Telemetry analysis and comparison between Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, Mercedes’ Valttery Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen from 2021 Portimao qualifying:
Moving on to the triple comparison Carlos Sainz, Valttery Bottas and Max Verstappen, from the telemetry related to the Speed we notice that there are no big differences on the minimum speeds. In turn 3, Ferrari loses about 5kph to Mercedes, with Red Bull between the two. While in turn 5, as we saw in the FP2 analysis, Max Verstappen was slower compared to Ferrari and Mercedes. The only big difference is in turn 1, where Bottas with his W12 is able to lap with a 10kph difference on the Ferrari and 5kph on the Red Bull. Advantage that then accumulates on the straight leading to turn 3.
In addition, the Finnish driver manages to reach top speed on the main straight much faster than its rivals, demonstrating the superiority of the Mercedes PU. The third sector is very similar between the three drivers, with split times that differ by thousandths of a second. Note how Valtteri has a similar approach to Charles Leclerc’s towards turn 14, sacrificing the minimum speed to open the throttle first. While Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz have an almost identical approach.
Analyzing the data extrapolated from the transmission we notice various differences. Contrary to free practice, with the increase in revolutions Verstappen used eighth gear on the straight between turns 4 and 5. Same discourse at the end of the straight between turns 6 and 7, where the Dutchman in seventh gear. In turn 3 Carlos Sainz uses third, while Valtteri and Max prefer to face it in second. Nevertheless, the minimum speed of the three is almost identical. On the straight between turns 4 and 5, Ferrari’s Spaniard changes faster than his competitors. At this point, car number 33 is the one that brakes first, taking the corner with the slowest speed of the three.
What we analyzed thanks to the telemetry of FP2 also reappears in qualifying. In fact, from the graph of the accelerator, you can see how Verstappen does not lift his foot in turn 4. Which instead Carlos Sainz and Bottas are forced to do. The two split 85%. This denotes the large amount of downforce produced by Red Bull. Since the apex of this corner is at the top of a hill, the rear generally tends to lighten when it comes to the top of a hill, leading the drivers to lose the car. For this simple reason, in order to keep your foot down in turn 4, the car has to produce a lot of vertical thrust.
The situation is reversed in turn 7. While Verstappen brakes a lot to have a more gradual connection with turn 8, Carlos Sainz slightly lifts his foot at the entrance and then momentarily reopens the gas before pulling off. Bottas, on the other hand, remains flat and then gradually releases the accelerator before braking. The cue we saw yesterday on Hamilton also reappears on Valtteri’s track at turn 14. The driver from Nastola is in fact the only one of the 3 who does not lift his foot, reducing to 13% and then returning to full throttle.
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