Jerez testing Feb 10,11,12,13

Massa/Ferrari looking really good so far today, as is Sauber. Meanwhile, Merc and Renault are looking terrible.

Ferrari lapping in the 1:29-1:30s on a long stint which I am sure is full fuel load and tire testing. This is a bit off-pace for what is believed to be full-load testing. Other top teams are running a couple seconds quicker.

FYI, Jerez estimated time difference per 10kg fuel added is .300.

 

autosport live commentary:

I'll let someone else decide when it's the right time to start worrying about the pace of the Mercedes. But here are the details of the 14-lap run Rosberg just did before he stopped:

28.1, 23.9, 23.9, 24.4, 24.5, 24.3, 24.6, 25.0, 26.2, 25.4, 25.3, 26.1, 26.0, 25.7

He then pitted a couple of times but rejoined without refuelling:

26.5, 27.1, 26.8

Earlier, Webber was consistently in the 1m23s over a similar 19-lap run. Massa dipped into the 1m22s and then 1m24s late on two long runs. The only other car to do a stint as long as 12 laps so far is Trulli, and he dropped from 1m24/25s to 1m26s at the end.


We'll know more by the end of this testing session, but MB needs a kick in the pants, or face. Their pace is crap.

 

Indeed I agree. There has been talk on Twitter again that MB is using very few tires again and constantly running on full fuel tanks (people noting the MB scraping it's rear end compared to others). There is also talk of an overheating issue which has not been completely worked out.

Also, Perez sure has one hell of a fan base.

 

Everyone is slipping around out there due to less downforce on these cars. Petrov just went off at turn 1.

 

Yeah Ferrari looks to be doing well. Massa set his quickest lap on the 3rd lap of a 7 lap stint. Very nice stuff there.

Rosberg set his quickest lap of 1:23.963 with a ton of fuel on board. Tire degredation levels like thiss with times varying 2 seconds are indicative of very heavy fuel loads. At Jerez, add a time of .300 per extra 10kg of weight. So with 160kg of fuel, one can deduce approx 4.8 seconds difference. All theoretical of course.

autosport saying:

It was another day of testing that Mercedes has completed without yet showing any signs of a frontrunning pace. Nico Rosberg's times slipped from 1m24s to 1m26s on his longest run of the day, 17 laps - though he did set his best time of the day - a 1m23.963s - on the third lap of that stint, while carrying a significant fuel load.

 

hahha! Well, Kobayashi said the same thing yesterday. There is less downforce than last year making it difficult.

 

Correct, it is an iteration of last year and the 2009 two plane wing as opposed to the triplane configuration adopted by everyone else. The raw figures tell you the two plane wing creates more downforce but the driveability aspect is something you need experience with. You lose more downforce under braking when turning in than with a three element wing, but you need a good handle on what is happening. MB barge boards are also in the works as the current units mounted are tiny tiny little units. The rear wing is essentially the same thing they tested last year.

The technical conjecture is that MB (and most everyone else) is gathering as much tire info as possible for their wing and other aero designs as that will partially dictate their needs. The difference with MB is their current test setup is almost completely bare-bones while most every other team has at least late last year's or a new setup for this year.

 

Yeah their wing has been having some hydraulic issues. I'm guessing lock up due to heat issues. I have to wonder what the best packaging for a wing like that might be. I would think two flat servos packaged tight in the wing with operating mechanisms would be best.

 

Fresh tires, short run. Of course it was going to be reasonably fast

 

I agree, keep it lively. No doubt, say what you want. I love the enthusiasm no matter what side anyone is on.

Red Bull has one hell of a quick looking machine at the moment, as do Ferrari and Mclaren. MB has a ton of ground to make up from last season and by the look of how different W02 is compared to W01, it appears they made a valid effort.

However, I am hoping their current and very anemic testing aero is just that, testing aero. Testing tires, kers, rear wing etc. We also need to keep in mind that Nico's quickest lap was the third lap of a 17 or so lap run, so there was no doubt some fuel on board. How much, we have zero idea but conjecture is that because the tires died so incredibly quickly on that run that they were running with a huge amount of fuel testing tires. IF that's the case, I am not at all concerned regarding their current testing times. Add .300 for each 10kg of fuel at this track, and if Nico had anywhere near a full tank (160kg), MB fans have not a worry.

I have no crystal ball, but I don't believe MB will be on top. I believe top 2 or 3 is very possible though. Unless MB has something in the way of Red Bull's new exhaust design or even Renault/Mclaren's design, they will not see the #1 position so easily.