2020 Styrian GP: FP2 maximum speeds

Let’s take a quick look at the maximum speeds seen during the free practice 2 (FP2) session of the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix weekend.

Methodology

A simple analysis this time. I just took the maximum speed done by each driver in each of the four speed traps. I then just organized the data into a simple but informative chart.

Remember that the intermediate 1 and intermediate 2 speed traps are at the end of the first and sector sectors respectively.

FP2 maximum speeds

Kimi Raikonnen from Alfa Romeo topped the charts at both the designated speed trap and the intermediate 1 speed trap. He, however, was among the slowest at the intermediate 2 sector. This indicates that Alfa Romeo was trying a low-downforce setup, prioritizing maximum speed at the end of the long straights but sacrificing performance in the curvy sectors of the track.

Alex Albon had a difficult FP2 session, but ranked as the driver with the fastest top speed as measured at the finish line (292 km/h), while Valtteri Bottas took the top position at the intermediate 2 trap with a top speed of 252 km/h.

Drivers like Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez excelled in most speed traps, ranking consistently among the drivers with the fastest tops speeds, while Ferrari ranked among the worst in most areas.

What is going on with Ferrari by the way? Both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc ranked bottom last at both the speed trap and the intermediate 1 sector. Both of these measurements were taken after the two longest straights of the circuit, showing us the lack of top speed shown by the SF1000. However, both Vettel and Leclerc did much better at the finish line and intermediate 2 speed traps. Both of these measurements are better at measuring acceleration rather than top speed, and here Ferrari doesn’t show such a terrible lack of performance. It is still not great for the Scuderia though. At the finish line, Leclerc still had the second slowest top speed of the day, while Vettel only ranked as the 11th fastest driver at the intermediate 2 trap.

Final remarks

This is a simple short analysis that shows the difference in top speeds between the cars at the free practice two. Mercedes, Red Bull, and Racing Point seem to consistently rank among the best in all sectors of the track, while Ferrari and Haas show they are struggling to achieve higher top speeds.

The Red Bull Ring is a power-dependent circuit, and top speed takes particular relevance during the race. Overtaking opportunities are limited, with the best chances to overtake coming after long straights before turns 3 and 4. If the performance shown during the session by Ferrari is representative of their actual state, then it’ll take another massive effort from their drivers to achieve a good result as they did less than one week ago.

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