F1 2021
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1%er
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Mercedes’ Monaco front suspension changes explained
Relative to other tracks, it’s not unusual for teams to modify their brake ducts and front suspension at Monaco, for a little extra steering lock to get around the Loews hairpin and allow for a little extra suspension movement on the undulating roads. Along with that, you might also look at your weakest suspension links and beef them up a little just to allow them to withstand that innocent clip of the barrier that is never more than centimetres away. We can see that Mercedes has altered its front brake ducts to potentially achieve all of the above.
The top half modification on the brake duct (green circle) is probably to improve the cooling of the front calipers. At Monaco, there are no major braking episodes but there are a lot of smaller braking requirements that mean the calipers can build up temperature. If that happens, it can lead to a long brake pedal, which is something that is not confidence-inspiring around Monaco. Along with that, I believe the outer end of the front track rod (red circle) doesn’t slim down as quickly as the normal specification. The trackrod carbon material (blue arrow) also looks different. It’s a more woven material than a unidirectional material and the increased section of that middle brake duct section (yellow arrow) is probably to clear this larger trackrod while giving more room for extra steering lock and suspension movement.
Relative to woven carbon, unidirectional carbon is stiffer in compression so ideal for a trackrod under normal circumstances but not as tough when it comes to getting a load in excess of what it’s designed for. This will increase the weight slightly, but we are talking something like 150grammes so nothing too dramatic. There may also be some steering geometry changes hidden within that brake duct. It’s not uncommon for teams to alter the Ackermann characteristics for Monaco. Ackermann is the relationship of the inside and outside front wheels when steering lock is applied. Changes in this relationship can alter the available grip from the inside tyre in slow corners, but more importantly it can help with front tyre warm-up.
I hear you ask, “if it helps with front tyre warm-up, why not run it all the time?”. The reason is simple you would just destroy the inside front tyre from sliding in corners like T3 and T4 in Barcelona.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Did I fall asleep and wake up in 2023? The Ferraris seem to be class of the field suddenly!
I hope we are not in a 2020 Ferrari engine mystery performance boost scenario again. More likely it’s just the weird characteristics of this track which is suiting the red cars.
I hope we are not in a 2020 Ferrari engine mystery performance boost scenario again. More likely it’s just the weird characteristics of this track which is suiting the red cars.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Verstappen pips Ferrari duo to lead final practice
Max Verstappen edged Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in the final practice ahead of this afternoon's qualifying for the Monaco GP. The Red Bull driver gained the upper hand over his rivals in the closing stages of a session that concluded prematurely after Haas' Mick Schumacher hit the barriers on the exit of Casino Square. More worrying however was the pace of Mercedes' duo, with Valtteri Bottas clocking in P4, 0.471s behind Verstappen while Lewis Hamilton was a massive 0.726s off the pace.After painting the Principality red on Thursday, Ferrari was everyone's center of attention to see of the Italian outfit could confirm its qualifying prospects in Saturday's final practice. But cooler weather and a 40 per cent risk of rain in the session was a factor that could potentially upset the running order for the mid-day dress rehearsal. Nevertheless, Leclerc and Sainz lost no time picking up where they had left off two days earlier, with the duo leading the pack in the session's early running, which took place with everyone out on track save for Hamilton and Bottas.
Twenty minutes into FP3, Verstappen's first clear lap propelled the Dutchman into P2, 0.101s behind Leclerc. But the Red Bull driver, running like most of the field on the soft tyre, pressed on and overhauled the Monegasque with a 1m11.785. However, Sainz would have none of it, leapfrogging both his teammate and Verstappen to take top spot with a 1m11.452s, while Hamilton and Bottas, who had finally got going, popped up into P4 and P5, but over half a second off the pace. With 20 minutes left on the clock the tension started to build, with Sainz improving his best time and strengthening his position at the front. But the momentum died down when Williams' Nicholas Latifi clipped the inside barrier at the Swimming Pool which deflected the Canadian over the sausage kerb and into the wall on the exit, an incident that brought out the red flag.
The track was cleared with 11 minutes to go. Verstappen attempted a flyer on a new set of softs but failed to improve, while Perez and Norris slotted in P4 and P5 just ahead of Mercedes' drivers. Fastest middle sectors for both Sainz and Verstappen flashed on the screen just a few second apart, but while the Spaniard couldn't better his fastest lap, the Red Bull charger delivered a 1m11.294s that edged the Ferrari by 0.047s. Unfortunately, the tension deflated once again when Mick Schumacher crashed heavily into the barrier on the exit to Casino Square, a mishap that destroyed the left hand side of the Haas and ensured that there would be no lunch break for the German's crews.
The red flag was deployed with minutes to spare which brought the session to a premature end and with Verstappen topping the screens ahead of Sainz and Leclerc. Bottas managed to improve to fourth but Hamilton's P7 implied that there would be work in the Mercedes camp ahead of this afternoon's all-important qualifying session. Raikkonen, Gasly and Vettel closed out the top ten, while McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo continued to struggle well down the order in 13th position. Despite his crash, Schumacher outpaced team mate Nikita Mazepin for the first time this weekend, but Alpine's Esteban Ocon unusually brought up the rear with just 6 laps on the board.
