2015 Pre-season Testing

[Vary]

Hamilton blocked on track, red flag

[Andres125sx]

And what´s the reason you say they´re better than last year? Last year Alonso had a nice battle with Massa and his Williams for the fastest lap of Jerez pre-season testing, so I don´t see mayor differences this pre-season

Actually Magnussen was the fastest car last year.

True, I was thinking about last day when track was cold because of rain. Anycase Kimi was the fastest one day with Ferrari, and Alonso was second fastest another day fighting with Massa´s Williams, so one might think Ferrari was a top car fighting for big things on 2014 season, but reality was quite different....

http://www.gtspirit.com/2014/02/02/f1-p ... o-impress/

Pre-season is just pre-season. Teams like Ferrari need some attention, Sauber need sponsors, Mercedes doesn´t need any attention and they hide their pace, and some like McLaren are doing instalation laps so not even they know what´s their pace.

After the four tests of pre-season when all teams have tested race configurations we may take some conclusion, but after just first test the only way to know what´s the perfomance of each team is if we ask our crystal ball

[WaikeCU]

Hamilton blocked on track, red flag

Looks like running out of fuel? Why would he then stop in the middle of a chicane?

[kooleracer]

And what´s the reason you say they´re better than last year? Last year Alonso had a nice battle with Massa and his Williams for the fastest lap of Jerez pre-season testing, so I don´t see mayor differences this pre-season

Actually Magnussen was the fastest car last year.

True, I was thinking about last day when track was cold because of rain. Anycase Kimi was the fastest one day with Ferrari, and Alonso was second fastest another day fighting with Massa´s Williams, so one might think Ferrari was a top car fighting for big things on 2014 season, but reality was quite different....

http://www.gtspirit.com/2014/02/02/f1-p ... o-impress/

Pre-season is just pre-season. Teams like Ferrari need some attention, Sauber need sponsors, Mercedes doesn´t need any attention and they hide their pace, and some like McLaren are doing instalation laps so not even they know what´s their pace.

After the four tests of pre-season when all teams have tested race configurations we may take some conclusion, but after just first test the only way to know what´s the perfomance of each team is if we ask our crystal ball

According to Aldo Costa, Mercedes is purely focusing on reliability. Their goal is to do as much mileage as possible. Performance and setup will be done at the 3rd test in Barcelona when the Melbourne package should be ready. So its not about hiding pace.

[motobaleno]

Hamilton blocked on track, red flag

Looks like running out of fuel? Why would he then stop in the middle of a chicane?

looking at the tyres I would say a 360 deg

[Andres125sx]

ok, but my point is this is just first test, and you cannot take any conclusion from it, each team is testing/focusing on different things so there´s no way to take any conclusion.

That test in Barcelona is when they all will test race configurations as I said, then we can take some conlcusion, but today, only after first test, we can´t

[iotar__]

Hamilton blocked on track, red flag

Looks like running out of fuel? Why would he then stop in the middle of a chicane?

Fuel at 11 a.m. in the middle of chicane, really? Driver's error, although that can't be true, not possible with a car that is planted like Mercedes.

Ron Dennis today:


I know it's Jerez and car/engine might still be great later, it's just the way he's BS-ing about sensors, brilliant mechanical packaging and size zero. This blatant let's focus on positives approach.

[KingHamilton01]

McLaren clearly feel they need to get some sort of a respectable lap-time/lap times on board now? with this being the final day of the first test they need data to be able to compare with other's.

[MercedesAMGSpy]

McLaren Honda reminds of Red Bull tight rear last year, only problem was that the engine didn't like it.

[WaikeCU]

Hamilton back on track again. Ran out of fuel? Simply spun and stalled? Dunno mate, but it seems nothing wrong at all at the moment. Normal service resumes.

[motobaleno]

ok, but my point is this is just first test, and you cannot take any conclusion from it, each team is testing/focusing on different things so there´s no way to take any conclusion.

That test in Barcelona is when they all will test race configurations as I said, then we can take some conlcusion, but today, only after first test, we can´t

your point is basically true but may be a little too simplistic. even from the first test something can be guessed.
of course just for the cars that do not have big reliability problems (red bull and 2015 mclaren) or that are not completely in another performance level (mercedes): if you look at 2014 jerez you woud say that mclaren ferrari and williams were more or less at the same performance level...and just that was you found in melbourne

[Chene_Mostert]

Hamilton blocked on track, red flag

Looks like running out of fuel? Why would he then stop in the middle of a chicane?

He spun the car, I know it is strange since they are "not" pushing, just driving around.

[kooleracer]

Hamilton blocked on track, red flag

Looks like running out of fuel? Why would he then stop in the middle of a chicane?

He spun the car, I know it is strange since they are "not" pushing, just driving around.

According to AmuS he dipped his rear tire on the grass, driver error on a damp track.

[Vasconia]

14 laps for Button, including some "flying" laps, lets hoppe that he can runs normally this afternoon.

[santos]

Well if Mercedes is working on reability, not showing their pace and with a full tank is runnig just one second slower then Ferrari, when they start to work on the performance they will be what? 5 seconds faster?