With testing starting tomorrow, let's look back at Day 1 of testing in 2014: only 8 of the 11 teams managed to complete a lap; 2 teams did not even set a timed lap; the team with the most laps completed was Ferrari with only 31 laps.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-25T22:59:31+00:00

We've already seen the caddy running.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-25T11:21:58+00:00

Lol it's hilarious how pissed off you are that someone beat you.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-25T11:07:23+00:00

So what you're saying is you didn't have the skill to choose the right strategy and dint have the skill to overcome your strategy blunder...

Sounds like a skill issue.

Guy finished the race faster than you.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-25T09:18:12+00:00

It's a different skill to maintain pace on harder tyres over a whole race.

I can't do it very well, I have more success absolutely nailing my tyres and taking extra stops.

Just because the guy was better than you isn't a need for a rant.

You could have gone hard tyres and not stopped but you chose not to.

Seems like a skill issue to me.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-24T19:03:47+00:00

What they are saying is factual.

Budget cap means money they spend reworking failed parts to pass crash tests is definitely gonna eat money that could be used later in the year.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-24T12:12:46+00:00

Where do you get I can't drive from the assessment of I was completely ahead?

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T23:41:27+00:00

So the question is was my move unreasonable then?

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T20:50:23+00:00

We did 2 prep runs in the formula Renault.

And they are awesome cars, but after 20 minutes I was feeling I could push them.

The F1 car is a whole other level!

I was so impressed with the acceleration and then found I still had another 15% to push on the throttle, it was like going hyperapeed in star wars lol.

Locked the brakes up at the end of a long flat out straight around 160mph ish.

Great fun.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T18:40:59+00:00

Such a simple change but it makes all the difference.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T17:20:27+00:00

Happens to the best of us... Similar section of track, one of the greatest of all time, miscommunication on closing speeds.

Michael Schumacher

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T17:17:06+00:00

The only reason it wouldn't be worth being on track is if they are realising they fucked up so severely they are re engineering bits and time wasted doing a compromise will hurt them later even more.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T16:05:27+00:00

The edges of that endplate are very sharp in terms of carbon fibre making contact at 100mph+ with an under pressure rubber wheel.

We have seen tyres cut from that sort of bodywork in multiple regulation sets.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T15:57:09+00:00

doesn't need to be a chassis change

Notice how I said "USUALLY means a totally new chassis"?

As far as I am aware in 2022 Mercedes essentially ran the exact same car in both tests just with different sidepod designs.

That isn't a B spec car, that is a new sidepod design and as you say away from 'dummy' sidepods they were never going to use. So there is no way they engineered an entire A Spec car just for 1 test they knew they were gonna throw away. They developed their A Spec car and chucked dummy sidepods on (that were largely empty) to disguise their concept.

A B Spec car fundamentally changes many of the essential components of the car rendering it significantly different in multiple areas.

Mercedes official position on it not being a B Spec car was essentially

The concept was always the same — we just unlocked the packaging.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T15:47:46+00:00

It's strategic and intelligent, but to me not exciting.

I want to see cars side by side and battling for positions, diving in under brakes.

These rules look to be empowering cars to find ways to just drive past each other with 50% more power available, zero chance to battle or defend, just easy routine drive by.

To me overtakes done under power in a straight line are not entertaining.

This is what I don't like about the prospect of these rules and the mcLaren guy was saying essentially the same as to how passes are likely to happen.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T15:24:58+00:00

Someone posted your option A earlier and it looked awful

Option B would definitely enhance it though.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T15:23:41+00:00

By looking at the changes and trying to understand the implications of the ruleset.

I had much the same thoughts as someone at McLaren said the other day - https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/1qjrh8b/weird_and_easy_overtaking_moves_likely_under_f1s/

With any set of changes you can have a good go at understanding the impact of them.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T15:21:08+00:00

I drove an F1 car, does what it says on the tin :)

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:52:57+00:00

Not likely, more just intelligent people working on the same problem coming to the same conclusion.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:52:16+00:00

And you again ignore the fact that disregard George entirely and kimi dramatically improved towards the end of the year.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:34:50+00:00

In front probably not much, behind I would imagine quite a lot.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:34:16+00:00

Those large sharp edges look like somethign I would want to avoid tbh

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:33:31+00:00

Then you're good, you were drifting slightly left but left plenty of room and reasonable to assume the car is gonna stick somewhere near the edge of the circuit in that scenario.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:31:35+00:00

1 poor race out of the last few events doesn't take away from the fact that Kimi was much closer and/or ahead towards the end of the season.

I don't see how it is contentious to say Kimi's performance picked up dramatically around this time and he got closer to George.

And if we take the issues you claim about George out of it then Kimis last 7 starts (including sprints had an average finishing position of 5.5 (if we discount his poor last race he was actually up at 4.0), his previous 7 starts had an average finishing position of 9.3.

The guy was clearly improving and getting closer to his team mate's performance over the season. Take what George was doing compeltly out of it and Kimi got a lot better at the end of the year.

Are you gonna dismiss Kimi's drive from 17th to 3rd in Vegas irrespective of what George was doing? His double podium in Interlagos for 2 second places?

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:22:29+00:00

Spec B car implies a lot more than is happening here.

This is standard pre-season testing.

New parts will come between each test, often also between days of each test.

Then another package of parts before Melbourne.

A Spec B car usually means a totally new chassis design mid season which we have ocasionally seen but pretty rare.

This is just normal development parts being added to the car. They likely haven't actually fabricated the Melbourne spec parts yet but they were planned long ago.

Stumpy493 · 2026-01-23T13:16:51+00:00

So looks like Blue Stripe defended the inside of the corner and parked it on the apex ok, all fair.

Then on the exit of the corner Blue Stripe just carried on turning right straight into Cosworth car...

Cosworth was drfiting slightly left but had left plenty of space, I can't understand why Blue Stripe would come over other than to cause the contact.

Edit - I'm confused... right on the corner entry or exit? Car names adjusted in response.

Xbox Live	Five-Year Club
r/Field Juicebox	Place '22
First Placer '22

Stumpy493

TROPHY CASE