| Pos | Name | Car | Best Time | Gap Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda | 1m11.294s | |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1m11.341s | +0.047s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1m11.552s | +0.258s |
| 4 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1m11.765s | +0.471s |
| 5 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull-Honda | 1m11.817s | +0.523s |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1m11.988s | +0.694s |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1m12.02s | +0.726s |
| 8 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1m12.298s | +1.004s |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1m12.357s | +1.063s |
| 10 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1m12.537s | +1.243s |
| 11 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1m12.539s | +1.245s |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1m12.7s | +1.406s |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren-Mercedes | 1m12.959s | +1.665s |
| 14 | Mick Schumacher | Haas-Ferrari | 1m13.139s | +1.845s |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine-Renault | 1m13.329s | +2.035s |
| 16 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas-Ferrari | 1m13.39s | +2.096s |
| 17 | George Russell | Williams-Mercedes | 1m13.447s | +2.153s |
| 18 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams-Mercedes | 1m13.475s | +2.181s |
| 19 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1m13.522s | +2.228s |
| 20 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1m13.614s | +2.32s |
1%er
Well-Known Member
A member of Sergio Perez's security staff has been shot during a failed robbery attempt
A staff member from Sergio Perez's security staff in Mexico has been shot. A robbery attempt on Perez's home on Mexico Avenue in Ladron de Guevara in Guadalajara was ultimately foiled, with a guard involved in the security of the property seriously injured. Further details on the incident are yet to emerge, but it's understood that none of Perez' family have been injured in the incident. Perez' participation in the Monaco GP is not in doubt at this time.
A staff member from Sergio Perez's security staff in Mexico has been shot. A robbery attempt on Perez's home on Mexico Avenue in Ladron de Guevara in Guadalajara was ultimately foiled, with a guard involved in the security of the property seriously injured. Further details on the incident are yet to emerge, but it's understood that none of Perez' family have been injured in the incident. Perez' participation in the Monaco GP is not in doubt at this time.
anticlimactic* ending
1%er
Well-Known Member
I have a feeling that Mercedes may well go ahead with the threat to protest Red Bull after the race, for sure Red Bull would protest Mercedes if they had a bendy read wing. Although this may not be the race to do that, Baku could show the wing bending more than here at Monaco.
1%er
Well-Known Member
FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2021 QUALIFYING
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.113 | 1:10.597 | 1:10.346 | 27 |
| 2 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda | 1:11.124 | 1:10.650 | 1:10.576 | 23 |
| 3 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1:10.938 | 1:10.695 | 1:10.601 | 28 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:11.324 | 1:10.806 | 1:10.611 | 25 |
| 5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.321 | 1:11.031 | 1:10.620 | 23 |
| 6 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 1:11.560 | 1:11.179 | 1:10.900 | 30 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:11.622 | 1:11.116 | 1:11.095 | 30 |
| 8 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 1:12.078 | 1:11.309 | 1:11.419 | 26 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 1:11.644 | 1:11.019 | 1:11.573 | 26 |
| 10 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 1:11.658 | 1:11.409 | 1:11.779 | 28 |
| 11 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:11.740 | 1:11.486 | 22 | |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.747 | 1:11.598 | 21 | |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 1:11.979 | 1:11.600 | 20 | |
| 14 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 1:11.899 | 1:11.642 | 21 | |
| 15 | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.016 | 1:11.830 | 24 | |
| 16 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri Honda | 1:12.096 | 13 | ||
| 17 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 1:12.205 | 12 | ||
| 18 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.366 | 14 | ||
| 19 | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas Ferrari | 1:12.958 | 12 |
He‘s done better this weekend than some others, but maybe he’s saving his piéce de resistance for the race?!
Ax^
Silly Rabbit
1%er
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Ferrari postpones decision on Leclerc gearbox
It was such an incredibly exciting qualifying session in Monaco this year that until long after the flag fell it could not be said with certainty who would start at the front on Sunday. Charles Leclerc had indeed driven the fastest time, but also folded up his Ferrari. Can it be repaired without incurring a grid penalty was now the big question. Hours after the end of the qualifying session we still don't have an answer to this question and we won't get it today either. Ferrari tells us on Twitter that the damage to the gearbox after the first inspection doesn't seem to be too bad, but they will decide tomorrow whether they will actually replace it or not.Not only Leclerc will be in a state of uncertainty because of this, but also the drivers behind him, like Max Verstappen. They all hope to benefit from a possible grid penalty due to a gearbox change at Ferrari. The grid was so tight during qualifying that a gap of just a few tenths would be catastrophic for the chances of Carlos Sainz and certainly Lewis Hamilton, who will need a lot of luck to make up so many places during the race.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Leclerc keeps Monaco F1 pole after Ferrari gearbox gets all clear
Charles Leclerc will start Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix from pole position after Ferrari cleared his gearbox to be used in the race.The Monegasque secured a sensational shock home pole before crashing on his final lap of qualifying on Saturday, leaving him and Ferrari facing an anxious wait to find out if he would be hit with a grid drop due to the damage sustained to his car. Qualifying ended under a red flag after Leclerc crashed heavily at the exit of the Swimming Pool section, an impact which took off the front right of his SF21 car, as well as damaging the rear.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto had stressed after qualifying that the Maranello squad would not take a reliability gamble on Leclerc’s gearbox despite the team taking its first pole position since the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix. During an initial inspection on Saturday evening, Ferrari found that Leclerc’s gearbox had sustained “no serious damage” in his crash, but said it would make a final decision on changing it on Sunday morning. Just hours before the race, Ferrari confirmed that the gearbox did not need replacing having found no defects following further checks, meaning Leclerc will avoid triggering an automatic five-place grid penalty and will keep the eighth pole of his F1 career.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
It’s gonna be quite a novelty to see a fight for a race win which doesn’t involve the Mercs. Can’t remember the last time that happened.
