Malaysian F1 Grand Prix 2019: Friday's Free Practice Report (VMM)

Malaysian F1 Grand Prix 2019: Friday's Free Practice Report (VMM)

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a good day for me. We鈥檝e made a few changes to the balance of the car since the last race and I鈥檓 much happier - but we鈥檒l still be making changes to improve our long-run pace, which can always be better. 鈥淚鈥檓 working as hard as I can to have as good a qualifying set-up as my race set-up and I think we鈥檝e got a bit more of an understanding of how the car works on heavy fuel. I went wide a couple of times on my long run in P2, and looking after the tyres will be a tough call in the race - so it鈥檚 all about finding the right balance. 鈥淎round here, overtaking will be a little more possible than in Melbourne. Nevertheless, starting from the front will still be the best position for the race, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檒l be going for tomorrow. 鈥淭he morning was a little frustrating: we had an oil leak which cut my session short, but it didn鈥檛 really matter as the track was still dirty. 鈥淚n the afternoon, I did some positive running on both tyre compounds - I think we have a good understanding of the tyre.

But it鈥檚 going to be tough on both compounds around here with all the humidity and the heat. I think the race will be tough for all of us - unless the circuit improves a great deal, there鈥檚 going to be quite a few stops on Sunday! 鈥淚 think Mercedes AMG look very strong and I don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e seen the best of Red Bull Racing just yet - as usual, we expect them to be competitive. However, we weren鈥檛 too displeased with today鈥檚 running - relative performance doesn鈥檛 look too different from what we saw in Melbourne. 鈥淲e feel reasonably competitive - our car seems to respond well to changes and it鈥檚 predictable, too. Both Jenson and Lewis found the car to be generally consistent despite the gusty conditions, but Sepang is a much more challenging circuit than Albert Park so we鈥檒l carry on working to improve the balance for qualifying tomorrow. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e in for an exciting championship - a number of teams look extremely competitive and we鈥檙e going to have another close race this weekend.

My feeling is none of those companies could compete with Tesla at this point. They are only able to make a few at high price and hoping they can draw some suckers, err customers, from its base. The only question is will there be that many of them out there. At this stage of the game I doubt there will be that many people who are willing to pay a large premium to buy those EV's over equivelent vehicles from the same brand. Not to mention they will always compare them to Tesla's offerings. Also note that in Europe Mercedes-Benz Trucks have "Tesla Guards" on the sides. Mercedes-Benz Trucks: Pictures & videos of all models. The original post includes YTD data as well. However, at the end of the day, Tesla isn't the be all and end all. People have difference preferences for cars. I don't like the X or the 3. I like the S. I like the i-PACE. I like the IONIQ.

To say no-one can compete with Tesla is an absolute ridiculous statement. Not everyone wants top range, not everyone wants 7 seats. The Model S is HUGE on our UK roads. Some like different styles. Do I think Tesla is ahead of the competition? Yes. But like every industry, it doesn't mean that others cannot compete. Yes nothing is be all and end all. Ford still were able to sell a few Taurus but was it competitive against Camry or E class? You can certainly stretch to say yes because it's a legit car but that's not what I meant by competitive. Have you seen another EV that has Tesla's performance, range, efficiency, technology at the same or even higher price? That's what I meant by competitive and that's what most people follow to make their purchasing decisions. I sat in the EQC in Geneva and the interior feels smaller than expected to a disconcerting degree. Anyway, as mentioned previously, this platform is a 'tweener that won't be around very long. Fascinating use of past tense for things that haven't happened yet (and possibly won't). No, create an account now. Formed in 2006, Tesla Motors Club (TMC) was the first independent online Tesla community. Today it remains the largest and most dynamic community of Tesla enthusiasts. Do you value your experience at TMC? Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. As a thank you for your contribution, you'll get nearly no ads in the Community and Groups sections. Additional perks are available depending on the level of contribution. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details.

BROOKLYN, New York 鈥?It鈥檚 usually the other way around. In the U.S. we normally get a sedan version of compact cars from Europe, while the Europeans get the hatchbacks. But something interesting happened this time. The CLA-Class鈥擝enz鈥檚 swoopy, entry level sedan (or four-door coupe, if you鈥檙e in Benz marketing) based on but not named A-Class鈥攈as been a hit in the U.S. You can get it at the end of the year. Call it what you will, one thing you cannot call the 2019 A-Class Sedan is devoid of technology. Benz鈥檚 luxury compact has more assists for an entry level model than Magic Johnson, and some big baller MBUX to go along with it. In fact, arguably the highlight of the new A-Class Sedan is the addition of the automaker鈥檚 Mercedes-Benz User Interface system (MBUX), which it first unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show and is launching as standard equipment in the A-Class. MBUX, which will eventually replace the automaker鈥檚 well-worn COMAND system across its lineup, is being heralded as a technological breakthrough in infotainment. One noticeable departure from COMAND is that it鈥檚 a touchscreen enabled setup.