DESERT REGION – LAS VEGAS CHAPTER
2nd Quarter 2020
Written by John Ratto
Edited by Chuck Damus
Last Quarter, I opened this missive thusly: Man, it has been an eventful three months. I would say that the three months of this Quarter have been ‘different.’ Everyone has been confined to quarters, and directed to practice ‘social distancing’ … a new term for the big dictionary. Perhaps of greater significance, the entire economy has been shut down, on purpose. So, the second Quarter hasn’t really been eventful (heck, we haven’t held an event in months), and it certainly has not been good. Yeah, different sounds about right.
Oh, and people are getting sick … and people are dying. As of late June the death toll in the USA is approaching 150,000. The number infected by the virus is far higher. The number of people going stir-crazy while being relegated to their homes is astronomical.
In early May, the first signs that the restrictions might be eased…slowly…began to appear. Phase 1 of partial opening in Nevada was initiated on May 9. Phase 2 opening began in late May, and by early June much of Las Vegas was back in business (not normal business, but we’ll take what we can get). The other states and the rest of the country followed similar schedules for reopening their economies. The question then was: Will opening the economy and returning to a somewhat normal life give the virus new life (and give us new death)? Unfortunately, the answer seems to be yes, and right now it is difficult to say whether things are getting better, or getting worse.
On the political front, we had a primary election in early June, and Joe Biden has been officially anointed the Democratic Party’s candidate for the presidency. This election should be interesting. Saddle up because a lot more different stuff is on the horizon.
As noted above, there have been no Socials or Drives during the 2nd Quarter of 2020. So, there is nothing to really dwell on. Nor do we have any idea when large parties will once again be welcome in our favorite restaurants. Meanwhile, the Ferrari Club lies dormant. But ‘We’ll be Back!!!’
So, this brings us to the big picture – July 1, 2020. We know a lot more about the virus, and we are much better able to deal with its effects. The death toll is down. A vaccine may be on the horizon. But, unfortunately, new cases are still far more numerous than desired. The future is still unknown. Dr. John says: Have fun, but be careful.
FORMULA 1 NEWS
Winter Testing in Spain
Good news: My agent in Spain has managed to escape incarceration and is once again prowling the pits to provide the inside scoop of what transpired during testing in Barcelona.
As usual, he noted that it was obvious that none of the teams wanted to post a really fast lap in order to hide their true capabilities. Drivers were easing off the throttle a hundred yards from the finish line to mislead their competitors. That said, James (real name) Bond (not so real) indicated that Mercedes looked to be fastest, but he also reported that the German cars were experiencing repeated engine reliability problems. He also noted that the Alfas, Racing Points, and McLarens looked quite stable on the track, but that the Red Bulls (surprisingly) appeared nervous and not well planted. And, finally, the bad news: the Ferraris were not so quick.
It is to be noted that the teams will be using the same tire compounds as last year. It is believed that this uniformity will add stability to the proceedings, as there will be one less new variable stirred into the soup. This should help the lesser teams as they lack the resources to fully explore the implications of any change, much less one to a factor as critical as tires. It is also of note that the implementation of the massive changes that were planned to come into force in 2021 has been delayed to 2022, another effect of the virus.
And finally, protests lingering from last season regarding Ferrari’s engines and fuel management system have spilled over into 2020. The other teams continue to insist that Ferrari is cheating, but the FIA cannot seem to determine whether this is true or not. In any case, the outcome of the FIA’s investigation was a secret agreement between Ferrari and the FIA stipulating what would be allowed and what would be rejected. Naturally, the other teams were up in arms, accusing Ferrari and the FIA of collusion. This imbroglio will likely continue well into the future.
Meanwhile, Mercedes was making big news on the technology front. It seems they have developed a new engineering tweak that may be a game changer, or just another ripple in the history of F1 that will be soon forgotten (remember the cars – Tyrells? – with four front wheels and tires?). It is called Dual-Axis Steering (DAS), and it allows the driver to make small adjustments to the alignment of the front tires (specifically the toe-in/toe-out) while the car is running on track. More toe-out is advantageous in the corners, while more toe-in is advantageous on the straights. Moreover, changes in toe also affect the temperature of the tires, and where the temperature (inside or outside) will be higher or lower. The DAS will allow the Mercedes drivers to make adjustments continuously as the race proceeds. The effects will be most interesting to observe!
The Non-Races
Initially, the Virus situation caused the race in China (ground zero) to be cancelled. Then, at the very last minute (literally), the first race of the season (Australia) was also cancelled. Then a bunch more were cancelled. In late May a rumor began to circulate that a race might be held in early July in Austria, and that a highly revised series of races might be run in the months that followed. But, as of early June, it could not be said with any real certainty when or where a race would be run, or even IF a race would be run in 2020. The season, as so many other things, hung in limbo. Then, in mid-June, word trickled out that a race would be run in Austria on July 5. We await the reality with bated breath.
Rumor mill continues to grind in the absence of racing
In mid-May, a rumor went viral on the internet: Vettel is out (for 2021) and will be replaced. This has now been confirmed and it seems a certainty that Carlos Sainz (ex-McLaren) will be given the highly desirable drive at Ferrari. While I always rated Vettel a top tier driver, his (sometimes bizarre) actions last year left me wondering if he was approaching his ‘sell-by’ date: 2019 was a year of too much inconsistency, too much petulance, and too little team spirit from the veteran German. And, most importantly, Vettel scored too few points. He clearly did not respond to the pressure being applied by young teammate Charles Leclerc. Sainz should provide consistency and good vibes. Barring hell or high water, he will certainly play second fiddle to Leclerc, and probably will be happy to do so, at least until his first podium finish.
Status: July 1, 2020
Things seem to be steaming ahead for a race to be run in Austria on July 5. Everything points to it happening. It is listed in the ESPN Guide. However, many remain skeptical. I am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Having no Formula 1 is terrible. Having no sports at all is unbearable. We will certainly welcome F1 back with open arms.
Hoping that you are all well, I wish you all good luck in the days ahead.