2015 Pre-season Testing

[Juzh]

That 6 ratios can do what 8 will is no question with the current Turbos. Does not for 1 moment mean ratios are of no relevance to top speed... they are!

They're not, bar a monumental screw up. That's a non debatable fact proven by williams/merc example last year.

What is stupendous is that at a track like Barcelona, someone will look at the speed and not question Ratios, Aero, testing objectives, fuel loads... yanno, variables that we dunno. Or the fact its a high DF track..

Yes, they're not definitive. That's why you look at the overall picture and look for patterns.

I personally think its better to look at how quickly they get to 300kmh... as cars actually spend very little lap time at top speed.

Top speed has entirely different meaning from 2014+. Having better top speed means you're faster over the whole straights, not just last 100m as it used to be the case.

[godlameroso]

Riccardo is an amazing driver, driving to a delta so accurately. These times are interesting if they're the first laps of a stint seeing as last year the fastest race laps were in the 1:29's, with Hamilton's fastest lap a 1:29.483. It's easy to draw comparisons because there was no safety car in last year's race, which means the winner's race time of 1:41:05.155 when you account for maybe 50 seconds lost in the pits gives you an average lap time of around 1:31.

What's even more telling is that Vettel had the fastest lap of the race and finished 76.7 seconds down on Hamilton, meaning that on average Hamilton was about .6-.8 tenths of a second faster per lap all variables considered. Riccardo had the same strategy as Hamilton and finished 49 seconds behind. Again Hamilton was on average about .7 seconds faster than Riccardo. The teams all know this, I'm sure they use this information as a benchmark, I don't think teams have shown their hands yet. Next week is when things get interesting, as teams begin finalizing their packages, we could see teams slash up to a second off their times, as the validation work they do now translates into refinements over the coming weeks.

[thomin]

So the times doesn't mean all that much, but lets predict the order:

1: Mercedes
a (very) smal gap to:
2: Ferrari/ Red Bull
4: Williams
5: Lotus/Sauber/Torro Rosso -> about the same pace i think..

Mclaren didn't do a race sim, so can't say how fast the car really is. If they get a trouble free car, i think we'll be suprised!

At this point, it's mostly guesswork, but it's fun anyways, so here we go:
1) Mercedes
2) Williams/Red Bull/Ferrari/Lotus
3) McLaren/Force India
4) Sauber/Toro Rosso

Obviously, Force India and McLaren are the wild cards. I can imagine McLaren being up there with Williams et al on pure pace, but with the reliability issues they're having, it might take until late in the season for them to catch up. FI is really impossible to predict. I went with past experiences to guide me here, but who knows...

[Spoutnik]

I think; with reliability obviously; the Honda PU can match with the Ferrari and Renault. I've read (i can't remember where) some numbers for the theorical power of these PU : About +850 for Merc, 825/40 for Honda, and low 800 (800/820) for Renault and Ferrari.

With Podromou (Newey son..) at the head of the aerodynamical support, McLaren had clearly a big advantage. I think in 2015, this MP4-30 perform, at least like the MP4-29, and if the developpement will be good like Ferrari or Williams last year.

The doubt around Mercedes pace is ridiculous in my point of view, they are in the best condition for. Last year they have so much pace ! For exemple, even with some technical support/infrastructure issues, Ferrari have been always in the Top 3 past years : No big rules changes. That's the same for post Schumacher era, in 2007 and 2008 without any rules change they win again. But obviously, a mistake on the orientation of the W06 project can't be expected, in that event, I think; if the client team will be closer for the win; they don't had pity to give some really client PU.

[Hail22]

A video I found from either day two or three:



If you listen to the Sauber and the Ferrari they have some very interesting "burbles" during low rev upshifts.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

So the times doesn't mean all that much, but lets predict the order:

1: Mercedes
a (very) smal gap to:
2: Ferrari/ Red Bull
4: Williams
5: Lotus/Sauber/Torro Rosso -> about the same pace i think..

Mclaren didn't do a race sim, so can't say how fast the car really is. If they get a trouble free car, i think we'll be suprised!

