2018 pre-season testing thread

[etusch]

Pretty much every day the fastest lap is set on the medium tyre and there are reports of several cars blistering the softs.

So seems like the mediums are actually the most suitable / useable tyres for the conditions and no surprise that they’re faster than the softs - that’s been the pattern so far.

I hope so

[TwanV]

haha that would be brilliant, but let's stay in this universe shall we? unless Pirelli has made a complete mess of their tires I can't see why more grip would be slower. shorter runs sure but I can't believe they're worse in the first couple of laps.

[Restomaniac]

Pretty much every day the fastest lap is set on the medium tyre and there are reports of several cars blistering the softs.

So seems like the mediums are actually the most suitable / useable tyres for the conditions and no surprise that they’re faster than the softs - that’s been the pattern so far.

I hope so

We all hope so. I'm not sure I could stomach another 2014.

[Anthropolyte]

Exhaust issues again perhaps? Has that "$2 part" failed again?

[NathanOlder]

Notice as well that after doing is best lap, Lewis went faster towards the end of that run, He set best sector times in S1 and S2 , then was over a second off the pace in the 3rd sector. So a mid 1.18 was on the cards with the medium tyre with a minimum of 13 laps of fuel.

Wonder how fast that could be with the best tyre and 3 laps of fuel.

[Gerhardsa]

So when Mclaren put on a set of Mediums they will be in the 16's ?

Nope. It will break down before then

[iotar__]

Aaaand deleted for Track Limits.

Thank god. I'm no sure anyone could deal with another season of Mercedes winning at a canter.

- You'll have to deal with it anyway. Don't buy conmen (Wolff) selling you close battle of the top three. I might be wrong and engines that were close anyway might be even closer (Ferrari-Merc) but differences remain (Renault-Merc) including huge gap behind top3. On top of being behind RB will be in transition to Honda mode. Result: closer or not but the same type of season.

- media laps from McLaren

- why are you (plural) so interested in stints? Tyre range might be new (basically to make it softer and get 2 stops) but it's not '12. Destroyed tyres (Bottas) don't mean problems but finding limits/old tyres/figuring out stint length on fuel, gathering data, whatever. They all run ~15 laps, and will figure it out uniformly. Other direction: Perez said understanding (new) tyres should be a competitive advantage.

[Squid]

Exhaust issues again perhaps? Has that "$2 part" failed again?

Will Buxton is reporting smoke and an acrid smell of burning carbon. There was also oil on the track. Whatever it is, it was ugly.

[Restomaniac]

Notice as well that after doing is best lap, Lewis went faster towards the end of that run, He set best sector times in S1 and S2 , then was over a second off the pace in the 3rd sector. So a mid 1.18 was on the cards with the medium tyre with a minimum of 13 laps of fuel.

Wonder how fast that could be with the best tyre and 3 laps of fuel.

Yep it seems the Mercedes is copying the Ferrari sandbagging model of 12 months ago. In so much as blinding sectors 1&2 and then slow in sector 3.

I hope to God I'm wrong though.

[Anthropolyte]

Exhaust issues again perhaps? Has that "$2 part" failed again?

Will Buxton is reporting smoke and an acrid smell of burning carbon. There was also oil on the track. Whatever it is, it was ugly.

Definitely doesn't sound good. Such a shame, Alo was doing pretty well up until that point.

[NathanOlder]

@Restomaniac ,
I never understood that approach , If you have access to the timing, it doesnt matter how slow you slow down, come the end of the test, you can add up Merc's best sector times and get the optimal lap time from that. Its hardly hiding anything

[Restomaniac]

@Restomaniac ,
I never understood that approach , If you have access to the timing, it doesnt matter how slow you slow down, come the end of the test, you can add up Merc's best sector times and get the optimal lap time from that. Its hardly hiding anything

I agree. But it seems to be the way they want to go. Last season everyone was laughing about how obviously Ferrari were trying to hide their pace.

[F1Fan2018]

Anyone know what stint that was from Hamilton?

out
1:21.3
1:21.0
1:19.9
1:19.1
1:18.9
1:23.9
1:18.3-deleted
1:23.2
1:22.0
1:19.3
1:24.2
in

so with an out lap and in lap, it was 13 laps.

Thanks, thats pretty impressive, would be interesting to know wheather the lap that was deleted did Hamilton do an Alonso and cut the entire 2 corners out or did he just exceed track limits by going over the white line slightly too much as the latter would save a tenth or 2 which would have still put him around 1:18.5 if im thinking correct?

[FightingHellPhish]

Exhaust issues again perhaps? Has that "$2 part" failed again?

Will Buxton is reporting smoke and an acrid smell of burning carbon. There was also oil on the track. Whatever it is, it was ugly.

Definitely doesn't sound good. Such a shame, Alo was doing pretty well up until that point.

So.... was Honda's engine actually crap or is McLaren killing cars with their size zero obsession?

[CriXus]

Sebastian Vettel's latest stint on Medium tyres

1:20.8
1:20.3
1:20.8
1:20.9
1:20.9
1:21.0
1:20.3
1:29.0
1:20.0

I have a feeling that Ferrari are not showing their pace at all. From 1:21.0 to 1:20.0 in three laps. They are playing with us.