Having had no notification in pre-event notes from the FIA relating to any resurfacing, the color of the asphalt – which has already worn away on the racing line in locations – left some concluding that the circuit had had a paintbrush taken to it.
As Daniel Ricciardo mentioned: “It seems to be like they’ve painted the monitor or one thing. They’ve carried out one thing to the floor.
“I do not know the way the monitor’s going to vary, or if it is going to be the identical or tremendous slippery. However possibly that modifications the best way the tyres behave.”
Ricciardo was not the one driver questioning what the influence could be on a weekend when groups are aware that there’s only one hour of apply earlier than dash qualifying begins.
World champion Max Verstappen mentioned he hadn’t seen something prefer it since his karting days when efforts have been made to enhance grip on outdated tracks.
“It seems to be like they’ve painted it, not resurfaced,” mentioned the Purple Bull driver.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz defined that the state of affairs had left drivers and crew a bit confused.
“I feel there are various unknowns, particularly the tarmac seems to be prefer it’s been handled in a really specific method,” he mentioned.
“I do not suppose the FIA or the groups fairly perceive what has been carried out right here: if it has been a full resurface or only a bizarre bitumen therapy to the monitor.
A view of the monitor
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
“It actually seems to be very specific, and one thing we have not discovered not too long ago at F1 circuits.”
However analysis by Motorsport.com has uncovered that whereas the monitor seems to be prefer it has been painted, what has occurred is definitely a bitumen floor therapy that’s generally used on roads in the US and Asia.
Bitumen is utilized in fluid kind to the monitor floor to assist bind with the floor of the present circuit. The concept is that it helps get rid of mud, improves waterproofing and likewise stop disintegration of the monitor.
It’s understood that this work was carried out in Shanghai final yr, and the various colouring across the monitor is the results of this therapy having been worn away from monitor operating that has taken place since.
The way of the therapy means it can possible additional be worn away over the F1 weekend, which may open the door to diversified ranges of grip round completely different elements of the monitor.
Haas crew principal Ayao Komatsu mentioned variations in grip triggered by the therapy being current or not may ship some complications.
“I feel it seems to be a bit inconsistent,” he mentioned. “That inconsistency is what I fear about essentially the most – the inconsistency from entry to mid-corner to exit in every nook. If it is variable, that is going to be fairly tough.
“Then, after all, it is a dash weekend. You might have solely received one hour, most likely three runs to type your automotive, each high and low gasoline. I feel it is going to be a really robust problem.”
No Turkey repeat
The looks of the darkish floor layer has inevitably triggered recollections of Turkey 2020, when groups and drivers have been caught out by a exceptional lack of grip on a newly layered floor.
However Sainz was fairly assured issues weren’t going to be that dramatic – as sources advised the therapy ought to really assist enhance grip somewhat than scale back it.
“I’ve the sensation it is not going to be like Turkey,” he mentioned. “Turkey was a really specific case. But when abruptly there’s graining and all that, that might throw some query marks in your decisions for the remainder of the weekend.”
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF1000, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W11
Picture by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Pictures
However whereas the monitor therapy could not set off the type of chaos we noticed in Turkey, it may actually have an effect on how the tyres carry out.
Groups should not certain but if the present vehicles and tyres are going to lean in the direction of a weekend the place entrance graining is the restrict, or if the very best pressures of the yr to date will set off large degradation points.
A weekend of graining, like in Australia, could possibly be excellent news for Ferrari – whereas degradation would higher swimsuit Purple Bull.
As Sainz mentioned: “I feel, truthfully, for us, graining could be very tarmac dependent. That’s the reason we have been speaking a lot in regards to the floor, what they’ve carried out with the therapy of the tarmac, as a result of graining could be very tarmac-dependent.
“As soon as you are taking that out of the equation, the long-duration corners are one thing that stresses the tyre massively and right here, now we have loads of these.
“There have been years the place China has been front-limited, years the place China has been rear-limited, so adapting the automotive to whichever demand, you must be very cautious when organising the automotive.”
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