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As Ricciardo has already taken on Vettel (4 time WDC) and Max (hailed as next Senna), I think he will be under much less pressure.

If he doesn’t perform, yes the pressure will come.

However, I think it will be a close battle. I think Hulk is very under rated.

(Perez had the upper hand on the cheese tyres. I think that had they been paired with the new tyres of the last few years, Hulk would have shown his superior pace to Perez.)

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Ricciardo is more than capable enough to handle the pressure that it might bring, being hailed as the one who can bring Renault back in the championship race, but yes more pressure is on him.

I really look forward to see the two of them drive at Renault. Personally I feel Renault has the biggest improvements coming and it's an exciting team to race for. Ricciardo and Hulk is a great pair for 2019 and onwards. They can be a strong team since I feel Hulk is more a relaxed team player then Max. And we all know how relaxed Ricciardo is

The only other driver I can think of who would be more relaxed is Kimi, but he is just out of this world relaxed

That’s just it though... part of being a supreme driver is being able to figure out things like cheese tires. Perez was able to figure them out better so he was the better driver and you cannot simply say if it wasn’t for variables X, Y, Z, so and so would have beaten so and so. The only things one can justifiably use to explain how a driver was cheated are team orders and reliability because those are completely out of their hands. If anything I feel until he shows something special, hulk is slightly overrated.

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HAMILTON :: ALONSO :: VETTEL :: RAIKKONEN :: RICCIARDO :: VERSTAPPEN
BOTTAS :: MAGNUSSEN :: OCON :: SAINZ :: PEREZ :: VANDOORNE :: HULKENBERG
GROSJEAN :: GASLY :: ERICSON :: LECLERC :: STROLL :: SEROTKIN :: HARTLEY

Curious what the latest technical changes or any proposed for 2019 and ahead mean for drivers weights. Have there been any changes of late to make things easier on the bigger drivers or any plans to do so - know they've talked about it for a while but not seen anything firm online, and actually seems like the halo made things worse this season. Could be a factor in this match up.

80kg driver plus seat minimum weight from next year.

I don't think I agree that's necessarily the case. It's as much down to how the tyres suit a driver's own driving style as it is to them adapting their driving to the tyres IMO. I don't think it has to show that a driver is "better" when it could be down to chance

So a driver like Riccardo would lose a 10kg advantage over hulkenberg, would that be like 3-tenths? That might explain why a heavy driver can really look out of sorts on certain circuits?

Isn't Ricciardo quite a tall driver himself?

I thought the same but google suggests hes around 64kg to hulks 74.

Hulks size is a significant disadvantage and that change could see him surprise people.

He has driven his whole F1 career with a weight handicap relative to his competitors.

For a guy his size, to survive karts and lower series, does suggest strong talent.

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That's a bit misleading. Most of the F1 cars he's driven have been no heavier than his team mate. Just with less ballast to move around.

Indeed the idea of a minimum of 80kgs driver and seat is so that lighter drivers don't have the advantage of placing their excess balance around the car in order to help make it handle better.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
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2019: Currently 21st

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (8)

Yes, but how much difference it will actually make is very much up in the air. I think it's mainly intended so that teams have no reason to prioritize hiring a lighter driver, not because the FIA actually believes heavier drivers are losing out so much.

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PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 15 podiums): 3rd in 2016
TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017

Yeah and we've heard stories, admittedly from a few years ago and not recently, of drivers starving themselves and even one instance of a driver passing out. So I expect it's also a safety thing for the drivers.

Marcus Ericsson recently posted on Twitter, in response to Kimi's drink bottle failing, that he hasn't had a drinks bottle in his car for 2 years in order to save weight. So I'd say it's likely that there are still some unhealthy practices going on to save weight.

At teams like Sauber, absolutely. If the car is actually at or over the minimum weight it makes a huge difference. But I doubt Renault is in that boat.

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PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 15 podiums): 3rd in 2016
TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017

Hulkenberg, the moment of truth. Ricciardo we have already seen against Vettel and Verstappen so if Hulk performs well it will only raise his standing rather than lowers Ricciardo's.

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Makes you wonder how F1 evolved. In an interview to "Auto Sport", or Rallye Racing", can't remember which, (both German papers) during his Arrows days, Eddie Cheever said that his first Formula 1 car, Osella FA01 from 1980, was 100kg overweight.

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Explains why it was so successful!

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Really?

Looks pretty sleek to me.


https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5085/5232129190_1c7d026f59.jpg

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Races since last non RB, Merc, Ferrari winner (After Britain- 19) - 128 & counting.( Last win, Lotus, 17/3/13)

Non RB, Merc, Ferrari podiums won in Hybrid era - 330 trophies available, 23 won

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No it will do both and in particular question the 2014 season.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place
2019: Currently 21st

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (8)

This shows how much more professional F1 is now.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place
2019: Currently 21st

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (8)

The extra few KG may make a difference to Hulks endurance and ability to handle heat. I don't know how much he has been made to cut back, but I would think beyond the point he is comfortable. It may just make the tenths difference late in the race.

Considering that Hulk (interestingly, completely opposite to Ricciardo) is known for fading towards the end of races, I wonder if that might have some truth to it.

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PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 15 podiums): 3rd in 2016
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AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion | #2 in the world in 2017

If he weighs 74kg as reported that's a pretty standard weight for a 6ft young guy. Nothing extreme there.

Ricciardo should settle in soon and should have advantage over Hulk who I think is a decent driver but not in top6. I do not think there is any added pressure on either of them. Hulk will gain more respect if he can match Ricciardo. I do not think Hulk will be offered by top teams but if Ricciardo can beat him convincingly he will have better chance in future to move to top teams. If Renault can't reach that level. Renault really needs a good car though otherwise the best Ricciardo can do is 7th in WC so that will be his main concerns more than anything else. I doubt he can get podium next year. The gap is too big. Renault has to improve their engine a lot compared to Honda. RBR will definitely have a superior car

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