2018 pre-season testing thread

[Xero]

Can someone try and context Alonso final quick lap for me?

Guessing it was likely to be a low fuel run in comparison to the other McLaren times this week, so do we think we can compare it like for like with Ferrari’s speed or is it likely Ferrari may have had extra fuel or holding back?

I’d be happy if it’s like for like as I was expecting McLaren to be over a second behind the front runners the way things were unfolding

It's impossible to tell. Just listened to Alonso's pre-testing twitter message to the fans, suggesting they simply turned the PU up a bit. Will have to wait until Melbourne for a definitive answer.

[Dixo]

Poor Kimi! I don't remember when he did more laps than his team mate during the winter tests...
Moreover, they have a biggest lap difference between each other comparing to other team mates.

[Zynerji]

Poor Kimi! I don't remember when he did more laps than his team mate during the winter tests...
Moreover, they have a biggest lap difference between each other comparing to other team mates.

Kimi was sick...

[dren]

Can someone try and context Alonso final quick lap for me?

Guessing it was likely to be a low fuel run in comparison to the other McLaren times this week, so do we think we can compare it like for like with Ferrari’s speed or is it likely Ferrari may have had extra fuel or holding back?

I’d be happy if it’s like for like as I was expecting McLaren to be over a second behind the front runners the way things were unfolding

Mclaren keeps proclaiming they have a quick car; maybe they actually do?

[godlameroso]

I'll just add something, that you missed:

Vettel did a stint of
SS - 13 laps
M - 27 laps
M - 25 laps

Bottad and Hamilton did a stint of
M - 29 laps
M - 17 laps
M - 19 laps

So yes, you are right, the first stint on a much quicker but less durable tire did compromise his 2nd and 3rd stint relative to the Mercedes, but you can still compare Bottas and Hamilton's lap from lap 14 to 29 - then you can compare the Mercedes on (at that point) 13 laps old tires vs Vettel on new & fresh M tires on the same fuel load. That should be comparable, as Bottas and Hamiltons first stint was aiming to do 29 laps on a much heavier car than Vettel on his 2nd stint but comparable laps. So in theory, Vettels stint and times should compare favorably assuming a similar fast car.

Yet comparing these laps, Vettel is at best equal or slower (especially than Hamilton who dips into high 21 times).

I believe dans already did that in his post.

I'm not sure the fuel load is the same, remember last year Mercedes needed less fuel to do a race distance than everyone else. Secondly, one does not need the full 105kg to do the race distance, so it's very possible that fuel levels could be obfuscating true pace. A 30kg difference in fuel is worth ~1 second of lap time. Vettel mentioned he had plenty of fuel left over after his race sim, which could easily explain the lack of pace relative to Mercedes if they only added enough to do the race sim.

"Vettel mentioned he had plenty of fuel left over after his race sim, which could easily explain the lack of pace relative to Mercedes if they only added enough to do the race sim."

Source please on Vettels comment?

I Agree, this can easily explain the lack of pace for Ferrari.

I caught it in an interview on one of the Ted notebooks.

[LeClerc]

Can someone try and context Alonso final quick lap for me?

Guessing it was likely to be a low fuel run in comparison to the other McLaren times this week, so do we think we can compare it like for like with Ferrari’s speed or is it likely Ferrari may have had extra fuel or holding back?

I’d be happy if it’s like for like as I was expecting McLaren to be over a second behind the front runners the way things were unfolding

Mclaren keeps proclaiming they have a quick car; maybe they actually do?

15 more days, and we will know.

They certainly looked like they were improving at the last part of last season. This years car should at least be at that level.

Whether they can turn that into results is another story. It seems there is reason to question the reliability of the Renault PU, and operationally the team is obviously not as sharp as they once were.

[TAG]

Poor Kimi! I don't remember when he did more laps than his team mate during the winter tests...
Moreover, they have a biggest lap difference between each other comparing to other team mates.

