6 replies to this topic

[weareracing]

So Melbourne done and dusted, how do we stand for the 2013 CONSTRUCTORS TROPHY?
My predictions:-
1. Ferrari,
2.Red Bull,
3.Lotus,
4.Mercedes,
5.Mclaren.

And for the Drivers Championship???

Insufficient data BUT,
Red Bull and Ferrari have "preferred" drivers so we have Vettel & Alonso.
Lotus is FAST and Kimi is experieced, add to the equation.
McLaren looks lost, REMOVE from the equation.
Mercedes looks to have potential, refer to Hamilton & Rosberg as SPOILERS.
Hence 2013 WDC = Vettel/Alonso/Raikkonen a repeat of 2012 with the possibility of a different outcome

[PMM3]

So Melbourne done and dusted, how do we stand for the 2013 CONSTRUCTORS TROPHY?
My predictions:-
1. Ferrari,
2.Red Bull,
3.Lotus,
4.Mercedes,
5.Mclaren.

And for the Drivers Championship???

Insufficient data BUT,
Red Bull and Ferrari have "preferred" drivers so we have Vettel & Alonso.
Lotus is FAST and Kimi is experieced, add to the equation.
McLaren looks lost, REMOVE from the equation.
Mercedes looks to have potential, refer to Hamilton & Rosberg as SPOILERS.
Hence 2013 WDC = Vettel/Alonso/Raikkonen a repeat of 2012 with the possibility of a different outcome :smoking:

Ferrari is fast both in the race and quali and seemingly has a better starting point than RedBull, they have the money to develop the car deep into the season, so Alonso should be very happy with his situation right now. Main threat to these two will be Lotus which is bloody quick in the hands of Raikkonen, but i dont expect them to match Ferrari and Redbull in sustaining it, so that needs to be seen...if they can then its Kimi all the way.

[Jimisgod]

My guess...

Ferrari - 26/30

Pros: Alonso looks fast, Massa seems to have his mojo back, looks to be joint fastest in race trim. Cons: Massa may lose the plot, car isn't quite as good on tyres as Lotus, not as good in quali as RBR or Lotus either.

RBR - 25/30

Pros: Vettel is still pretty quick, Webber can hold pace, fastest over one lap. Cons: Car not as fast in races as Ferrari. Tyres seem to get used up faster than most front running teams. Webber might lose plot too.

Lotus - 24/30

Pros: Best race pace, kindest car on tyres, Kimi is smart and can preserve tyres. Cons: Grosjean has poor racecraft, was diddling with the McLarens behind even the FI cars! Might be a one car team...

Mercedes - 23/30

Pros: Good in the wet. Lewis can pull nice qualifying times with it. Rosberg is probably the strongest #2 of any top team. Might nab wins on mixed up days. Cons: Tyres used up very quickly, car lacks pace on top 3 teams in normal conditions.

Force India - 21/30

Pros: Was able to hold pace with front running teams, Sutil and Di Resta are solid. May be faster than Merc in races with right strategy. Can see podiums in several races. Cons: Demolished the SS tyres, lacking a little in quali. Not really on pace with the top 4 teams over a full race distance.

McLaren - 20/30

Pros: Drivers are pretty good. Team can develop quickly. Cons: Car is terrible, used quali tyres worse than any others out in Q3, lacked race pace on even the FI cars. Not in shot for even podiums right now.

Edited by Jimisgod, 18 March 2013 - 10:19.

[learningtobelost]

My guess...

Mercedes - 23/30

Cons: Tyres used up very quickly

Eh? Whatever gave you that idea? On the SS Nico and Lewis managed to run significantly longer than the top teams (Kimi aside) and had pace left in the tyres when they pitted. The rest of the race is distorted by Lewis' big lockup while fighting Alonso. He didn't seem all that slow on his long final stint though. It's too early to tell how kind on it's tyres the Merc is, but one thing is for sure, they didn't burn through them quickly like some of their rivals.

[seahawk]

First races mean nothing. Last year the Merc was strong, the Ferrari awful, the RBR struggled, the McLaren looked dominating...

[mnmracer]

How is the Lotus fast in qualifying but Ferrari not?

I'd say qualifying pace:
1. Red Bull
2. Mercedes
3. Ferrari
4. Lotus

Race pace:
1. Lotus
2. Ferrari
3. Red Bull
4. Mercedes

But that's just this race, and heavily influenced by tire wear.
Red Bull will most likely cut back (significantly) on qualifying pace to avoid such bad tire wear. Good thing they have two of the best qualifiers in that car, but if one of them gets stuck behind, especially Mark, it will be trouble.

[apoka]

This thread seems to be very similar to http://forums.autosp...howtopic=182237 .