2018 pre-season testing thread

[Vasconia]

I want to see competition. As I see it, there will only be some behind Mercedes.

I sincerely think that Ferrari is hidding some potential.

[marvin78]

And I fear that Mercedes is hiding a lot. But I might be wrong. Just a feeling.

[Big Mangalhit]

Why do some seem to take pleasure in the demise/failures of McLaren? We all know the situation, it was never going to be an easy job switching to Renault power after the mess that occurred with Honda, they have done a lot more running in these tests than in the last few [not checked].

I think it is also because they are now F1 biggest meme. It's their 5th year into this PU rules and they go for their 3 supplier and had just terrible results in everyone and almost look like they are going worse every year. Of course this year it is waaaaay to soon to write them off but it is kinda hilarious that they change the engine supplier which they put all the blame this last 3 years and they are still having problems every single day, and for the most various reasons.

Also I imagine a lot of Ferrari fans are having a huge laugh about how Alonso left them to go drive the power of dreams and then just been struggling to finish races. (this is just a remark please don't bring the debate of whether he did a good or bad decision of moving to McLaren)

[johnny comelately]

Is Robert Kubica having another run?
I did ask over at Williams thread, but no one is awake

[GoranF1]

T
Valtteri Bottas has improved to a 1:18.658, a very good time on the medium compound.

shall we call it a season?

[Sevach]

Is Robert Kubica having another run?
I did ask over at Williams thread, but no one is awake

Not scheduled right now i think.

[NathanOlder]

T
Valtteri Bottas has improved to a 1:18.658, a very good time on the medium compound.

shall we call it a season?

Haha, was thinking the same. is a very respectable time

[oetger]

[media]https://twitter.com/EduAlonsoc/status/9 ... 111924224/[/media]


Translate from Google:

The McLaren chassis does not sufficiently cool the Renault engine and hence fill it with improvised air intakes. However, Red Bull, with the same engine, took him almost two seconds this morning.

[f1316]

T
Valtteri Bottas has improved to a 1:18.658, a very good time on the medium compound.

shall we call it a season?

Haha, was thinking the same. is a very respectable time

Showing as ultra softs on motorosport/autosport timing (edit: sorry 'hyper')

[Mattchu]

Come on guys [re: McLaren+Alonso}, calm down, i wish I hadn`t said owt now

Anyway that time from Bottas on the Medium is pretty ominous, obviously it`ll change from track to track, plus we don`t really know much about the compounds this year yet, but i`m summizing that the gap between compounds around Barcelona will probably be ~4 tenths [short track], so from HS -> Hard should be around 2 secs...

It might be a lot closer, not long till Aus now

Ignore the red line, didn`t see the above.

p.s. Why is there no strike through on this board, its a 2 minute job to add!

[TwanV]

T
Valtteri Bottas has improved to a 1:18.658, a very good time on the medium compound.

shall we call it a season?

acc motorsport, hypersoft :

Bottas is in the pits. And so we've got our first proper look at him as he came down the pitlane – good news for people blown away by that laptime, he's on hypersoft tyres, not mediums.

The washed-out pink hypersofts and the white-walled mediums are very tricky to identify as the cars flash past the start-finish straight at speed. Three different pairs of eyes couldn't be 100% confident what tyres he was on.

[ironrose]

Kimi ... Wakey Wakey .. your turn to drive the car ..

[Restomaniac]

T
Valtteri Bottas has improved to a 1:18.658, a very good time on the medium compound.

shall we call it a season?

It's now being reported that he was on Hypers.

[Sevach]

Still a very good run by Bottas given the length and that he was doing it one after another instead of hotlap>cool down>hotlap.

[johnny comelately]

T
Valtteri Bottas has improved to a 1:18.658, a very good time on the medium compound.

shall we call it a season?

It's now being reported that he was on Hypers.

LF=S; RF=SS; LR=US ; RR=HS