It's not pointless. It means that the time is representative but the point of testing is not to provide us with meaningful times for the cars.
F1 2013 Testing: Week 3 Barcelona
- Thread starter Duke
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It's not pointless. It means that the time is representative but the point of testing is not to provide us with meaningful times for the cars.
Caporegime
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It doesn't actually make any difference, its testing, nothing more, the time itself makes no difference, its just a time, if they didn't use DRS they might be a second slower, but a second slower than 1:20, or a second slower than 1:22, they are still faster.
AS DRS is only used down the straight, the most important aero stuff is downforce for corners, so DRS really doesn't effect testing in the slightest, a fast lap requires fast corners which won't use DRS and are aero dependant. The Merc sucked because it was fast on the straights and crap through the corners, crap out of corners, and that is one of the reasons it destroyed its tyres, heavy wear from sliding around low grip corners.
They've gained 2.5seconds or so over last season Barca testing, and they had DRS last year, the improvement is where they need it.
In terms of times yesterday compared to today, sky sports seem to be suggesting that its more quali like runs, so times should improve, and ultimately we don't know what the programs were. Rosberg or Hamilton faster, who knows. Hamilton was doing identical runs with differing setups to find the fastest setup, but that also means that data is available for Rosberg and the team meaning yesterday they spent the time finding the fastest setup, today is for using that setup in quali runs.
There is little point doing identical setups if you are RIGHT on the limit yesterday, because you can't replicated a perfect lap over and over again, a top driver can replicate a close to perfect lap over and over, yesterday the later was required, not the former. I'm about 98% certain Hamilton will beat Rosberg consistently this year, is a faster driver and had quite a bit left in the car yesterday, both lower fuel run and really going balls out to the wall.
AS DRS is only used down the straight, the most important aero stuff is downforce for corners, so DRS really doesn't effect testing in the slightest, a fast lap requires fast corners which won't use DRS and are aero dependant. The Merc sucked because it was fast on the straights and crap through the corners, crap out of corners, and that is one of the reasons it destroyed its tyres, heavy wear from sliding around low grip corners.
They've gained 2.5seconds or so over last season Barca testing, and they had DRS last year, the improvement is where they need it.
In terms of times yesterday compared to today, sky sports seem to be suggesting that its more quali like runs, so times should improve, and ultimately we don't know what the programs were. Rosberg or Hamilton faster, who knows. Hamilton was doing identical runs with differing setups to find the fastest setup, but that also means that data is available for Rosberg and the team meaning yesterday they spent the time finding the fastest setup, today is for using that setup in quali runs.
There is little point doing identical setups if you are RIGHT on the limit yesterday, because you can't replicated a perfect lap over and over again, a top driver can replicate a close to perfect lap over and over, yesterday the later was required, not the former. I'm about 98% certain Hamilton will beat Rosberg consistently this year, is a faster driver and had quite a bit left in the car yesterday, both lower fuel run and really going balls out to the wall.
Oh well, you had best give Merc a ring let them know they have been wasting time, money and laps.
i'd be interested to know who has been running to 2013 DRS usage for the fast runs and who has been using all the way round?
...unless you want some direct comparisons (as far as possible) to testing you did last year under the same conditions.
Can any find perfectly straight shots of the front of mclaren and Mercedes cars. I need a new sig.
But I expect the unveil shots are not accurate anymore and all running different body bits.
Also side views of hammy and buttons helmet from this season.
But I expect the unveil shots are not accurate anymore and all running different body bits.
Also side views of hammy and buttons helmet from this season.
With the tyres being different would again be pretty pointless, maybe they just want to look good though, could even be abusing the use of KERS
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/03/03/2013-f1-testing-day-12-pictures/
at the bottom the related links are included from previous days
Surely between the dozens of photos there you'll find something!
Caporegime
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It is really irritating that f1tests.info is choosing today as the only day not to do times... last day and they stop doing times, mental.
Would have been quite good to see Alonso and Hamilton do the last two days, Alonso has moved significantly ahead of where Massa was yesterday, and Massa yesterday was like Hamilton doing the 5-6 lap fast runs, comparing and likely looking for the best ultimate setup, but wasn't actually going for the best one lap run.
If You compare how much Alonso has gained over Massa from 5 lap setup comparison runs to all out qualifying run, I would think Hamilton could gain a similar amount of time.
The hard part is knowing what Massa was doing, one day he's all over Alonso in race and in quali, another day he's just utterly inept in comparison... though he does seem to be back to his best and more hungry since the last 1/3 of last season.
Thing is Ferrari have looked to be one of the fastest all through preseason testing, unlike last year, their pace has been good, soft tyre runs being incredibly competitive so its not surprising they are relatively close. Mclaren don't seem to have the same ultimate pace, and Red Bull don't but for some reason everyone seems to suggest they have to be on high fuel, which might be true but who knows.
Merc focusing on aero rather than putting time into a ddrs that doesn't work is going to be a big difference in terms of development throughout the season. I already think Merc will look competitive early in the season but will surprise people as the season goes on.
EDIT:- keep forgetting that Merc have done their times on softs, and I think miles ahead on mediums, while Alonso/Massa's times were all on supersofts, so that could be another potential few tenths for Merc.
Would have been quite good to see Alonso and Hamilton do the last two days, Alonso has moved significantly ahead of where Massa was yesterday, and Massa yesterday was like Hamilton doing the 5-6 lap fast runs, comparing and likely looking for the best ultimate setup, but wasn't actually going for the best one lap run.
If You compare how much Alonso has gained over Massa from 5 lap setup comparison runs to all out qualifying run, I would think Hamilton could gain a similar amount of time.
The hard part is knowing what Massa was doing, one day he's all over Alonso in race and in quali, another day he's just utterly inept in comparison... though he does seem to be back to his best and more hungry since the last 1/3 of last season.
Thing is Ferrari have looked to be one of the fastest all through preseason testing, unlike last year, their pace has been good, soft tyre runs being incredibly competitive so its not surprising they are relatively close. Mclaren don't seem to have the same ultimate pace, and Red Bull don't but for some reason everyone seems to suggest they have to be on high fuel, which might be true but who knows.
Merc focusing on aero rather than putting time into a ddrs that doesn't work is going to be a big difference in terms of development throughout the season. I already think Merc will look competitive early in the season but will surprise people as the season goes on.
EDIT:- keep forgetting that Merc have done their times on softs, and I think miles ahead on mediums, while Alonso/Massa's times were all on supersofts, so that could be another potential few tenths for Merc.
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Where do you get that from?
With the tyres being different would again be pretty pointless, maybe they just want to look good though, could even be abusing the use of KERS
Yeah they could be trying to take all that fame, glory and wealth that comes with being the fastest team in testing ...or they could just be trying to run the car as similar as possible to last year, minimise the changed variables and get easier to understand data.
If they started using DRS and KERS differently, it would be much more difficult to assess what difference newer tyres and other (probably aero) changes are making, for no real benefit.
massa did his fastest time on SS yesterday 1m21.266s, cant say for alonso though.
No one other then the driver\team really knows.
I doubt we'll ever know for sure.
So you think they are comparing data to 12 months ago? What would be the point in that though considering how much the cars change over the course of a season, and have they not ditched the double drs now?
Why would they need to compare with last years pre-season testing and what benefit in doing so? Is every team comparing to 12 months ago or just Merc?
Lets just look at it this way, regardless of the reasons for doing it, if it was pointless i really dont think they would have spent 2 mornings of the final test doing short runs like that, the team are not stupid, they know what they are doing they have a testing program for this reason.