Alpine just popped up 3rd (I'm 4 minutes from end of Day 3 session 2) Alfa 5th, Russell going out for a last run

Ok, Max was on a C5, I thought the last run was C4. Russells best was C5 also. Plus Ferrari while C4, was earlier so with a C5 and later would be closer then 7/10

Mercedes will need to find something to get anywhere near the podium I think. Its not the driver or the car its the porpoising issue that is their Achilles Heel

Never got a response form F1.com, signed up to spark sport figured i'll be watching the MotoGP and some UFC replays. 

Pretty sure Mercedes are just sandbagging. Every year lewis is like, oh man it was really tough.

Redball looking quick.

Wonder how these low cars will go on super bumpy tracks, I didn't think Bahrain track was bumpy at all but cars are bouncing their way down the straights, helmets are bobbing all round. 

langi27:

 

cars are bouncing their way down the straights, helmets are bobbing all round. 

 

That's the major issue they're battling with this year after the change of regulations.
Cars now use air directed at speed under the floor (acting like a reversed airplane wing) sucking the car down onto the ground.
Adds downforce in a way that's hopefully less impacted by the leading cars dirty air, and allows for good grip whilst following other cars and therefore closer racing.  Hopefully.

Anyhow, requires it careful control of the air along the sides to seal the underfloor and keep the flow heading right through under it quickly. 
What you're seeing with the bouncing is the processes failing when the car gets too low, the underfloor negative pressure disappearing and the cars suspension lifting the car back up.  Once back up again though the process starts working again and repeats, so you get this resonant oscillating thing occurring. 

Some cars have smashed bits of the underfloor during this testing period.  It's been quite dramatic in cases as you've said.  It's a real world situation they've found very hard to predict in the wind tunnels / computer simulations etc.  They call it Porpoising as it kinda mimics how those sea mammals swim, but I think that's a pretty random name for the phenomenon myself.  

McLaren had it under control at an early stage which got me quite excited for them, but then their brakes overheated so they've now got their own issues to sort.  Kinda loving how the different designs are really there this year, rather than small tweaks of a design that's very set and well evolved over time from previous years.

Fixing this issue will be track dependent, there will be a big difference between setup on a smooth track and bumpy track. Maybe the car that can be easily adjusted for the different conditions will have an advantage.

Drivers are gonna get a violent ride if they don't sort this and cars will rattle apart. 

There is also the added bonus of the lowest/fastest single lap is most likely not going to last the entire race due to the wear and attrition on the 'skirt' and skid block... its going to be an interesting first few races while the teams sort out optimal ride heights and the circuit undulations.

langi27:

 

Never got a response form F1.com, signed up to spark sport figured i'll be watching the MotoGP and some UFC replays. 

 

Pretty sure Mercedes are just sandbagging. Every year lewis is like, oh man it was really tough.

 

Redball looking quick.

 

Wonder how these low cars will go on super bumpy tracks, I didn't think Bahrain track was bumpy at all but cars are bouncing their way down the straights, helmets are bobbing all round. 

 

Sandbagging for sure, but for me, the porpoising is still an issue for them.

Jaxson:

 

That's the major issue they're battling with this year after the change of regulations.
Cars now use air directed at speed under the floor (acting like a reversed airplane wing) sucking the car down onto the ground.
Adds downforce in a way that's hopefully less impacted by the leading cars dirty air, and allows for good grip whilst following other cars and therefore closer racing. 

 

Other series have used this for some time, but they have side skirts. It wont be long before those that nailed it, get copied.

Heard that Liam Lawson will be getting a run in one of the practice sessions? That's very cool!

This has probably already been mentioned earlier in the thread...but Haas! They just can't catch a break. I feel sorry for them. 

Jaxson: Hulkenberg will race for Aston Martin in Bahrain as Vettel tests positive for COVID-19

I was surprised Haas offered the seat to Magnussen over the Hulk - great to see him back behind a wheel!

everettpsycho: Has anyone tried the F1 TV access subscription? I'm just confused by what exactly it offers as it says race replays but on another section of the site says they are put up after 14 days which obviously will be impossible to avoid the results.

I don't plan on getting up to watch races live so was planning to pop them on Monday mornings as more of a background thing I can Dio in and out of if I decide to subscribe, it's been a while since I watched more than YouTube highlight reels. I really can't justify $100 for it but if the replays are available the next morning I'd be happy to go in on the access tier and just not look at my phone until I've watched the replay.

I have it via Spark Sport. It has everything. Couple of pages back in this thread we concluded I think that we arent sure if a non SS sub has everything.

You could get SS, or get one month F1TV and see what its like?

tdgeek:

everettpsycho: Has anyone tried the F1 TV access subscription? I'm just confused by what exactly it offers as it says race replays but on another section of the site says they are put up after 14 days which obviously will be impossible to avoid the results.

I don't plan on getting up to watch races live so was planning to pop them on Monday mornings as more of a background thing I can Dio in and out of if I decide to subscribe, it's been a while since I watched more than YouTube highlight reels. I really can't justify $100 for it but if the replays are available the next morning I'd be happy to go in on the access tier and just not look at my phone until I've watched the replay.

I have it via Spark Sport. It has everything. Couple of pages back in this thread we concluded I think that we arent sure if a non SS sub has everything.

You could get SS, or get one month F1TV and see what its like?

Interesting FP 1 and 2. Max and Charles look very good. 

All cars are superb on fast corners so ground effect is working, as it is in slow corners where they are slower.

Merc are heavily downplaying their position, far more than they have done. . If they happened to suddenly be in line for Qiuali that will be quite pathetic.

Haas looks not bad, it gets design assistance from Ferrari, so thats why.

Not much else, field is a bit mixed up, FP3 may show a bit more, but Quali will show all.