Racing Point looking way better than I expect. Ferrari, and all Ferrari powered cars, look like they are driving through mud. Ricciardo can't catch a break. It's Lando's turn to sabotage himself.
And looks like possibly rain tomorrow could affect or cancel qualifying. Chaos reigns!
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I've stopped buying F1 games until they add VR support. Pretty much full stop. Especially since when my new rig gets here, I won't have a screen in front of me any more when using my driving gear. My ultrawide is staying attached to my Obutto for flight sim stuff.
So, my copy of F1 2020 arrived yesterday and I got a chance to play last night. Its fun. I really like the new Zandvoort course, haven't tried Hanoi yet. Unfortunately, I don't have extensive knowledge of F1 2019, but my impression is, that its not that different in terms of gameplay. Of course, the new MyTeam mode is something completely new - but I haven't tried it out yet. There are a few bugs though - my game routinely froze in a loading screen.
Gonna try MyTeam next, from what I saw on YouTube it looks like fun.
I've had 2 or 3 crashes on the Time Trial mode either crossing the line after setting a good time, or when quitting the session. This leads me to believe it's something related to the leaderboards/ghosts.
As far as gameplay, yeah, don't expect anything groundbreaking here: we're talking about the FIFA/Madden of racing games.
I like the Overtake button functionality, though, much more than shuffling through ERS modes.
Some rumblings from around F1. First off, Bottas and Leclerc both went back to Monaco mid week. Bottas stayed within his social bubble, Leclerc seemingly did not (and there are pictures to show it apparently). The FIA wrote to Ferrari over the issue. Not great when there are pretty stringent measures to prevent the sport having to shut down again.
Quali tomorrow is uncertain due to the risk of heavy rain/thunderstorms. It may change of course, but the impression given today was certainly that if it rains as heavily as expected, it would be washed out.
In good news, now that the FIA have got rid of the ridiculous helmet rule, Vettel can have some fun with his designs again:
Mugello in Italy is confirmed to be holding its first ever F1 race on 13 September, and Sochi will host the Russian GP on 27 September, bringing the calendar so far up to 10 races.
Portimao in Portugal, also new to F1, is also expected to host a race after Russia.
Mugello is gonna be bloody intense to drive. I saw a Jimmer vid recently pinging around it in a F1 car and the back half of the circuit is a non-stop, high-g, 200mph roller coaster. The drivers insides will be well and truly turned to mush at the end of that race!
Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
That will go down as one of the greatest qualifying laps of all time. What a statement.
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
edited July 2020
Wow oh wow...what a lap.
That's up there with his Singapore lap from a couple years back. What a monster of a lap in the wet. He said "Hold on there young fella, I'm still the champ" to Verstappen.
That was one hell of a lap all right! 1.2 seconds is massive.
Some pretty impressive driving throughout the grid. For a wet qualifying and changing conditions, there were very few spins and incident overall. Verstappen was right up there for most of the session (as expected in the wet). Russell put in a hell of a performance to get P12. Sainz and Ocon both putting in great laps as well. Gasly put in an impressive performance to get into Q3.
A few who will be disappointed though. Ferrari looked pretty awful and just about scraped into Q3 again. Racing point were also pretty far down the grid compared to their FP2 pace.
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SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
Just catching up via the highlights and damn
masterclass from Hamiliton as said upthread but I am starting to believe in McLaren, if they can convert again then they may stand a real chance of 3rd in the constructors this year which would be amazing.
Really pleased for Ocon as well, so glad he's getting another shot
I really wish they could find a way to make dry qually even half as good as wet qually. Last time they tried was fucking awful though.
yeah I don't see how. Inherently part of the appeal of wet qualy is that a lot of the predetermined data-driven conclusions get thrown out the window and teams have to fly on instinct, which is both more impressive to get right but also more often wrong.
I really wish they could find a way to make dry qually even half as good as wet qually. Last time they tried was fucking awful though.
yeah I don't see how. Inherently part of the appeal of wet qualy is that a lot of the predetermined data-driven conclusions get thrown out the window and teams have to fly on instinct, which is both more impressive to get right but also more often wrong.
