cia pagal jo interviu AMuS:
- no comparison with the old car(s) - it's completely different, no point in comparing with last years car(s)
- when the full ERS comes into play on the straights, then the power is good/impressive, when not all systems are supplying the extra power, then it's a bit underwhelming even with open DRS
- downforce is about 15% less then last year
- which is mostly felt on "power down" at the exit of corners (no EBD)
- last year, with the EBD, they could just go on the power, and had impressive grip/traction, this year they don't have this, and need to feed in the power much more carefully
- he compares it to "driving in the rain" with last years cars
- he is vary, how this will feel in the rain/wet this year, especial in a place like Melbourne with it's slick white lines/markings on the track
- he compares the grip and the traction in the dry (this years cars) with driving on Intermediates on a damp track last year
- he says, that he is quite happy so far with FI's "brake by wire" system and setup, other teams seem to have more issues
- FI has 5 different "brake by wire" mappings, which the driver can select, but then there are options to fine tune each mapping individual
- when the teams are on top of the mappings, and the drivers get used to the new system, it will be a big help, and ensure the optimum brake balance
- but, due to the lack of downforce at the moment, the drivers brake 20-30 m earlier in the heavy braking zones
- he says, that the tyres could still play an important role this year, because of the extra torque from the engines
- out of corners, the car get's sideways, when you start to put the power down, if you are not careful, you can spin the rear wheels up until 4th gear
- at the exit of one corner, he produced 100m long tyre marks on "power down" - it's easy to "smoke" your tyres, you have to be very careful
- it's sad, that so far, the extra "kick" from the higher torque doesn't relate to much improved acceleration for the drivers, because there is just not enough grip, to get the extra power to the ground, at the exit of corners. The power is there, but at the moment not usa*** for the drivers