Monthly Archives: May 2017

Boletim Estratégico: Grande Prêmio da Espanha 2017

16 May 2017

5ª Etapa – 66 Voltas – 4.655km por volta – 307.104km distância total – Desgaste médio de pneus

Spanish GP F1 Strategy Report Podcast – our host Michael Lamonato is joined by Craig (Scarbs) Scarborough from ScarbsTech.com.

Era por isso que nós estávamos esperando, certo? Uma batalha roda com roda entre os dois melhores pilotos e equipes do grid pela vitória.

Foi exatamente isso que aconteceu no GP da Espanha de 2017, terminando com a vitória de Lewis Hamilton, superando seu rival alemão após diversas batalhas durante a prova. Essa foi a 55ª vitória do inglês, sua segunda do ano.

A corrida proporcionou diversos ingredientes interessantes, desde batalhas e ultrapassagens até polêmicas e acidentes. Todavia, a estratégia também foi um fator decisivo para o resultado do GP. Eis alguns dos pontos estratégicos mais importantes do Grande Prêmio da Espanha.

Como Hamilton venceu?

Alguns pontos estratégicos ajudaram Hamilton a vencer essa prova. Após perder a liderança na curva 1, a Mercedes optou por estender muito mais o primeiro stint do inglês, sacrificando a diferença momentânea para Sebastian Vettel com o objetivo de otimizar a estratégia no fim do GP.

A equipe buscou maximizar o tempo de pista calçando os pneus macios no começo e no fim da prova, o que deu ao tricampeão uma vantagem em relação à Vettel no stint final. Lewis ainda foi auxiliado por um timing perfeito na última parada da corrida, se aproveitando do Safety car virtual.

Isso fez com que a Ferrari chamasse Vettel na volta seguinte, quando o VSC já havia terminado. Isso colocou Hamilton de volta na briga pela vitória e usando pneus macios, vantagem suficiente para o inglês pular para a liderança e vencer a prova.

Como Vettel perdeu a prova

A Ferrari tentou usar o undercut com Vettel, e mesmo que essa estratégia tenha rendido alguns segundos, o alemão perdeu um certo tempo atrás de Daniel Ricciardo inicialmente. Algumas voltas depois, Valtteri Bottas também o segurou bastante, trazendo Hamilton para a briga após a janela de pit-stops.

O Safety car virtual realmente acabou com a corrida do tetracampeão, visto que parar com bandeiras verdes custou segundos preciosos. Além disso, Vettel voltou dos pits com os pneus médios para a parte final da prova, enquanto os macios ainda tinham a capacidade de ir até o fim do GP.

Macios dominando a prova

Tal qual a estratégia escolhida por Lewis Hamilton, os macios foram os pneus mais usados durante o GP da Espanha, enquanto as equipes tentavam se livrar o mais rápido possível dos médios. Esse foi o caso graças à aderência, performance e durabilidade dos amarelos.

Pascal Wehrlein foi o piloto que mais rodou com os macios, completando 33 voltas, enquanto Hulkenberg, Ericsson e o próprio Pascal fecharam 32 com os médios. Os pneus duros só apareceram no começo do FP1 e não foram vistos novamente.

Felipe Massa falou que o pneu era uma piada e Esteban Ocon afirmou que o composto era terrível, além de não ter aderência nenhuma. A escolha da Pirelli para o GP da Espanha pareceu ser muito conservadora, entretanto, temos que considerar a telemetria limitada que os italianos possuíam quando essa escolha foi feita.

 

Spain-3-2000

Pascal brilha com a estratégia alternativa

Wehrlein foi o único piloto a completar a prova com apenas uma passagem pelos boxes, especialmente graças à durabilidade dos pneus. A Sauber pareceu ser bem gentil com a borracha em seus bólidos, uma vez que o alemão conseguiu completar 33 voltas com os macios antes de calçar os médios.

O stint de abertura mais longo e os incidentes na parte da frente do grid o ajudaram a escalar o pelotão com mais facilidade. Pascal cruzou a linha de chegada em 7º, contando também com a pista estreita de Barcelona, já que Sainz ficou preso atrás da Sauber durante boa parte do último stint.

Sua única parada foi perfeitamente executada durante o VSC, entretanto, a chamada foi feita tarde demais, forçando o piloto a cortar por fora da marcação de entrada dos pits. Essa manobra custou uma punição de 5 segundos e o derrubou para oitavo na classificação final, marcando os primeiros pontos da Sauber no campeonato.

Kvyat basicamente faz uma parada

O piloto da Toro Rosso basicamente fez uma estratégia de uma parada. Largando da última fila, o russo optou por parar na volta 1 e se livrar dos pneus médios logo de cara, dessa forma, Daniil teve a possibilidade de passar o resto do GP com os macios, estratégia que o ajudou a fatiar o grid e terminar a prova em uma respeitável 9ª colocação.

