As normal, the analysts of The Paddock, Play Sports activities’ F1 podcast, regarded again on the System 1 race weekend. After the Brazilian GP, host Dennis Xhaët and common panel member Sam Dejonghe hosted Karel Loos, Head of Trackside Engineering. at Alpine. He taught them quite a bit in regards to the ins and outs of a race weekend. The trio additionally loved the duel between Alsonso and Pérez, though the Mexican in his quicker Purple Bull ought to all the time have completed forward of the Spaniard, in line with Sam Dejonghe.
Dash races huge problem to excellent the automobile
Alpine may look again on a strong race in Sao Paulo with seventh place for Paul Gasly and tenth for Esteban Ocon. A weekend like this with a dash race is a giant problem for the crew.
“As an engineer, these dash races are an infinite problem, you’re very dependent in your simulation instruments and your preparation for the weekend,” says Karel Loos of Alpine. “It then turns into essential to do the whole lot proper from the primary spherical. We have been instantly in a fairly good place in Brazil, in order that was constructive. However there are additionally different weekends the place some groups received it critically incorrect: Aston Martin and Aston Martin weren’t there in any respect after which they made numerous modifications. They have been very quick on Sunday. So that you see that it is rather simple to get your arrange incorrect.”
“I assume that in a traditional weekend folks make most use of these three free coaching periods. Now you need to put that into one exercise. How are you going to accumulate all the knowledge with this,” asks Sam Dejonghe.
“I do not suppose you ever optimize the automobile in a single free follow session. Throughout regular weekends you’re employed systematically by all sides, however now you need to do the whole lot quicker. That is a gigantic problem,” Loos confirms.
That is what a race weekend seems to be like
“Each race you construct your data about the right way to finest method competitions,” says Alpine engineer Karel Loos. “The primary free follow is commonly fairly experimental, both with new components or sure settings that we need to strive primarily based on what got here out finest within the simulator exams. The second free follow is kind of comparable for everybody: then we see what the distinction is between the 2 compounds. There are sometimes fairly just a few issues left on Saturday that we now have questions on. FP2 is often a bit quieter and the final one is actually targeted on the away lap, ensuring the tires are the best temperature. After which qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.”
“What Fernando Alonso has proven is what everybody needs to see: racing to the end,” mentioned Loos. “Within the center stint, Pérez was additionally shut behind. Over the last a part of the stint, Fernando pulled away from Pérez a little bit bit. Within the third stint Fernando nonetheless had a little bit little bit of a bonus to drive on new tires. That was a sensible transfer. (Laughs) We did it too. You noticed that the Purple Bull was quicker.”
“I additionally thought his ecstasy afterwards was spectacular: Alonso understands what the distinction between 4 and three is for a crew,” mentioned Sam Dejonghe. “It was higher for Pérez than the earlier races, however if you’re essential, it was nonetheless inadequate with that automobile. Put another person in there and also you nearly all the time come second.”