F1 2019

[GeeJayW]

All a bit smoke and mirrors at this stage. We'll see the real pace tomorrow and Sunday will reveal if Red Bull Honda have something that resembles a race durable car (engine).

 

[Bellow]

All a bit smoke and mirrors at this stage. We'll see the real pace tomorrow and Sunday will reveal if Red Bull Honda have something that resembles a race durable car (engine).

Red Bull this year are a main point of interest to me. This is make or break for them I think. If the Honda engine doesn't allow them to race for the championship then I suspect all that will happen is that Max races Gasly all season and even if the Honda unit is good, Max may spend the season racing Gasly and not LH and SV.
Horner's bet the farm on Honda and Max. If it doesn't come good this year, then I suspect RB is the next McLaren and Williams.

 

[Dryce]

Horner's bet the farm on Honda and Max. If it doesn't come good this year, then I suspect RB is the next McLaren and Williams.

I would put my money on the Honda power unit being just about quick enough - but with reliability issues.

RB chassis ability and MV driver ability are exceptional. So that means it's likely that RB and MV will get some decent speed at times. The question will be can they last long enough to finish a race.

So likely situation is MV getting frustrated - Honda showing potential - and therefore I think the question will be whether MV is given enough confidence about next year and stays cool headed enough in his long term outlook. If the Honda unit can show some real speed and improving reliability - and that he can get some podiums then it has to be at the back of his mind that he has a unique opportunity to get into the sort of position that Senna managed - not just in with the team but in with the engine manufacturer. If this year works out frustrating but with growing potential then a three way commitent between RB, Honda, and MV could be his best opportunity to get several WDCs.

 

[brucemillar]

Qualifying generally indicates the ultimate pace that is in the car. So, if on a given weekend one of the faster teams has a problem and ends up staring from the back, they still have an inherently faster car than those in front of them. So instead of managing their race pace to suit the chasing pack, they can use a different race strategy that utilises the capabilities of the car to chase down the slower cars ahead. This comes at a price though and can reduce the 'life' of the driveline or other components that may subsequently need to be changed early. Another issue is whether they can deliver a faster race pace without exceeding the fuel allocation or flow rate.

So, a Ferrari or Mercedes or Red Bull starting out of position at the back of the field can come back into contention because they have a faster car than some of the others. They also arguably have more talented drivers that can exploit the faster car. Lewis and Daniel for example have managed wins or strong podiums from the back, while Seb has struggled to get a decent result if he isn't on or near the from at the start.

We won't know, though of course we can speculate with reasonable certainty, who will have the fastest cars this season until we get into qualifying this weekend.

As for street races, I think they do add some interest from a TV spectator perspective. Must be a bit of nightmare from a car setup viewpoint though, uneven road surfaces that are not clean or used for racing all year. And how the drivers wind themselves up to thread their way past the swimming pool at Monaco is beyond thinking about.

And lets not forget that unknown factor/quantity. EGO!!

Racing car drivers do not like starting at the back (no mater the odds). It can be quiet a shock to these "out of position" cars & drivers, carving their way through a field that in normal race pace, they would struggle to keep abreast with. How often we see the fastest lap coming from an out of position driver/car. Yes I accept that often the team will open the presents and let the driver play, if the sense that they are in for a barren weekend. But they still need the pedals to go faster than the others out there :^)

 

[Bellow]

The effectiveness of the Honda engine is vital - both in speed and as you allude, reliability. RB's chassis ability has been good - especially the aero side. But - and this is where I question teams who run essentially rookie drivers - does MV have the ability to 'feedback' to the engineers to get the best out of the car on any day, and ensure the development path is in the right direction? He may well have what is required - but if he's at all lacking there - then it's a tall order to expect Gasly to fill in the gaps. In the way that Ricciardo would have.

Agreed, the potential for MV to forge a long career with Honda is a stunning opportunity. Times are different from Senna's days though - we've already seen Honda quit F1 when the finances didn't work for them. They had a past record then though that still carried weight and could quit when first time around they just couldn't have. Also, it's odd to say it after all we know about Senna's stellar career - but at the beginning, Honda wanted him not for his talents but his nationality. Honda wanted to sell lawnmowers in Brazil. A quick Chinese driver on the scene.....

 

[bob6600]

Watching the FP1 and FP2, it was mentioned that the Honda unit is reportedly not far off (power) from MB and Ferrari. It had also been tested on a dyno to 7 GP lengths so maybe the reliability is a lot better than before. Oh and they apparently also have a Qualy mode too.

 

[Bellow]

Is Honda's engine HCCI? Does anyone know?