Todas as paradas

Alguns pilotos se beneficiaram dos incidentes e abandonos da primeira volta, causando corridas solitárias. Daniel Ricciardo espelhou a estratégia de duas paradas de Lewis Hamilton e terminou a prova em um distante 3º lugar.

As Force Indias de Sérgio Perez e Esteban Ocon optaram pela estratégia de macios-macios-médios, cruzando a linha de chegada em 4º e 5º, a frente de Nico Hulkenberg, que fez a mesma escolha estratégica. Ainda sim, todos esses pilotos se beneficiaram dos acontecimentos da primeira volta.

 

Spain-2-2000

Oportunidades perdidas?

Felipe Massa perdeu um potencial 4º lugar devido à um furo de pneu após a colisão com Fernando Alonso anda na primeira curva, enquanto os dois tentavam escapar do incidente envolvendo Kimi Raikkonen e Max Verstappen. As manobras evasivas prejudicaram ambos os pilotos, Alonso perdeu algumas posições enquanto Massa caiu para último. Um furo de pneu durante a briga com Daniil Kvyat na parte final da prova também custou caro para Kevin Magnussen, que poderia ter terminado em nono mas foi forçado a fazer outra parada.

Texto original Jack Leslie @JackLeslieF1

Stints mais longos

Macios: Wehrlein (33 voltas)
Médios: Wehrlein, Hulkenberg, Ericsson (32 voltas)

Fonte

Agradecimentos a Pirelli Motorsport pelos infográficos detalhados

Spain-Pirelli-2

Spain-Pirelli-1

Stints by Driver

SCSafety Car
Lap 33-37 (Virtual)

 

mcclorine2. Vandoorne
Start P20
Medium 12 laps Pit 22.547
Soft 20 laps
Retired L32 (DNF)

 

redass3. Ricciardo
Start P6
Used Soft 21 laps Pit 21.811
Medium 17 laps Pit 21.918
Soft 28 laps
Finished P3 (+3)

 

Stallion5. Vettel
Start P2
Used Soft 14 laps Pit 22.499
Soft 23 laps Pit 22.307
Medium 29 laps
Finished P2 (+0)

 

Stallion7. Raikkonen
Start P4
Used Soft 1 laps
Retired L1 (DNF)

 

has8. Grosjean
Start P14
Soft 19 laps Pit 22.866
Used Soft 15 laps Pit 22.641
Medium 31 laps
Finished P10 (+4)

 

saucer9. Ericsson
Start P16
Soft 18 laps Pit 22.995
Soft 14 laps Pit 22.775
Medium 32 laps
Finished P11 (+5)

 

RR11. Perez
Start P8
Used Soft 18 laps Pit 25.082
Soft 16 laps Pit 23.107
Medium 31 laps
Finished P4 (+4)

 

mcclorine14. Alonso
Start P7
Used Soft 12 laps Pit 22.69
Used Soft 19 laps Pit 23.354
Medium 20 laps Pit 22.923
Used Soft 13 laps
Finished P12 (-5)

 

Franks18. Stroll
Start P18
Soft 12 laps Pit 22.1
Soft 21 laps Pit 22.071
Medium 31 laps
Finished P16 (+2)

 

Franks19. Massa
Start P9
Used Soft 1 laps Pit 40.612
Used Soft 12 laps Pit 22.292
Used Soft 20 laps Pit 23.066
Medium 31 laps
Finished P13 (-4)

 

has20. Magnussen
Start P11
Used Soft 13 laps Pit 22.703
Soft 20 laps Pit 23.814
Medium 30 laps Pit 25.052
Used Soft 1 laps
Finished P14 (-3)
Torro26. Kvyat
Start P19
Medium 1 laps Pit 22.235
Soft 32 laps Pit 22.117
Soft 32 laps
Finished P9 (+10)

 

Boatus27. Hulkenberg
Start P13
Soft 15 laps Pit 22.49
Used Soft 18 laps Pit 22.362
Medium 32 laps
Finished P6 (+7)

 

Boatus30. Palmer
Start P17
Medium 2 laps Pit 23.159
Soft 19 laps Pit 22.762
Soft 21 laps Pit 24.75
Soft 22 laps
Finished P15 (+2)

 

redass33. Verstappen
Start P5
Used Soft 1 laps
Retired L1 (DNF)

 

saucer94. Wehrlein
Start P15
Soft 33 laps Pit 23.445
Medium 32 laps
Finished P8 (+7)

 

mercury44. Hamilton
Start P1
Used Soft 21 laps Pit 21.544
Medium 15 laps Pit 21.722
Soft 30 laps
Finished P1 (+0)

 

