2011 Testing - Barcelona 18th - 21st Feb

[PlatinumZealot]

Barcelona- Nice high G-force turns at this track. Be sure to watch whoever goes the fastest in these large radius turns - turns 3, 9 ,12 and 16. That is the car with the most downforce...at that time at least.

[feynman]

The list of fastest times, which is always published, is probably the least useful testing information an observer gets!

I am gonna have t-shirts made with that printed on them.

Next, almost as pointless, is people comparing long run stints with zero idea of relative fuel loads, tyre compound, aero settings or specific components being tested.

Even sets of mean laptimes, filtered for outliers is pointless, teams might only be interested in running A/B comparisons on a specific sector of the track i.e check this setting against that setting on those 3rd/4th gear corners round the back ... or running down the straights on aero cruise-control mode.

Test-driving is never done at 100%, the point is not ultimate laptime, but reliable, comparable, variable-minimized datasets between one run and the other. That is the only way to put yourself in a position to draw meaningful engineering conclusions, definitely not having drivers go full-bananas, sideways, as fast as the car will go.

If you are not actively involved in the engineering meetings in the truck, and you don't know what specifically is being tested, in what configuration and to what test regime ... then looking at any chart of preseason laptimes is pretty much a complete waste of time and energy.

[raymondu999]

n_smikle - a light car would also probably get the car around the corner faster.

[ESPImperium]

I just wish they would get rid of that hiddly-diddly itty bitty chichane at the end of the lap that was installed for 2008. Bring back commitment and balls as the final corner was key to lap time, now you just pick the line and caress the car thrugh it. The final turn was on a par with Au Rouge to my estimation.

[feynman]

Well yes and no, a chicane kinda sounded like a reasonable enough proposition to try and cure the Barcelona snorefest, cars wash-out, can't follow high-speed corners, fall back, can't catch a slipstream, whole straight is wasted.

Just, it didn't work out like that.

So now if the choice is between watching cars easy brake, follow nose to tail through a single line chicane, and then not overtake ... or watch drivers cling onto a white-knuckle, wall of death ride round the old corner, and not overtake, I know which I'd pay to see.

[PlatinumZealot]

Raymon, I selectively choose how to compare the cars based on a number of factors. Yeah it's still guessing..but you can draw some good estimations..

For example Jerez testing: There were two long stints of Alonso that had similar drop offs over about 18 laps. Interestingly he had two similar shaped lap time graphs, one had a lower starting time.

You can sorta deduce that the tyre was the same on the two runs because of the shape of the two graphs, his fuel load is a mystery but at least you know a 20 lap stint cannot be low fuel (20 lap qually lol). I reason it out somewhat like this:

Light car > softer tyre - fast first lap, steep drop off
Light car > harder tyre - slower first lap, steady drop off
heavy car > softer tyre - slower first lap, extremley steep drop off
heavy car > harder tyre - Slowest first lap, steady drop off

So what I do is look on the shape of the lap time plots and use the statement by the teams on how long each tyre lasts at the track. Of course the fuel weight is not black and white so you will never know the ultimate speed of the cars, but at least you will know that one stint is on the heaviest fuel load. (Crucial for the start of a race).
For the other fuel loads that is where the race simulations come in we just have to wait till then for a better picture.

[raymondu999]

Here are testing mileages from Valencia and Jerez for anyone interested:

Ferrari
3,191.6 km / 1,983.2 mi / 748 laps

Red Bull
2,777.9 km / 1,744.8 mi / 652 laps

Force India
2,478.5 km / 1,540.0 mi / 591 laps

Mercedes
2,309.6 km / 1,435.1 mi / 541 laps

Sauber
2,274.0 km / 1,413.0 mi / 534 laps

Toro Rosso
2,260.9 km / 1,404.9 mi / 530 laps

Williams
2,153.6 km / 1,338.3 mi / 511 laps

McLaren
2,149.1 km / 1,335.4 mi / 512 laps

Renault
2,126.9 km / 1,321.5 mi / 502 laps

Virgin
1,825.5 km / 1,134.3 mi / 433 laps

Lotus
1,452.4 km / 902.4 mi / 342 laps

Hispania*
752.9 km / 467.8 mi / 188 laps


TOTAL
25,798.5 km / 16,030.4 mi / 6,094 laps


Taken from: http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2527 ... ts-so-far/

[mx_tifoso]

How do you have the totals for Barca if they haven't even tested there yet?

[raymondu999]

I don't. It's from Valencia and Jerez.

[HampusA]

Experts, how should we take the times we see at this test? Do they carry a little more meaning now? I know we won't know for sure until the first Qualifying, but will we be able to read more like into how Reb Bull is doing, or interesting things like whether Lotus has really done the job closing the gap, etc?

You should not even think about the times m8. The times you should think about is FP2, FP3, Qual and Race at Bahrain.

This is just simple testing for the teams and nobody really knows how much fuel the cars have etc.

[gibells]

This test has just got a lot more important because I cant see them doing any more tests until the first race. Where-ever that may be.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

This test has just got a lot more important because I cant see them doing any more tests until the first race. Where-ever that may be.

Barcelona will be the back up for the final test.

[Richard]

Someone had to mention this ....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45-SAEfMccY[/youtube]

It'll be stuck in your heard all day now .. mwuaahahaha

[kalinka]

Interesting, last year it was piece of cake to find a live stream on internet for any F1 test. Now, I'we spent over an hour searching for any live stream, but nothing....Bernie and his lawyers working too good ?
Are there anybody luckier than me ?
EDIT : I meant video stream, and not only live timing if was unclear...

[raymondu999]

There aren't even any professional TV cameras screening the event, so there is nothing TO stream.