Shaich:

I was really surprised to see how he struggled at McLaren, I mean that the gap to Norris was so bit that I wasn't see that coming! I believe that he is a great driver, but the question is.. was it the McLaren or the new cars he couldn't adopt to ???

 

From what I understands, it's the driving style. Ricciardo is old school, to put it simply. His racing style needs a really stable race car in order to perform but modern F1 cars are anything but stable, he is losing time on corner entries and corner exits and of course on the straights. There was some clips on Youtube about McLaren race engineers trying to coach Ricciardo during a lap on how he should drive entering corners, mid corners and on exits.

The current crop of young guns, aka the future of F1s, all prefers a 'pendulum' car. It's how I best describe it.

Verstappen is the most extremely of them all, But Leclerc, Norris all the same to an extend. On corner entry, the car is literally swinging, not turning, around the front tire and steering input is adjusted until the car is pointing where they want it. I know that sounds like it's just normal cornering but it isn't. Another way to put it is that for old school drivers, the steering input is what they asked the car to turn, new style is to use the steering input to predict and match the expected turning rate. 

Old school style is get the car stable and turning the whole car at the same rate. The new kids all drive a very loose car and let the rear swing to where they want it. it's not quite oversteering, they are using the momentum of the engine/car to help them rotate. Basically a karting technique. The kids are driving an F1 car like a kart. It's why we always hear Verstappen getting angry about no front grip, the outside front tire keep washing away, preventing him from rotating the car around that tire. 

Alonso had always like a loose car, so he is fine. Vettel, like Ricciardo, just can't adapt, they did some karting growing up but they aren't good at it.  Hamilton was an accomplished kart winner before, he is basically going back to his roots. 

 

 

 


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