2011 relative qualifying pace

[Brogan]

I thought it might be interesting to track the relative qualifying pace throughout the season.

This is completely unscientific as it doesn’t take into account the type of circuit, whether a team has any problems during qualifying, etc.
I have also taken the fastest time from all 3 sessions, to factor out any poor flying laps in Q2 and Q3 for example.
Of course this does have the effect of making the slow teams look even slower, but it’s safe to assume that the top teams are holding back in Q1 as most of them use the hard tyres which is worth a second or so, and probably a little in Q2 too.

What it does do is compare the fastest time for each team at each race and then displays the gap to the overall fastest time and also the % difference. There are also a few tables and charts with the gap and % difference per km.

This will at least allow us to see any trends and which teams are improving (relatively), or getting worse.

This table details the qualifying times as a percentage slower than the fastest qualifying time at each Grand Prix.

Green cells denote the fastest team, orange cells denote the second fastest team, red cells denote the slowest team.

This chart plots the percentage slower than the fastest qualifying time at each Grand Prix.

These two tables and this chart show the fastest time for each team and the gap to the fastest qualifying time.

Click to view the full size versions.

These two tables and this chart show the percentage slower per km and the gap per km to the fastest qualifying time.

Click to view the full size versions.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Only just seen this. I think it is a great idea. I'll come back on Saturday to have a look at the difference at Malaysia

 

[Brogan]

Well this is interesting.
As you can see from the chart, all of the teams have reduced the gap to Red Bull.

It's still too early to determine anything but it's clear that Red Bull don't have the same advantage they had just a week ago.
Not at this circuit anyway.

 

[Chasz]

Very nice Brogan - bodes well for the rest of season!

Just on my pendantic side. I think you have an incorrect time for Virgin as their fastest in Malaysia and that it should be 1:40.648 instead. Otherwise, Awesome!

 

[Brogan]

Ah yes, finger trouble there, thanks for noticing.
I'll get everything updated.

 

[Chasz]

sorry about that Brogan!

Just did the calculation that the 107% rule on pole position time would have been 1min 41.511secs which means neither the HRTs would've made it (Liuzzi had a 1m41.549s), but the Virgins would have!

Of course, I think HRT are glad the rules are only based on Q1!

 

[McZiderRed]

Wouldn't Liuzzi have been given the nod by the rest of the teams anyway though? He would have only been about 4/100ths off, wouldn't he..?

 

[Galahad]

Wouldn't Liuzzi have been given the nod by the rest of the teams anyway though? He would have only been about 4/100ths off, wouldn't he..?

I should imagine, after last year, Virgin might well have voted against it...

I'm stunned and delighted to see McLaren reduce the gap so massively. Ruddy Williams though, tsk.

 

[teabagyokel]

I should imagine, after last year, Virgin might well have voted against it...

I'm stunned and delighted to see McLaren reduce the gap so massively. Ruddy Williams though, tsk.

I think Virgin may be worried about it happening to them, and getting voted out later!

As for Williams. Rubbish!

 

[tranquility2k9]

Nice post

I'm tracking the qualifying performance here to see how it develops over the season: http://cliptheapex.com/threads/2011-relative-qualifying-pace.2411/

That's very interesting Brogan! The %'s are interesting as on the one hand they can create slightly misleading analysis due to different tracks having higher or lower circuit lap times, however, then looking at it from another angle, they are thus more representative, as a faster car, should naturally have a bigger advantage on a longer track length, all things being equal.

Anyway, I forgot that Rosberg had a problem in Q3 and so his Q2 time was much better, if you account that in then he was only 1.5 seconds off Vettel's pace and therefore Mercedes also closed the gap. Everyone of the other top 4 teams all closed on Red Bull, suggesting either Red Bull had to compromise their performance with cooling (although other teams did this), they had to change some parts due to scrutineering, which no one heard about, the track didn't suit them as much as Melbourne, or... maybe the other 4 teams just found more in set up and preferred the temperatures compared to Melbourne.

It will be very interesting to see if Red Bull gain the same sort of advantage as shown in Melbourne in China, then we will know it is most likely temperature related. Interestingly, Hamilton said on Saturday that he "thought he knew why Red Bull had gone backwards", but refused to say why, he almost said it in a way that suggested maybe they'd had a set back in scrutineering, but that's just a guess.

 

[Brogan]

That's very interesting Brogan! The %'s are interesting as on the one hand they can create slightly misleading analysis due to different tracks having higher or lower circuit lap times, however, then looking at it from another angle, they are thus more representative, as a faster car, should naturally have a bigger advantage on a longer track length, all things being equal.

I was going to factor circuit length in but didn't bother in the end.
Maybe I will after all.

Anyway, I forgot that Rosberg had a problem in Q3 and so his Q2 time was much better, if you account that in then he was only 1.5 seconds off Vettel's pace and therefore Mercedes also closed the gap.

I've used the fastest qualifying time from all 3 sessions so that is already accounted for.
If you click on the second thumbnail at the bottom of the first post, you can see the gaps.

BTW, I split your post off and merged it with this thread

 

[teabagyokel]

I was going to factor circuit length in but didn't bother in the end.
Maybe I will after all.

Thats what the percentages do; factor in circuit length - well, specifically lap time! That's why they've got a 107% rule rather than a six seconds rule...!

The fact that no-one got 'slower' from Aus to Mal suggests to me it was just a stonker of a lap from Seb Vettel, tbh.

 

[Brogan]

Yes, you're right.
More specifically, what I wanted to do was factor in circuit length to see if the gap increased (exponentially) as circuit length increased, but I decided it wasn't really worth it in the end due to the relatively small differences (a few kms at most).

I think these few tables and charts will suffice and should at least highlight any trends, even if it isn't that scientific.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Wow that table shows just how much progress HRT made in just one race, hmm... I think they will once again end up besting Virgin.

 

[Brogan]

They were using last year's front wing at Australia and they did say with the correct front wing they would have significantly improved pace.
It seems they were correct.

 

[MCLS]

Well if FP1 shows us anything (which it rarely does) its that those lines will be heading back up again

 

[Brogan]

A bit of a mixed bag this week.
Some teams gained on Red Bull, others lost.

Gainers: Mercedes, Williams, Toro Rosso, Force India, HRT, Virgin
Losers: McLaren, Ferrari, Renault, Sauber, Lotus

Overall though, Red Bull seem to have recovered the significant gap they had at Australia so this is a bit of a reality check for the other teams after Malaysia.

 

[MCLS]

Big gains for Mercedes and Force India there. Hopefully Mercedes have solved their issues.

 

[teabagyokel]

The V shapes are interesting.

 

[Brogan]

Well this is very interesting.

Check out the Mercedes line on the chart; it's a straight line from the start of the season, one of only 3 teams to have made a consistent reduction of the deficit to Red Bull at every race.
The other 2 being HRT and Williams, who are doing equally as well (relatively) as Mercedes.