📊 CHINESE GP - RACE | RACE PACE
PACE PER TEAM (1 STOPS)
1️⃣ Mercedes
2️⃣ Ferrari +0.64s/lap
3️⃣ Alpine +1.32
4️⃣ Haas +1.43
5️⃣ Racing Bulls +1.81
6️⃣ Audi +1.83
7️⃣ Williams +2.47
8️⃣ Cadillac +3.51
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
📊 CHINESE GP - RACE | RACE PACE PACE PER TEAM (1 STOPS) 1️⃣ Mercedes 2️⃣ Ferrari +0.64s/lap 3️⃣ Alpine +1.32 4️⃣ Haas +1.43 5️⃣ Racing Bulls +1.81 6️⃣ Audi +1.83 7️⃣ Williams +2.47 8️⃣ Cadillac +3.51
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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📊 CHINESE GP - SPRINT QUALIFYING | TOP SPEED
Mercedes-powered teams fastest on average (335.5km/h); Alpine even hit 339! (Oddly on the start-finish straight).
Ferrari-powered cars were 2nd slowest (330.3), closer to Honda (326) than Mercedes (335.5).
Audi did a great job!
Alpine's chronic power deficit over the past few years might have taught them how to manage drag...
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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📊 CHINESE GP - SPRINT | SPRINT PACE
🟢 Mercedes's 'all-out' quali pace advantage disappeared in the race: 🔴 Ferrari could keep up, but wore its tyres more in the process.
🔵 VER had no pace: 1.8 s/lap slower than RUS; 🟡 LAW was almost as quick despite using one less tyre set!
Ferrari might leapfrog Mercedes at the race start, then fight for several laps; whether they can aim for an unlikely win depends on how well they can manage their tyres!
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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📊 AUSTRALIAN GP | TOP SPEED PER LAP
Not only were F1 top speeds much higher than last year, they were also always high, And reached earlier on the straight!
- 2025: Very high drag; DRS ON vs OFF had a big impact on top speed.
- 2026: Minimal drag due to active aero; overtake-mode adds deployment above 290km/h, but the top speed is *not* impacted as much (as battery drains quickly).
OCO went from slowest (304 km/h avg, no DRS) to quickest (334 km/h avg, peaking at 342 km/h)!
Teammate BEA was tied for 2nd best.
⚪️ Haas was quick on the straights in both quali and race!
🟣 COL hit 343km/h once!
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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📊 AUSTRALIAN GP | Huge Delta in Russell's Missed Attack
Remember the 'DRS fly-by overtakes'?
That's nothing: RUS had a 49 km/h advantage over LEC on Lap 9 on the main straight, and still couldn't pass him! 🚀
💡Key points:
- LEC used limited his power on that straight to preserve charge: he couldn't accelerate past 285 km/h even though the rules allow full deployment below 290 km/h.
- RUS was too greedy to wait for the longest straight and had to drain his battery on the start/finish line, only to lock up.
- That 49 km/h delta means a ~60% higher Power/Drag ratio for RUS, coming from higher power first, slipstream second.
- Behind them, HAM reached 311 km/h.
This is my take based on the opening laps:
- To win the WDC, RUS needs to match LEC's battle skills.
- LEC needs a more effective Power Unit (the rotating wing will aid with energy management).
What do you think?
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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Mercedes has the best F1 PU - Period
No PU got close to it from T3 to T13. RBPT, the other PU of the 'Compression ratio' saga, is 2nd best.
Audi did produce a good PU, unlike Honda.
Beware of Ferrari: the team had battery software issues in Q2 and Q3, but BEA (the next quickest Ferrari-powered driver) had the least clipping!
Clipping is massive: cars lose ~50km/h ***on full throttle***!
Ferrari needs the rotating rear wing to work (and wait for the 1st June updated PU testing procedures) to fight on the straights. Their downforce is encouraging: look at the speed in the fast T6!
Losing ~50km/h AT FULL THROTTLE cannot be what F1 is about… especially in qualifying!
This PU-ruleset will be a disaster, and a clear downgrade compared to the previous one.
[Data: Considering each PU's quickest lap]
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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📊 Australian GP | RACE PACE!
Mercedes built a rocketship, yet Ferrari wasn't far behind!
Excellent comeback by VER!
Audi and Haas built cars which can lead the midfield this year, yet are ONE SECOND slower than the worst top-car (McL).
Alpine struggled, yet was quicker than Williams. Cadillac is slowest by far! (But, unlike Aston, can finish races).
