843 replies to this topic

[TomNokoe]

The F1 season is really kicking into life now, with three races in the next four weeks, starting with Action in Algarve!

 

A welcome return to the popular Portimão circuit, a different challenge compared to Bahrain and Imola with the competitive order still up in the air.

 

Already we've seen heroes, zeroes, clashes, smashes, but what next? It's Round 3 of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship.

 

 

The Circuit

The start/finish DRS zone has been reduced by 120m, with a second zone added after turn 4.

 

 

Forget the 2020 pole position, there's one lap from last year we all remember

 

 

The circuit was very tricky last year after resurfacing. After 6 months worth of weather cycles, a 4hr ELMS race and a full MotoGP event, will it be any better?

 

Far less power-sensitive than Bahrain and Imola, with most cars in a higher DF spec for the first time this season.

 

State of Play
One round apiece between the two contenders, but the judges' scorecards have it 44-43 Hamilton after landing the fastest lap in Imola. Their respective teammates have both suffered heavy blows already and will need to steady the ship on Portuguese shores. Impossible to predict which car will have the upper hand.

 

It's a similar story in the midfield with McLaren and Ferrari leaping clear from their rivals early on. Both will have their sights trained firmly ahead. The track layout may favour Ferrari considering Leclerc's stunning P4 last year, but after Norris's Saturday pace last time out, anything is possible. The fabled Alpha Tauri promise fizzled away in Italy, they will need to regroup and produce an incident-free weekend.

 

Small signs of encouragement for both Aston and Alpine, but the pressure is on to move up the grid. Alonso said himself he wasn't good enough a fortnight ago, but will face another steep learning curve at an unfamiliar track, albeit one that may suit Alpine slightly better as they optimise their upgrades. Vettel's climb to confidence continues.

 

Alfa Romeo can stake a claim as the unluckiest team of the season so far, with precious points evading them on both occasions. Shoddy quali pace juxtaposed by solid race pace. Third time's a charm?

 

Williams are very close to the midfield pack, and Haas closer than expected. There will be a heavy spotlight on Russell this weekend. Mick and Nik face a tough task having both never raced here before. Hopefully no more front wings crunched for Haas.

 

Weather, Tyres

(.gif)

Spoiler

 

Warm, sunny and windy all weekend. 19-20c.

 

 

 

The hardest tyres from the range for the first time. The mild temperatures and slick surface last year meant it was more an exercise in keeping the tyres awake than alive. Remains to be seen what will happen now the surface has evolved. Pit lane loss very high again at 25-26s, with tyre warmup a crucial factor.

 

Tyre pressures unchanged from last year, 21.0psi front, 19.0psi rear.

 

Schedule
A rare occasion where the local timezone matches that of the UK. A late afternoon affair for Europe. Slightly more palatable than usual for the Americas.

       BST (UK)  |  CEST (Most of Europe)
FP1    1130         1230
FP2    1500         1600
FP3    1200         1300
Q      1500         1600
R      1500         1600

Time zone conversion here.

 

Euroformula Open and CPV are the support series this weekend. Six races between them, so plenty of track action. Full schedule.

 

--

 

All the usual gubbins welcome below, does anyone know what CPV is?

Edited by TomNokoe, 28 April 2021 - 23:45.

[Tiakumosan]

Let's go. Nice thread, Tom.

[MKSixer]

Thanks Tom!!  Another great start to the race weekend!!

[PlayboyRacer]

Nice work Tom. Predicting a very strong weekend for Ferrari, Charlie Leclerc on pole? Stranger things have happened.

[ARTGP]

I'm predicting multiple overtakes for the lead. 

Edited by ARTGP, 29 April 2021 - 01:59.

[krapmeister]

OP needs more tarot cards and wicker man references...

Edited by krapmeister, 29 April 2021 - 03:03.

[Gambelli]

I'm predicting Mazepin to have a spin... but also have a clean race!

 

I'm going to channel positive vibes and say Vettel will have a good race too

 

Um, thats all I have.... hopefully Dany Ric closer to Norris, LeClerc will be top 5, don't even need to hope for that one......

 

Actually, I hope for a Vertsappen LeClerc front row!  There you go!

[JimmyClark]

Why oh why is the race at 3pm? That's the whole Sunday afternoon gone to F1 then.

[jpm2019]

Think this track is Red Bull land. Expect a RB Pole and close race. 

 

Looking forward to it. 

[balage06]

So weird the F2 field misses the chance of racing on tracks like Imola and Portimao, but will do two reverse grid races at Monte-Carlo.

[ConsiderAndGo]

Merc slaughtered red bull here last year.

[ANF]

All the usual gubbins welcome below, does anyone know what CPV is?

