First Comparison Longrun 2019: Ferrari 5 seconds ahead of Mercedes

2019/02/28
Michael Schmidt

At the Kaffeesatzleserei in the test drives of Formula 1 in Barcelona comes the light slowly. On the afternoon of the seventh day of the test, Ferrari and Mercedes competed for the first time. The program included a race simulation. Valtteri Bottas started just after 2:00 PM with his silver arrow. For the Mercedes, this is the best time of the day, because in the afternoon sun, the danger is the minimum, that the tires run.

Ferrari sent Charles Leclerc 50 minutes later on the track. From the temperatures, the two longruns were so good to compare. Not the sequence of tires. Mercedes tried to stay as close to reality as possible. Bottas started with the soft C3 tire and drove the next two passes into the harder C2 blend.

Leclerc was consistently on C2 tires on the way. Which was an advantage in the first attempt, of course, because the high weight of the fuel harms the tires more softly than the hard rubber. Bottas therefore deliberately approached the subject carefully. His first flying lap was 1.22.8 minutes. Leclerc directed the hardest soles in 1.22.7 minutes. The C2 tire does not need to be caressed at the beginning of a longer distance.

We still have to live with two strangers. "We do not know how much fuel Ferrari has entered in the race. It could have been 100 kilograms but also 120. The larger tanks allow more flexibility and therefore a greater source of errors," warns Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff in the analysis .

In addition, the selected engine program can cause distortions with it. Of course the teams are better informed than we are. Their simulations are highly prized based on the maximum speeds, acceleration data and position of the rear wings in what way the engine would probably be.

Wolff tells us: "Leclerc made less force on his lap of 1.16.2 in the morning than on the previous laps when he was slower." That leaves only the conclusion that Ferrari had the best time of day.

Mercedes faster than Red Bull

But now we come to our long-term comparison between Bottas and Leclerc. Let's anticipate the result. "If we calculate everything inside and out, Ferrari would have taken five seconds ahead of us until the end," sums up Toto Wolff. This is the bitter pill. The good news: "We were faster than Verstappen in the long run on Wednesday and significantly faster than Gasly on the same day".

We can only compare numbers. As Bottas lost in the first period of 19 rounds, on average, four tenths in Leclerc. The average turnaround time for Finn is calculated as 1.23.8 minutes. Leclerc averaged 1.23.4 minutes on the toughest tires.

The last round of flight of both stints shows that the C2 rubber has a longer breath. Leclerc took 1.23.7 ​​minutes, Bottas a second slower. Taking advantage of Ferrari's tires, the first section with plenty of gas on board was practically equivalent.

For how long Leclerc could have driven with the first sentence remained open. The Pierre Gasly crash forced Monegassen after 19 rounds to the pits. Bottas had just started the final section. We had to put that together for 3 plus 19 laps.

Does Mercedes need another Aero concept?

The Mittelstint clearly goes to Ferrari. Leclerc completed 19 laps with an average time of 1.22.1 minutes. It started with 1.21.1 minutes and stopped with 1.22.9 minutes. Bottas averaged 1.22.5 minutes. His first flying lap was 1.22.7 minutes, the last in 1.23.1 minutes.

Comparison Longrun Ferrari-Mercedes

The last part of the virtual race was balanced. Both drivers achieved an average of 1.21.2 minutes. Again Leclerc started much faster with 1.19.5 minutes. Bottas calmed down with 1.20.8 minutes. That proof that Mercedes in the early stages of tire life has to pay more attention than Ferrari.

Leclerc received the receipt presented at the end of his 24 rounds. In the last four rounds, he was not below the 1.22 minute mark. Bottas, on the other hand, was getting faster and faster. He drove four 1.20 times in a row.

Toto Wolff believes that Ferrari had problems with Graining in the last few laps. "Since it was colder than ours." The Austrian's conclusion is short and concise. "Ferrari is ahead of us and Red Bull." Engineers see the deficit from two to five tenths each, depending on the temperature of the asphalt.

If the same image was presented in Melbourne, Mercedes should consider whether to adhere to its aerodynamic concept or turn to Ferrari: "I think Red Bull is currently asking the same question," Wolff said. A change of direction, however, entails great danger. He needs time. "So we can cancel the first races because we would have to freeze our concept until the other one is ready."