F1 testing in Spain

So the first phase of tests at Jerez is over. Based on comments I have read so far the current Top3 arguably consists of Red Bull, McLaren and Lotus! Ferrari is a question-mark. It is very difficult to rate midfield, because many teams have managed to leave some impression there.

The Lotus situation is interesting. Basically they started out in a similar fashion a year ago. Renault-Kubica were immediately at the front in the first tests and were viewed as a genuine threat to top teams. Later in the beginning of the season they indeed got two podiums with different drivers. So let's see, how well can Lotus keep up development this year and how wide is the performance window of this car across different circuits. From that point of view Barcelona testing can tell us something more as it puts more emphasis on aerodynamic grip than Jerez.

The situation of Ferrari can be considered intriguing as well. But whatever it is, from the winning point of view it should be noted that if you want to beat a team like Red Bull, it is basically needed to perform flawlessly and you can't afford setbacks. So they have made their life difficult.

I agree with you in terms of not to give too much importance to the times. Every team is running their tests and their set ups. Therefore it would be pointless to give any credit to any of the news coming from Jerez. Even the various mechanical gliches are welcome....for now.

However, IMO it's a little premature to think that Ferrari are in trouble......or not I know that's what Fry said the other day about this car but there are stil lplenty of tests to go and plenty of set ups to come to say anything either in favor or against this car at this point.

I think the fact that Barrichello's Williams was fastest of all this time last year says all we need to know about testing times at Jerez this week :D

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Originally Posted by mstillhere

I agree with you in terms of not to give too much importance to the times. Every team is running their tests and their set ups. Therefore it would be pointless to give any credit to any of the news coming from Jerez. Even the various mechanical gliches are welcome....for now.

However, IMO it's a little premature to think that Ferrari are in trouble......or not I know that's what Fry said the other day about this car but there are stil lplenty of tests to go and plenty of set ups to come to say anything either in favor or against this car at this point.

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Exactly. The fact that Fry wasn't, in his own words, satisfied doesn't necessarily mean that the car is bad. It's just that they have a completely new car and they need to understand it. They need to take their time to analyze all the data they've gathered and find out how this car works and how they should adjust their setups. So it's not a surprise that the car isn't quite fast on day one - it's only testing and it's their first chance to actually try it.

You can expect an improvement on Ferrari's form on the Barcelona test, as they are just beginning to understand how to exploit the car's potential. Now, whether the car is going to be a winner or not, we won't find until they get to Oz. But it would be a massive surprise for anyone if the car isn't at least a front runner like last year's.

That's right, the lap times are not important right now - what is important is what the drivers are saying about their feeling for the car and as a Kimi fan it is fun to note that Lotus drivers seems to be satisfied with the car .. so far ... :)

Early days, data gathering and wanting to understand their cars; and for the likes of Kimi getting up to speed and exploring the limits.

I'm sure most people are in the same boat as Lewis:

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"The downforce on the rear for instance, is not as good through the high-speed corners as it was last year, but I'm sure we'll get that back."

BBC - Andrew Benson: F1 pre-season testing provides poor guide to form

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Despite a few niggles here and there RBR are definitely sandbagging.

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Although RBR have not gone for an eye catching time this week Vettel did use a set of new soft tyres on the final day, but his best time in a seven lap run on them was a 1m 19.7s, which indicates that he had a fair bit of fuel on board. His next run was on a set of used medium tyres and he did a 1m 19.6s straight off and then a sequence as follows – 1:28.1; 1:21.1; 1:21.5; 1:21.5; 1:21.7; 1:21.5; 1:21.7.

Looking for clues from Jerez testJames Allen on F1

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Originally Posted by mstillhere

However, IMO it's a little premature to think that Ferrari are in trouble......or not I know that's what Fry said the other day about this car but there are stil lplenty of tests to go and plenty of set ups to come to say anything either in favor or against this car at this point.

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If I was a tifosi I would be seriously worried:

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The car, they said, was behaving inconsistently in the corners, and so far fixing its behaviour at one stage - the entry, say - messes it up at either the mid-corner or exit, or both.

"That time (Alonso's fastest lap) was on soft tyres," a source close to the team said. "It was not so special. The feeling is they are waiting for a lot from this car - but they don't know how to get it. It is impossible to say what will be the future."

BBC - Andrew Benson: F1 pre-season testing provides poor guide to form

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As a tifoso I have no interest in seeing Ferrari first during the testing season. I clearly remember what an incredibly positive session we had last year during the tests and then during the champioship we all know how it went.

At the same time last year RB was a little behind in terms of testing (like Mercedes this year) and then they started arriving first when it really mattered.

So, as far as I am concerned I'll wait for Melbourne if not even Barcelona before startiing making claims one way or the other.

I'm waiting until the Saturday morning before Oz to say with any authority the relative speed of the field. Than after the race I can see how terribly wrong I was :s mokin:

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Originally Posted by mstillhere

At the same time last year RB was a little behind in terms of testing (like Mercedes this year) and then they started arriving first when it really mattered.

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Really?

RBR were methodical (as per usual).

2011 FebruaryJames Allen on F1

Coming off the first tests and struggling for baselines to work with is very worrying. The next tests are at Barcelona - the greatest test on an F1 car during pre-season.

For sure there have been quick cars that were difficult to understand and set up eg. McLaren 2005 & Sauber 2008 but if you're fighting for WDC then I'd want a quick and reliable car straight out of the box.

History shows you that it is a hindrance as well as difficult when you're on the backfoot and coming from behind.

Again, Ferrari's car represents a breakaway from previous Ferrari cars. The negative is that the team has to learn all its potential the good is that the car has potentially a greater amount of growth and developement compared to the other F1 cars.

Also let's not forget that the amount of testing available to the F1 teams is lower than it was last year (3 Vs. 4) and abviously way lower than it was 7 years ago. Should we also take in consideration that Ferrrari couldn't test their car in Italy because of the snow? Ferrari has little choice but to take advantage of the chance of testing as much as possible right now. And I bet any money that what you are seeing right now on the track is remotely close to what you'll see in Australia.

Anyhow, anyone is free to interpret the various testing results they way they want to. You stated yours and I stated mine. Only time will tell who was right.