2015 F1 Pre Season Testing Thread

[anfield5]

I was kept overnight for observation when I was concussed, and look how normal I am

Yes, but you weren't kept in a hospital though

[anfield5]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do. How is it that these amazingly strong and apparently extremely localised winds didn't push Vettel's Ferrari off the track as well, as he was right behind Fred when the accident happened. And if a wind gust did push the Silver Minger off the track, don't you think you need a radical redesign of your car McLaren? We do get wind in many places around the world, and the sight of a McLaren spearing off into the weeds with every gust will be funny (not to mention the excuses and babble Ron will come up with) it will get beyond a joke quite quickly.

[Tazio]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do.

I'm going to wait and see what Fred says, I don't think he will candy coat it!

[Robinho]

Statement suggests that Alonso was conscious, braking, steering and downshifting to the point of impact (therefore no electric shock) and that it was a simple accident, car ran wide, partly due to gusty winds, outside wheels on astroturf, spins up and heads into the inside wall, which by some fluke knocked Alonso about a bit, causing a concussion. Seems plausible enough, Alonso is sitting smiling for pics from hospital, and I'm sure if there were more to it he wouldn't be wanting to cover it up

[anfield5]

I'm going to wait and see what Fred says, I don't think he will candy coat it!

It depends on what herr Denis tells him to say. Eventhough Alonso tends to be quite up front with things, he will toe the party line this early in his new marriage with McLaren.

It just seems unbelievable that a gust of wind can
1. push a gp car off track, considering that the aero even at low speed should make air flow over and around the car, it's not as if the McLarens is a slab sided delivery van.
2. not similarly push a second car off, when it was in fred's wheel tracks.

[kfzmeister]

I think it is quite plausible. I've read that when he took turn 3 he ran pretty wide and may have gotten onto some astroturf with the left rear. The rear gave out just enough to drastically change directions and sent him towards the wall. The massive shunt could have knocked him out for some time. The guy that photographed the incident said his head was tilted to the side for a bit. The stewards that approached the car were said to have tapped on his helmet, yet there was no response for up to ten minutes. It was also said that he had to be taken out of the car. Further reports suggest that when he was taken to the med center, he acted agitated. As if he came to and freaked out a bit due to disorientation (remember the photos after Massa got hit with that Brawn spring).

It makes sense to me that perhaps he did get caught by a gust of wind and that it was exasterbated by the car running wide. Add to it, perhaps that he was playing with some dials adjusting the car and we have a perfectly possible scenario that could have happened. The guy got knocked out and i'm sure the whole thing is a little more embarrassing than anything else.

Glad he's ok.

[AndyL]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do. How is it that these amazingly strong and apparently extremely localised winds didn't push Vettel's Ferrari off the track as well, as he was right behind Fred when the accident happened. And if a wind gust did push the Silver Minger off the track, don't you think you need a radical redesign of your car McLaren? We do get wind in many places around the world, and the sight of a McLaren spearing off into the weeds with every gust will be funny (not to mention the excuses and babble Ron will come up with) it will get beyond a joke quite quickly.

What bemused me was that in the same statement as blaming the wind, McLaren said that "absolutely no loss of aerodynamic pressure was recorded". How on earth does a gust of wind cause an F1 car to crash, if not by causing a loss of downforce due to the change in airspeed?

[Malbec]

It depends on what herr Denis tells him to say. Eventhough Alonso tends to be quite up front with things, he will toe the party line this early in his new marriage with McLaren.

It just seems unbelievable that a gust of wind can
1. push a gp car off track, considering that the aero even at low speed should make air flow over and around the car, it's not as if the McLarens is a slab sided delivery van.
2. not similarly push a second car off, when it was in fred's wheel tracks.

Sainz had a similar accident the same day and blamed the same thing, a gust of wind. Bottas claimed the wind was sometimes so strong he had to see-saw at the wheel down the main straight to compensate on the same date.

Maldonaldo had a very similar accident at exactly the same spot a year or so ago again claiming that the wind pushed him off.

I don't see a conspiracy theory here.

The only odd thing here is that Alonso clearly took a major knock, yet the car still had all four wheels intact when it was brought back to the paddock.

[Tazio]

I think Fred should sue Spain, Santander, Ferrari, and Vettel, for starters.

[jens]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do. How is it that these amazingly strong and apparently extremely localised winds didn't push Vettel's Ferrari off the track as well, as he was right behind Fred when the accident happened. And if a wind gust did push the Silver Minger off the track, don't you think you need a radical redesign of your car McLaren? We do get wind in many places around the world, and the sight of a McLaren spearing off into the weeds with every gust will be funny (not to mention the excuses and babble Ron will come up with) it will get beyond a joke quite quickly.

Well, that's true that the explanation doesn't hold water. Unless it was a proper windstorm, which blows everything out of its way, there is some wind blowing or breezing most of the time, when cars are racing.