Spanish GP Build-up

Right, it's been long enough, time to look ahead to the opening of the European leg of the calendar. It's upgrades galore this weekend, so for all with a keen eye for 'spot the difference' this is your time to shine.

Will the Merc dominance continue?

Will Ferrari or Red Bull get any closer?

Will Mclaren turn their fortunes around?

How will the engines compare after the next round of reliability and integration/software updates?

Then there's all that driver stuff, but who wants to go get into that, eh? 

Yes
A bit
No

The last question - there's the rub. I'm still hoping for a BSOD to appear on a screen in the middle of a race...

Well that's that. See you guys again for Monaco. 

I think Red Bull will be closer to Merc due to the high speed corners, but their top speed will be their Achilles heel. Mclaren keep saying that they are bound to improve anytime soon, but this is a constant thing with them and most of the time it doesn't happen, and I think this will continue. For the last question, impossible to guess.

McLaren said they'd gain 0.5 secs going into Malaysia and have gone backwards ever since?

McLaren said they'd gain 0.5 secs going into Malaysia and have gone backwards ever since?

Exactly my point, you have to take what comes out of Mclaren with a pinch of salt.

Edited by GAZF1nut, 04 May 2014 - 23:22.

Exactly my point, you have to take what comes out of Mclaren with a pinch of salt.

Edited by TomNokoe, 05 May 2014 - 00:11.

Ferrari will shock everyone

Ferrari will shock everyone

In a positive or negative way?

FerrariAlonso will shock everyone

Which Spanish speaking pilot will win this year?

Rosberg.

Ferrari and Red Bull will look a lot closer to Mercedes on Friday and just like the previous GP weekends, come Qualy that gap will increase again.

I can't see any team stopping Mercedes from winning anytime soon, I expect Rosberg to take the win.

Can't remember the last time it was raining on raceday in Catalunya. Must've been 1996 lol.

Edited by GoldenColt, 05 May 2014 - 07:02.

Can't remember the last time it was raining on raceday in Catalunya. Must've been 1996 lol.

It's rare for there to even be rain on the Friday or Saturday at the track, let alone raceday.

Right, it's been long enough, time to look ahead to the opening of the European leg of the calendar. It's upgrades galore this weekend, so for all with a keen eye for 'spot the difference' this is your time to shine.

 

Will the Merc dominance continue?

Will Ferrari or Red Bull get any closer?

Will Mclaren turn their fortunes around?

How will the engines compare after the next round of reliability and integration/software updates?

 

Then there's all that driver stuff, but who wants to go get into that, eh? 

Yes! for a while longer, they have the ((finance)) and invested into recruiting the right team and started preparing the hybrid in 2013 with great reserves.

Yes! of course they will adapt now what Mercedes done along time ago, whether this will change from catch-up, to challenging before 2014 ends I don't think so.

Yes! only in the constructors, Button is the dark horse in F1 at the moment, gaining points when ever he can, good loyal headed driver, (watch) where he ends at the end of the tournament.

The teams have basically ironed out the hybrids problems from the start of the 2014 f1 GP, alot of them cried about issues but that was expected on such a new racing machine.

www.f1worldtour.com

Ferrari will shock everyone

To do that they'd need to beat one or both Mercedes cars without bad luck affecting the Merc guys.

Anything other than that scenario can hardly be described as a shock (and I include beating RBR in that)

Edited by Jon83, 05 May 2014 - 10:24.

As Horner said,if mercedes stuffs everyone once again,then everybody might as well shift to 2015..I have a feeling Redbull will have a good weekend

It would not surprise me if Toto has wised up and the Mercs will hide their advantage a bit more this time, lest too much pressure builds up against their dominance.

I hope Lewis leaves with the wdc lead, Kimi beats Nando this time, Dan beats Sebi, podium= Lewis, Valtteri and Kev

As Horner said,if mercedes stuffs everyone once again,then everybody might as well shift to 2015..I have a feeling Redbull will have a good weekend

'15 rules are practically the same as '14, so no-one will switch focus like teams did at the end of the 2013 season.

