F1 2025: Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina (Dec 7)

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MoeTE87 wrote

Debatable with your first sentence. Max clearly won!

Michael, is that you ? How’s the dog racing these days ? I bet you miss the F1 paddock.

///M Power-Belgium wrote

The 2026 Benz prototype equipped with active aero.

I think it has an SLM-Mode (SLM = Straight Line Mode) which gives the front wing less drag on the straight sections of the track to reach a higher top speed.
And from the looks of it , I think the active SLM system is pneumatically controlled.

By pneumatic I gather you mean it's speed and G-force controlled.

M5Rick wrote

By pneumatic I gather you mean it's speed and G-force controlled.

I can see 2 big air hoses , this means the SLM-mode will be activated by air pressure (compressed air)
The air will come from an air pressure pump which will control the 2 top flap rows with air pressure valves .
The 2 top flap rows will move downwards to reduce drag at the straights (up and down)
And I think the 2 big air hoses will be replaced by smaller hoses, and they will be built into the nose of the car.
This system is part of the 2026 active aero design . And I expect to see a similar system that controls a flap in the rear wing to control the downforce.
There is even the option to equip the sidepods with a similar system (but I'm not sure about that)

The disadvantage of the active aero system is : A malfunction is a DNF (!)

///M Power-Belgium wrote

I can see 2 big air hoses , this means the SLM-mode will be activated by air pressure (compressed air)
The air will come from an air pressure pump which will control the 2 top flap rows with air pressure valves .
The 2 top flap rows will move downwards to reduce drag at the straights (up and down)
And I think the 2 big air hoses will be replaced by smaller hoses, and they will be built into the nose of the car.
This system is part of the 2026 active aero design . And I expect to see a similar system that controls a flap in the rear wing to control the downforce.
There is even the option to equip the sidepods with a similar system (but I'm not sure about that)

The disadvantage of the active aero system is : A malfunction is a DNF (!)

Malfunction will turn it into a one way suicide ride

dfox wrote

I've never said that Max isn't the best driver on the grid. He clearly is. And when his car is faster, he wins races, and when it's consistently fast, he wins championships. That's the thing about F1. A driver can never stand in a vacuum.

It's one thing to support a different driver that isn't WDC. It's another to continually degrade other drivers with things that are false and don't even make sense, like Stroll winning WDC. The narrative that Lando was favored by the team is false. A lot of talk about how Lando is "cocky" yet the dude is the most humble and respectful driver on the grid, maybe tied with Charles. People just making stuff up at this point. It's very much akin to what was done to Checo and we've seen lots of people have to eat their words this year.

You never did and I never said that.

I agree, I have heard nothing but good things about Lando and I am happy for him.

We all know Stroll shouldn't be in an F1 seat, so I was being sarcastic!

I think Charles and Carlos are the best! Their road trip when they had to land and get a rental van back to Monaco, then Charles posted on social media of their interaction and singing was hilarious! I am always pulling for those two guys!

Anyways, can't wait for 2026 season. I believe we are about 90 or so days out from the first race!

///M Power-Belgium wrote

I can see 2 big air hoses , this means the SLM-mode will be activated by air pressure (compressed air)
The air will come from an air pressure pump which will control the 2 top flap rows with air pressure valves .
The 2 top flap rows will move downwards to reduce drag at the straights (up and down)
And I think the 2 big air hoses will be replaced by smaller hoses, and they will be built into the nose of the car.
This system is part of the 2026 active aero design . And I expect to see a similar system that controls a flap in the rear wing to control the downforce.
There is even the option to equip the sidepods with a similar system (but I'm not sure about that)

The disadvantage of the active aero system is : A malfunction is a DNF (!)

What will regulate the activation of it?
Will it be like DRS and you have to be within 1 second of the car in front of you?

Rono63 wrote

What will regulate the activation of it?
Will it be like DRS and you have to be within 1 second of the car in front of you?

It's likely to be a button on the steering wheel. This will be an area where teams can exploit how they use the high & low downforce. Max has already stated in testing on the sim they have ideas on how they can do so. This might actually be the thing that most important along with how the electrical power is deployed since all the engines should be within a standard deviation. I dont think MB is going to have an 80-100 hp advantage this time.

HeelToeShift wrote

It's likely to be a button on the steering wheel. This will be an area where teams can exploit how they use the high & low downforce. Max has already stated in testing on the sim they have ideas on how they can do so. This might actually be the thing that most important along with how the electrical power is deployed since all the engines should be within a standard deviation. I dont think MB is going to have an 80-100 hp advantage this time.

So all that winking and smiling from Wolff and Antonelli beforehand about their '26 car PU was probably all for show to noose MAX into the team.

M5Rick wrote

So all that winking and smiling from Wolff beforehand about their '26 car PU was probably all for show to noose MAX into the team.

Maybe...who knows.