For me it's more that the track is always improving, but there is a very real risk that it could get much much worse at any moment. So you have drivers constantly pushing for the best lap they can manage the whole way through the session because even with 10 minutes left they might never get a better opportunity.
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Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
I really wish they could find a way to make dry qually even half as good as wet qually. Last time they tried was fucking awful though.
yeah I don't see how. Inherently part of the appeal of wet qualy is that a lot of the predetermined data-driven conclusions get thrown out the window and teams have to fly on instinct, which is both more impressive to get right but also more often wrong.
For me it's more that the track is always improving, but there is a very real risk that it could get much much worse at any moment. So you have drivers constantly pushing for the best lap they can manage the whole way through the session because even with 10 minutes left they might never get a better opportunity.
Initial read on it is a boneheaded move by Leclerc. I don’t see how he could expect carrying that much momentum into that corner at that point was going to work.
McLaren seem to have car that falls off slower than almost anyone else, that's two weeks in a row where their early race pace has been shaky but they show up strong at the end of the race
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Not a spectacular race, but it had some moments, and at this point I don't care, just happy to be talking about Formula 1 again Sunday mornings.
The race...
Hamilton look dialed in. If this was his "switch on" moment of the year, watch out. He's only 6 wins from Schumacher's record, and with at minimum 8 races to go, I think he has a gunslingers chance to take the record this year. If the rumored 18 race schedule comes to pass I think his chances are very high.
Ferrari...man oh man. From bad to nightmare in one turn. I'm a big LeClerc fan but that was just silly. If we're honest, it's normally Seb doing that kind of banzai stuff. I think the pressure of being so far off the pace is starting to show. Ferrari is such a political place to work and drive and you know the senior management at Maranello will want action. As much as I like him as a character and a person, I think his general attitude has been good for Ferrari, I wonder if Binotto makes it through the year at this rate?
Red Bull certainly looks racey. I still think they are a couple clicks off Mercedes, especially when Mercedes feels even a little threatened and turns up the wick. I think next year is going to be fascinating if Red Bull keeps on this trajectory. Rules stability should further tighten up the cars, which is always least beneficial for the team at the front.
From the results so far, it looks like the season is a fight between the Merc drivers. Red Bull are still a good bit off and Ferrari are nowhere.
Strong weekend from Hamilton all round. Smashed it in Quali and was never really threatened in the race. Could comfortably hold a 5-6s gap over Verstappen. Bottas' race pace is harder to judge due to the differing strategy and damage to Verstappen's car. It was a lovely piece of defensive driving from Verstappen to hold him off (at least temporarily) though.
Quite a few questions raised over Albon's pace today though. He's not expected to challenge Verstappen, but he was far enough off the pace that Merc were essentially given a free pit stop. It's the same problem hey had last year in Hungary with Gasly driving - the clear space allows Merc to easily out-strategy Red Bull. Was at risk of losing the position to Perez as well.
Of the other teams, it looks as though the order may be: Racing Point - Renault - McLaren. Racing point have a step on the other two, while McLaren's race pace seems to be a tad below Renault (except at the end of the race apparently). It's very close between those two though.
Typing this post took longer than Ferrari's race lasted. A stupid move from Leclerc. All that remains is to see how Ferrari handle the aftermath.
Renault and protesting against Racing Point for getting beat by the 2019 Mercedes suspicion of using designs directly from Mercedes (or something like that?) I'll wait and see how that protest takes, but so far everyone else, FIA included, were OK with the design with wikipedia foot notes.
Look, I'm not going to lie, I've enjoyed the nickname "Tracing Point" and think they should be allowed to keep the car just for that nickname. Also I highly doubt F1 is going to effectively kick a team out of the competition, they have a hard enough time keeping a full grid as it is.