Yes! for a while longer, they have the ((finance)) and invested into recruiting the right team and started preparing the hybrid in 2013 with great reserves.

Yes! of course they will adapt now what Mercedes done along time ago, whether this will change from catch-up, to challenging before 2014 ends I don't think so.

Yes! only in the constructors, Button is the dark horse in F1 at the moment, gaining points when ever he can, good loyal headed driver, (watch) where he ends at the end of the tournament.

The teams have basically ironed out the hybrids problems from the start of the 2014 f1 GP, alot of them cried about issues but that was expected on such a new racing machine.

www.f1worldtour.com

Button will end up in mid-table - and anyway he is hardly a 'dark horse'

Fifth race of the season already and only the second one which looks to be dry all weekend. This race is always the make or break race for the teams, bringing major updates. Though I don't expect massive changes in the pecking order. Perhaps McLaren can come back a bit and get ahead of Force India and Williams.

As Horner said,if mercedes stuffs everyone once again,then everybody might as well shift to 2015..I have a feeling Redbull will have a good weekend

The rules aren't changing next year so everyone will just keep developing this years car. 2015 cars will be an evolution of the cars we see at the end of this season.

'15 rules are practically the same as '14, so no-one will switch focus like teams did at the end of the 2013 season.

I can't help wondering if Renault and Ferrari will be allowed to split their turbos for next year.  If so that would cause quite a shift I'd think - more design/modelling work to do and making this year's car redundant earlier.

And the Barca result will play a part in both decisions, I suspect.

Of course you can't believe anything McLaren says.

McLaren is the new Lotus...

McLaren is the new Lotus...

I thought McLaren was the new Williams.

Of course you can't believe anything McLaren says.

McLaren is the new Lotus Caterham ...

corrected ... atleast they still can make cars with decent DF without having to use 'matrix' system , if renault engines weren't crap, they'd be beating mclaren into pulps

I can't help wondering if Renault and Ferrari will be allowed to split their turbos for next year. If so that would cause quite a shift I'd think - more design/modelling work to do and making this year's car redundant earlier.

And the Barca result will play a part in both decisions, I suspect.

Yes! for a while longer, they have the ((finance)) and invested into recruiting the right team and started preparing the hybrid in 2013 with great reserves.

Yes! of course they will adapt now what Mercedes done along time ago, whether this will change from catch-up, to challenging before 2014 ends I don't think so.

Yes! only in the constructors, Button is the dark horse in F1 at the moment, gaining points when ever he can, good loyal headed driver, (watch) where he ends at the end of the tournament.

The teams have basically ironed out the hybrids problems from the start of the 2014 f1 GP, alot of them cried about issues but that was expected on such a new racing machine.

www.f1worldtour.com

Welcome to the forum Brend.

I can't help wondering if Renault and Ferrari will be allowed to split their turbos for next year. If so that would cause quite a shift I'd think - more design/modelling work to do and making this year's car redundant earlier.

And the Barca result will play a part in both decisions, I suspect.

Edited by CHIUNDA, 05 May 2014 - 18:35.

Button will end up in mid-table - and anyway he is hardly a 'dark horse'

Jenson is a dark horse, because he's continually underrated.

Without a good car, he could end up in mid-table. But if McLaren can improve the car, he will make good use of it.

IMO he's driving better than ever.

Edited by BillBald, 05 May 2014 - 18:34.

Can't remember the last time it was raining on raceday in Catalunya. Must've been 1996 lol.

Schumacher's finest wet win.

The 1991 Spanish GP was also wet, and Schu didn't do that bad there either.

Edited by George Costanza, 05 May 2014 - 18:36.

Jenson is a dark horse, because he's continually underrated.
 
Without a good car, he could end up in mid-table. But if McLaren can improve the car, he will make good use of it.
 
IMO he's driving better than ever.

