F1 2019 Pre-Season Testing Thread

[Big Mangalhit]

Leclerc did a 1:17.2 on C2.

One hot lap, followed by a cool down lap and then box. This was the start of quali sims on 7th day for Ferrari. That doesn't mean he was on fumes.

https://i.screenshot.net/568v7fd

Lewis did the 1m18.087 on a stint, on the same day.

https://i.screenshot.net/jmdy0cz

Always intercalating a slow lap before and after the fast one. He might have more fuel but I think he was also using a non-sustainable engine mode in which he would start with maximum battery SOC and finish with minimum and then recharge and cooldown next lap (same as LEC lap). Even though. at least at the beginning of the stint he might have more fuel.

I wonder what would be the best back to back C2 laps

[Big Tea]

How much fuel was each of them carrying?

Also, doing the time during a stint means the tyre is not as grippy as it is if one is on a new one straight out of the pits.

Not sure how anyone can meaningfully compare the two times at this stage.

Nobody knows.

That's my point. LM10 claims "fuel corrected" but likely has no data on the amount of fuel the cars were each carrying at the time. Leclerc's time might have been on nearly empty tanks (it's a good lap) or with a half full tank in which case it's a very good lap.

And as the cars are not checked, there is also the possibility of not only 'sandbagging' and being over weight, but running 'Glory laps' under weight or with something else that will not be allowed in race trim. (Fuel or fuel flow, electrical use etc. I don't know why they would, but it is testing so there could be a reason for it)

[Big Mangalhit]

Fuel corrected, Leclerc’s time was still faster.

How much fuel was each of them carrying?

Also, doing the time during a stint means the tyre is not as grippy as it is if one is on a new one straight out of the pits.

Not sure how anyone can meaningfully compare the two times at this stage.

Sometimes harder tyres take a few laps to get to their optimum. I agree that we can't take full conclusions from tests but LEC lap is obviously much better than Lewis' (almost a second faster is not a matter of 3 laps worth of fuel or a few laps of DEG on a hard-ish tyre). OFC the real question is what could both really do if this was worth points

[Big Mangalhit]

Fuel corrected, Leclerc’s time was still faster.

How much fuel was each of them carrying?

Also, doing the time during a stint means the tyre is not as grippy as it is if one is on a new one straight out of the pits.

Not sure how anyone can meaningfully compare the two times at this stage.

Nobody knows. Traditionally Mercedes have run with the most fuel out of all the teams for almost all their runs bar race sims.

I think you also have no way of knowing that Mercedes traditionally runs with more fuel... I think what you can say is that Mercedes traditionally runs away with more championships at the end of the year (usually 2 vs 0 from all the others combined).

[dans79]

I think you also have no way of knowing that Mercedes traditionally runs with more fuel...

This is pretty well know up and down the paddock. If you go back through the years, you will even find a few quotes from other teams saying they do.

[Sierra117]

Why? the entire point is to support your favorite team. You buy hats, shirts, merchandise already. This would be very similar in that you donate a small percentage of computing power. You wouldn't be REQUIRED to participate, so why would you get paid?

Because they are using YOUR components that YOU bought in order to facilitate use for themselves, which results in potential profit and cost-cutting for them. In other words, it's like someone hiring you but they ask you to bring your own computer to work, use your own tools to carry out things and they provide nothing. You can't compare it to merchandise because merch is produced by the team/company themselves (and guess what, the outsourced manufacturers get paid to produce said merch). Plus, by having it paid, one can help introduce a new kind of job or help people get more income on the side.

We already have an example of how having such a "crowdsource" project free is detrimental - Google's ReCaptcha, the abomination of the current Internet. They use your time and energy to do develop their own product that will only generate profit for them. It's slave labour frankly and wastes people's time. I've stopped using Google Search now because during any sort of research where one is searching heavily it begins showing its BS captchas.

Anyway this is getting heavily OT and as others have mentioned, this isn't good overall and mafia-like elements quickly get in. Plus, the popularity or fanbase of a team should not decide who wins. I've always said this - reduce the computers and algorithms to make racing more pure.

I agree that this is now severely off topic, and that you are woefully underprepared to understand the concept. I will refrain from any further comments about this revolution.

Having known nothing about me or my background in technology you've decided that I'm "woefully underprepared to understand the concept". OK then. But you're free to PM me to explain something you think I haven't understood.

[LM10]

I think you also have no way of knowing that Mercedes traditionally runs with more fuel...

This is pretty well know up and down the paddock. If you go back through the years, you will even find a few quotes from other teams saying they do.

They simply didn’t have a reason to do quali sims at all for many years until 2017 (included). Their engine advantage was ridiculously big.
Last year it arguably was a mistake to not have done runs on the softest compound. Mercedes told that there was no sense in doing so because the Hypersofts weren’t a representative tyre for Barcelona anyway. Even though it was a brand new compound. That was a sign of dominance.
This year they tested the softest tyres as well which might show that they learnt from past and want to prepare as well as possible, also regarding quali performance.

[Morteza]

[F1NAC]

How much fuel was each of them carrying?

Also, doing the time during a stint means the tyre is not as grippy as it is if one is on a new one straight out of the pits.

Not sure how anyone can meaningfully compare the two times at this stage.

Nobody knows. Traditionally Mercedes have run with the most fuel out of all the teams for almost all their runs bar race sims.

