#track talk

Brazil: has been re-surfaced, and there were low grip issues last year, so it's going to be slick (even more so if there is rain) We will have to see what the grip is like with the new surface.

Las Vegas: this one is low grip, and the likelihood of cool temperatures because it's the Vegas desert at night will also reduce that. I am not sure about the current condition of the track surface, since it does cover highly used streets I think there will be some consistency issues. It's a smoother track with low downforce.

Qatar: is tricky because dust and sand can greatly impact the track. It's very condition dependent with wind and heat. So it will probably be somewhere in the middle. It's a hard one for me to predict because I feel like this is a survival race more than anything. We will have to see what temperatures end up being, the race is slightly later in the calendar compared to last year, so hopefully that will allow for better/safer racing conditions.

Abu Dhabi: this one is high grip, high downforce.

Now just because we had issues with low grip in Mexico doesn't mean we will have the same issues at other tracks. Turn characteristics and track conditions on the day will be important. And we have done very well at other low grip tracks this year, so this was a one off thing, or at least it's not a "the car is fundamentally not good in low grip conditions" thing. I think the main reason Charles had grip issues in Mexico was because of the loss of practice time, which it seems was quite valuable this weekend. So I don't think things were quite right, which he said himself. For example Monza is low grip and high power and the SF-24 was fantastic there.

Charles is strong at both Abu Dhabi and Vegas*

there's no such thing as a secret

within these walls

Small Town Gossip amplifies

echoes

down the corridors

and for every friendly listening ear

there are five

who spy

for their masters

despite it all I hoped

that I had kept my heart hidden

and for your part at least

it seemed to work

too busy to notice

the lingering glance

or my hand touching

yours when we

walk

but this train has ears

and these Tracks