The make-or-break tyre call facing drivers in F1’s first sprint qualifying race

17 comments on “The make-or-break tyre call facing drivers in F1’s first sprint qualifying race”

1. 

   BlueChris (@bluechris)
   17th July 2021, 10:08

   Max has the lowest high speed which is strange imo. Isn’t RB the car with lowest wings?
   1. 

      Balue (@balue)
      17th July 2021, 11:23

      @bluechris Verstappen slowest, Hamilton quickest. 10 kmh is huge.
      1. 

         Ilanin
         17th July 2021, 11:36

         Mercedes were running in formation, with Hamilton getting a distant tow from Bottas all qualifying, which will be worth a fair amount on the straights. Christian Horner was….shall we say commenting on this in the UK feed qualifying.
         1. 

            Steve (@scbriml)
            17th July 2021, 15:35

            Verstappen had a tow from Hamilton on his first run in Q3.
         2. 

            Balue (@balue)
            17th July 2021, 15:51

            Bottas has almost the same
   2. 

      Ilanin
      17th July 2021, 11:39

      I wish they’d stop doing that. This is my favourite example of why not to put a speed trap in a braking zone:
   3. 

      someone or something
      17th July 2021, 12:55

      @hazelsouthwell
      I’m all for finding explanations that aren’t obvious (and yes, speed trap figures and actual top speed can tell different stories), but I really (really, really) doubt this explanation right here.
      – Firstly, while speed traps are usually close to the end of a straight, they’re usually not that close to the braking zone (with the possible exception of wet track conditions, which sometimes result in absurd readings*)
      – Secondly, this applies even more so to Stowe corner, seeing as there barely even is a braking zone. They’d have to put the speed trap somewhere around the point where cars start turning in to catch any differences in braking.
      – Thirdly, F1 cars have massive deceleration. 10 kph is what you’d get for barely lifting your foot off the throttle for a split second. Under braking, we know they can have decelerations around 5 g, so they lose up to 50 m/s per second spent pressing on the brake pedal (=180 kph). Even if we assume that Verstappen and Hamilton had identical top speeds, and that the difference of 10 kph is the result of Verstappen braking earlier, that’d mean Verstappen would’ve needed to start braking 1/18 of a second, or 4.9 meters (320 kph = 89 m/s, divided by 18), before the speed trap. How likely is that? Coincidences exist, but it does sound rather unlikely that the one speed trap on the track is placed in such a way that it catches the tiny difference in braking points between two very closely matched drivers.
      – Fourthly, the entire grid falls within those 10 kph. Are we really to assume that Verstappen was the only one to brake a tiny bit earlier than everyone else, despite driving one of the most competitive cars and enjoying the best track conditions in Q3? Wouldn’t we at least expect the Haases to struggle to brake as late as Hamilton, with their lack of downforce and seeing as they failed to progress past Q1?
      – Lastly, and most importantly, the circuit map, which can be accessed here, places the speed trap at 140 meters before corner 15 (Stowe). In other words, here. A long way before you’d even think of slowing down.

      Conclusion: The difference in top speed between Verstappen and Hamilton cannot be plausibly explained by braking, nor can braking ever explain differences in top speed except in extreme circumstances.
      No, the easiest explanation is indeed that Mercedes have a setup with more straight-line speed. Both Mercedes on top, both Red Bulls far down the order, sometimes it can be as easy as that.

      Sorry for that wall of text and inevitable episodes of mansplaining, but this was one of those instances where a small remark seemed to exhibit such a profound misunderstanding that I found it appropriate to go back to the basics and perform a plausibility check.

      *such as a driver going much faster than the rest by missing the braking point once, or a driver seemingly lacking 30-40 kph of top speed simply because they always braked a bit earlier
      1. 

         Maho Pacheco
         17th July 2021, 15:05

         COTD!! or the week, this was amazing and part of why I love F1.
2. 

   Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
   17th July 2021, 11:34

   Freedom of tyre choice is the only thing that I find particularly interesting about this weekend’s new format. Hopefully that will lead to some more different strategy choices for both ‘races’. Though since the sprint is a no-stopper it’s more likely that the majority will choose the same tyre. My hope is that for Sunday’s race there will be more of a mix of strategies throughout the grid and that will lead them to consider scrapping the Q2 tyre rule for good.
3. 

   Kribana (@krichelle)
   17th July 2021, 11:37

   We need more tyres….. if we are to have this format for more options to teams….
4. 

   StephenH
   17th July 2021, 11:44

   For me, I reckon it’s going to be the F1 equivalent of when they introduced ‘golden goal’ extra time in football at Euro 96.

   All it did was guarantee penalties as teams would play ultra defensive so as not to concede.

   It’s going to be a 17 lap parade.

   And yet if one ever so slightly out of the ordinary thing happens (ie Verstappen having a reliability issue that puts him at the back) it’s going to be hailed as the single greatest thing ever to happen to F1 and will be written into the sporting regs for next year without a moment’s thought.

   Yesterday’s qualifying session was brilliant. I was on the edge of my seat and gripped by it.

   I doubt today will have anything to keep me like that.
   1. 

      Robbie (@robbie)
      17th July 2021, 14:47

      I’m reserving my judgement for now but would only say that there are 3-2-1 points to be had so I’m not convinced the Sprint will be a parade. I expect at a minimum for as enthralling a start as a race holds. And they’re racers. If one wants to be complacent they may find themselves getting passed.

      And the thing about yesterday’s qualifying, and the normal Saturday quali sessions so far this season, is that we finally have what is usually turning out to be an unknown as to whether it will be Max or LH getting pole. Prior to this season it has been about by how much LH will get pole, with the odd one by VB. This season aside, I can see why they had been looking for a potentially more exciting way to qualify.
5. 

   José Abreu (@jabr)
   17th July 2021, 13:29

   Imagine the repercussions if Bottas/Perez takes out Verstappen/Hamilton this afternoon.

   And what a nice main race it will be (not) if either Verstappen or Hamilton hit a problem today. The other guy basically will have the win in his pocket.
   1. 

      Esploratore (@esploratore1)
      17th July 2021, 16:50

      Well, and if they get a problem tomorrow? Same thing, isn’t it?
6. 

   Srdjan Mandic (@srga91)
   17th July 2021, 13:32

   Considering none of the top-10 runners have any fresh softs left, I expect them to all start on the mediums. From Alonso down, a fresh set of softs is definitely an option, as the degredation doesn’t seem too bad over 17 laps.
7. 

   Melbourne '96 (@melbourne-96)
   17th July 2021, 14:43

   Can anyone explain the difference in number of medium & softs left? If everybody had 2*H, 4*M and 6*S how come the numbers don’t add up?
   1. 

      Melbourne '96 (@melbourne-96)
      17th July 2021, 14:45

      Aha, now I see all 9 left, must be the reason. :-)

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