I think I do know: Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade. And according to this calendar https://fpak.pt/calendario the classes will be CPV GT and CPV Turismos. And something called Velocidade Extra (V Ex), which I still haven't figured out what it is.

[Goron3]

Looks like it's going to be pretty chilly with lots of high wind. I guess the big question is how will the surface behave, especially after last year.

 

My 'not so bold' predicition is that Leclerc will get his Ferrari onto the the second row, at the expense of one of the Mercedes. 

[Ali623]

Merc slaughtered red bull here last year.

 

Did they? I'm sure it was relatively close in qualifying and it was moreso Hamilton slaughtering Bottas in the race rather than Merc slaughtering Red Bull.

[noikeee]

Welcome back to the land of cod and pastéis de nata. We have missed you, Formula 1, even though uhh, there won't be anyone to receive you this year (for the better, because last year looked like a major plague-spreading event).
 
 
Will this one swing Red Bull's way or Mercedes' way?
 

 
 
Do Alpine staff and the likes of Ocon and Gasly still have nightmares with this?
 

 
 
We will now provide you with some music that we locals listen to all day long on repeat, so you can get in a Portuguese-y mood.
 

 

 
I'm glad you can't understand the lyrics
 
 
And to bring this back to Formula 1, some classic Portugal moments from the good old Estoril days
 

 

 
(I was a little kid when I watched this one but I remember being all       I think we all skipped a heartbeat then)
 

 

 
 
And finally, don't forget grabbing some of these, albeit these will quickly add ballast and laptime:
 

Edited by noikeee, 29 April 2021 - 09:27.

[noikeee]

Bah I can't get the GIFs to work 

[Topsu]

First double-header of the season with Portimao and Barcelona

[Ivanhoe]

Bah I can't get the GIFs to work 

Just copy the url using the img button

 

[JRodrigues]

 

All the usual gubbins welcome below, does anyone know what CPV is?

 

Nice OP. Again.

 

CPV means Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade. It has both GT's and touring cars (different categories of course) running at the same time.

[yolo]

Did they? I'm sure it was relatively close in qualifying and it was moreso Hamilton slaughtering Bottas in the race rather than Merc slaughtering Red Bull.

 

No, Merc slaughtered Red Bull too, not that it has any bearing on this weekend's race is going to unfold!

 

Last year, qualifying was close as you said, but that's mostly because Merc was unable to properly switch on the soft tyre, so they qualified 1-2 on mediums instead. As for the race, Merc/Hamilton had a both pace and tyre deg advantage over Red Bull. HAM did a 17-lap overcut on VER and was still lapping faster than VER on his fresh tyres.

 

It was probably one of the most dominant 2020 GP win by the Merc/HAM combo.

 

http://en.mclarenf-1...=Max Verstappen

[PayasYouRace]

Welcome back to the land of cod and pastéis de nata. We have missed you, Formula 1, even though uhh, there won't be anyone to receive you this year (for the better, because last year looked like a major plague-spreading event).

I haven’t had a good cataplana in ages. I always make sure to have one when I’m in the Algarve.

[krapmeister]

If crack came in the form of a pastry, it would look like this. I cannot get enough of these...

[noikeee]

Just copy the url using the img button

 

Nice, thanks.

 

If crack came in the form of a pastry, it would look like this. I cannot get enough of these...

Amusingly we don't really eat those that often. Think it's been like a year since I've had one. They're really good when they're fresh and from a good bakery, though.

 

I haven’t had a good cataplana in ages. I always make sure to have one when I’m in the Algarve.

Never had one!  That seems to be an Algarve dish, only ever very briefly visited Algarve once so that would be why.

[krapmeister]

Amusingly we don't really eat those that often. Think it's been like a year since I've had one. They're really good when they're fresh and from a good bakery, though.

I first had them in London, but they are quite popular here in Melbourne as well.
They taste even better with cinnamon sugar on top of them 🙂

Edited by krapmeister, 29 April 2021 - 09:47.

[cjm321190]

If you are in the UK Lidl have the pastries in the bakery section. 39p yes they are not as good as the originals but it is the best I can do.

[cjm321190]

If you are in the UK Lidl have the pastries in the bakery section. 39p yes they are not as good as the originals but it is the best I can do.

[Garagista]

Welcome back to the land of cod and pastéis de nata. We have missed you, Formula 1, even though uhh, there won't be anyone to receive you this year (for the better, because last year looked like a major plague-spreading event).


Will this one swing Red Bull's way or Mercedes' way?




Do Alpine staff and the likes of Ocon and Gasly still have nightmares with this?




