[Official] Team of the Grand Prix: Singapore Grand Prix 2023

[Born Racer]

Who do you think gets it?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Mercedes. A great strategy call when the VSC came out, with the double stack pit stop, just a shame they couldn't quite pull it off when Russell went out.

[bathurst77]

Forza turned uo with a brilliant car lead every p swssion got pole. and this time didnt stuff it up on the pit wall
they owned the event

[GT6]

have to give that to mercedes, late mistake by russel but they made that race exciting

[Aysedasi]

Really difficult to choose between Mercedes and Ferrari. Mercedes made a great strategy call but then George dropped it. Leclerc was comprehensively bested by his teammate all weekend. I'll just give it to Mercedes.

[Notso Swift]

Split between Red and Silver, went Silver because of the late pitstop, wasn't 100% rewarded but a team move

[Born Racer]

Mercedes for making that call. Of course, they had to be brave to try to win it, but it was clever and it also provided great racing.

Red Bull were awful on pace.

[TrapezeArtist]

It was hard choosing between Mercedes and Ferrari. In the end I gave it to Mercedes because of the strategic call for the second pitstops. Ferrari also had some clever strategy in the way Carlos worked the gap to Lando, but that seemed to be Carlos's doing rather than the team, and he already has the DOGP trophy.

If McLaren had had the upgrades on both cars and Piastri had been up front as well, perhaps I would have given it to them. But they didn't, so I didn't.

[AndreasDavour]

Interesting suggesting with a vote for McLaren. They have indeed improved a lot as a team.


It makes me think about their counterparts, in Aston Martin.


It looks like they started the year with a very good car. Alonso said it felt perfect, and it did deliver in his hands. But, since then it has felt a bit lacklustre. Are they being out developed by McLaren and Mercedes? It looks like it. Considering how Stroll has talked about his investments in the team, and their grand ambitions, I'm a but surprised they have let that happen.


Have they tried, and ended up in that limbo Mercedes was in when they really didn't know what didn't work? Considering their start of the year, that feels unlikely. That leave the option it's intentional. That begs the question why? They did start to slide before most teams shifted to next year, didn't they?

[chillibowl]

Merc for me. once a team stops winning for a long time they seem to often struggle or get goofy if and when they ever find themselves in a position to win again.

both Ferrari and Merc were in that position and while Ferrari had the lead and made the same choice any team would have (prioritize the win and sacrifice the second car). right choice and brilliant driving by Sainz to make that call work. dont want to take anything away from them for that...

but im giving it to Merc for making the choice to put both of their drivers out there to hunt at the same time. honestly didn't think that had those sorts of guts anymore.

[Born Racer]

I don't know if it was just the way the TV director presented the radio comms, but Sainz's engineer sounded like he felt he needed to point out the fact Norris was in DRS range, as if he didn't know what his driver was doing. Maybe, in fairness, he was just letting him know the exact gap. I think it was 0.8 seconds he reported. And it's true that if it had been, say, 0.4, he may have been concerned Norris, knackered tyres or not, was in a position to pull a move.

Going back to my vote for Mercedes, when it was clear before the race they had two sets of mediums, we knew they may have options in this race, and boy, did they take their chance when the option presented itself.

[AndreasDavour]

I don't think it's the first time the comms has made it sound like Sainz is running the strategy in that team!


Mercedes did indeed show some guts and initiative, and it was excellent to see how those tires they saved came in just at the right moment. That's superior teamwork. Mightily impressive.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

I don't know if it was just the way the TV director presented the radio comms, but Sainz's engineer sounded like he felt he needed to point out the fact Norris was in DRS range, as if he didn't know what his driver was doing. Maybe, in fairness, he was just letting him know the exact gap. I think it was 0.8 seconds he reported. And it's true that if it had been, say, 0.4, he may have been concerned Norris, knackered tyres or not, was in a position to pull a move.

IIRC, it was Sainz who specifically asked to be given the gap to Norris on every lap.....

[Born Racer]

If so, that was another clever move by the lead Ferrari driver.

[dsg]

Well done Ferrari.

[AndreasDavour]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

If so, that was another clever move by the lead Ferrari driver.

[chillibowl]

Have read that Vasseur has said that the idea was Carlos’ and while I could say this is another example of Ferrari letting its drivers dictate the strategy, that Sainz pulled it off perfectly makes it hard to argue the call.

Curious if this is a tactic/scenario the teams and drivers talk about or simulate tho?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

Mercedes for making that call. Of course, they had to be brave to try to win it, but it was clever and it also provided great racing.

It was certainly a gutsy call, nearly paid off for them too. George dropping the car though makes it hard to give them the vote as Ferrari won and got the other car home in a decent position.

Originally Posted by Born Racer

Red Bull were awful on pace.

I thought the Red Bull pace was better than expected - they got stuffed by the timings of the safety cars, the first was too early for them to switch from the hard tyre, the second was just after they'd stopped. If that second safety car had been a few laps sooner Red Bull would have got their one stop 'free'. Not sure what the lap times were like for the Red Bulls compared with the Ferrari and Mercedes?

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

I thought the Red Bull pace was better than expected - they got stuffed by the timings of the safety cars, the first was too early for them to switch from the hard tyre, the second was just after they'd stopped. If that second safety car had been a few laps sooner Red Bull would have got their one stop 'free'. Not sure what the lap times were like for the Red Bulls compared with the Ferrari and Mercedes?

Therein lies the problem with the safety car. Getting stuffed and free stops. It's not sport; it's a lottery.

[S griffin]

Gave it to Haas for getting both cars into the top 10 in qualifying.