2017 F1 general testing thread

[Enstone]

Ok so my turn then

1.Mercedes
2.Ferrari
3.Red Bull
4.Renault
5.HaasF1
6. Force India
7. Williams
8. Toro Rosso
9. Sauber
10. McLaren

In terms of performances we can establish a little hierarchy... i'm pretty sure Mercs still don't have release all the power unfortunately

[Manjhi]

I mean how can anybody put Renault & Haas above Williams & Force India ???

My prediction after First testing will be :

1. Mercedes
2/3. Ferrari/Red Bull (Very close)
4/5. Williams/Force India (Depends on track, though FI looks strong in Barcelona)
6. Renault
7. Toro Rosso
8. Haas
9. McLaren
10. Sauber

[Enstone]

I mean how can anybody can't put Renault & Haas above Williams & Force India ???????????????

Fixed !

[clipsy1H]

Because it was a wet day in final test i have few things to ask so maybe someone can tell me if it's right my opinion.

From the past we know that in a wet race everything become almost equal for everybody and difference is made just by the skill of drivers. When i say equal i mean mid team can fight for podiums or maybe for a win in wet conditions.

Now my question is: could be this year a very different story? As top teams to keep almost the same gap from others, even in a wet condition? And the crucial factor to be new regulation for tires? I mean with smaller tires was hard for a top team to put all the power to the wheel but now with bigger tires and larger track contact could help teams like Mercedes and Ferrari to deliver much power and performance even in wet.

I think it's important for the show because from what we see here this season will be something like Ferrari vs Mercedes and if we lose the chance for a 3-4 way fight (between teams) in wet it will be very bad for us.

I also see this game with prediction so this i mine:
1.Ferrari
2.Mercedes
vs the rest with Renault and Red Bull fight to close the big gap.

[CLKGTR]

Number of laps per team and per engine - 'Mercedes with most laps in first test, but Ferrari closes in '

https://maxf1.net/en/mercedes-with-most ... closes-in/

[Henk]

Someone made a great video of the test.

[Chuckjr]

Fernando Alonso's McLaren comes to the end of the straight. Suddenly, a massive late braking is wrapped in a big cloud of smoke. Pedro Marínez de la Rosa smiles. Later, he climbs to a zone nearby where he can control the end of the straight and turn 5, on the other side. Alonso comes back, and again enters at full tilt at the end of the straight, resulting in a tremendous snap oversteer. Box, slow lap, attacks turn one again, and he controls with nerve another snap oversteer. He repeats the process with another slide two laps later. "Fernando is driving with anger" Martínez de la Rosa explains...

"You can feel that Fernando is fighting", maybe in part for the frustration of running too little until now. But "the car looks like doesn't handle well and he is very eager because no one on the track is attacking so much. I still haven't seen any other driver going full beans at corner entrance, which is the weakest spot, looking for the limit of the car. We have spent five minutes here and the car has been really twitchy" Coming up to the famous turn 3, Alonso also had to lift.

"He's already driving the car at its limit in the current conditions" as he has figured out, "He knows that the car will slide, but he has done it three times, and even so, he forces it, he wants the car to come to that limit. And you can feel that he's doing it before than anyone. Because if you do this at the end of the straight three times watching how twitchy it is, you must have that really under your control. Because you can do it one time.. You can do it two times... But the third time you are on the gravel. That's why, doing this several times at the end of the straight braking from over 300 km/h.. He hasn't done a lot of laps in this car and already has found the limit. It's like a jockey that wants to get the horse by the strap to tame it well".

Suddently, Christian Horner appears in a bike to watch the cars and they start to chat. Later Jos Verstappen joins them, the father of the Red Bull driver. Alonso comes by: "Fernando must be angry, isn't he?" says Horner with a smile watching the spaniard.

Can I just say a huge thank you to Fred for always representing this sport so honorably. Honestly, I don't know of many drivers near his skill level on the grid who would be capable of responding so positively year after year despite being given such uninspired cars...he's been going to every race weekend now for years and years knowing he has no realistic chance at winning despite being arguably the best on the grid. Incredibly inspiring love for the sport, Fred. You give me hope for F1. Thank you.

[GM7]

Global conclusion after day 4 :



It's look like Renault is back in the game =D> =D>

[Vladimir]

For the first week test, mine conclusion:

1. Ferrari
2. Mercedes
3. Red Bull - Renault
5. Force India
6. Haas
7. Torro Roso
8. Sauber
8. McLaren
9. Williams

[dren]

Thanks whatthefat. That's why I suspected Mercedes were running the softer tires and not really touching the mediums, unlike last year.

[jonas_linder]

Author of f1metrics here. I've been doing some analysis of long runs for a pre-season f1metrics post, as I did last year. I just thought I'd share some interesting results so far, as a sort of preview....

Awesome post!! =D> After a week with people moaning over everything it is finally nice to see some posts that are well thought through and informative [-o<

[Wass85]

It does make you laugh when teams complain about the tyres yet turn down a chance to collect data and give their input to Pirelli.

They should have been ordered to do some testing this morning in the wet, don't go crying about the tyres in future I say.

[turbof1]

Good first test though, am I right? Ferrari looking strong, Merc probably on top - Red bull going to be somewhere in the mix? Exciting cars, fast times, what's not to love?

Oh no! You just had to open that can of worms .

I have to be honest, I haven't fell this excited about F1 in years. Even if racing is going to be worse (not saying it will be necessarily, we'll have to see about that in Melbourne), it still can't ruin it for me as we finally have some actual development on those cars.

[dans79]

I'd add Vettel as another good example, as he crashed the Ferrari mule while wet testing, and that stopped testing.
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2017/02/09/v ... r-pirelli/

[bonjon1979]

Good first test though, am I right? Ferrari looking strong, Merc probably on top - Red bull going to be somewhere in the mix? Exciting cars, fast times, what's not to love?

Oh no! You just had to open that can of worms .

I have to be honest, I haven't fell this excited about F1 in years. Even if racing is going to be worse (not saying it will be necessarily, we'll have to see about that in Melbourne), it still can't ruin it for me as we finally have some actual development on those cars.

Ditto...

I think we're going to have a few cars in the mix and most important of all. I feel like we're going to be able to have cars following close behind without destroying their tyres. I maybe more old school but I love the fact that someone could hunt down the person in front for 20-30 laps. Make a mistake and he gets past. Don't make a mistake and you keep the position. That's tension and racing for me. I'm not against DRS, I think it makes up for the time lost in the corners due to loss of downforce. What killed it for me was the fact that cars couldn't follow the one in front for more than a lap or two without destroying their tyres and completely ruining their stint. At least this way, drivers will be able to push.

Racing does not mean overtaking. The last few years we've had lots of overtaking and very little racing. I hope this year that maybe the pendulum swings back the other way (and hopefull ferrari are quick).