From what I've read, the Renault complaint focuses on the brake ducts on the RP. The aero design had already been cleared by the FIA at the start of the season. There's a very interesting piece on how they did it, along with the challenges involved, here: https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-did-racing-point-copy-mercedes-the-inside-story/
The issue with the brake ducts is that they were not a listed part in 2019, so it was legal for RP to buy and use them then, but they are a listed part for 2020. It's also true that you can't copy the inside of a brake duct from photographs. I imagine there will be a long and protracted argument over it, and RP can hardly be expected to redesign and manufacture new brake ducts in under a week.
Other news is that Mercedes are reported to have signed Bottas for 2021 at least. No announcement as of yet though. The unusual 2020 season and extension of regulations has probably played a part. Knock on effect is that it removes a potential seat for Vettel. While I've been quite critical of Bottas pace in the past (and in 2018 it definitely looked like he was a liablity), he's an experienced driver that works well with the team. In the meantime, the rivals who could have caused trouble have self sabotaged one way or another. Red Bull lost Danny Ric, Ferrari dropped Vettel and have gone all in on Leclerc - and also made a poor car/engine for good measure.
From what I've read, the Renault complaint focuses on the brake ducts on the RP. The aero design had already been cleared by the FIA at the start of the season. There's a very interesting piece on how they did it, along with the challenges involved, here: https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-did-racing-point-copy-mercedes-the-inside-story/
The issue with the brake ducts is that they were not a listed part in 2019, so it was legal for RP to buy and use them then, but they are a listed part for 2020. It's also true that you can't copy the inside of a brake duct from photographs. I imagine there will be a long and protracted argument over it, and RP can hardly be expected to redesign and manufacture new brake ducts in under a week.
Other news is that Mercedes are reported to have signed Bottas for 2021 at least. No announcement as of yet though. The unusual 2020 season and extension of regulations has probably played a part. Knock on effect is that it removes a potential seat for Vettel. While I've been quite critical of Bottas pace in the past (and in 2018 it definitely looked like he was a liablity), he's an experienced driver that works well with the team. In the meantime, the rivals who could have caused trouble have self sabotaged one way or another. Red Bull lost Danny Ric, Ferrari dropped Vettel and have gone all in on Leclerc - and also made a poo car/engine for good measure.
That article is amazing. Reconstructing and understanding the why of their design is much, much more impressive than just a carbon copy. The knowledge gained from that will allow a mid-tier team to race with the big boys (as evidenced last race), let's just hope they can keep up the pace.
And just looking at how much trouble Haas has been having with the brake ducts, yeah, I don't think it's as easy as "copy what you see in the photographs."
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And looks like possibly rain tomorrow could affect or cancel qualifying. Chaos reigns!
I've had 2 or 3 crashes on the Time Trial mode either crossing the line after setting a good time, or when quitting the session. This leads me to believe it's something related to the leaderboards/ghosts.
As far as gameplay, yeah, don't expect anything groundbreaking here: we're talking about the FIFA/Madden of racing games.
I like the Overtake button functionality, though, much more than shuffling through ERS modes.
Quali tomorrow is uncertain due to the risk of heavy rain/thunderstorms. It may change of course, but the impression given today was certainly that if it rains as heavily as expected, it would be washed out.
In good news, now that the FIA have got rid of the ridiculous helmet rule, Vettel can have some fun with his designs again:
Portimao in Portugal, also new to F1, is also expected to host a race after Russia.
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Also the track looks a bit wet today:
They're getting ready for Qualy, but after watching the F3 Race (which was much earlier), that's some really shitty weather to be running in.
Q3:
Only had BBC liveblog to go on, but looking forward to watching on C4 later.
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Notice that he's already reacting before he crosses the line. He knows he just put down a blinder.
Some pretty impressive driving throughout the grid. For a wet qualifying and changing conditions, there were very few spins and incident overall. Verstappen was right up there for most of the session (as expected in the wet). Russell put in a hell of a performance to get P12. Sainz and Ocon both putting in great laps as well. Gasly put in an impressive performance to get into Q3.