I think you also have no way of knowing that Mercedes traditionally runs with more fuel... I think what you can say is that Mercedes traditionally runs away with more championships at the end of the year (usually 2 vs 0 from all the others combined).

Tradition is gone this year. Especially at second test where they've used the softest compound and "chased" top time

[etusch]

https://motorsport.tv/embed/YXZ7SGcG-ra ... y&t=10m57s

[zibby43]

Nobody knows. Traditionally Mercedes have run with the most fuel out of all the teams for almost all their runs bar race sims.

I think you also have no way of knowing that Mercedes traditionally runs with more fuel... I think what you can say is that Mercedes traditionally runs away with more championships at the end of the year (usually 2 vs 0 from all the others combined).

Tradition is gone this year. Especially at second test where they've used the softest compound and "chased" top time

You have a source that Merc decided to scrap everything that could be used as baseline references from previous years of testing by completely changing their fuel load philosophy? Or was that just pure speculation on your part?

On top of that, it would be especially strange to decide to run lighter in a year where you could conceivably run heavier (given the new regulations - extra 5kg), even if you weren't planning on using the extra fuel during the course of the season.

All I've heard in interviews from the drivers (particularly Hamilton) is how tough it is to get a true feel for the car with the heavy fuel loads they were running.

Finally, I don't interpret Merc using the softest compound as chasing a top time, either. Especially when Hamilton didn't even set a personal best in S1 on his fastest lap. I view it as trying all the compounds in a year where the tires are once again changing dramatically (depth of tread, construction, etc.).

[F1NAC]

I think you also have no way of knowing that Mercedes traditionally runs with more fuel... I think what you can say is that Mercedes traditionally runs away with more championships at the end of the year (usually 2 vs 0 from all the others combined).

Tradition is gone this year. Especially at second test where they've used the softest compound and "chased" top time

You have a source that Merc decided to scrap everything that could be used as baseline references from previous years of testing by completely changing their fuel load philosophy? Or was that just pure speculation on your part?

On top of that, it would be especially strange to decide to run lighter in a year where you could conceivably run heavier (given the new regulations - extra 5kg), even if you weren't planning on using the extra fuel during the course of the season.

All I've heard in interviews from the drivers (particularly Hamilton) is how tough it is to get a true feel for the car with the heavy fuel loads they were running.

Finally, I don't interpret Merc using the softest compound as chasing a top time, either. Especially when Hamilton didn't even set a personal best in S1 on his fastest lap. I view it as trying all the compounds in a year where the tires are once again changing dramatically (depth of tread, construction, etc.).

Nobody from to team chased the top times (hence " "), but I'm just saying that they had different philosophy this year it seems. Neither Vettel for example hadn't had best S3 in his fastest lap. That could be due to ecperimenting how long can C5 last during a lap in Catalunya (going faster in First sectors/ going conservative in first sector to keep C5 till the end of the lap). I don't have any information. It is not difficult to notice differences.

Only yhing thay seems obvious is that again Ferrari seems quick out of box, Mercedes is more difficult to setup

[GPR-A]

Nobody knows. Traditionally Mercedes have run with the most fuel out of all the teams for almost all their runs bar race sims.

I think you also have no way of knowing that Mercedes traditionally runs with more fuel... I think what you can say is that Mercedes traditionally runs away with more championships at the end of the year (usually 2 vs 0 from all the others combined).

Tradition is gone this year. Especially at second test where they've used the softest compound and "chased" top time

Except for 2018, Mercedes has always attempted short runs, while they haven't shown their ultimate pace, but they have always shown the pace. They seem to simply weigh up to the opposition in quali sims.

2014


2015


2016


2017


2018


2019

[NathanOlder]

Very good post, I didnt realise they were at the front in testing quite that much. I got the impression this year, that they did so much mileage and got so much data and info that they had time on the last day to push the car in the performance runs like Allison said.

[zibby43]

Tradition is gone this year. Especially at second test where they've used the softest compound and "chased" top time

You have a source that Merc decided to scrap everything that could be used as baseline references from previous years of testing by completely changing their fuel load philosophy? Or was that just pure speculation on your part?

On top of that, it would be especially strange to decide to run lighter in a year where you could conceivably run heavier (given the new regulations - extra 5kg), even if you weren't planning on using the extra fuel during the course of the season.

All I've heard in interviews from the drivers (particularly Hamilton) is how tough it is to get a true feel for the car with the heavy fuel loads they were running.

Finally, I don't interpret Merc using the softest compound as chasing a top time, either. Especially when Hamilton didn't even set a personal best in S1 on his fastest lap. I view it as trying all the compounds in a year where the tires are once again changing dramatically (depth of tread, construction, etc.).

Nobody from to team chased the top times (hence " "), but I'm just saying that they had different philosophy this year it seems. Neither Vettel for example hadn't had best S3 in his fastest lap. That could be due to ecperimenting how long can C5 last during a lap in Catalunya (going faster in First sectors/ going conservative in first sector to keep C5 till the end of the lap). I don't have any information. It is not difficult to notice differences.

Only yhing thay seems obvious is that again Ferrari seems quick out of box, Mercedes is more difficult to setup

I see where you were coming from.

And I agree with your last statement. It's going to be fascinating to see whether the Ferrari is that compliant on different tracks in different ambient temperatures, and whether Mercedes is only scratching the surface of the W10's potential, as they really lost a week to Ferrari after rolling out the heavily upgraded specification in Week 2.