At this point, it's mostly guesswork, but it's fun anyways, so here we go:
1) Mercedes
2) Williams/Red Bull/Ferrari/Lotus
3) McLaren/Force India
4) Sauber/Toro Rosso

Obviously, Force India and McLaren are the wild cards. I can imagine McLaren being up there with Williams et al on pure pace, but with the reliability issues they're having, it might take until late in the season for them to catch up. FI is really impossible to predict. I went with past experiences to guide me here, but who knows...

F1 testing: Where is Renault really at?

Simultaneous race simulations by Ricciardo and world champion Lewis Hamilton on Friday revealed an ominous deficit on long-run pace between Red Bull and Mercedes, with the hard-tyred Mercedes generally half a second faster than the medium-shod Red Bull and roughly a second per lap faster when fitted with similar medium compound Pirellis.

And couple that with ....
Barcelona F1 test: Lewis Hamilton unhappy with 'rock solid' tyres

"But I would say the biggest issue is the tyres. They don't work, they are so hard. They are not spectacular."

These are enough indicators to say that, the competition is quite far behind Merc who are in their own league.
9 days of testing (Abu Dhabi, Jerez and Barcelona) and the misery of McLaren Honda doesn't seem to be anywhere near over. Other than the TIGHT PACKAGING, there is hardly anything impressive about McLaren Honda so far. Each passing day is confirming the world that, they are not contenders this year. They can still do a Red Bull 2014, but in reality, the chances of such things happening are remote.

[f1316]

today
LAPTIMES MALDONADO
Pastor Maldonado is doing a longer stint on the medium tyre. His laptimes: 1:30.7, 1:31.5, 1:31.3, 1:31.1, 1:30.9, 1:31.3, 1:31.3, 1:31.2, 1:30.8 and 1:30.9.

LAP TIMES KVYAT
Daniil Kvyat has just pitted for fresh tyres. The lap times from the first stint in his race sim on the soft tyre: 1:30.9, 1:30.7, 1:31.2, 1:31.8, 1:31.6, 1:32.1, 1:32.4 and 1:32.4.

yesterday
RACE SIM RED BULL
Red Bull Racing is doing a race sim. Ricciardo's pit board indicated he had 65 laps to go and that has counted down to 57 laps to go. The lap times from his first stint on soft tyres: 1:31.0, 1:31.0, 1:31.3, 1:30.9, 1:31.6 and 1:32.2.

Those are not bad times by Maldonado if we compare differences in tire and longer stint.

Vettel currently going round in 31s and 30s - could be a race sim?

[ema00]

some datasheet from an italian site, they seems realistics but I don't know if they are true

race sim 55 laps - RICCIARDO - REDBULL
- 1° STINT (SOFT USATE - 7 giri): pace 1.31.361
- 2° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 18 giri): pace 1.31.287
- 3° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 19 giri): pace 1.30.135
- 4° STINT (SOFT USATE - 11 giri): pace 1.29.099
- Race pace: 1.30.470

Race sim 56 laps - HAMILTON - MERCEDES
- 1° STINT (DURE USATE - 21 giri): pace 1.31.103
- 2° STINT (DURE USATE - 19 giri): pace 1.29.520
- 3° STINT (DURE NUOVE - 16 giri): pace 1.28.171
- Race pace: 1.29.598

Race sim 58 laps - WOLFF - WILLIAMS
- 1° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 19 giri): pace 1.32.0
- 2° STINT (DURE NUOVE - 24 giri): pace 1.32.4
- 3° STINT (MEDIE NUOVE - 15 giri): pace 1.30.5
- Race pace: 1.31.7

Race sim 47 laps - VERSTAPPEN - TOROROSSO

- 1° STINT (MEDIE NUOVE - 16 giri): pace 1.31.3
- 2° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 22 giri): pace 1.30.5
- 3° STINT (MEDIE NUOVE - 9 giri): pace 1.29.7
- Race pace: 1.30.5 (Less laps then other)

Vettel long run (Used Medium, kg fuel unknown)

