Ferrari will be more competitive in Singapore than Hungary – Wolff

31 comments on “Ferrari will be more competitive in Singapore than Hungary – Wolff”

1. 

   Phylyp (@phylyp)
   16th September 2019, 0:36

   @Rick1984 – very clever caption, took me three readings to get it :)
2. 

   Nikki (@nikkit)
   16th September 2019, 7:13

   Wolff does make a fair point, after the last two races showed that the Ferrari can win races, they can’t possibly backslide to the point where they are as bad as they were in Hungary…..can they?
   1. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      16th September 2019, 9:25

      @nikkit Yes, they can.
   2. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      16th September 2019, 12:27

      Sorry, but I am with @jerejj there @nikkit. When you talk about how two weekends that “show we have it difficult” end with finishing the race in 2nd and with a double podium in 2nd and 3rd, I rather think that shows that Mercedes don’t have to do that much extra to keep in the top 4 for the rest of the year and bag both titles with ease.

      I could buy it if Mercedes had dropped off like we’ve seen Ferrari do at times this year, being happy to get a car home in the top 6 or something. But with their points gap, finishing on the podium every week seems more like a shove in than a daunting prospect.
      1. 

         bosyber (@bosyber)
         16th September 2019, 13:44

         I could see Mexico as the one race where Mercedes might have a problem getting on the podium, depending on how good Ferrari do in the corners there @bascb, @jerejj, @nikkit, but on the whole I have to agree that I can’t see Mercedes not having both cars mostly finish near the podium, and usually inside of the top six for the rest of the season.

         I guess in theory they could have another Germany, but it remains that I cannot see Ferrari as the biggest barrier to them winning both championships.
   3. 

      NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
      19th September 2019, 8:29

      Fair point, if he didn’t make it every time and was wrong 90% of the time.

      Only hope I have right now for Ferrari is Leclerc in amazing form and great fighting spirit. Bolstered by his recent victories, his confidence must be sky high.
3. 

   nase
   16th September 2019, 7:25

   @ Toto Wolff’s comment:

   There’s seven races to go and we have a solid gap in both championships. But obviously a string of one or two really bad weekends can make it swing in the other direction

   Unless the meaning of “swing” has been changed to “to turn a crushing domination into a slightly less crushing one”, Wolff’s assessment has to be labeled as alternative facts. Hamilton’s lead over the next competitor that isn’t his team mate is 99 points. 99! Hamilton could go on a vacation for the next 6 weeks (and 4 days), missing the next 4 races, and unless Verstappen managed to win all 4 races, or Leclerc won all four races plus at least 3 fastest laps, Hamilton would still be ahead of the entire non-Mercedes competition.
   Seeing as he’s rather unlikely to take the next month and a half off, and assuming he’ll continue to score like he did before the summer break, Mercedes will have wrapped the WDC up in Suzuka. By then, only Bottas will still be in contention, at least mathematically.

   Who is he fooling? Does he think the average F1 fan suffers from terminal dyscalculia?
   1. 

      banana88x (@banana88x)
      16th September 2019, 7:42

      Who is he fooling? Does he think the average F1 fan suffers from terminal dyscalculia?

      What do you expect him to say? That they know they are miles away in both championships and that they can settle for 2nd or 3rd in the remaining races and still win both of them?

      There is a reason Mercedes is on a very high level of professionalism which I account Toto for.
      1. 

         Chaitanya
         16th September 2019, 7:54

         What Toto talks in front of press and how the team operates behind the scenes is quite different. Behind the scenes unlike their Italian opponent they are a well lubricated machine working towards a common goal .
         1. 

            NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
            19th September 2019, 7:08

            Behind the scenes there must be all hell breaking loose with a massive effort towards every single detail.

            It show how they turn a dog from pre-season in to a dominant car within a few races.

            Meanwhile Ferrari is still fixing their wrong approach and its September. Ferrari does not handle turning well.
      2. 

         nase
         16th September 2019, 10:01

         @banana88x

         What do you expect him to say?

         There must be trillions of ways to say “We won’t stop giving it absolutely everything before we’ve secured both titles” in other words.
         99% of those ways would not ahve required him to tell intellectually insulting lies that are immediately obvious to anyone with a basic grasp of arithmetic.
   2. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      16th September 2019, 9:27

      @nase You mean WCC by Suzuka. The WDC more likely in Mexico or COTA at the rate of the last three-four races.
      1. 

         nase
         16th September 2019, 9:55

         @jerejj

         You mean WCC by Suzuka.

