Mark Dreyer

I thought this was a very interesting video. Towards the end the narrator quoted Max as saying he likes doing SIM racing in part because those participants are so good and that he isn’t the benchmark in that world, they are. I thought that showed real maturity and humility.

I’m interested in opinions of experienced RL racers and coaches as to the comments put forth in this video as to Max’s superiority to other F1 drivers.

GoTime

I haven’t seen that video but Albon just did an interview that explained it well. Basically Max can handle/ is more comfortable with a looser rear end than him or Checo, which equals more turn in at the front, so the car is sharper so he can turn in later, which means he can brake later.

gbuff

Talent with a capital T.

Mark Dreyer

You summarized the video without having watched it. :-)

Carlo_Carrera

I have seen better and clearer charts of Max's telemetry. He actually brakes earlier than other drivers.

The key to getting pace out these new ground effects cars is smoothness, keeping the floor as level and stable to the tracks possible. Max doesn't need to trail break as much or as hard as Checo because Max's car is already set up to be pointy. He can just turn it in and manage the oversteer drift smoothly.

flatsics

multi21

+2

There are other videos on Max, his telemetry and comments from other drivers on the grid. He brakes earlier than anyone else, shortens the corners and keeps his car flatter than others. Simple but not easy.

winders

Except that he usually brakes a little earlier than his counterparts...

gbuff

As Tommy Byrne once told me:
Early brake, early turn, early gas.

ProCoach

Most folks aren't disciplined enough to do that.

gbuff

Hand raised, Peter, in my car I end up trying to not brake at all where I can get away with it

Veloce Raptor

+1

Manifold

Isn't the concept of a 'pointy' car a matter of degree? Seems to me that, if the car is too loose, the lack of rear grip will make the car slower through the corners, so the optimum setup would be only slightly pointy.

Carrera51

I think another X factor Max has is his killer instinct. He just doesn't win, he punishes his opponents and his teammates. He has an utter ruthlessness in the car. All the great ones have that, Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton, Alonso etc. I remember years ago when Hamilton was defending one of his titles. When he was interviewed after one of the practice sessions in Austraila on the opening weekend, he was asked how it felt that he was now going to be hunted. He replied, "I am the hunter," That's Max currently.

ProCoach

Bingo! Yes, absolutely.

The reason why Max is faster than other drivers in the team car is that the designed in balance and setup are ALL based on Max’s incredibly fine gradations in control input timings and amplitude.

All drivers, in order to commit to the brakes, throttle and steering maximally, MUST know the projected results of their desired timing and amplitude of each of them, and their relationship to each other.

If a driver doesn’t split those amplitudes finely enough, or they rush the timing before the car is “ready” to accept it, it pushes or steps out in the back or otherwise loses that fine pointy (read: responsive) balance that they all need to commit FULLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY.

Max does this better than anyone else, and has for a long time.