Pace per team:
1) Merc (ANT)
2) Ferrari (HAM) +0.13 s/lap
3) RBR (VER) +0.53 s/lap
4) McL (NOR) +0.56 s/lap
5) Audi (BOR) +1.53 s/lap
6) Haas (BEA) +1.68 s/lap
7) RBs (LIN) +1.84 s/lap
8) Alpine (GAS) +2.12 s/lap
9) Williams (ALB) +2.36 s/lap
10) Cadillac (PER) +4.31 s/lap (!!)
11) Aston (?)
1,740
Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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AUSTRALIAN GP - PRACTICE 2 DATA ANALYSIS 📊
Best Sector Gap
Three different teams set purple sectors: McL (PIA) in S1, Ferrari (LEC) in S2, and Mercedes (ANT) in S3.
Quali will be close!
LIN was very quick in S2; VER is losing significant time in the first and last sector.
Aston lost well over 2s in the last sector alone!
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 29, 2026, 12:56 PM
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AUSTRALIAN GP - PRACTICE 2 DATA ANALYSIS 📊 Best Sector Gap Three different teams set purple sectors: McL (PIA) in S1, Ferrari (LEC) in S2, and Mercedes (ANT) in S3. Quali will be close! LIN was very quick in S2; VER is losing significant time in the first…
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 28, 2026, 08:42 PM
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Ferrari’s rotating rear wing could cut drag by a further 7%, worth 5-8 km/h on fast tracks 💡
Rear-wing CdA (drag) drops by 'just' 0.010. But the effect propagates upstream:
• Rear tyres: –0.024 CdA (!!)
• Chassis: –0.014 CdA
CFD by https://t.me/MayaSimulation shows every component either sees reduced drag or remains unchanged... and that’s with a generic wing profile! Ferrari has shaped the rear end specifically to maximise this concept.
This could be a critical advantage!
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 28, 2026, 08:42 PM
I'M HOSTING AN F1 FANTASY LEAGUE! 🚗
I will use the official 'F1 Fantasy' platform. League name: 'Formula Data Analysis'
2 ways to join:
-Link: https://fantasy.formula1.com/en/leagues/join/P3WOBNM0E09
-League Code: P3WOBNM0E09
Beat your friends through my analyses; may the best Performance Engineer win! 🏆
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 26, 2026, 09:05 PM
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Yesterday, I drove the most extreme version of my dream car (Porsche 911 GT3 RS) on a track I love: Mugello!
To my surprise, the instructor made me push MUCH more than I would have on my own. Will post the video!
The perfect PhD graduation gift from my fantastic friends 💚
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 20, 2026, 02:50 AM
🎥 Video
'Straight Mode' reduces drag by ~1/5, according to a CFD simulation I requested from https://t.me/MayaSimulation!
Key points:
- Downforce is more affected (-31%) than drag (-21%).
- Rear wing drag reduces massively (-70%); next up is Front wing (-43%).
- Tyres (Front and Rear Corner) produce most of the drag. They also produce lift, like the chassis!
- The floor produces ~47% of the car's downforce in Corner Mode, and ~76% (!!) in Straight Mode.
- The wake stays much closer to the car in Straight Mode. This makes drag reduction come from the wheels, chassis, and floor, too!
[The F1 model is not optimised, as shown by the high 0.715 CdA in Straight Mode. Teams can find ways to go below 0.6 ;)]
Simulation by: Maya HTT
[ https://x.com/MayaSimulation]
1,420
Formula Data Analysis
Mar 20, 2026, 02:50 AM
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💡Who started best in Bahrain? Each driver's median 0-200km/h time using ALL the starts from the last F1 test! - RUS was quickest: 5.30s, very close to last gen cars! - 🟥 LEC and 🟧 PIA almost matched him. - RBPT-powered drivers were quick. Instead, Cadillac…
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 18, 2026, 01:39 AM
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💡Who started best in Bahrain?
Each driver's median 0-200km/h time using ALL the starts from the last F1 test!
- RUS was quickest: 5.30s, very close to last gen cars!
- 🟥 LEC and 🟧 PIA almost matched him.
- RBPT-powered drivers were quick. Instead, Cadillac and Audi struggled ⚠️
ALL the data in the first comment. Two main points:
- 🟩 Aston did just ONE proper launch to 200km/h (which wasn't bad).
- 🟦 VER made one crazy-quick launch: just 4.36s to 200km/h! He launched from the pit lane, revving to 11000rpm for some time, then dropped to 5000rpm and was slighshot forwards.
Raw data by https://t.me/FormulaGhostLap
🤝
Made via https://t.me/JMP_software
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 18, 2026, 01:39 AM
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Length of 8th Gear per Team and PU
Rules allow max fuel flow starting from 10500rpm --> peak power around here as friction increases above that.
At 10500rpm, McL is travelling at just 288 km/h... Audi? 319km/h!