Torro55. Sainz
Start P12
Soft 13 laps Pit 22.432
Used Soft 21 laps Pit 21.934
Medium 31 laps
Finished P7 (+5)

 

mercury77. Bottas
Start P3
Used Soft 26 laps Pit 21.689
Medium 12 laps
Retired L38 (DNF)

 

RR31. Ocon
Start P10
Used Soft 16 laps Pit 22.616
Used Soft 18 laps Pit 22.643
Medium 31 laps
Finished P5 (+5)

05-spain-lap-chart_1

3 May 2017

With

Michael Lamonato

Michael Lamonato

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Episode 4 (2017) – Russian Grand Prix

Episode 4 of the 2017 Strategy Podcast: by Apex Race Manager provides insight & analysis of strategic decisions made during the 2017 Russian Grand Prix.

Our host Michael Lamonato is joined by Josh Kruse from Crash.net.

Our guest Josh Kruse from Crash.net
Our guest Josh Kruse from Crash.net

For full written report about the strategy plays in this race, and detailed data (including all the stints and tyre choices) click here. All of the previous written reports are here.

All of our previous F1 Strategy Report Podcasts are here.

APEX Race Manager – it’s out now on iOS & Android.

Contact us on twitter @strategyreport.

Russian Grand Prix 2017

3 May 2017

Race 4 – 52 Laps – 5.848km per lap – 303.897km race distance – very low tyre wear

Russian GP F1 Strategy Report Podcast – our host Michael Lamonato is joined by Josh Kruse from Crash.net.

The Russian Grand Prix wasn’t a thriller, but we weren’t expecting one at the Sochi Autodrom. However, it did throw up a fair few exciting moments and an intense battle for victory.

Valtteri Bottas stormed into the lead at the start and looked in control through the first part of the race, before coming under pressure from Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari late on.

Despite having Vettel breathing down his neck, he kept ice cool to secured his maiden F1 win. Vettel came home second, with Kimi Raikkonen picking up his first podium of 2017 in third.

The unsurprisingly low degradation at the Sochi Autodrom limited strategy opportunities, but there was still a decent amount of strategy storylines to emerge from the Russian GP:

Lightning start

Mercedes and Ferrari looked pretty equal in terms of race pace, so the start was going to be crucial in deciding the Russian GP. Bottas got the perfect launch from the line and tucked into Vettel’s slipstream, moving ahead of him on the run to Turn 2. It was the moment that won him the race.

Ferrari tries something different

Completing fewer laps in Q2 gave Ferrari slightly fresher tyres for the first stint of the race and with the SF70H seeming to be kinder on the Pirelli rubber too, it allowed the team to try a slightly different strategy in order to leap-frog Bottas.

Of course, it didn’t work, but it was still worth a shot. Vettel ran seven laps longer for his first stint, and was still putting in good lap times before diving into the pits. He lost 2.1 seconds to Bottas in the pit phase but a strong run-up to the stop helped him stay ahead of Raikkonen.

Running longer was a gamble for Ferrari but practice long-run pace had indicated the Prancing Horse may have had the edge. From there, with seven laps fresher tyres, Vettel was able to gradually chip away at the leader – helped by a small error by Bottas at Turn 13.

This brought him right into contention but traffic played its part as he got onto the gearbox of the Mercedes. On the last lap, Bottas passed Felipe Massa’s Williams easily on the main straight, but Vettel had to wait until Turn 4 to do so and this cost him vital seconds.

Bottas could well have hung onto the lead even if Massa hadn’t been there, but it certainly provided him with more breathing room.

Hamilton struggles

It was an unusually forgettable weekend in Russia for Lewis Hamilton, on a track many expected Mercedes to dominate at. He looked in better shape on Friday but lost some form on Saturday, before struggling with overheating from a very early part of the race.

He pitted on lap 30, one lap later than Raikkonen and four before Vettel, but wasn’t able to make the most of the fresher tyres due to the overheating issues. Hamilton believes there were some set-up issues as well, which didn’t help matters. So, a lot of work to do for Mercedes to work out what went wrong.

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Massa loses positions

A slow puncture for Felipe Massa cost him a potential sixth place. He was on for a one-stop strategy but a trip to the pits on lap 41, switching from new super-softs to used ultra-softs, caused him to fall to the bottom of the top 10. Despite the fresher tyres, he was unable to make much progress in the end and finished one lap down in ninth.

Hulkenberg on the alternate

One of the major strategies that stood out in the race was Nico Hulkenberg’s drive to eighth. He went very, very long on the ultra-softs, putting in a huge 40-lap stint, which left him with fresh super-softs for the final 12-lap run to the flag.

A poor start lost him positions and the alternative strategy looked to be a bid to claw back ground but he finished eighth, just behind Esteban Ocon in the second Force India. The sole Renault to make it to the chequered flag looked decent in race trim, so more could’ve been possible without lap one.