         No, I mean WDC in/at Suzuka, precisely because

         the rate of the last three-four races.

         is not how the season went so far. Spa and Monza were outliers, tipping the balance in Ferrari’s favour while Red Bull temporarily went missing. However, if you look at the course of the season before that, you’ll notice that Hamilton has been steadily drawing away from his non-Mercedes competitors at a rate of 6 (Verstappen), 7 (Vettel), and 8 points per race (Leclerc) on average.
         Wit Red Bull more likely to score strongly again, as well as Ferrari slipping back to their normal 2019 level of competitiveness, Hamilton’s points lead over the next non-Mercedes driver (currently 99) is more than likely to exceed the 104 points needed to make sure that the only remaining challenger is Bottas.
         1. 

            nase
            16th September 2019, 10:03

            Correction: 9.9 points per race in Leclerc’s case.
            1. 

               bosyber (@bosyber)
               16th September 2019, 13:54

               There is one thing I think might remain from these last two races:

               Hamilton has been steadily drawing away from his non-Mercedes competitors at a rate of 6 (Verstappen), 7 (Vettel), and 8 points per race (Leclerc [corrected to almost 10] ) on average.

               Leclerc losing less than Vettel nase, and it might be that Red Bull does better with their improved car during the rest of the season, but I have to agree that if that would turn into 4-5; 8; and 10 on average for Verstappen, Leclerc, and Vettel, it stil would mean there’s little to worry about.
            2. 

               nase
               16th September 2019, 15:13

               @bosyber
               You’re absolutely right. I didn’t want to keep tabs on too many aspects for fear of burying the core message, but it still ended up this way.

               Also:

               if that would turn into 4-5; 8; and 10 on average for Verstappen, Leclerc, and Vettel, it stil would mean there’s little to worry about.

               Even better for Mercedes: In the next three races Hamilton basically just needs to maintain his lead, only slightly outscoring Verstappen by 5 and Leclerc by 2 points, while not allowing Vettel to catch up by more than 10 points, to secure the Drivers’ title for Mercedes. Not only is this excessively likely, considering how the season went so far, there’s even a small-ish chance of this already happening at Sochi.
         2. 

            Jere (@jerejj)
            16th September 2019, 15:01

            @nase I get your point now. I misinterpreted it a bit.
            1. 

               nase
               16th September 2019, 15:24

               @jerejj
               Alrighty :)
   3. 

      Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
      16th September 2019, 23:43

      Ferrari have the quickest since pre-season testing. Mercedes has been making miracles on a weekend basis.

      Seriously, Ferrari could have an okay weekend in Singapore, depends on the overall grip and tyre performance, tyres were hard in Hungary, if that’s the case then no way, not that many aero corners lots of traction and braking, long track don’t know how that plays out with regen.
4. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   16th September 2019, 9:30

   It’s interesting to (re)read some of the things about the infamous Renault crash-gate saga this many years later. Especially the telemetry data in the linked article.
5. 

   Adam (@rocketpanda)
   16th September 2019, 11:51

   Toto? Hyping up Ferrari again? So it’s going to be a Mercedes 1-2?

   Honestly I’ll be surprised if there’s a Ferrari on the podium.
   1. 

      ian dearing
      16th September 2019, 12:30

      So hyping up Ferrari by saying they will be better than Hungary where they finished over a minute behind Hamilton? That’s some hype!
6. 

   Niefer (@niefer)
   16th September 2019, 17:09

   Here it comes, Mr. Brightside!
7. 

   Joseph (@bigjoe)
   16th September 2019, 19:13

   One thing Ferrari are best at by far, is singing their national anthem, unlike the miserable Germans and Austrians.
   1. 

      F1oSaurus (@)
      17th September 2019, 19:11

      @bigjoe Unfortunately it’s also the only thing. Besides they rarely get to sing it in F1, so how important a skill is that really?

      You have to be really down and out to claim something like this. Are you ok?
      1. 

         Joseph (@bigjoe)
         17th September 2019, 19:50

         @f1osaurus

         I’m good thanks.
         I haven’t invested my ego into a team or driver. So the passion is great to see from Ferrari, something I enjoy seeing.
         1. 

            F1oSaurus (@)
            17th September 2019, 21:59

            @bigjoe So instead of being a fan, you just project all your hatred towards then one that is beating them all.

            You’re really not good …
            1. 

               Joseph (@bigjoe)
               17th September 2019, 22:35

               @f1osaurus

               Thanks.

               I think if Williams hit the big time again, their mechanics would show a lot of patriotism. That would be really nice to see.
               My dream team would be Williams with Hamilton and Newey. And have them compete with Riccairdo and Leclerc at Ferrari
8. 

   hamiledon
   16th September 2019, 19:44

   Oh and Toto will be more chatty in Singapore than Italy for sure. Not Leclerc but Verstappen may shut his big mouth after the race.
   1. 

      Joseph (@bigjoe)
      17th September 2019, 22:36

      I’m waiting for him to break that desk :)
9. 

   NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
   19th September 2019, 7:05

   “Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff predicts Ferrari won’t be as weak in Singapore”

   Sooo, 40 seconds off pace? Is that 50? Maybe 30? Will Hamilton take it easy up front and only finish 20 seconds in front of Ferrari?

   I heard wind blow before.

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