F1 Testing 2017: Week 1 Barcelona (27th - 2nd)

We need a picture to see if there is a noticeable heat haze coming from it which would suggest whether its open to the engine or not. (I guess there would be heat haze regardless but it should be pretty obvious as to whether its open or not.)

Would hotter air be higher or lower pressure?
 
Heat haze will only support if there is any sort of cooling function really, it may also help show air flow a little. This will likely only be something we get to know more about if they keep it.
 
haha, nice lap from massa there, I don't know why F1 journalists even have to ask if Mercedes are sandbagging anymore?...Of course they are, Williams aren't suddenly as fast as them, you'd think they'd realise this after three years.
 
KiNgPiN83 said:
We need a picture to see if there is a noticeable heat haze coming from it which would suggest whether its open to the engine or not. (I guess there would be heat haze regardless but it should be pretty obvious as to whether its open or not.)

Would hotter air be higher or lower pressure?
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I mean if it's there, I'd expect them to take advantage and find a way to improve cooling with it, but the question is really is it there just for cooling or is cooling a side benefit of the airflow they want to achieve with it.

Either way pretty interesting.

Considering the massive change in tires I'm surprised none of the live blogs of the event seem to mention the tires at all. Some have done longer runs, have the times been coming down fast, or have they set consistent times, have the long runs been way faster than long runs last year, do the tires look at all worn when they come in or look like they could last for 100 laps, etc. Seems to be little to no mention of them at all.
 
drunkenmaster said:
I mean if it's there, I'd expect them to take advantage and find a way to improve cooling with it, but the question is really is it there just for cooling or is cooling a side benefit of the airflow they want to achieve with it.

Either way pretty interesting.

Considering the massive change in tires I'm surprised none of the live blogs of the event seem to mention the tires at all. Some have done longer runs, have the times been coming down fast, or have they set consistent times, have the long runs been way faster than long runs last year, do the tires look at all worn when they come in or look like they could last for 100 laps, etc. Seems to be little to no mention of them at all.
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This was on autosport earlier:
Looking at Bottas's previous run on softs, which included 16 timed laps, it doesn't look like tyre degradation is particularly under control. Taking his first laptime, a 1m23.4s, then factoring in fuel-load reduction on each subsequent lap, you can work out what the tyre degradation is. After 16 flying laps, he's a total 17.45s slower than he would be with the tyre degradation removed. So that's just under 1.1s per lap lost on average. Some of that could be in set-up or the way he's driving, but that doesn't come close to low-degradation to my mind.


Gary Anderson
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However it was followed up by this:
Pirelli has been out and about gauging opinions on the new-for-2017 tyres and it says the initial feedback has been “positive”. The feeling is degradation and wear have been low but it is too early to make any firm conclusions, especially given Pirelli expects times to drop by around four seconds (the current fastest is 1m22.791s).

Lawrence Barretto
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So who knows....
 
drunkenmaster said:
Considering the massive change in tires I'm surprised none of the live blogs of the event seem to mention the tires at all. Some have done longer runs, have the times been coming down fast, or have they set consistent times, have the long runs been way faster than long runs last year, do the tires look at all worn when they come in or look like they could last for 100 laps, etc. Seems to be little to no mention of them at all.
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That's because it's relatively well known that Pirelli have been told to make tyres that can be 'pushed'.

When Pirelli first entered, they were asked to make tyres that degrade quite quickly so that there could be more pit stops and variation in strategy. But this also meant that the tyres couldn't even last a single Quali lap, instead having to cherry pick your sectors.
So in response Pirelli has followed their instructions again and made some big grippy tyres that will last ages. They have already warned that races will most likely be boring as a result, there's been a few articles regarding this in the off season.
 
drunkenmaster said:
I mean if it's there, I'd expect them to take advantage and find a way to improve cooling with it, but the question is really is it there just for cooling or is cooling a side benefit of the airflow they want to achieve with it.

Either way pretty interesting.

Considering the massive change in tires I'm surprised none of the live blogs of the event seem to mention the tires at all. Some have done longer runs, have the times been coming down fast, or have they set consistent times, have the long runs been way faster than long runs last year, do the tires look at all worn when they come in or look like they could last for 100 laps, etc. Seems to be little to no mention of them at all.
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Thats the thing, its obviously being cooled ok as standard but this blowhole is an addition. I can't help but feel they are trying something else with it whether thats from air going into or coming out of it. Interesting stuff! :)
 
Both Vettel and Massa posted times quicker than all of last years testing and very close to Hamilton's pole time.

More impressive is Vettel's 1.22.4 was done with only one purple final sector, first two sectors he wasn't even pushing - not PB's.
 
Shimmy said:
Both Vettel and Massa posted times quicker than all of last years testing and very close to Hamilton's pole time.

More impressive is Vettel's 1.22.4 was done with only one purple final sector, first two sectors he wasn't even pushing - not PB's.
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Especially as vettels time is on the mediums, 3 seconds over last years cars looks achievable with low fuel and ultra softs.

Edit: Vettel just gone faster 1:22:370 and Ham just done a 1:21:7 on the softs followed by massa on softs with a 1:22 flat.
 
Yh that's quick, come on Ferrari strap on the softs! Ultra soft is going to beat lap record on low fuel runs I think.

Alonso coming out.
 
this_is_gav said:
We say this every year, but don't look into times in testing, let alone this early.

They'll be in the 1:19s or 18s when qualifying comes in May.
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Oh I'm well aware, and I'm expecting even faster (1.17) by then tbh with in season development.
I just wasn't expecting lap record pace on day one from so many teams. I thought more setup would be required.
 
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