Kimi was sick...

It was in Vettel's contract for Kimi to be sick.

[dren]

Can someone try and context Alonso final quick lap for me?

Guessing it was likely to be a low fuel run in comparison to the other McLaren times this week, so do we think we can compare it like for like with Ferrari’s speed or is it likely Ferrari may have had extra fuel or holding back?

I’d be happy if it’s like for like as I was expecting McLaren to be over a second behind the front runners the way things were unfolding

Mclaren keeps proclaiming they have a quick car; maybe they actually do?

15 more days, and we will know.

They certainly looked like they were improving at the last part of last season. This years car should at least be at that level.

Whether they can turn that into results is another story. It seems there is reason to question the reliability of the Renault PU, and operationally the team is obviously not as sharp as they once were.

The racing team seems to be quite the joke, but the car itself looks quick. They think they're there with or better than Renault. We'll see how it pans out like you said!

[Atticus]

According Pirelli:

Medium
Soft -0.8s
SuperSoft -0.4s
UltraSoft -0.6s
HyperSoft -0.7s

But keep in mind that in general, it does not sum up.
And some cars prefers some tyres, I assume that Mercedes will often race on an harder compound than Ferrari.

Ah, just what I needed.

Let the number crunching begin.

[iotar__]

I love the fact that after all the internet's variables, times don't mean anything, tyres, fuel, engines etc. McLaren's team boss is putting his team next to Haas and Renault based on:

- ONE DAMN LAP at the very end of final day of tests. No wait, even better: based on how this one lap could have been quicker . Take that, times in testing don't mean anything crowd .

[DFX]

I love the fact that after all the internet's variables, times don't mean anything, tyres, fuel, engines etc. McLaren's team boss is putting his team next to Haas and Renault based on:

- ONE DAMN LAP at the very end of final day of tests. No wait, even better: based on how this one lap could have been quicker . Take that, times in testing don't mean anything crowd .

Maybe, just maybe, they have more data to make this assessment than us.

[LeClerc]

I love the fact that after all the internet's variables, times don't mean anything, tyres, fuel, engines etc. McLaren's team boss is putting his team next to Haas and Renault based on:

- ONE DAMN LAP at the very end of final day of tests. No wait, even better: based on how this one lap could have been quicker . Take that, times in testing don't mean anything crowd .

Maybe, just maybe, they have more data to make this assessment than us.

That is not a maybe. Of course they do.

OTOH, this is the same man who kept telling us the check was in the post.....

[DiogoBrand]

I love the fact that after all the internet's variables, times don't mean anything, tyres, fuel, engines etc. McLaren's team boss is putting his team next to Haas and Renault based on:

- ONE DAMN LAP at the very end of final day of tests. No wait, even better: based on how this one lap could have been quicker . Take that, times in testing don't mean anything crowd .

Maybe, just maybe, they have more data to make this assessment than us.

And also, judging by the time they achieved, putting themselves next to Renault and Haas isn't that bold a statement. At least it's not like in the Honda era: "We completed one lap without the PU blowing up, that means that by the end of the year Honda will have the best PU in the grid and we will be champions!"

[GoranF1]

I love the fact that after all the internet's variables, times don't mean anything, tyres, fuel, engines etc. McLaren's team boss is putting his team next to Haas and Renault based on:

- ONE DAMN LAP at the very end of final day of tests. No wait, even better: based on how this one lap could have been quicker . Take that, times in testing don't mean anything crowd .

I already have a few warnings but are you really dumb or are you just playing dumb?

[LM10]

I just can't (or let's say, don't want to) believe that Ferrari is so much behind Mercedes and even RBR. Can't wait for Melbourne to start so that all the speculations end and we finally see the reality.

Even IF it turns out they actually are quite behind, I think it would be because they don't understand their car fully yet and we can expect more improvement than from the opponent.

Or.. they actually messed it up which I really don't hope. I hate speculations..