Let me argue that Button drove better 2011 and even 2009.

Go on then.

Go on then.

Already did. Anyway 2012 he beat Lewis and 2009 he won the WDC.

No he didn't.

(Typo?)

No he didn't.

 

(Typo?)

well, as CHIUNDA was talking about 2009 and '11 beforehand, you don't have to be a Nico Rosberg to conclude that it is, indeed, a typo.

No he didn't.
 
(Typo?)

allowed? Isn't engine development only banned in-season? The off season through until '15, it is game on once again I thought?

I'm not clear on the rules (if anyone is).  The engine homologation is in stages though isn't it, year by year, so afaik they can introduce some changes for next year.  Whatever the original deal was, IMO things will be allowed as necessary to prevent a second year of massive Merc domination.  So if the split turbo really is a vital part of that then I reckon they'll all have it next year.

So if Merc are still miles ahead in Barca, the other teams will be starting to move resources that much sooner to design for it.  Just guessing of course.  But Merc might be a bit more subtle about their speed this weekend, I wouldn't be surprised.

Mercedes have really enhanced their aero side of the business so when RBR and Ferrari catch up Mercedes should ideally have caught up with the aero and it will come down to the team and the drivers. As Vettel said , that is when we know who rules when the pants are pulled down (or something like that :-) )

Yes I agree.  Things could be very close once the engines are equalised.

I'm not clear on the rules (if anyone is).  The engine homologation is in stages though isn't it, year by year, so afaik they can introduce some changes for next year.  Whatever the original deal was, IMO things will be allowed as necessary to prevent a second year of massive Merc domination.  So if the split turbo really is a vital part of that then I reckon they'll all have it next year.

 

So if Merc are still miles ahead in Barca, the other teams will be starting to move resources that much sooner to design for it.  Just guessing of course.  But Merc might be a bit more subtle about their speed this weekend, I wouldn't be surprised.

The teams introduce "reliability" upgrades that just so happen to improve performance. Similar to what Renault did with their V8's.

I'm going to be bold and predict a non-Mercedes win.

I'm not clear on the rules (if anyone is). The engine homologation is in stages though isn't it, year by year, so afaik they can introduce some changes for next year. Whatever the original deal was, IMO things will be allowed as necessary to prevent a second year of massive Merc domination. So if the split turbo really is a vital part of that then I reckon they'll all have it next year.

So if Merc are still miles ahead in Barca, the other teams will be starting to move resources that much sooner to design for it. Just guessing of course. But Merc might be a bit more subtle about their speed this weekend, I wouldn't be surprised.

Let me argue that Button drove better 2011 and even 2009.

In those years he had better cars.

To me, it's impressive how he's staying focussed even though he's now had bad cars for 2 years running. Quite a contrast with 2007 and 2008, when he was in a similar situation.

Towards the end of last year, I thought maybe he was starting to lose that focus, but this year he's back up there. And because he's generally outracing Kevin Magnussen, I think many people are assuming it's a poor performance from Kevin rather than an outstanding performance from Jenson.

Maybe McLaren can bring that major update to Spain, and we will see what Jenson can do with it.

In those years he had better cars.

 

To me, it's impressive how he's staying focussed even though he's now had bad cars for 2 years running. Quite a contrast with 2007 and 2008, when he was in a similar situation.

 

Towards the end of last year, I thought maybe he was starting to lose that focus, but this year he's back up there. And because he's generally outracing Kevin Magnussen, I think many people are assuming it's a poor performance from Kevin rather than an outstanding performance from Jenson.

 

Maybe McLaren can bring that major update to Spain, and we will see what Jenson can do with it.

Amazing what a WDC will do for you. I think winning it has had a calming effect on JB and that manifested itself in his 2 best driving years, '10/'11 , and he's been pretty at peace since, driving for a great team, regardless of recent cars, and pocketing a nice salary. 

Jenson outscored Lewis, he never beat Lewis in 2011.