Barcelona testing Feb 18-20

Times for everyone are pretty slow today. Red Bull starting to show some speed with Vettel putting in the quickest time at 1:24. Most everyone appeared to be running heavy fuel runs lapping in the 1:27-1:30 range. We'll start to see some low 20s or possibly teams breaking into the 19s before testing is out.




Schu ran a complete 65 lap race sim on one set of tires (hard)...started with 1:27s and dropped .800 tenths stabilised for some laps than another second stabilised and ended the stnt with 1.30 ... so it is not really quick right now on empty tanks with dead tires but at least its not degrading so quick now. They still need to add performance

Mclaren/Ferrari are running similar numbers although it's hard to tell as no one ran a full race sim as Schu did. Red Bull too, but not as hard on tires from what I am hearing. Williams had Kers issues as did Renault.

 

I have been watching it all day as I have done for every test. Red Bull are indeed quick, but .500 quicker as they are touting is just not correct.

 

Schu announcing today that they will probably fight for a win but no WDC bids. Probably right, and he would certainly know. Unless W02 has an amazing aero package, but I cannot forsee them making up that much ground with just aero. We'll see.

 

times: http://f1tests.mine.nu/2011_1eng.php?rev=on

 

The times just don't show it. At certain times I see .500, but it's quick hits here and there compared to Ferrari.

 

Oh yeah Vettel will dominate qualifying. It won't even be close

 

Long run Fernando. Looks pretty quick and sort of like Schu's longer run although Schu's pace was still a bit behind this. 1:27s at the beginning going to 1:30s at the end



1:27.128 -2.356
64 1:27.347 +0.219
65 1:27.307 -0.04
66 1:27.796 +0.489
67 1:28.598 +0.802
68 1:27.498 -1.1
69 1:27.645 +0.147
70 1:28.044 +0.399
71 1:27.753 -0.291
72 1:28.342 +0.589
73 1:30.057 +1.715
74 1:27.930 -2.127
75 1:28.165 +0.235
76 1:28.743 +0.578
77 1:28.469 -0.274
78 1:28.890 +0.421
79 1:29.378

82 1:30.630 +1.252
83 1:30.405 -0.225
84 1:28.825 -1.58
85 1:26.833 -1.992
86 1:27.918 +1.085
87 1:27.078 -0.84
88 1:27.469 +0.391
89 1:27.461 -0.008
90 1:27.713 +0.252
91 1:27.448 -0.265
92 1:27.953 +0.505
93 1:27.797 -0.156
94 1:28.326 +0.529
95 1:28.405 +0.079
96 1:28.110 -0.295
97 1:28.869 +0.759
98 1:29.034 +0.165

 

Actually no lol. He and Webber will dominate qualy. I wish I were joking :/

 

He's had a couple 2-3 lap qualifying style runs this morning. No doubt everyone is starting to go for speed now. Currently, Vettel is out for a full race sim and started with a 1m29.759
1m30.361 (3 laps)
1m30.878 (6 laps)
1m32.564 (10 laps)

Went in for tires at lap 10 or 11 and then came out with:

1m29.846, followed with a 1m29.248

It seems to me their race pace is not terribly different than that of the top 4, and it's nice to see the Red Bull is just as hard on tires as everyone else has suffered. You can guarantee they started this run on soft tires to accurately judge actual race conditions after qualy.



MB has been switching between the regular front wing and their unit designed to mimic a 3 element unit.

 

Yeah I could see the above about Ferrari being true. They just need to show us what their qualy positions are all about now.

Vettel late into his second stint of his full race sim have him in the 1:31s now. 40 laps to go.

 

14 laps on these tires and Vettel is in the 1:32s

 

Vettel in for tires again and is on his third race pace stint lapping in the mid 1:28

 

nico did what appeared to be a full-load soft tire race sim partial run this morning starting times: 1:29.633 to 1:30.209. I could be wrong, but I think that's what they were doing.

 

Looks like Mclaren and Mercedes are losing their tires a little quicker than others.

I'm really wondering if the 3 element front wing on the MB will ease up on the fronts as this style wing is not quite as harsh from what I have been reading.

 

Interesting, from Ted at the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9402470.stm

Red Bull and Ferrari have topped the timesheets so far, and from watching the cars on track, look the class of the field. The Red Bull RB7 is using its moveable rear wing in places no other car can, for example in the middle of the fast corner heading onto the main straight.

Sebastian Vettel confirmed that the car is a clear step forward from the RB6 that carried him to last year's world championship.

 

Alonso going for speed posting a 1m24.449

 

Vettel put himself in a bind by saying that as just yesterday or the day before he said he was surprised by how much slower this year's cars are. He specifically stated he expected to be quicker, which is true as they are most definitely slower although of the group the Red Bull is still carrying the most speed through the corners.