F1 2021
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Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Figures.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Lewis Hamilton will start Saturday's Sprint Qualifying race in Brazil from the pit lane after the DRS on his Mercedes car was found to have broken technical regulations. Hamilton was set to take first place on the grid for Saturday's 24-lap race following an impressive showing in qualifying, that saw him finish four tenths clear of World Championship leader Max Verstappen. However FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer found something amiss with the Drag Reduction System on Hamilton's Mercedes car following Friday afternoon's action at Interlagos. Hamilton's DRS was alleged to have opened up further than the permitted range, and thus reduced drag, while increasing top speed.
Hamilton to start from pit lane
After looking into the matter, the stewards have found that Hamilton's car did in fact break Article 3.6.3 of the 2021 Formula 1 Technical Regulations. The ruling adds to what has already been a tricky weekend for Hamilton, who will serve a separate five-place grid penalty for Sunday's Grand Prix after Mercedes changed his engine ahead of the race weekend.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
I can't help but feel Mercedes have taken their eye off the ball this season.
The race strategies stank. The engine is unreliable. The car is clearly far from best on the grid.
And this seemingly trivial rear-wing screw-up will probably cost them the constructors and the drivers championship.
Toto, get a grip.
The race strategies stank. The engine is unreliable. The car is clearly far from best on the grid.
And this seemingly trivial rear-wing screw-up will probably cost them the constructors and the drivers championship.
Toto, get a grip.
Ax^
Silly Rabbit
ahh to be fair the reworking of the floor rules ruining the low rack car consept has to be taken into account
a year before a whole car rule change its not like Merc could piss money away redesiging thier car concept
the fia want a change this year and looks like they've got it
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
I’ll place my conspiraloon tinfoil hat on and ask how hard are they actually trying this year? At times McLaren with a Merc engine have looked to have the same pace as the works team and that’s never happened in the hybrid era. There have been all the miscellaneous slip ups and weaknesses you mentioned.
This is not merc transacting at their full potential, so does it happen by accident or does it suit their political agenda to let one championship go so they can dominate again in the post 2022 new rules, cost cap era without attracting too many rule changes which harm them? If Merc do win this year and next then surely the powers that be would have to nobble them somehow as one team winning relentlessly kills the sport if it carries on too long.
Toto is a wise fella and although he wants to win, he’s smart enough to know that sometimes it’s good politics to let someone else get their hand on the ball for a while.
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
That would certainly address the sub-par performance of the cars.
But even Toto can't plan the kind of sloppiness and carelessness that Mercedes have exhibited so often this season.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Why has Hamilton been disqualified in Brazil?
Two hearings were held, with an initial one between the stewards and Mercedes on Friday evening, and a second one on Saturday morning. The issue was complicated by an investigation into Max Verstappen, who was seen touching the Mercedes rear wing in parc ferme after qualifying - this situation has since been resolved separately after being found to have had no impact on Hamilton's wing.With the technical investigation into Hamilton's rear wing now complete, the full findings of the stewards verdict can be revealed. The stewards confirmed that the testing of Hamilton's DRS slot, done using an 85mm gauge, was carried out on four occasions with two separate gauges. This was done in the presence of the stewards and Mercedes representatives. The Friday hearing was held with the FIA's Jo Bauer and Nicholas Tombaszis, with Mercedes represented by Ron Meadows and Simon Cole. The Saturday hearing was further attended by Mercedes' Chief Designer John Owen, with Bauer absent from that hearing.
"The Competitor [Mercedes] asserted that the design is intended to meet the regulations," said the verdict. "It was clear to the Stewards that the additional deflection was due to additional play either in the DRS actuator or the pivots at the end, or some combination or other fault with the mechanism, or incorrect assembly of the parts." The design has been tested regularly during the season, without incident, and the FIA clarified that the design meets the intent of the regulations and that there is no doubt that this particular failure indicated any intent to exceed the maximum limit, either by action or design.
"[Mercedes] alleged that the fact that the car passed the test in the centre section of the wing is both a mitigating factor and shows that there was no intent to breach the regulation," continued the stewards' document. "While the Stewards accept that the latter point may be true, the Stewards believe that which sections failed is not relevant to the fact that the wing did fail the test. [Mercedes] noted that this is not a systemic breach, and is indeed unique. It was, rather, something gone wrong. They further noted that they would have liked to have had the opportunity to inspect the parts with a view to having some explanation for the Stewards as to how the problem arose. However, the Stewards fundamentally accept [Mercedes'] explanation that the cause of the failed test was something “gone wrong” rather than a deliberate action. The Stewards, therefore, chose to keep the assembly under seal and preserve the evidence of the failure, rather than altering the parts in an inspection which would have involved some handling of the parts and thus some alteration of the evidence."
Were there mitigating circumstances?
Mercedes also made the plea that it is usual practice for the FIA Technical Department to allow teams to fix minor problems that they find with their cars, even in parc ferme conditions. "Had [Mercedes] recognized this problem during qualifying they surely would have sought, and the FIA Technical Department confirmed, they would have received permission to fix the parts or tighten bolts if needed," said the stewards. "The Stewards were sympathetic to this argument and analysed whether they felt this was a mitigating circumstance. It is often a mitigating circumstance to make allowances for crash damage. However, the Stewards could not extend this argument to cover parts that were found out of conformity in post session checks with no obvious reason in evidence other than considering normal running at this Event. In the end, the regulations are clear and at the moment of the conformity check, the car did not comply."Interesting to note
"However, in summary the Competitor of car 44 also agreed that it was unlikely that Verstappen’s actions caused the fault, however they felt that it was an open question." So the stewards' statement says that Hamilton didn't think Verstappen's action caused the issue with his rear wing.
a_chap
When the world came apart, where were you?
Silverstone Auctions | Williams F1 - ‘Red 5’ FW14 Display Car
Williams F1 - ‘Red 5’ FW14 Display Carwww.silverstoneauctions.com
I want this so much. No idea what I’d do with it, but, still…
When they say it's genuine...
1%er
Well-Known Member
I think someone fucked up there as Williams FW14 was built in 1991 when Mansell raced for them and it was a Renault powered car I believe
a_chap
When the world came apart, where were you?
Quite apart from the fact that the photos on the auction site (where I took that clipping from) have "Renault" plastered all over the car...
Ax^
Silly Rabbit
you know chanddock is involved in the williams heritage team
and this one is just a showcar not a race car
the article below is kinda interesting
INSIGHT: How Williams revived its FW14B
and this one is just a showcar not a race car
the article below is kinda interesting
INSIGHT: How Williams revived its FW14B
1%er
Well-Known Member
If Lewis doesn't get into the top ten in the sprint, I'd take another power-unit if I were Mercedes, if he takes it between the sprint and the race, he'll just move back for the race tomorrow and can still try and get into the points and have a spare power-unit and maximise the new ones out for the last 3 races and hope Verstappen drops some points in one of those races
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MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Has he not already got a 5 place drop in tomorrow’s grid due to his already taken engine swap? You’re saying he should take another?
1%er
Well-Known Member
Yes, if he doesn't get into the top ten in the sprint he'll start back in 15th at best so may as well go back to 20 as he'll get past the back cars quickly I believe and take the extra power-unit for the last races. A new engine will make him really quick for the last races and if Max drops points in the last 3 races Lewis can still win the championship. Starting 15 or 20th isn't much different with his speed
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Yeah, good point.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Medium is the safe option but as we have seen over the season so far the soft can last upto 30 laps and the sprint is 24 laps, I think Lewis will go for the soft
Edit Lewis on the medium
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