The drama was certainly not lacking in Jeddah, further increasing the pathos of a World Cup that has long been destined to remain in the annals, but the drama is not necessarily synonymous with a pleasant show. On the contrary, in Saudi Arabia there have been a series of episodes in the race that have prevented us from witnessing an actual competitive confrontation between the protagonists of this season, in which both the drivers and the teams are included, where the master was the ‘irrationality. It may be said that calling into question reason in a sport that runs on the edge of 300 km / h could be out of place, but the management by the race management of the repeated neutralizations and controversial episodes, which are accompanied by some maneuvers on the track that have gone in addition to the lawful aggressiveness of hand-to-hand duels, they provided an unworthy spectacle in contrast to that enjoyed during the season. It therefore becomes preferable not to linger over these episodes and try to focus instead on the technical aspects still present in the Saudi weekend.
With regard to the world championship fight, the conditions were lacking in the race to be able to draw a picture of the balance of power between Mercedes and Red Bull over the long distance, since the confrontation was held with different compound tires and was influenced by neutralizations. from the incidents and to a lesser extent from damage to Hamilton’s front wing. As for pure performance on the single lap instead, in Jeddah Red Bull showed signs of having a higher potential than Mercedes, not realized by Verstappen due to the error in the last attempt in Q3, at the end of a lap in which the advantage over Hamilton could have exceeded three tenths of a second. The Milton Keynes team demonstrated a better state of form on a track on paper strongly similar to the characteristics of the rival team, further demonstrating the great importance of the set-up work in defining the balance of power from race to race. Furthermore, at the debut on the Saudi track, the insiders experimented with different scenarios compared to expectations. In the first place, the accentuated deformations of the tires induced by the enormous vertical and lateral loads of the numerous high-mileage corners prompted Pirelli to raise the minimum static inflation pressures by 1 psi compared to the parameters launched on the eve. This was accompanied by the high level of grip guaranteed by the road surface, which allowed the teams to gradually unload the aerodynamics. It is always complicated to accurately assess the level of aerodynamic load from the outside, as it depends on the heights from the ground and on the incidence of the profiles that cannot be measured with the naked eye, but, by simply analyzing the ailerons used, it emerges how many teams have reproposed the same specifications as Baku.
As in Jeddah, also in Istanbul the teams had found a grip on the asphalt higher than expected, such as to upset the balance sought with the set-up prepared in the factory. In these contexts, the increase in grip is felt more at the rear than at the front, a condition not particularly pleasing to Red Bull which can already count on a very stable car at the rear. In Turkey, the RB16B suffered from severe balance problems, with a tendency to understeer in the low-speed corners, whose correction attempts generated oversteer in the faster corners. In Jeddah, however, the guidelines for the search for aerodynamic balance were different, as the almost total absence of low-mileage corners simplified the compensation of the different mechanical and aerodynamic behaviors as the speed varied.
One of the main headaches for Red Bull in Saudi Arabia was rather being able to send the tires in the optimum temperature window, as pointed out by Verstappen at the end of qualifying and even more so by Sergio Perez: “We were leading in Q1 and Q2, but in Q3 I’m afraid that we made a mistake with the tires. In fact I suddenly had a lot of understeer problems, which didn’t allow me to match the time recorded in Q2, which is a shame. These tires are so demanding that, if you are not in the right temperature window, your balance is totally different, and that’s exactly what happened to me today “. Although it may have been an isolated case, it is surprising how the scenario on this front was completely reversed compared to what we saw at the beginning of the season. On the city and low-grip tracks, it was Mercedes who complained about the greater difficulties in temperature-setting the tires, which however plagued their rivals over the Saudi weekend.
From the Mercedes side, on paper it was expected that the W12 could express a discrete superiority in Jeddah, both for the abundance of straights, on which the aerodynamic efficiency and the power unit could represent a considerable advantage, and for the preponderance of high-mileage curves that should have enhanced the better precision of the front end of the W12. However, the potential was not exploited to the fullest through the set-up, also thanks to the minor advantage deriving from the particular exploitation of the stall of the diffuser that distinguishes Mercedes in the fight for the top. The curves of over 200 km / h in fact made it necessary to calibrate the rear suspension in order to lower the rear axle and cause the diffuser to stall only at speeds higher than those of cornering, thus reducing the exploitation time on the straight.
Ferrari: a result below potential
In contrast to the state of form expressed in Qatar, at least in qualifying Ferrari has returned to be the protagonist of the excellent performances seen from Istanbul onwards, whose judgment is to be related as always to the potential of the SF21. The mistake made by Carlos Sainz prevented him from qualifying for Q3, but on the other hand Charles Leclerc he conquered an excellent fourth position. The events of the race led the Scuderia from Maranello to collect less than the potential expressed by the car, although it should still be emphasized that the recovery on Pierre Gasly in the second part of the race was not irresistible. However, Ferrari can rejoice in the third place among the manufacturers, which is now one step away, and the recognition of the growth expressed since the beginning of the year. In contrast to the other teams that have re-proposed aerodynamic looks similar to Baku, Ferrari has in fact opted for a higher load level. The difference is recognizable by the spoon rear wing, which represents the mid-load specification available to the team. The choice of set-up testifies to the different approach pursued by the Scuderia di Maranello from the middle of the championship onwards, which, also supported by the developments of the power unit, has renounced the extreme low load set-ups at the beginning of the season used to compensate for the shortage of horses. straight, which compromised the handling of the tires.
Mathematics keeps the possibilities open for McLaren to confirm itself as the third force among the constructors, but the odds are reduced to a minimum. In Saudi Arabia the Woking team tested two different aerodynamic configurations on Friday between the two drivers, with Norris running with a lighter rear wing than Ricciardo. In FP3 both cars seemed to have conformed to the lighter configuration, but for qualifying Ricciardo returned to the wing used in FP1 and FP2. In any case, McLaren showed an evident drop in performance from Istanbul onwards, in stark contrast to the excellent performances of Monza and Sochi. It seems difficult to establish whether the team has no longer been able to define effective set-ups, whether there has been a drop in the drivers’ performance or whether the car has reached its maximum potential, while Ferrari has continued to progress both on the engine and the front. set-up.
Last, but not least, some considerations on the track that hosted the debut of Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia. The track turned out to be intriguing for its high-speed curves faced just a few millimeters from the walls, so much so that it received praise from the riders themselves. However, although fortunately there were no serious accidents, with the exception of the one at the start in Formula 2 whose causes are completely disconnected from the track, there are still some security concerns. The faster curves have sufficient escape routes on the outside, but the problem mainly concerns changes in direction, as in several points the inner wall of the next curve is in a position that can be hit in the event of a spin in the previous curve. . The greatest risk is represented by the danger that the crashed car could bounce off the trajectory, given the proximity of the internal wall in the change of direction with respect to the track, and that at that point it could be hit by another car. The same walls also obstruct the view in different curves, preventing you from seeing any obstacle stationary in the trajectory. These are the same problems as other citizens such as Monaco, Baku and Singapore, whose curves are, however, tackled at lower speeds. The high mileage of Jeddah not only increases the danger of a collision between two cars, but reduces the reaction times required to avoid any obstacles. The scenario of the crashed car bouncing off the track is the same at the basis of the safety problems highlighted at Eau Rouge and constitutes the dynamics of the accident that cost Anthoine Hubert his life. Michael Masi assured that the track was built to the highest safety standards, which leads to the question of whether the standards are inadequate.
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