F1 Testing 2015: Week 3 Barcelona (26th - 1st)

Last test, then the race. Some teams will have media day testing still available to them, some don't, but I doubt any would use it at this point. Most will have used one day for actually getting some media footage and to do a shakedown before the first test to make sure the car would actually start and do a few laps, Merc did, Mclaren did I believe, most teams do.

It's likely the second day they get(max 2 days a season 100km max each which would be around 20 laps at Barca) will now be used later in the season to have a quick check of any new engine updates they make. Based on the in season token changes now allowed on the engines I'm fairly sure we'll see at some stage the second media day used as a shakedown before one of the in season tests so the teams get a limited day to hopefully find/fix major issues then 2 proper days testing with the new version of the engine. I seriously doubt any team will want to make a final change to the engines then go into the next race blind without having tested the changes before hand.

So, some teams could possibly test again for a day before the first race it's very unlikely. The only team I think would maybe want or need to do that is Mclaren but I think they used both their days already(one before Jerez and one on the Monday I believe before the first Barca test).
 
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Slightly warmer weather as well so should be quite a bit more representative. Would also be nice to see Merc drop some soft tyre runs so we can see what they can do.
 
Merc have been quicker than that at the last test (though don't know what tyres). I do wonder whether, similar to last year, we wont see the true pace of the Merc until they need to unleash it.
 
‏@MercedesAMGF1 Two hours into the first day of the final test! 26 laps on the board for @LewisHamilton, 1:24.881 his best so far!

‏@MercedesAMGF1 To put that time into context, at the moment that's the second quickest time, whilst using medium tyres, of pre-season testing so far! #F1

@MercedesAMGF1 Second only to @nico_rosberg! #BackToWork #F1
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So Mercedes currently have the 2 fastest times of testing, both set on Medium tyres.

Ouch.
 
Skeeter said:
So Mercedes currently have the 2 fastest times of testing, both set on Medium tyres.

Ouch.
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Not that you can read much into times, and I've no idea who's running their Melbourne package (other than Toro Rosso by the looks of it) but it's ominous what Mercedes can do without really trying. Not surprising, but still, you hope someone would have done been able to step up and make a bit more of a fight out of it.

I still think McLaren will give them something to think about later in the year though.
 
Skeeter said:
So Mercedes currently have the 2 fastest times of testing, both set on Medium tyres.

Ouch.
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You read it a little wrong, they mean those are the two fastest times on medium tires. Though i think only one time was actually faster than Rosbergs, by 3/10ths, Hamilton's time is 10th fastest lap of the test.

Funnily enough from Merc they got the stat wrong as well, Rosberg did a 1:24.3 and a 1:24.5 on medium tires on Sunday, so it's actually the third quickest time on medium tires to be accurate :p

I think people need to not think about it as not trying for speed though. It is ominous speed, but they aren't hiding anything. You just have to move away from top times thinking. Adjusted for fuel, tire compound and tire wear, all three times are individually devastating compared to the rest of the field. Hell Hamilton's time I think blows the socks off everything because from what I recall most other times have been done later in the day with track temps not terrible. This was early morning in the cold and towards the end of a stint. I believe Rosberg's were on a higher temp track and I don't think his stint was nearly as long. not sure but the track may also be a little greener, no idea if it rained a meaningful amount between the tests or not.

Same as last year really, Williams were fastest but on softs, Merc were within 1/10th behind them but on the mediums. They were obviously a second or more ahead.

Some point last test there was that post about Riccy and Hamilton starting a race sim at the same time and Hamilton was averaging a second a lap faster almost, but I've later seen it stated that Hamilton was also on a slower compound(forget if it was softs vs mediums or mediums vs hards) so the real difference was maybe even bigger.

Merc have been showing their pace from day one of Jerez, you've just got to look past the absolute fastest times. They've done more laps than anyone else, they've driven while sick and in pain, they are anything but not really trying.
 
Rumours going around (Gazetta) that Alonso has retrograde Amnesia and is unable to remember parts of his pre-race life...If true (insert large pinch of salt) that is some whack he must have taken.

Mercedes looking ominous, not sure what Ferrari are doing, second lowest amount of laps and we are supposed to be doing race simulations.
 
I saw the story and, without knowing the translation is completely accurate I would suggest that was probably referring to just not being able to remember the crash/leading right up to it which is fairly normal. The story was worded in a way that as you say, pre-race life, that hinted at forgetting things much further back which is much less normal. But I would still at this point think it means can't remember the crash and trying to make a big story out of nothing.

Also yeah, Ferrari being a bit weird, I think this season is pretty strange in general due to the engines. I think the three existing cars were effectively trying various engine specs at the different tests, ie one using 32 points of upgrades, another using maybe 24, another using maybe 10-15, seeing what brings the most gains, what they might hold back. So it's possible the engine from say Jerez was just better than the ones they've brought to Barca since and they are finding getting them running problematic.
 
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