F1 2020 Pre-Season Testing Thread

[tomazy]

One useles comparison. I will compare the fastest time of a team from today, to the fastest time of testing last year (all days).

Ferrari: -1:16.221+1:18.289= +2.067
Mercedes: -1:16.224+1:16.976= +0.752
Renault: -1:16.843+1:17.873= +1.030
Toro Rosso/AT: -1:16.882+1:17.698= +0.816
McLaren: -1:16.913+1:17.842= +0.929
Haas: -1:17.076+1:18.466= +1.390
Red Bull: -1:17.091+1:17.516= +0.425
Alfa Romeo: -1:17.239+1:18.386= +1.147
Racing Point: -1:17.556+1:17.375= -0.181
Williams: -1:18.130+1:18.168 = +0.038

So, the only car that is faster is Racing Points W10, and the other car that is really close is FW43.

[Just_a_fan]

Thinking back to comments about concerns from Mercedes about the engine not doing perfectly on the dyno, I wonder if Mercedes are just pushing the PU a bit harder than they would normally do to get data/stress test the systems. They usually start the tests quietly, but this time they've gone out there with a bit of a bang on day one. 170+laps at decent pace should give the people at Brixworth something to chew over.

[TheRacingElf]

Thinking back to comments about concerns from Mercedes about the engine not doing perfectly on the dyno, I wonder if Mercedes are just pushing the PU a bit harder than they would normally do to get data/stress test the systems. They usually start the tests quietly, but this time they've gone out there with a bit of a bang on day one. 170+laps at decent pace should give the people at Brixworth something to chew over.

With so little testing days I don't think they purposely want to risk blowing an engine on the very first day of testing though.

[NathanOlder]

Thinking back to comments about concerns from Mercedes about the engine not doing perfectly on the dyno, I wonder if Mercedes are just pushing the PU a bit harder than they would normally do to get data/stress test the systems. They usually start the tests quietly, but this time they've gone out there with a bit of a bang on day one. 170+laps at decent pace should give the people at Brixworth something to chew over.

Would you do that so early with such limited testing though? If Bottas broke it 30mins in, they lose all the morning changing the engine. Surely that would happen late in the test, like Friday, and when the engine has done a fair distance already.


Edit, TheRacingElf beat me to it

[izzy]

Thinking back to comments about concerns from Mercedes about the engine not doing perfectly on the dyno, I wonder if Mercedes are just pushing the PU a bit harder than they would normally do to get data/stress test the systems. They usually start the tests quietly, but this time they've gone out there with a bit of a bang on day one. 170+laps at decent pace should give the people at Brixworth something to chew over.

yes that makes sense doesn't it, so they can analyse some realistic wear as you say. And whatever we say about 'testing times', they're not that amount faster as a car

edit and did they get RP and Williams to turn theirs up to race weekend modes as well?

[zoro_f1]

True..

[Wass85]

I noticed Bottas did the best final sector of the day.

[djones]

Thinking back to comments about concerns from Mercedes about the engine not doing perfectly on the dyno, I wonder if Mercedes are just pushing the PU a bit harder than they would normally do to get data/stress test the systems. They usually start the tests quietly, but this time they've gone out there with a bit of a bang on day one. 170+laps at decent pace should give the people at Brixworth something to chew over.

Mercedes were not fastest (top speed) in any of the sectors so I suspect they are running an average engine setting for testing (like all teams). Looking at the car on TV is seemed to look very fast and planted, to the point where Hamilton and Bottas did not look to be pushing hard at all.

Very early days and testing does pretty much mean nothing. But Mercedes has traditionally never gone for times of pushed in testing, so this seemingly effortless pace is very telling of what is to come.

In my opinion it will be domination the likes we have not seen since the start of the hybrid era. Primarily because their closest competitor last year is unfortunatly starting this season about 0.5 a lap down already due to clarifications around fuel sensors. Redbull will know they never had a change of anything more than a few wins in 2020 so will be concentrating hard on 2021.

[LM10]

Last 5 places made up of all Ferrari powered cars and Latifi.

