F1 Testing 2015: Week 1 Jerez
- Thread starter Shimmy
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Did anyone watch Ted's final notebook last night? All the new technical advances this year look quite interesting, especially the 'blown front axle'. As far as I can see, a few teams have oversized front brake ducts that channel the air through the front wheel (and appear to channel through the centre of the wheel nut?).
I don't recall this last year, so how have a few teams managed to come up with this in unison this year?
The detail on the Mercedes aero (especially at the back) is quite astonishing.
I will say though, that if you want to cut F1 budgets then look no further than the front wing - just look at how complex they are! Enforce single plane front wing and that should cut the budgets in half
Hehe
Did anyone watch Ted's final notebook last night? All the new technical advances this year look quite interesting, especially the 'blown front axle'. As far as I can see, a few teams have oversized front brake ducts that channel the air through the front wheel (and appear to channel through the centre of the wheel nut?).
I don't recall this last year, so how have a few teams managed to come up with this in unison this year?
They've been around for a few seasons now at least, on and off several cars. I think more teams are doing it this season though which is probably why Ted had picked up on it again.
Agree on the Merc. aero, astonishing little additions to the diffuser and monkey seat area in particular.
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Soldato
Interesting tid bit... obviously fuel load and a plethora of other variables though...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/31136827
On the one hand, racing director Boullier said he was "confident the base was good", and added that the "driver comments were very, very positive".
Equally, on the third day of the test, Alonso was lapping on intermediate tyres on a damp track at the same time as Rosberg's Mercedes. He was not losing much time, and at one point the timing screens showed a 'purple' time - for fastest of the day so far - in the first sector of the lap.
The McLaren car itself is a thing of beauty, with a wonderfully tightly packaged rear end, and leaning heavily on the lessons learned at Red Bull by new chief engineer Peter Prodromou.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/31136827
On the one hand, racing director Boullier said he was "confident the base was good", and added that the "driver comments were very, very positive".
Equally, on the third day of the test, Alonso was lapping on intermediate tyres on a damp track at the same time as Rosberg's Mercedes. He was not losing much time, and at one point the timing screens showed a 'purple' time - for fastest of the day so far - in the first sector of the lap.
The McLaren car itself is a thing of beauty, with a wonderfully tightly packaged rear end, and leaning heavily on the lessons learned at Red Bull by new chief engineer Peter Prodromou.
Soldato
MP4-26 wasn't too shabby either, Jenson finished 2nd in the WDC.
Soldato
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It's called the Bacon Briefcase effect. It looks pretty tasty, but that doesn't mean it's fit for the purpose it was designed for.
Soldato
I watched those laps from the stand at T9. Rosberg was driving well within the capabilities of the car and it was clearly much more stable, especially out of the chicane over the little bump and on the subsequent exit to the next corner where pretty much every car can easily spin up the rear wheels.
Caporegime
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You seem to be changing your view, because this whole thing was when I said Mercedes weren't sandbagging last year, you said that wasn't true. I had posted it with relation to the idea Ferrari looked strong last year and someone else saying Merc sandbagged, neither of which were true, I stated that and you had a go at me. How you're saying Mercedes were by far and away the best in every area... but they were sandbagging according to you(implied by arguing with me when I said they weren't).
I also didn't say Ferrari couldn't have been sandbagging, but that was neither here nor there because all I said was Merc weren't. You can put a huge amount of fuel in a low lap run, you can't put low fuel in a long stint because you'd run out of fuel. I even(from the other half of that same sentence) described that Williams may have been hiding a little pace as they seemed over a second down on Merc with the same engine.
You don't go out and set by far the fastest lap on a particular type of tire well beyond anything anyone else achieved while sandbagging because it's directly showing your hand.
Soldato
Mercedes were deceptively slow last year. Probably not intentionally (thus erring outside of the dictionary definition of sandbagging, to be fair), but they could have gone and blitzed the times if did a qualifying simulation, but they seemingly never did one in the true sense.
I was saying the engine was clearly the best, not the car (which it utlimately proved it was of course). Were you talking about the engine all along? If so we've both wasted a load of time.
Caporegime
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I've kept saying engine, and team at points. But again, go and look at the quoted image above, the lap time list, 2/100ths behind the williams but on new supersofts, Merc did the same time on used softs, they gave away 1-1.5seconds in time there, that is a massive win for Merc. Merc DID show their pace throughout the test.
Fastest Lap time, Mercedes(team) win, easily, by a mile, when you look at tires used. Fastest long stints, Mercedes(team) by a mile, easily.
Fastest race simulations(ie when reporters could physically see a team do 50-60 laps with 2 pitstops and no refueling) mercedes(team) by an absolutely ridiculous amount.
ALl through Mercedes were exceptional strong and exceptionally fast, they topped daily time sheets pretty frequently and doing the same thing(be it qualifying run on slower tires, a 30 lap stint, a 10 lap stint, a full race simulation, they blew everyone away). Their only weakness in testing was breaking more things, Williams last year and this year were rock solid in testing, they stopped once in testing last year in I would presume a fuel test check, ie ran out of fuel.
Fastest Lap time, Mercedes(team) win, easily, by a mile, when you look at tires used. Fastest long stints, Mercedes(team) by a mile, easily.
Fastest race simulations(ie when reporters could physically see a team do 50-60 laps with 2 pitstops and no refueling) mercedes(team) by an absolutely ridiculous amount.
ALl through Mercedes were exceptional strong and exceptionally fast, they topped daily time sheets pretty frequently and doing the same thing(be it qualifying run on slower tires, a 30 lap stint, a 10 lap stint, a full race simulation, they blew everyone away). Their only weakness in testing was breaking more things, Williams last year and this year were rock solid in testing, they stopped once in testing last year in I would presume a fuel test check, ie ran out of fuel.
I just want a more competitive season for ferrari, as in challenging for podiums as I still think Mercedes will be at the top (though margins of victory may be smaller). However, it was encouraging to hear Ted say that quite a few team engineers thought Vettels time of 1:20 odd on the medium compound was a good time irrespective of fuel loads and trim.
I think Mercedes will walk it again.
There biggest engine and car improvements aren't even on the cars yet.
Whilst while the others have further improvements to come, there cars and engines are far further along and yet Mercedes are still doing respectable times on long runs, where Ferrari never really did a long run, not only that Mercedes are looking very reliable.
It just seems Mercedes is on a totally different test path as is mclaren compared to everyone else.
Like most things time will tell.
There biggest engine and car improvements aren't even on the cars yet.
Whilst while the others have further improvements to come, there cars and engines are far further along and yet Mercedes are still doing respectable times on long runs, where Ferrari never really did a long run, not only that Mercedes are looking very reliable.
It just seems Mercedes is on a totally different test path as is mclaren compared to everyone else.
Like most things time will tell.
Dude, he is the best driver in F1.
He gave them 5 years and during that time won a few races and no titles.
No top line driver (especially the best), is going to wait over 5 years to win a title.
Back in the 80s and 90s, even if a team had 1 bad year, a top line driver would move. As a comparison, in 1991 Senna won the title. In 1992 and 1993 Williams were fastest. In 1994 he moved to Williams. So he gave them 2 years before getting fed up. Alonso gave Ferrari 5 years, which is more than enough.
Soldato
My article for F1 Fanatic has now been published, if anyone fancies a quick read: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/02/13/watch-f1-testing/