 

[GeeJayW]

Is Honda's engine HCCI? Does anyone know?

I don't think it is, though have wondered about that too. If it were HCCI, there would be more (some) mention of it surely? I also wondered if it was a 'big bang' engine with cylinders firing in pairs. Again, probably not because I've not heard anybody say anything. It does sound odd at times though.

 

[Bellow]

I don't think it is, though have wondered about that too. If it were HCCI, there would be more (some) mention of it surely? I also wondered if it was a 'big bang' engine with cylinders firing in pairs. Again, probably not because I've not heard anybody say anything. It does sound odd at times though.

There's a rumour that it is - though I can't remember where I first heard it. The difference in sound (to other engines) has also been mentioned and is reckoned to be it shifting between HCCI and conventional modes.
It seems that something special is necessary to be fuel efficient and thus competitive. Rumoured that MB had TJI (originally Australian now owned by Mahle) from the outset and when Ferrari obtained it that was the start of it being competitive.
Seems odd that Honda could be using HCCI while Mazda is the company trumpeting it as its next production engine.
I have a HCCI engine here - had it for years. Don't go scratching your head as to what it is as you'll only want to kick yourself when it dawns on you it runs on ether - and displaces all of 1cc. 14000 rpm aint too shabby for an engine otherwise known as a 'diesel'. Variable CR too.

 

[GeeJayW]

Some of my colleagues were working with an HCCI single cylinder research engine a number of years ago. Getting the conditions right over a useful operating range is tricky. Managing the very rapid rate of pressure rise and associated mechanical forces is also not easy. It's an interesting area though.

 

[Nat]

Just watched the first Qualy for 2019. Interesting times ahead and I'm looking forward to watching the race

 

[TwoDogs80]

Well done Hamilton P1!

 

[GeeJayW]

Tight between the MB boys... Hoping for a good entertains race.

 

[brucemillar]

The effectiveness of the Honda engine is vital - both in speed and as you allude, reliability. RB's chassis ability has been good - especially the aero side. But - and this is where I question teams who run essentially rookie drivers - does MV have the ability to 'feedback' to the engineers to get the best out of the car on any day, and ensure the development path is in the right direction? He may well have what is required - but if he's at all lacking there - then it's a tall order to expect Gasly to fill in the gaps. In the way that Ricciardo would have.

Agreed, the potential for MV to forge a long career with Honda is a stunning opportunity. Times are different from Senna's days though - we've already seen Honda quit F1 when the finances didn't work for them. They had a past record then though that still carried weight and could quit when first time around they just couldn't have. Also, it's odd to say it after all we know about Senna's stellar career - but at the beginning, Honda wanted him not for his talents but his nationality. Honda wanted to sell lawnmowers in Brazil. A quick Chinese driver on the scene.....

Honda (like all “National style” Companies) would love a Japanese Driver sat in front on their engines winning races.

Do not be surprised to see some pressure to make this happen once they feel they have the package in place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TwoDogs80]

Nice to see 3 Brits on the grid and such a young grid too! Youngest since 1950 or something like that. Fearless, leads to entertaining races. We hope!

 

[GeeJayW]

Honda (like all “National style” Companies) would love a Japanese Driver sat in front on their engines winning races.

Do not be surprised to see some pressure to make this happen once they feel they have the package in place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Japan has unfortunately to date not been able to produce a really top driver, so unless they do....

 

[TwoDogs80]

That's because they only drive around tracks sideways!

 

[Bellow]

Some of my colleagues were working with an HCCI single cylinder research engine a number of years ago. Getting the conditions right over a useful operating range is tricky. Managing the very rapid rate of pressure rise and associated mechanical forces is also not easy. It's an interesting area though.

Cheers for the response - but it isn't fair to derail another thread with this kind of stuff. So, at some point soon(ish) I will start an Engine Stuff thread where engines new and old and everything inbetween can be discussed.

 

[leef44]

Tight between the MB boys... Hoping for a good entertains race.

Did you see how relieved Hamilton was?
I think he felt extremely stressed about getting pole.
That first pole gives him the edge which he needs in the media to keep him mentally fighting fit to win another championship.
He is trying to keep Bottas firmly in the no.2 spot.
From Toto's tone in the post interviews, it suggests that Bottas is going to have to prove that he is not a no.2 driver rather than being assumed as equal drivers (maybe his contract has changed).

 

[bob6600]

Lewis was 7 tenths ahead last year too but lost the race. Let's hope the strategy doesn't let him down if he's in the same position this time around. McLaren did well getting into Q3 although Sainz was a bit unlucky. Renault are probably the most disappointed with their performance