2011 Testing - Jerez - 10th to 13th Feb

[myurr]

I appreciate McLaren's systematic, scientific approach because I am myself a scientist. But I think that it would make sense to test the old car/new tyres back in the summer before starting the new car design. Thus they could design the new car around the new tyres behevior.

Now the new car has been designed with fixed weight distribution, the suspension is fixed, etc. So, the tyre behivior should depend how you actually set up the car. Now you need to see how the tyres respond to different set-ups, fuel loads, etc, and to do that you need mileage with the new car to accumulate data. And McLaren are clear behind the other team. This is my opinion, but perhaps I am missing something.

What you're missing is that they also build models and simulations of the tyres in isolation, where the quality of the data will be empirical. As a scientist you'll appreciate the benefits of changing as few variables as possible.

[Richard]

Vall - they are valid points and most the teams have followed similar thinking.

I view it slightly differently. Having decided to launch for the second test, McLaren chose to fill the gap by using the first test to explore the tyres. I doubt the tyres were the primary reason for delay, it was most likely caused by a decision developing the car was more valuable.

Also note the championship winners from the last two years both launched a week late, so being late does not necessarily indicate an incomplete or failed design.

ps about your comment about testing the tyres in the summer, they were not released to the teams until after the final race last season. They only had two (?) days in Abu Dhabi then the tyres were back under lock and key.

[feynman]

But it was perhaps of note that they they used their simulator driver in the oldcar Abu Dhabi Young Driver test, then the same driver, same car, same track for Pirelli first test, then same driver, same car for first new Pirelli test.

If you were wanting to draw the string from new Pirellis all the way back to your simulator's tyre model, that's the way I'd suggest to do it.

[feynman]

Tyre rubber 2011 ... serious business:


Feed those droppings into the big computer back at Woking.



One things for sure, looking at all those marbles in the background the first guy to try and overtake with rear-wing wide-open and KERS blazing is going to end up buried deep in the hedges.

[vall]

Vall - they are valid points and most the teams have followed similar thinking.

I view it slightly differently. Having decided to launch for the second test, McLaren chose to fill the gap by using the first test to explore the tyres. I doubt the tyres were the primary reason for delay, it was most likely caused by a decision developing the car was more valuable.

Also note the championship winners from the last two years both launched a week late, so being late does not necessarily indicate an incomplete or failed design.

Well, the winner last year finished the previous year with the fastest car. The previous one had huge advantage from the DDD and the Honda develapment $$$;s. Besides, they did not launch the car so late intentionally.

ps about your comment about testing the tyres in the summer, they were not released to the teams until after the final race last season. They only had two (?) days in Abu Dhabi then the tyres were back under lock and key.

yes, I know that!

[Mandrake]

Wow, that is some serious amount of tire marbles. Makes me hope that the Pirellis will indeed not last as long as the indestructo Bridgestone!

[raymondu999]

I wonder, actually, how the canada race would be like

[FrukostScones]

how many pitstops per race? In my opinion this is ridiculous. It was so sure that with Pirelli we would get a tyre lottery. They say this is on purpose, I say they can't do better. In the history of F1 Pirelli always failed.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Im hoping 3 to 4 at least!

[Richard]

how many pitstops per race? In my opinion this is ridiculous. It was so sure that with Pirelli we would get a tyre lottery. They say this is on purpose, I say they can't do better. In the history of F1 Pirelli always failed.

Chill out, lets see how they perform in a race before judging them.

The hard Bridgestones could last an entire race so we had stupid contrived pit stops. Hopefully these will only last 30 to 50%, which leads to genuine 2 and 3 stop strategies. That'll lead to be better racing.

[myurr]

Don't forget we used to get that quantity of marbles during the tyre wars.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Can you imagine Ron Dennis sending these poor saps out to find the ones that come off a McLaren only?

[Pup]

Don't forget we used to get that quantity of marbles during the tyre wars.

From tires which lasted more than ten laps.

[raymondu999]

Wasn't Sutil recently quoted as saying that on a one-lap qually, balls-out simulation run (granted, he might not have been on 1 lap of fuel - wouldn't want the opposition to find out your true pace yet) his 1st two sectors went green, then in his 3rd sector the tyre had already started to fall apart? That sounds horrible to me.

[marcush.]

sutil rarely has useful things on offer when interviewed....