01:29,958 1
01:29,725 2
01:28,951 3
01:28,832 4
01:28,958 5
01:29,278 6
01:29,215 7
01:29,196 8
01:29,229 9
01:29,670 10
01:29,587 11
01:29,863 12
01:30,203 13
01:30,329 14
01:30,474 15
PACE 01:29,565

http://www.f1analisitecnica.com/2015/02 ... day-3.html
http://www.f1analisitecnica.com/2015/02 ... 5-t-7.html

[Waffle]

some datasheet from an italian site, they seems realistics but I don't know if they are true

race sim 55 laps - RICCIARDO - REDBULL
- 1° STINT (SOFT USATE - 7 giri): pace 1.31.361
- 2° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 18 giri): pace 1.31.287
- 3° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 19 giri): pace 1.30.135
- 4° STINT (SOFT USATE - 11 giri): pace 1.29.099
- Race pace: 1.30.470

Race sim 56 laps - HAMILTON - MERCEDES
- 1° STINT (DURE USATE - 21 giri): pace 1.31.103
- 2° STINT (DURE USATE - 19 giri): pace 1.29.520
- 3° STINT (DURE NUOVE - 16 giri): pace 1.28.171
- Race pace: 1.29.598

Race sim 58 laps - WOLFF - WILLIAMS
- 1° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 19 giri): pace 1.32.0
- 2° STINT (DURE NUOVE - 24 giri): pace 1.32.4
- 3° STINT (MEDIE NUOVE - 15 giri): pace 1.30.5
- Race pace: 1.31.7

Race sim 47 laps - VERSTAPPEN - TOROROSSO

- 1° STINT (MEDIE NUOVE - 16 giri): pace 1.31.3
- 2° STINT (MEDIE USATE - 22 giri): pace 1.30.5
- 3° STINT (MEDIE NUOVE - 9 giri): pace 1.29.7
- Race pace: 1.30.5 (Less laps then other)

Vettel long run (Used Medium, kg fuel unknown)

01:29,958 1
01:29,725 2
01:28,951 3
01:28,832 4
01:28,958 5
01:29,278 6
01:29,215 7
01:29,196 8
01:29,229 9
01:29,670 10
01:29,587 11
01:29,863 12
01:30,203 13
01:30,329 14
01:30,474 15
PACE 01:29,565

http://www.f1analisitecnica.com/2015/02 ... day-3.html
http://www.f1analisitecnica.com/2015/02 ... 5-t-7.html

Thanks. I think the stand out time there is Hamilton on new hards (dure nuove).

[iotar__]

some datasheet from an italian site, they seems realistics but I don't know if they are true

Ricciardo's looks the same as those from Amus' live thing so times and tyres are probably correct, whether they were comparable race sims is a different matter. Williams' looks doubtful and only hard tyres for Merc?

Tyres last forever, expect season of one (or max two) stoppers.

[sAx]

A video I found from either day two or three:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWfnegV3_8

If you listen to the Sauber and the Ferrari they have some very interesting "burbles" during low rev upshifts.

All seem to have low rev off gas 'blown-diffuser' sort of burble....not much different to my ears!

[Avocado]

11:03
McLaren are certainly pretty accurate when predicting when their car will return to the track - Fernando Alonso has just completed his first lap of the day in the patched-up MP4-30.

IT BEGINS!

[Sevach]

A video I found from either day two or three:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWfnegV3_8

If you listen to the Sauber and the Ferrari they have some very interesting "burbles" during low rev upshifts.

Bad traction from the Mercedes...

And the RedBull (just one run though).

[ema00]

some datasheet from an italian site, they seems realistics but I don't know if they are true

Ricciardo's looks the same as those from Amus' live thing so times and tyres are probably correct, whether they were comparable race sims is a different matter. Williams' looks doubtful and only hard tyres for Merc?

Tyres last forever, expect season of one (or max two) stoppers.

I think the williams' problem was Susie yes, Mercedes only hard tyres

[f1316]

Well, as ever, we can't really predict from testing how tyres are going to behave in representative temperatures (as Hamilton said).