The nineteenth round of the 2022 Formula 1 produced a peculiar Friday. The Pirelli prototype tyres were tested at the at the Circuit of the Americas in FP2 with a longer session, while in FP1 there were several young drivers, including Robert Shwartzman, that were given the opportunity to run. However, when it comes to lap performance, the most relevant simulations are those of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.
We therefore take a look at how the two most important cars on the track performed, also evaluating the directions that the engineers will take with the set-up considering the aerodynamic choices. We will discuss the effects of these choices and analyze the telemetry of the RB18 and F1-75 cars.
The first telemetry compares the fastest FP1 laps of Carlos Sainz and the two-time Formula 1 world champion. Let’s start from the first corner, uphill and with an important change of slope, an area of the track where there are different interpretations regarding the trajectory.
It should also be remembered that when exiting the first braking zone there are several bumps that can “break down” the cars. A little surprisingly, Ferrari and Red Bull arrive at the first braking area with the same top speed. However, in the acceleration phase, the innate strength of the F1-75 begins to take effect: traction. A truly excellent ability to take advantage of horsepower for the F1-75.
Continuing our evaluations we arrive at the sequence of rapid turns in succession: the snake. In this portion of the circuit, on the whole, the two cars offer very similar performance, with the car from Maranello showing superior balance.
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In fact, there is no car that dominates. However, Max still manages to bring a lot of speed to the middle of the corner, taking care of the exit very well. At the end of the complex of corners, the RB18 seems to run away, managing to better use all the power of its engine.
With a broader overview, we can assert that Red Bull has not yet found the right compromise between the two axles, a factor evidenced by a slight but annoying understeer. This is an obvious symptom that explains how the car designed by Adrian Newey has not yet managed to hit the correct operating window. Verstappen ran with the medium load specification, we’ll see what they decide to do for Saturday.
This brings us to the straights area. The Dutchman manages to recover a good advantage in terms of top speed. The gap between the two, in fact, is between 6km / h and 8km / h in favor of Red Bull. Obviously, the Italian car’s excellent traction is confirmed at the hairpin before the longest straight of the track, which measures about 1.2 km.
Arriving at the start of the third sector, a fact emerges that leads us to a clear reflection. In the first section of the third sector, the acceleration of the F1-75 is felt between one straight and the next. By observing the on-board with expertise, therefore, we note an excellent stability of the red car in exiting phase.
In the middle of the corner, however, the speeds between the two cars are very similar, a sign that the load developed by Red Bull is very good. As mentioned, the balance is still missing for the RB18, as we can easily see in the last corner of this sequence, where the reigning F1 world champion sacrifices entry to better take care of the exit, in an attempt to produce good traction. .
Coming to the end of the lap, we notice how the performance of the single-seaters in the last two corners of the track follows what was seen throughout the lap. When braking, the speeds are the same, while Milton Keynes’ car loses speed while driving due to a slight understeer that they will have to solve.
This scenario best positions Ferrari, capable of generating great traction in the exit zones. The figure is confirmed by observing how the number 55 manages to get to the last braking point more quickly.
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