[Jambier]

One useles comparison. I will compare the fastest time of a team from today, to the fastest time of testing last year (all days).

Ferrari: -1:16.221+1:18.289= +2.067
Mercedes: -1:16.224+1:16.976= +0.752
Renault: -1:16.843+1:17.873= +1.030
Toro Rosso/AT: -1:16.882+1:17.698= +0.816
McLaren: -1:16.913+1:17.842= +0.929
Haas: -1:17.076+1:18.466= +1.390
Red Bull: -1:17.091+1:17.516= +0.425
Alfa Romeo: -1:17.239+1:18.386= +1.147
Racing Point: -1:17.556+1:17.375= -0.181
Williams: -1:18.130+1:18.168 = +0.038

So, the only car that is faster is Racing Points W10, and the other car that is really close is FW43.

I like that.

RP the biggest progress? Yes, logic, poor car last year, W10 this year
Williams big progress? Seems logical as well
Then Red Bull seem indeed very strong
Then Mercedes seem indeed to have made big progress again

For Ferrari... I'm not sure, they were "too" fast last year, and this year maybe, not opening DRS, so "too " slow

[Just_a_fan]

I noticed Bottas did the best final sector of the day.

Well done him.

[KiLLu12258]

One useles comparison. I will compare the fastest time of a team from today, to the fastest time of testing last year (all days).

Ferrari: -1:16.221+1:18.289= +2.067
Mercedes: -1:16.224+1:16.976= +0.752
Renault: -1:16.843+1:17.873= +1.030
Toro Rosso/AT: -1:16.882+1:17.698= +0.816
McLaren: -1:16.913+1:17.842= +0.929
Haas: -1:17.076+1:18.466= +1.390
Red Bull: -1:17.091+1:17.516= +0.425
Alfa Romeo: -1:17.239+1:18.386= +1.147
Racing Point: -1:17.556+1:17.375= -0.181
Williams: -1:18.130+1:18.168 = +0.038

So, the only car that is faster is Racing Points W10, and the other car that is really close is FW43.

I like that.

RP the biggest progress? Yes, logic, poor car last year, W10 this year
Williams big progress? Seems logical as well
Then Red Bull seem indeed very strong
Then Mercedes seem indeed to have made big progress again

For Ferrari... I'm not sure, they were "too" fast last year, and this year maybe, not opening DRS, so "too " slow

probably its hard to read anything out of it. I mean we compare the best times of the first day to the overall best times of last year. I think we have to wait a few days to get a real indication.

But a few things we can already say: Williams looks in a lot better position, not sure if its enough to close the gap completely BUT i think its safe to say that they are not that far away as they were last year.
Racing Point also looks really strong, same goes for redbull and mercedes.

I think we will see times dropping tomorrow and maybe at friday there are coming some real hotlaps.

[MtthsMlw]

Speed trap data. Look how bad that Ferrari PU has become /s

Sainz 329 km/h
Verstappen 327
Latifi 320
Ricciardo 319
Hamilton 318
Kubica 317
Magnussen 317
Kvyat 317
Stroll 316
Bottas 316
Pérez 316
Russell 314
Giovinazzi 314
Ocon 311
Leclerc 307
copied from @AlbertFabrega

[munudeges]

They do look very suspiciously similar. There is no way a team would openly copy another team's concept, and car like that unless they knew a lot about it or had seen something. Otherwise, you just end up with a mess you don't understand and are chasing all year.

It's an interesting political move if Merc have given them more than a helping hand behind closed doors.

or built the same relation as ferrari did with Haas and Alfa romeo

This relationship is looking a little more obvious.

[LM10]

Speed trap data. Look how bad that Ferrari PU has become /s

Sainz 329 km/h
Verstappen 327
Latifi 320
Ricciardo 319
Hamilton 318
Kubica 317
Magnussen 317
Kvyat 317
Stroll 316
Bottas 316
Pérez 316
Russell 314
Giovinazzi 314
Ocon 311
Leclerc 307
copied from @AlbertFabrega

Damn, even Renault is much more powerful now.