F1 2023 Season

[skaifeman]

Yuki knows the car, but was never quite up to Gasly's level.
I'm quietly confident that Dan will have his measure, we'll find out soon!

[V8SuperRiley]

I was genuinely impressed with how Dan went this weekend. He seemed comfortable and able to push, which is better than he could do in the McLaren.

To come back to 13th in the race from what happened at turn 1 as well, was a really solid drive.

[skaifeman]

I was genuinely impressed with how Dan went this weekend. He seemed comfortable and able to push, which is better than he could do in the McLaren.

To come back to 13th in the race from what happened at turn 1 as well, was a really solid drive.

I was pretty confident that Dan would produce the goods against Yuki.
After the T1 incident it looked all over. A good drive back and definitely positive. Spa next!

McLaren allowing Lando to undercut Piastri at the time made sense, he was covering Lewis' attempt at the same thing. I do love that Oscar isn't all over the radio like a brat.
The bigger issue is that Piastri wasn't able to keep up with Lando to state his case for a reversal/strategy call to go his way - seemingly now a floor issue?
Is this McLaren form a flash in the pan? Silverstone and Hungaroring are different circuits in my mind, so they should continue.

[skaifeman]

Shame for Oscar at Spa in the main race. Something always rears it's head at T1 on lap 1. Inside or outside are both risky, drive slowly and you're last.
Carlos was a bit harsh with his comments, he outbroke himself and dove into a gap that Oscar was in.

Tsunoda had a great race. Dan just didn't have the delta to make any moves passed the DRS train.

[mikeamerica84]

An interesting concept for DRS.  Worth the read.  Bear in mind it is just a concept:

************

Could reverse-DRS idea turn tide on love-hate relationship with F1 fans?
Story by Jamie Woodhouse • 5h

24 Hours of Le Mans winner Richard Bradley would like to see Formula 1 flip the DRS concept on its head as a way of spicing up the action in sprint races.

F1 2023 marks the third season where the sprint format has been in use at selected rounds of the campaign, with changes ahead of the first 2023 staging making the sprint action effectively a standalone event on a Saturday, with a qualifying session and then sprint race later that day.

Bradley though, who was part of the LMP2 class-winning team at Le Mans in 2015, feels the sprint format is still lacking in the excitement department, but has a suggestion to fix that.

As well as mandating super soft tyres to bring strategy into sprints, Bradley feels Formula 1 should also turn the DRS [Drag Reduction System] concept on its head, so that instead of a car needing to be within a second of the one ahead to open that flap in the rear wing and gain a speed advantage, instead it is only available to those outside of that one-second window.

Not only does he believe that will keep the pack closer together, but also argues that it will then force drivers to make their overtakes the old fashioned way, with DRS at certain tracks having been criticised for making overtaking too easy.

"I like what Formula 1 is doing at the moment. I think it was very stagnant for a while and they're trying to improve the show," said Bradley on the On Track GP podcast.

"And disregarding Max [Verstappen] this year, they're doing a pretty good job.

"But I think that the sprint, the idea and the concept of it is a good idea, but they need to find a way to make it a bit more exciting and try some other stuff.

"And a couple of ideas I've had in my mind, I'd like to see Formula 1 try reverse-DRS. Reverse-DRS would be something that's really really cool.

"Basically, if you're a second behind the car ahead, or more than a second behind, you get DRS, but when you're within a second, then you don't get DRS.

"So then you actually have to do the overtake properly. It means there is a lot of pressure on the drivers that are in front of you not to make a mistake because the field is going to be much more bunched up.

"I think that's something worth trying. I don't like DRS as a concept as a whole, being a racing driver, a purist, but it's a necessary evil right now with how hard it is to follow."

With Formula 1 clearly keen to experiment with the on-track action in pursuit of more excitement for the fans, turning the concept of DRS on its head for a sprint race sure does not sound like a bad suggestion at all.

The whole idea with these ground-effect Formula 1 cars was to make it easier for drivers to follow each other, and with that having led to a debate over the future of DRS in the series, this could just be the ideal way to keep DRS around while minimising the artificial feel which it brings to the racing.

Sure, this version would be artificially keeping the cars closer together in the sprint, but it feels like that will be easier to stomach if the drivers are then having to pull off an overtake without any aid, rather than the moves feeling too easy with the car ahead powerless to defend against the straight-line speed advantage.

The downside is a potential drop in the number of overtakes, with drivers having said that following is becoming harder again as teams continuously develop their cars, but as Formula 1 searches for that ideal race weekend structure to keep its growing and increasingly younger fanbase engaged, surely it would not hurt to give reverse-DRS a try?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/could-reverse-drs-idea-turn-tide-on-love-hate-relationship-with-f1-fans/ar-AA1eQOxh?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=9e5bf3cfebfc4c56be5bb0600282b536&ei=19

************

Nice to see someone thinking outside of the box. 

[skaifeman]

Piastri grabs his first podium. A great weekend overall.
He lacks the race pace of Lando, has been evident in a few races this year. He looks like a star though.

[muz]

Piastri a winner in F1 now. That Grand Prix win is hopefully not far off either

[skaifeman]

Does a sprint race count as a win?
Or are they starting a new column so to speak, Grand Prix winners and Sprint winners?

I've been in Bathurst mode so payed little attention to the F1, it was nice to wake up and see the Piastri news.
McLaren making the right strategy call and Verstappen's poor start made it easier. Piastri executed brilliantly.

[CP]

The Las Vegas GP looks to be going as well as the last LVGP held nearby in the Caesars Palace car park.

FP1 had to canned after a manhole cover came loose, which postponed FP2 to 2am local time, which by then, was too late to have spectators at the track so they sent them home.

[skaifeman]

Only seen pieces of the footage, I'll watch the race this afternoon.
From what I see on socials, prices were insane, viewing was poor. F1 now have a class action against them for that 8min practice session.

The Hunger Games-esque drivers entry told the whole story. Max said, 99% show, 1% Motorsport.
I predict once F1 eventually lulls in the US, this will be one of the first events to go.

[mikeamerica84]

I guess I missed where this race has a contract all the way through 2032.  The announcers said it during the broadcast.  I had to look it up.  I guess it was approved in the beginning of 2023?

[skaifeman]

We've just seen THE most dominant performance over a season ever. Too quick and surprisingly, too reliable!
Usually an engine or some sort of mechanical issue will dint an Champions season.

Well done to Carlos and Ferrari for taking one for everyone else.

Oscar showed some real potential. Headlines of best debut season since Hamilton are probably right, although Hamilton's '07 season is undeniably the all time best rookie season.
He's just got to start beating Lando on race pace. He's not quite there yet. Early days...