We will now provide you with some music that we locals listen to all day long on repeat, so you can get in a Portuguese-y mood.

https://www.youtube....h?v=uvKPVlqAUiE

https://www.youtube....h?v=1G8TzOkbD5U

I'm glad you can't understand the lyrics


And to bring this back to Formula 1, some classic Portugal moments from the good old Estoril days

https://www.youtube....h?v=7VbTC5I-7Rk

https://www.youtube....h?v=rwRnIjT01ZQ

(I was a little kid when I watched this one but I remember being all I think we all skipped a heartbeat then)

https://www.youtube....h?v=xy7q2lTN0sA

https://www.youtube....h?v=Mp37Rl2J_fg


And finally, don't forget grabbing some of these, albeit these will quickly add ballast and laptime:

Noice!!!!!

But as fellow Portuguese, I find your lack of Marco Paulo's music very disturbing.

[BertoC]

Another fellow Portuguese here! Its that time of the year again when Portugal suddenly realizes F1 exists and they even talk about it in the news!

[Jovanotti]

Very much looking forward to this track again!

 

That first lap from Kimi last year was probably my personal highlight of the season

[ConsiderAndGo]

This should be a fire cracker!

[Branislav]

This should be a fire cracker!

Three in a row. Too much

[Fastcake]

And finally, don't forget grabbing some of these, albeit these will quickly add ballast and laptime:
 

I can see why they added a second DRS zone. The cars will be very sluggish with added pastry ballast...

[Marklar]

Three in a row. Too much

dw, Barcelona and Monaco will be back to keep the balance in check

[TomNokoe]

Glad the season is finally ramping up. Thoughts etc

Can't see past Red Bull in qualifying, especially considering track layout, upgrades and some Verstappen magic, although the track surface should help Mercedes again.

Considering the Soft was a very poor race tyre last year, I think we'll see Red Bull and Mercedes compromise their qualifying setup again, and I really am expecting Leclerc to get properly in the mix. It's a big weekend for Ferrari really, this is a perfect opportunity to underline the progress they've made. I'm waiting for Sainz to surprise, too.

For the race though, if last year is anything to go by, I'd pin Hamilton as clear favourite. I think it will also favour Perez, but he's definitely on his back foot, so needs a really perfect run. Can't see Bottas getting anywhere near the podium. It will be a telling weekend for Max. I can't tell if it's just a Red Bull trait but there are hints and glimpses that whenever he's fighting Hamilton he burns through his fronts too quickly. No hiding place if they're running 1-2 again this weekend.

Already pinned Ferrari as my midfield leaders. Everything else feels largely unknown. Hopefully Aston and Seb will be happier in high DF spec. Tsunoda needs to bounce back but doesn't have long to get up to speed, perhaps best to keep his head down.

Looking forward to Ilott's FP1 appearance. I'll definitely be comparing him to Schumacher, considering their F2 rivalry and Ferrari affiliation. Callum in the quicker car, Mick with more F1 experience, both new to Portimao. I understand it's totally fruitless but interesting nonetheless.

Absolutely thrilled with the big spotlight on Russell after his Imola outburst. Just a great sporting story to see the young upstart being taken down a peg. Diamonds made under pressure and all that. Hopefully Latifi can continue his dry quali pace to really put him under the cosh. Unlikely to mean anything in the bigger picture, but these career snapshots can be fascinating in hindsight.

Fed up of every pundit and observer writing off Haas. Expecting a breakout weekend from them soon, but I doubt it'll be this.

A little annoyed the track limits guidance doesn't cover the one corner where they actually are abusing the bounds of the circuit, exit turn 5, never mind. Hopefully the tarmac doesn't become a big story again, but definitely will be a factor. Patiently waiting for some scorchio track temps to give the teams a headache. Cloud cover is no fun.

[danmills]

Very much looking forward to this track again!

 

That first lap from Kimi last year was probably my personal highlight of the season

 

It was like a video game. The old dog still has it. 

[Flasheart]

Why oh why is the race at 3pm? That's the whole Sunday afternoon gone to F1 then.

It’s so annoying. In Australia it doesn’t start until midnight. I thought they’d decided to put all European races at the same time, which would have been a 2200 start time here, but they are all over the place. Idiots!

[krapmeister]

It’s so annoying. In Australia it doesn’t start until midnight. I thought they’d decided to put all European races at the same time, which would have been a 2200 start time here, but they are all over the place. Idiots!

Console yourself by watching MotoGP at 10pm 👍

[Flasheart]

Haha, there is that. That’s where I don’t mind the 2300 start time. They merge nicely. Midnight is pushing out though.

[Dipster]

Why oh why is the race at 3pm? That's the whole Sunday afternoon gone to F1 then.

 

 

Depends where you live......