I've said before, I think people are underestimating RB. They had a good engine from 2019 onward. The more important thing to me is that they have the engineers from MB who created their engine for 2014, but they also have Honda engineers who worked on their most recent engine, and Ford has certainly done some very good things in racing past and more importantly, present with both engine and EV.

No one will know much until Quali in the first race, but I also think RB will have some clever ways to get the most out of it, and they still have Max which is still the biggest driver advantage in F1, and I think having Mekies at the helm changes their approach as we have seen. I like that he is an engineer by trade so his inputs are more valuable than Horner.

HeelToeShift wrote

Maybe...who knows.

I've said before, I think people are underestimating RB. They had a good engine from 2019 onward. The more important thing to me is that they have the engineers from MB who created their engine for 2014, but they also have Honda engineers who worked on their most recent engine, and Ford has certainly done some very good things in racing past and more importantly, present with both engine and EV.

No one will know much until Quali in the first race, but I also think RB will have some clever ways to get the most out of it, and they still have Max which is still the biggest driver advantage in F1, and I think having Mekies at the helm changes their approach as we have seen. I like that he is an engineer by trade so his inputs are more valuable than Horner.

This is important to me also, it's no coincidence that with Horner out with all those weigh down tags has freed the team from a down performing vice...and pleased a Far East RB share holder no end

Rono63 wrote

What will regulate the activation of it?
Will it be like DRS and you have to be within 1 second of the car in front of you?

Yes and no.

I think it will be like the 2026 "MOM" (Manual Override Mode)
A manual mode by a push on/off button on the steering wheel.

In 2026, the DRS (Drag Reduction System) is replaced by the "Manual Override Mode" (MOM), a temporary electric power boost for the chasing car when within one second of the car ahead, giving it up to 350kW of extra MGU-K power for faster overtaking. Cars will also have two active aero settings: Z-Mode (closed wings, high downforce for corners) and X-Mode (open wings, low drag for straights), with MOM activated in designated zones to create more natural passing opportunities.

How the Override Mode Works (MOM)
Trigger: A driver can activate MOM when they are within one second of the car in front.
Power Boost: It unlocks a significant burst of electrical power (up to 350kW) from the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic).
Duration/Speed: This boost lasts longer and allows higher speeds (up to 337kph) compared to the leading car, whose energy deployment tapers off after 290kph.

difficult to compare Max and Lando, they are in completely different team dynamics.
RB is Max team, and if it weren't Jos would decapitate the CEO to make it Max team, and Max gets all the points.

McLaren is a giant papaya. the drivers share the points. If Lando have Colapinto for example as a team mate he'd probably seal the title by the summer break, just like Jensen Button ran away with the title with Brawn's double diffuser. But because they split the papaya, the points are a bit lower than what Max generally gets.

Anyway, if you don't think McLaren treats Oscar as a number 2 driver, listen to this

I don't think RB is a Max team bij default. I think every year Max proves to be the far better driver than the one in the other seat. You might argue that RB just doesn't want to put an equal driver in that other seat, if they could ever find one.

At McLaren things are a bit different. In my opinion Oscar has a bit more raw talent, Norris is a bit more composed. But they are very close in terms of performance. I think Oscar had a bit of a mental set back after the controversial pit stop orders and (maybe because of that) made big mistakes in Baku.

I don't think RB is a Max team bij default. I think every year Max proves to be the far better driver than the one in the other seat. You might argue that RB just doesn't want to put an equal driver in that other seat, if they could ever find one.

At McLaren things are a bit different. In my opinion Oscar has a bit more raw talent, Norris is a bit more composed. But they are very close in terms of performance. I think Oscar had a bit of a mental set back after the controversial pit stop orders and (maybe because of that) made big mistakes in Baku.

M5Rick wrote

..and long may MAX remain at RBR, aiming for the 2026 WDC (but not by just 2 points ) with Isaac Hadjar joining the team

///M Power-Belgium wrote

Nice one my friend
Now look at this, this isn't over yet as I stated before Norris passed Yuki with all 4 wheels over the track line and Yuki only moving a little and it's being looked at again.

M5Rick wrote

Nice one my friend
Now look at this, this isn't over yet as I stated before Norris passed Yuki with all 4 wheels over the track line and Yuki only moving a little and it's being looked at again.

That's what I posted during the race at that moment => https://www.m3post.com/forums/showpost.php?p=32502236&postcount=298

The FIA just s@cks and they will s@ck again (!)

///M Power-Belgium wrote

That's what I posted during the race at that moment => https://www.m3post.com/forums/showpost.php?p=32502236&postcount=298

The FIA just s@cks and they will s@ck again (!)

The main thing is that's been presented by more evidence is that car 4 used manoeuvres in such a way before approaching Yuki which you can see he was approaching him at quite a high rate of knots and then using the off track as a further launch with more grip and torque to set himself up for the turn at a higher rate of speed and manoeuvrability that would not happen on the track itself.

*still thinking Norris will lose the title because of the Yuki pass*

It's time to let go guys.