Possible implications of this 31km/h (10%!) difference:
- McL expects a low top speed due to high drag in Straight Mode and/or plans little deployment at high speed. Additionally, the Mercedes engine might remain close to its peak power well above 10500rpm.
- Audi expects a high top speed, its PU loses a lot of power above 10500, and plans to have a more balanced ERS deployment between medium and high speeds. Due to the very long gear, they'll likely have to downshift at full throttle once the clipping starts!
The three Ferrari-Powered teams share the same ratio. Same for Red Bull/Racing Bulls, and Alpine/Williams.
F1 teams are allowed to change ratios just once throughout the season.
[Calculation approach: median (rpm/speed) ratio using all the laps from Day 3]
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 15, 2026, 11:14 PM
Ferrari’s “Rotating Wing” is the wildest concept since DAS - Here's how it works! 🔴 Corner-Mode (Traditional): Max downforce, moderate drag. 🟢 Parachute-Mode (90°): downforce drops to ~0, drag skyrockets, possibly helping slow the car at the start of braking…
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 13, 2026, 07:58 AM
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Ferrari’s “Rotating Wing” is the wildest concept since DAS - Here's how it works!
🔴 Corner-Mode (Traditional): Max downforce, moderate drag.
🟢 Parachute-Mode (90°): downforce drops to ~0, drag skyrockets, possibly helping slow the car at the start of braking (🔵 Straight → 🔴 Corner) when speed and drag are highest.
🔵 Straight-Mode (180°): wing faces the OPPOSITE direction. With a cambered flap, this minimises drag… and even generates lift!
Ferrari tailored the rear end to exploit this:
- Highly cambered wing profiles → rotation massively reduces drag.
- Exaust deflector→ gases hit the wing’s lower side, boosting downforce in 🔴 Corner Mode and helping cancel drag in 🔵 Straight Mode.
Possible effects:
✅ Less drag in Straight-Mode
✅ Higher drag at braking start
✅ Reduced rolling resistance on straights
⚠️ Less stable initial braking?
⚠️ Higher tyre wear on straights?
[ Images: https://t.me/dr_obbs / https://t.me/KyleEngineers / https://t.me/Motor_Sport ]
Only time will tell, but things like this and DAS are what make F1 what it is! 😃
Formula Data Analysis
Mar 13, 2026, 07:58 AM
📷 Photo
⚠️Getting the deployment strategy right will be a huge performance differentiator this year...
TOP (Vertical axis) VS AVERAGE SPEED (Laptime, Horizontal) IN EACH TEAM'S BEST LAP
Cadillac reached 343 km/h on the main straight; Aston? Just 317. Yet, things are not looking that bad for Aston: power was actually decent for most of the lap, except for the main straight.
They were as quick as Cadillac out of T3, T10, and faster out of T13 and T15! For both, speed in T12 was limited by the engine, and Aston decided to deploy more there.
The top 3 laps (RUS, PIA, LEC) all had a moderate speed on the main straight. Still huge differences deployment-wise: Ferrari deployed the least out of T3 and in T12, and the most out of T13!
Audi, which had very low top speeds in the past test, has finally tested a higher-deployment mode.
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 13, 2026, 07:58 AM
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⚠️Getting the deployment strategy right will be a huge performance differentiator this year... TOP (Vertical axis) VS AVERAGE SPEED (Laptime, Horizontal) IN EACH TEAM'S BEST LAP Cadillac reached 343 km/h on the main straight; Aston? Just 317. Yet, things…
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 13, 2026, 07:58 AM
I've analysed the telemetry of ALL 3,716 laps made during the F1 Bahrain test, looking for the highest top speeds - here are the results! PU averages: 1) RBPT ✅ 2) Ferrari -5.8 km/h 👌 3) Mercedes -7.5 4) Audi -13.5 ⚠️ 5) Honda -15.5 ❌ - VER reached 344 km/h…
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 11, 2026, 09:03 AM
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I've analysed the telemetry of ALL 3,716 laps made during the F1 Bahrain test, looking for the highest top speeds - here are the results!
PU averages:
1) RBPT ✅
2) Ferrari -5.8 km/h 👌
3) Mercedes -7.5
4) Audi -13.5 ⚠️
5) Honda -15.5 ❌
- VER reached 344 km/h on Day 1, and no one has beaten it since!
- The 2 fastest cars have an RBPT engine.
- Ferrari was 7km/h faster than Cadillac; Mercedes 6km/h faster than Alpine.
- Honda struggled the most, yet improved day after day (303→318→326). They are running a detuned mode to safeguard the PU. Audi's lack of top speed seems genuine, though.