[Stephane]

It’s so annoying. In Australia it doesn’t start until midnight. I thought they’d decided to put all European races at the same time, which would have been a 2200 start time here, but they are all over the place. Idiots!

 

They are at the same local time. Portugal is BST, not CEST.

[jcbc3]

Glad the season is finally ramping up. Thoughts etc

Can't see past Red Bull in qualifying, especially considering track layout, upgrades and some Verstappen magic, although the track surface should help Mercedes again.

Considering the Soft was a very poor race tyre last year, I think we'll see Red Bull and Mercedes compromise their qualifying setup again, and I really am expecting Leclerc to get properly in the mix. It's a big weekend for Ferrari really, this is a perfect opportunity to underline the progress they've made. I'm waiting for Sainz to surprise, too.

For the race though, if last year is anything to go by, I'd pin Hamilton as clear favourite. I think it will also favour Perez, but he's definitely on his back foot, so needs a really perfect run. Can't see Bottas getting anywhere near the podium. It will be a telling weekend for Max. I can't tell if it's just a Red Bull trait but there are hints and glimpses that whenever he's fighting Hamilton he burns through his fronts too quickly. No hiding place if they're running 1-2 again this weekend.

Already pinned Ferrari as my midfield leaders. Everything else feels largely unknown. Hopefully Aston and Seb will be happier in high DF spec. Tsunoda needs to bounce back but doesn't have long to get up to speed, perhaps best to keep his head down.

Looking forward to Ilott's FP1 appearance. I'll definitely be comparing him to Schumacher, considering their F2 rivalry and Ferrari affiliation. Callum in the quicker car, Mick with more F1 experience, both new to Portimao. I understand it's totally fruitless but interesting nonetheless.

Absolutely thrilled with the big spotlight on Russell after his Imola outburst. Just a great sporting story to see the young upstart being taken down a peg. Diamonds made under pressure and all that. Hopefully Latifi can continue his dry quali pace to really put him under the cosh. Unlikely to mean anything in the bigger picture, but these career snapshots can be fascinating in hindsight.

Fed up of every pundit and observer writing off Haas. Expecting a breakout weekend from them soon, but I doubt it'll be this.

A little annoyed the track limits guidance doesn't cover the one corner where they actually are abusing the bounds of the circuit, exit turn 5, never mind. Hopefully the tarmac doesn't become a big story again, but definitely will be a factor. Patiently waiting for some scorchio track temps to give the teams a headache. Cloud cover is no fun.

 

Did you really run through the field and not mention McLaren and in particular Norris, that was 10 centimetres from qualifying third last time round, and from a start position of 7 blasted to the podium?

[Flasheart]

They are at the same local time. Portugal is BST, not CEST.

Well, they should change their timezone. It’s very inconvenient. 😂

[pacificquay]

Did you really run through the field and not mention McLaren and in particular Norris, that was 10 centimetres from qualifying third last time round, and from a start position of 7 blasted to the podium?

 

My thoughts exactly.

[PlayboyRacer]

McLaren weren't great here last year. The first two races have suited their car to a tee. Portimao probably less so... and likely to play more to Ferrari's strengths.

If that plays out, I'll be really interested in how Norris goes.

[Risil]

If you are in the UK Lidl have the pastries in the bakery section. 39p yes they are not as good as the originals but it is the best I can do.

 

I tried to make them a few times. One batch worked really well but then I got lazy and tried to do it with supermarket puff pastry and they didn't bake properly at all.

 

I think the Co-Op does the pick of the UK supermarket takeaway pasteis. 

[Peat]

OP needs more tarot cards and wicker man references...

 

 

Nikita Mazepin feeling up another girl

[shure]

I tried to make them a few times. One batch worked really well but then I got lazy and tried to do it with supermarket puff pastry and they didn't bake properly at all.

 

I think the Co-Op does the pick of the UK supermarket takeaway pasteis. 

you need a really, really hot oven and not many private ones can get the temps needed

[JimmyClark]

Fed up of every pundit and observer writing off Haas. Expecting a breakout weekend from them soon, but I doubt it'll be this.
 

 

I honestly doubt we will see anything from them all year, barring freak circumstances. Haas themselves are seeing this season as a glorified test run, backed up by Russian money, to bed in their drivers whilst they concentrate heavily on trying to get back into the midfield under the new regs. If anything I can see them being quite happy to be last, so they get the maximum wind tunnel and development time.  

[TomNokoe]

Did you really run through the field and not mention McLaren and in particular Norris, that was 10 centimetres from qualifying third last time round, and from a start position of 7 blasted to the podium?

I knew someone would say this! It wasn't deliberate, I just can't place them.

Air 18
Track 33

[Rodaknee]

Great!  No clash with MotoGP.