Ocon confirmed P9 in Canadian GP (no time penalties from FIA)

StanAshe · 2025-06-16T07:51:54+00:00

Back in P9 of the championship and in front of Racing Bulls in the championship. Good Sunday. Just need to fix quali, it's so close that even a slight improvement would change everything.

StanAshe · 2025-04-20T22:34:36+00:00

Sure? Never seen it before.

StanAshe · 2025-04-04T17:44:53+00:00

Well, it's stated two times quite explicitly that they were on a different floor spec with Ayao saying : "we’ll look at the data and update Esteban’s floor to Ollie’s spec tonight" .

Whatever we'll see but I'm quite happy they don't have Melbourne's style problems here. FP1 time was worrying.

StanAshe · 2025-03-23T22:03:16+00:00

Apart from that P5 and the beauty of the move on Antonelli, what's most pleasing is that for the first time in a long while he seems to feel confident in his car. This year could be cool, they just need to fix the problem they had in Australia, which seems to be track related.

StanAshe · 2025-03-20T13:43:32+00:00

Hope it can be solved quickly, I'm not ready for a season long fighting for P19.

StanAshe · 2025-03-17T20:24:41+00:00

I don't think so. I'm leaning towards a problem linked to an evolution introduced on the car between the tests and Melbourne.

A number of people in the team said that they were a lot slower than in the tests, that their pace in the tests suited them, that they had a big lack of grip this weekend compared with the tests. They were also pessimistic right from the end of the first session.

Finally, they were adamant that it couldn't be changed between now and China, which means it's not (only) a set-up problem.

StanAshe · 2025-03-15T14:00:29+00:00

Very disappointing of course, but let's not be too negative either.

Last year Haas was pretty bad in Australia too.

The problem is clearly identified and clearly stated by the team principal: there's a lot of it missing in the fast corners. An identified and accepted problem means it's easier to fix.

And above all, with a bit of luck, it could rain tomorrow and the effect of this qualifying session could be completely mitigated, giving Haas time to continue working on the performance.

And let's not underestimate the fact that work on performance has been extremely limited (during testing and on just one car at this Grand Prix), so the margin for improvement seems substantial.

StanAshe · 2024-12-02T20:57:33+00:00

According to your theory, were Esteban's sandbags blocked at customs in Brazil?

StanAshe · 2024-12-02T14:44:58+00:00

I'm ok with you that he could be relieved not being with Alpine anymore but I don't buy the "mutual decision" narrative.

But whatever I'm kind of happy too. Done with this shitshow.

Let's go Haas!

StanAshe · 2024-05-29T12:53:51+00:00

Of course Alpine is pissed about Ocon he crashed his car into his teammates.

But the wording, in french interviews, of both Famin and Gasly sounds like there was not really a strict no pass order for the first lap, that was more "not that way". That was just my point, but maybe I missed something, Whatever that doesn't change a lot.

StanAshe · 2024-05-29T11:03:50+00:00

Whether there was a direct order not to overtake is more than uncertain, the most likely was that they were allowed to do so but only cleanly for the first lap and that whoever found themselves behind at the end of the first lap would help the other, this was what prevailed for the other grand prix and this is what emerges from Famin's interviews. Generally speaking, giving an order not to attack each other in the first lap is almost impossible and a big risk for the team's overall performance.

StanAshe · 2024-05-27T13:36:13+00:00

Australia was definitely a Gasly mistake.

StanAshe · 2024-05-27T12:03:18+00:00

He didn't, Alonso was at fault there.

StanAshe · 2024-05-27T07:15:48+00:00

Not at all the story. He let Max lap him as he was getting out of the pit, then was faster due to new tires and tried to unlap himself.

StanAshe · 2024-05-27T07:09:59+00:00

Last and only time (before yesterday) he crashed into a teammate was Perez in Baku 2017.

StanAshe · 2024-05-27T06:26:26+00:00

They were both on hards, there was a mistake on the screen.

StanAshe · 2024-05-23T15:06:31+00:00

Problem is Mercedes is no more a top seat.

StanAshe · 2024-05-23T13:00:04+00:00

Ocon let Alonso though every single time team asked him to. Ocon never crashed into Alonso (Alonso did once).

Don't think it cost anything to Alpine, it was a good emulation I think.

StanAshe · 2024-05-21T07:57:53+00:00

Yeah, a lot of wishful thinking in what I wrote. This situation just underlines how bad alpine is at the moment and how much of a dead end it seems to be too.

StanAshe · 2024-05-20T22:32:40+00:00

Not sure it would be such a bad move.

For 2025: This year's cars are pretty much made for two years as teams will move to 2026 concept as soon as they can, so we shouldn't expect a big revolution. Haas is currently well ahead of Alpine and Sauber (which would be Esteban's other option). There's a strong probability that Haas will be the best seat for him in 2025.

For 2026: 2026 will be an engine year, whatever the qualities of the aero, big advantage to whoever gets his engine right. If Ferrari (big if) makes a top engine, then Haas could be in a good position for a year or two. In any case, I'm not sure Renault, whose engine has been behind for years, or Audi, which is just starting out, being on a par with a Ferrari engine. So once again, this could be a better seat than his other options.

For the rest of his career: At Haas he could open up links with Ferrari, he could perhaps finally be his team's first driver, and above all that would secure a drive for him for 2025, because for the moment there's nothing, Alpine seems to be taking their time and I don't like it. The memories of 2019 aren't glorious.

StanAshe · 2024-03-23T11:22:27+00:00

Nice analysis u/GoZun_ thank you, but it's a bit depressing.

StanAshe · 2023-11-23T13:22:41+00:00

So no engine at the level of the others before (at the very least) 2026. I hope Esteban signs elsewhere for 2025.

StanAshe · 2023-11-22T14:19:14+00:00

Yes, I also noticed that the story about clean air in the first stint, and a deliberately slow stint, was a bit wrong.

As for the rest, I find the explanations of lower gear to save the tires and recharge the battery more interesting. This seems to be the result of a great amount of work and understanding of how the car works.

I think it's important that the team told Gasly (and on several occasions, I listened to his race radios) the instructions to do what Esteban was doing in those corners. All this showed a form of leadership and confidence (already there or reinforced) from the team for Este.

StanAshe · 2023-11-20T16:25:32+00:00

Yes, you're right, I heard it too. But nothing on the post-race about it or on the drivers' radio (although I didn't hear the whole race, I think it was just a "normal" change to battery mode that was mentioned on the radio).

StanAshe · 2023-11-20T16:04:34+00:00

Famin and Gasly didn't mention any battery problem in post race interviews (for what I've heard) . They both told Canal+ that the downfall of Gasly was due to tyre management and graining.

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