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Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, with engineers
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Special feature

What the data tells us about the F1 2021 title fight

Formula 1 has been tracking car performance using timing loops mounted every 200m around each circuit – to the extent that it was able to anticipate Ferrari’s 'surprise’ pole in Monaco. PAT SYMONDS explains what this means for this season and beyond

After the last test of the winter, or as was the case this year the only test of the winter, fans are always asking themselves what the pecking order
 is and how close the competition is going to be 
in the coming season. Even the teams, which actually have very little to gain materially from 
such knowledge, spend hours analysing every run their competitors make.

The understanding they gain does not impact on the work they do – one always works at the limit to add performance to a Formula 1 car, whether it is the class of the field or sitting sadly on the last row of the grid. However, F1 personnel are hugely competitive people for whom success is measured only by a tally of points at the end of the season, and they really can’t help themselves from gauging their likely success as early as possible.

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