Going for a two-stop

Only four drivers stopped twice for new tyres, and Massa’s was unscheduled. For Stoffel Vandoorne, Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein, they pitted for the first time at the end of lap one, after the safety car was deployed to clear Jolyon Palmer and Romain Grosjean’s crashed cars.

It was thought that they’d be able to ditch the super-softs they started the race on and make it to the end on ultra-softs but that wasn’t the case for any of the drivers. They all pitted from laps 20-24 and then ran to the end.

The strategy was a brave one and was probably done to try and catapult the cars into a point or two if the opportunity arose, but none of the three drivers had the pace to really make an impact on the top 10 and they were the last of the finishers, Vandoorne 14th ahead of Ericsson and Wehrlein.

Russia-3-2000

Low deg

The Sochi Autodrom’s smooth surface meant there was very low degradation, so a one-stop was always going to be the favoured strategy. Hulkenberg put in the most laps on the ultra-soft with 40, while Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat managed 30 laps on the ultra-softs.

Soft tyres barely featured at all throughout the weekend, due to the low wear and grip levels, so the higher grip super and ultra-softs were inevitably going to dominate. In fact, the softs only appeared on Friday and not much running was completed on them.

Jack Leslie @JackLeslieF1

Longest Stints

Ultrasoft: Hulkenberg (40 laps)
Supersoft: Magnussen (30 laps)

All the Data

Thanks to Pirelli Motorsport for the detailed infographics

Pirelli-Russia-2

Pirelli-Russia-1

Stints by Driver

SCSafety Car
Lap 1-3

 

mcclorine2. Vandoorne
Start P20
Supersoft 1 laps Pit 30.006
Ultrasoft 23 laps Pit 35.998
Ultrasoft 27 laps
Finished P14 (+6)

 

redass3. Ricciardo
Start P5
Used Ultrasoft 5 laps
Retired L5 (DNF)

 

Stallion5. Vettel
Start P1
Used Ultrasoft 34 laps Pit 30.097
Supersoft 18 laps
Finished P2 (-1)

 

Stallion7. Raikkonen
Start P2
Used Ultrasoft 29 laps Pit 30.152
Supersoft 23 laps
Finished P3 (-1)

 

has8. Grosjean
Start P19
Ultrasoft 1 laps
Retired L1 (DNF)

 

saucer9. Ericsson
Start P18
Supersoft 1 laps Pit 32.235
Ultrasoft 20 laps Pit 30.655
Ultrasoft 30 laps
Finished P15 (+3)

 

RR11. Perez
Start P9
Used Ultrasoft 27 laps Pit 29.868
Supersoft 25 laps
Finished P6 (+3)

 

mcclorine14. Alonso
Start P15
Ultrasoft 1 laps
Retired L1 (DNF)

 

Franks18. Stroll
Start P11
Ultrasoft 26 laps Pit 29.791
Supersoft 25 laps
Finished P11 (+0)

 

Franks19. Massa
Start P6
Used Ultrasoft 21 laps Pit 29.923
Supersoft 20 laps Pit 29.92
Used Ultrasoft 10 laps
Finished P9 (-3)

 

has20. Magnussen
Start P13
Ultrasoft 21 laps Pit 36.559
Supersoft 30 laps
Finished P13 (+0)
Torro26. Kvyat
Start P12
Ultrasoft 21 laps Pit 29.991
Supersoft 30 laps
Finished P12 (+0)

 

Boatus27. Hulkenberg
Start P8
Used Ultrasoft 40 laps Pit 30.28
Supersoft 12 laps
Finished P8 (+0)

 

Boatus30. Palmer
Start P16
Ultrasoft 1 laps
Retired LF (DNF)

 

redass33. Verstappen
Start P7
Used Ultrasoft 29 laps Pit 29.567
Supersoft 23 laps
Finished P5 (+2)

 

saucer94. Wehrlein
Start P17
Supersoft 2 laps Pit 31.266
Ultrasoft 18 laps Pit 30.799
Ultrasoft 30 laps
Finished P16 (+1)

 

mercury44. Hamilton
Start P4
Used Ultrasoft 30 laps Pit 29.739
Supersoft 22 laps
Finished P4 (+0)

 

Torro55. Sainz
Start P14
Ultrasoft 24 laps Pit 29.973
Supersoft 27 laps
Finished P10 (+4)

 

mercury77. Bottas
Start P3
Used Ultrasoft 27 laps Pit 29.356
Supersoft 25 laps
Finished P1 (+2)

 

RR31. Ocon
Start P10
Used Ultrasoft 26 laps Pit 30.253
Supersoft 26 laps
Finished P7 (+3)

04-russia-lap-chart_1