A few who will be disappointed though. Ferrari looked pretty awful and just about scraped into Q3 again. Racing point were also pretty far down the grid compared to their FP2 pace.
Really pleased for Ocon as well, so glad he's getting another shot
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
yeah I don't see how. Inherently part of the appeal of wet qualy is that a lot of the predetermined data-driven conclusions get thrown out the window and teams have to fly on instinct, which is both more impressive to get right but also more often wrong.
For me it's more that the track is always improving, but there is a very real risk that it could get much much worse at any moment. So you have drivers constantly pushing for the best lap they can manage the whole way through the session because even with 10 minutes left they might never get a better opportunity.
This is a great point too.
You can for the McLaren one, but oof on the price:
https://www.mclarenstore.com/us/en/mclaren-f1-we-race-as-one-team-u-mask/701210840-orange.html
"Comparable to ffp3" because of some bio active technobabble thing. I'm not sure I completely trust that.
The race...
Ferrari...man oh man. From bad to nightmare in one turn. I'm a big LeClerc fan but that was just silly. If we're honest, it's normally Seb doing that kind of banzai stuff. I think the pressure of being so far off the pace is starting to show. Ferrari is such a political place to work and drive and you know the senior management at Maranello will want action. As much as I like him as a character and a person, I think his general attitude has been good for Ferrari, I wonder if Binotto makes it through the year at this rate?
Red Bull certainly looks racey. I still think they are a couple clicks off Mercedes, especially when Mercedes feels even a little threatened and turns up the wick. I think next year is going to be fascinating if Red Bull keeps on this trajectory. Rules stability should further tighten up the cars, which is always least beneficial for the team at the front.
Strong weekend from Hamilton all round. Smashed it in Quali and was never really threatened in the race. Could comfortably hold a 5-6s gap over Verstappen. Bottas' race pace is harder to judge due to the differing strategy and damage to Verstappen's car. It was a lovely piece of defensive driving from Verstappen to hold him off (at least temporarily) though.
Quite a few questions raised over Albon's pace today though. He's not expected to challenge Verstappen, but he was far enough off the pace that Merc were essentially given a free pit stop. It's the same problem hey had last year in Hungary with Gasly driving - the clear space allows Merc to easily out-strategy Red Bull. Was at risk of losing the position to Perez as well.
Of the other teams, it looks as though the order may be: Racing Point - Renault - McLaren. Racing point have a step on the other two, while McLaren's race pace seems to be a tad below Renault (except at the end of the race apparently). It's very close between those two though.
Typing this post took longer than Ferrari's race lasted. A stupid move from Leclerc. All that remains is to see how Ferrari handle the aftermath.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxWYMI9XhrY
https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-did-racing-point-copy-mercedes-the-inside-story/
The issue with the brake ducts is that they were not a listed part in 2019, so it was legal for RP to buy and use them then, but they are a listed part for 2020. It's also true that you can't copy the inside of a brake duct from photographs. I imagine there will be a long and protracted argument over it, and RP can hardly be expected to redesign and manufacture new brake ducts in under a week.
Other news is that Mercedes are reported to have signed Bottas for 2021 at least. No announcement as of yet though. The unusual 2020 season and extension of regulations has probably played a part. Knock on effect is that it removes a potential seat for Vettel. While I've been quite critical of Bottas pace in the past (and in 2018 it definitely looked like he was a liablity), he's an experienced driver that works well with the team. In the meantime, the rivals who could have caused trouble have self sabotaged one way or another. Red Bull lost Danny Ric, Ferrari dropped Vettel and have gone all in on Leclerc - and also made a poor car/engine for good measure.
That article is amazing. Reconstructing and understanding the why of their design is much, much more impressive than just a carbon copy. The knowledge gained from that will allow a mid-tier team to race with the big boys (as evidenced last race), let's just hope they can keep up the pace.
And just looking at how much trouble Haas has been having with the brake ducts, yeah, I don't think it's as easy as "copy what you see in the photographs."