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PRACTICE 2 - LONG RUNS:

Russell was quickest: his gap to SAI was over half a second. The Hards (which RUS used) could be a better racing tyre... but no doubt that Mercedes' pace is looking great.

🥇RUS
🥈SAI +0.588s
🥉PER +0.670s
4️⃣PIA +0.730s
5️⃣VER +0.893s
6️⃣NOR +0.906s
7️⃣ALO +3.060s

All the teams (Alonso’s long run was the slowest on the grid).

PERFORMANCE IN QUALIFYING

⬅️ Worse / Better ➡️
⬇️ Lower / Higher top speed ⬆️

🔴'King of Baku' Charles Leclerc got his 4th pole in a row despite a modest top speed (same for Mercedes, Williams, and Haas).

🟠McL had the lowest one! Proof that grip is more important than straight-line speed in Baku qualifying, but they could struggle to attack/defend tomorrow.

🔵RedBull can be aggressive, exploiting their +3km/h top speed advantage vs Ferrari and Mercedes and +6km/h over McLaren.

What's your prediction for the race? 🤔

Norris reached consistently higher top speeds (~4km/h more) than Piastri in qualifying: this should aid his recovery drive!

PIA's top speed was the worst on the grid!

His additional downforce, however, could help with tyre wear.

(Laps with a tow were excluded.)

Made via @JMP_software

Piastri surprised Leclerc under braking getting a well-deserved win! 👏

McL’s excellent T16 exit and less loaded DRS plane made him gain up to the middle of the straight. 🛠

SAI-PER crash helped McL get a sizeable lead in the WCC. 💥

10 points for Williams. 🔥

BEA: first in history to drive 2 races with 2 teams getting points in both! 👌(Keeping a 7-times WDC behind for many laps).

What’s YOUR opinion? 🤔

💡McLaren has a "Mini-DRS", which acts on top of the "Flexy wing"
- Wing flex: McL > Ferrari >> RedBull
- McL has a never-seen-before lift of the upper plane leading edge: it's as if the DRS opens partially at high speed, providing a further advantage.

The effect is measurable: McL had the highest top speed when the DRS was inactive despite being slowest when the DRS was open (Data from quali).

Is this legal? 🤔
- The flexy wing is, as it passed the FIA's load tests. A wing that flexes are 'against the spirit of the rules', but until the load tests change to avoid that such a thing is perfectly ok.
- I'm not sure about the deformation of the DRS plane: I expect Ferrari to protest that, but the outcome is hard to predict.

Photo and idea: @brakeboosted, @multiviewer

Race Pace!

3 teams, 4 drivers within 0.03s/lap: remarkable convergence in performance under stable rules!

NOR was flying on fresher tyres!

RUS's pace in the last 10 laps was impressive, as his last pit was on lap 12.

VER could not aim to the FL point on new Softs due to the VSC.

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In Baku:

🔴Ferrari's DRS improved dramatically (+20km/h in '24 vs +13km/h in '23).
🔵RedBull's was the strongest, stronger even than last year's.
🟠McLaren's top speed when the DRS was active was the lowest.
⚫️Mercedes ran a less loaded wing➡️Fastest without DRS and matched for fastest with.

(Data from quali; DRS=OFF data from the main straight, immediately before the drivers activated DRS.)

Singapore GP Preview 👀

- 2 chicanes were removed last year, making the 3rd sector quicker.
- A FOURTH DRS zone is being added this year.

4 DRS zones + very loaded wings ➡️ DRS effectiveness crucial for qualifying performance. 💡

Traction and braking are critical; cornering not as much.

Due to their recent performance and the track characteristics, I expect McLaren and Ferrari to fight for the win.

📸 @pirellisport

REAR WINGS - Singapore GP

The track has gotten much quicker compared to ‘22 (two chicanes less, a fourth DRS zone added), yet teams are still using maximum-load wings.

The additional DRS-zone helps with that in quali, yet those in free air in the race will effectively have a ‘parachute’ behind the cockpit. 🪂

📸: @AlbertFabrega

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SINGAPORE GP - PRACTICE 2 | LONG RUNS:

🥇NOR (Softs)
🥈LEC +0.005s/lap (Mediums)
🥉HAM +0.125s/lap (Mediums)

Only PER tested the Hards: RedBull traditionally runs a more conservative engine mode in the long runs compared to the other teams, and often a heavier fuel load too.

BEST SECTORS

Norris was quickest in both Sectors 1 and 2, Mercedes in Sector 3 (the quickest one): their top speed was the highest (317km/h, +4km/h vs McL), which helped them there.

VER got the front row even though his sector times were unimpressive.