession to this is an ability to turn the motor down for safety cars, VSC's etc.

That was my understanding, if I've got it wrong willing to be educated. What I'm expecting is for all drivers to have 1 engine mode for the entire quali and race.

that’s the narrative coming from the FIA and everyone  else, they wouldn’t introduce something that wasn’t even applicable would they? 

here’s where I read about the new restrictions: 


https://amp.formula1.com/en/latest/artic...Ib5ES.html

[morini]

https://amp.formula1.com/en/latest/artic...Ib5ES.html

Your link seems to be to an article quoting Toto Wolff who thinks this new directive will be helpful to Mercedes during races. Within that there is a ink to this -> https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/artic...UFncL.html (which I'd already read a few weeks back).

That article says there will no longer be any strat modes - "The Technical Directive will require the power unit to be run in the same single mode during qualifying and race". That seems pretty black and white to me!

It also goes on to say that the motives for this is policing the PU's legality. That bit is total utter bollocks, there is only one motive, to try to reduce Mercedes performance advantage over a weekend. It won't work though (IMO, of course).

[NeilP]

I think we will all be the wiser after this race. If Mercedes get away clean I think they will just disappear into the distance their engine is so superior to the others. It will be very interesting to see what happens behind them.

[Beano]

https://amp.formula1.com/en/latest/artic...Ib5ES.html

Your link seems to be to an article quoting Toto Wolff who thinks this new directive will be helpful to Mercedes during races. Within that there is a ink to this -> https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/artic...UFncL.html (which I'd already read a few weeks back).

That article says there will no longer be any strat modes - "The Technical Directive will require the power unit to be run in the same single mode during qualifying and race". That seems pretty black and white to me!

It also goes on to say that the motives for this is policing the PU's legality. That bit is total utter bollocks, there is only one motive, to try to reduce Mercedes performance advantage over a weekend. It won't work though (IMO, of course).

yeah I must admit I thought it was actually about the modes, but halfway down it did kind of make clear what was being removed and how that would be implemented (well to me at least). So am I right in saying no extra energy/power modes for Saturdays, and you run a single mode throughout the weekend??
same for all teams?

[forzaferrari]

Well, here goes my whinge of the day......driver coaching, its gotta stop! As per everything in f1 this isnt black & white, there are things drivers can be told and things they cant be told with a huge big grey area in the middle, being told where you are faster/slower etc at every corner is coaching in my book....along with multiple other instruction & information inc modes etc....and they all bloody do it....give em a pat on the head, a kiss, stroke their ego or whatever these drivers need before lights out and then let them at it.

[Beano]

Clear as mud as to whether it will happen??

A letter sent to the teams at Barcelona suggests that the subsequent Technical Directive will require the power unit to be run in the same single mode during qualifying and race. This has yet to be confirmed by the Technical Directive itself.

---

Well, here goes my whinge of the day......driver coaching, its gotta stop! As per everything in f1 this isnt black & white, there are things drivers can be told and things they cant be told with a huge big grey area in the middle, being told where you are faster/slower etc at every corner is coaching in my book....along with multiple other instruction & information inc modes etc....and they all bloody do it....give em a pat on the head, a kiss, stroke their ego or whatever these drivers need before lights out and then let them at it.

I agree I don’t like all this go to strat a,b or C but I guess the drivers cannot feel any of the events occurring unlike days of old when cars were simpler when drivers were more attuned(I think).
with all this clever tach now I suppose they need an engineer to get the optimum from the car (at least that’s my take on it) although I think there are things that can be stopped I don’t understand why a driver has to request more power? Why can they not just implement it themselves and deal with the consequences (if any). There’s too much for me to understand if I’m honest, but it does seem like a driver now gets the nod when to and when not to use the power! Basically stick your hybrid where the sun don’t shine for me  . A good old fashioned gear stick a good pair of feet and driver instinct should do it!!

[morini]

Well, here goes my whinge of the day......driver coaching, its gotta stop! As per everything in f1 this isnt black & white, there are things drivers can be told and things they cant be told with a huge big grey area in the middle, being told where you are faster/slower etc at every corner is coaching in my book....along with multiple other instruction & information inc modes etc....and they all bloody do it....give em a pat on the head, a kiss, stroke their ego or whatever these drivers need before lights out and then let them at it.

I agree on the coaching bit, to a degree. However, these cars are bloody complex and no normal human being would have the mental capacity to drive one flat out with or without a race engineer instructing them. It is quite possible to go the wrong way with it and then the teams would put all the decisions in the brain of the car rather than allowing a driver to make the difference. If you think adjusting all this stuff like brake bias, diff settings, strat modes, deploying ERS etc. at those sorts of speeds is trivial then I'd have to disagree.

Yes, the drivers shouldn't be told where they are faster / slower and where they can make up time. That they have to work out on their own. However, when to use certain engine modes (which is going away anyway, so it seems) requires engineering input. F1 is a technical sport and the current cars are incredibly complex. Too complex, some will say. Me, I like to see technology utilised to the max. Put it this way, theres no way you or I could jump into one of these things and drive it. Compare and contrast a 70's era car and I reckon we could (we'd definitely crash it but we would be able to drive it to a fashion).

I agree I don’t like all this go to strat a,b or C but I guess the drivers cannot feel any of the events occurring unlike days of old when cars were simpler when drivers were more attuned(I think).
with all this clever tach now I suppose they need an engineer to get the optimum from the car (at least that’s my take on it) although I think there are things that can be stopped I don’t understand why a driver has to request more power? Why can they not just implement it themselves and deal with the consequences (if any). There’s too much for me to understand if I’m honest, but it does seem like a driver now gets the nod when to and when not to use the power! Basically stick your hybrid where the sun don’t shine for me  . A good old fashioned gear stick a good pair of feet and driver instinct should do it!!

If you take that argument to its logical conclusion you would have "automated everything" and the engineers would just program the cars for any given circuit. The software would handle everything apart from steering, brake and throttle. That would be a retro step in my opinion. I actually find the amount of things a driver has to control these days (at speed) in one of these cars awe inspiring. Yes, back in the day everything was simpler, but modern F1 cars will certainly be more challenging to drive flat out.