No team is running full-power yet. Still, RBPT's PU is looking strong, while Audi's and Honda's gap looks due to more than just a different PU setting.
What's your prediction?
1,710
Formula Data Analysis
Mar 10, 2026, 04:31 AM
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Compared to 🟧NOR, 🟥LEC: - 🟡 Had more deployment on the main straight 🔋(gaining 0.2s) but 🟢 less at lap-end. 🪫 - 🔵 Braker later, losing on exit. - ⚪️ Lifted way less in T6-7, due to better downforce and/or confidence. What's your opinion?
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 7, 2026, 04:26 AM
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Verstappen: "As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out, and at the moment, you cannot drive like that."
He was right, look at Turn 12: LEC and NOR were full-gas for ~300m, yet their cars couldn't exceed 240km/h! 😳
2026 F1 Rules allow the ERS to generate NEGATIVE power (recharge battery) when the driver is full-gas, up to -250kW. As the ICE power is ~400kW, the resulting power is as little as 400-250=150 kW... about half that of a Formula 3! ⚠️
The driver is full throttle, yet it's the software that decides whether power should be 200hp (240km/h in T12) or 1000hp (330km/h on the main straight), or something in between: the engineers have more control on the instantaneous power than the driver!
Therefore, LEC and NOR didn't have to lift in T12, as the power was controlled electronically there.
[...]
1,340
Formula Data Analysis
Mar 7, 2026, 04:26 AM
Verstappen: "As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out, and at the moment, you cannot drive like that." He was right, look at Turn 12: LEC and NOR were full-gas for ~300m, yet their cars couldn't exceed 240km/h! 😳 2026 F1 Rules allow the ERS to generate…
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 6, 2026, 01:59 AM
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My prediction was right: 2026 F1 cars will be WAY faster on the straights! 🚀
Esteban Ocon reached 355 km/h once he was allowed full deployment, and no evidence of slipstream!
In his best '25 quali lap, he reached 'just' 327km/h - and he mentioned reaching the top speed EARLIER on the straight in '26.
The drag drop is massive (-37%), even assuming the ’25 car was in full ERS harvest (–120 kW), to be subtracted from ~615 kW ICE power (~840 hp). The ’26 car was +28 km/h faster despite a ≥95 kW (130 hp) power deficit.
Back in December, I predicted CxA = 0.66 → 359 km/h top speed, very close to real data (355 km/h → 0.68).
💡At least one (likely both) is true:
- The new cars have extremely low drag.
- Ferrari's new ICE is stronger than F1 predicted (400kW).
What’s certain: these cars will fly on the straights - and Catalunya isn’t even low-drag!
[CxA from drag POWER: 0.5ρCxAv^3 = ICEpower@vMax, ρ≈1.22]
1,790
Formula Data Analysis
Mar 6, 2026, 01:59 AM
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***FIRST LOOK AT 2026 TELEMETRY***
VER’s top speed was already +24 km/h vs his best 2025 quali lap. 😳
Conversely, Stroll barely exceeded 300 km/h due to Honda PU issues - Alonso PTSD incoming ⚠️
VER lapped 4.375s slower than in quali, yet was already gaining time on the two main straights...
Clipping (speed drop at full-throttle from ERS power cut-off) looks better than expected: good news, F1 fans!
[Cadillac and Alpine telemetry unavailable...]
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 3, 2026, 09:50 AM
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Big design differences in the top 4 WCC teams' front wings! 💡
🟠 McL: Complex design, featuring an outboard winglet! Loaded midspan.
⚫️ Merc: fixed primary flap, only the secondary can move → potentially less drag reduction.
🔵 RBR: Primary flap 'flat' (no camber).
🔴 Ferrari: only one to have the front wing actuator ON the wing (and not inside the nose) → could disrupt airflow?
Expect wings to look different in Melbourne!
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Formula Data Analysis
Mar 2, 2026, 09:59 AM
Some of the main topics discussed in the article:
How Formula 1 changes in 2026
"One of the biggest rule shake-up in Formula 1’s 76-year history arrives this year—so wide-ranging that its real-world consequences are genuinely hard to predict."
- Aerodynamics and Bodywork: Smaller, Lighter, Less Downforce
- The Internal Combustion Engine: Less Fuel, New Constraints
- Energy Recovery: More Powerful, More Demanding, More Strategic
- Fuel Revolution: Sustainable, Synthetic, and Strategically Different
- Driver workload will increase
"2026 will therefore bring truly far-reaching changes for teams, designers, and drivers alike, and these challenges are so complex and wide-ranging that it is almost impossible for anyone to get everything right on the first attempt. [...] Meanwhile, the clock is ticking fast: in just over a month, the race-ready cars will already need to be shipped to Melbourne."