The pitot tube is fitted higher up to make sure it is in clean air. By measuring the difference between static and dynamic pressures it gives an extremely accurate measure of the car's speed.
I don't think anyone was trying to push really hard today. Plus we don't have any information on tires and fuel load. I Guess the only thing we can be sure is: Massa seems to have recovered, Schum and Pedro weren't that rusty...
It's not only the fuel efficiency that has to be questioned though. Throughout winter testing there are no weight limits applied so if the teams wish to look fast they can run lighter than the minimum weight (and play mind games with the rest/impress prospective sponsors). That's why I say I take these times with a pinch of salt, to a certain degree.
Not exactly sandbagging, but it is quite possible that the other teams were more concerned with the cars themselves and not their pace, while Massa was out there to try if he was still fast enough. However, the latter could also be the case for Schumacher.
My first thought is that Massa has much more to prove than any of the others out there today. Perhaps he was pushing for the top spot and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't do the same tomorrow in preparation for the Wednesday test session (establishing a benchmark so to speak). I concur that Schumi might want to prove people wrong that his age is not a significant factor as some may think and he still has what it takes. For three years away, he certainly did an admirable job today. (I'd like his rejuvenation secrets!!) Nice to meet you Phil! Carol
Indeed. I've said before, they all "lie & cheat" in testing. However, with it being so limited I don't think it's as blatant as it used to be - Messing with the weight obviously also messes with the critical weight distribution and could very easily lead to bad data - They can't afford that as they'd just be wasting time. Whether they admit it or not, I'm certain they all did more than a few flat-out "vapor" runs to see where they are in relation to each other - They're very competitive after all. I would expect to see these times come down by between 1 and 2 seconds before the end of the test as they dial 'em in. As to fuel efficiency, I don't think it's going to be a huge deal..... They'll be doing quali on fumes, right at the minimum weight so we should see the fastest at the front. For the race, the worst will be starting around 10-20kgs heavier than the best (0.1-0.2 second penalty?) and as we know, that's not enough for a banzai overtaking move. Good to see 'em on track again! Now, where's my buddy Isobel at? [I can already taste the Guinness ] Cheers, Ian
Yes Massa is setting out as he means to go on, and the team I hope will let him. Schumi and Brawn are masters of disguise, they know every trick in the book you can bet on it.
+1...I dont think is Sandbagging as is...If I were there, I´ll try to squeeze every single tenth of speed there is in the car. you are TESTING to try and go fast, they are ALL trying to see where they are in comparison, I guess it looks for Ferrari so far.
Not necessarily. Testing does not (only) mean to find the fastest time possible, but, especially at first days at the track like this, to test all systems, to find out how the car behaves under all conditions, especially those which are not ideal.
although what you say is true, after all this time without testing, and so little testing time, lets say the last 10% of the testing session will be dedicated to pure speed... what point does it make if you cant go fast?, or at least fast in therms of "matching" the best times?... It might not be the N.1 TASK but is gotta be the in the menu!!!...
I honestly don't see his age as being an issue, not with the fitness levels he's always had (I'm three days older than he is and I'd be happy to be 10% of his fitness level during his retirement period!). I don't think his natural speed will have diminished and his competitive instinct will never diminish. The only area of concern for Me is whether the love for the sport will start to ebb away with all the demands made of him. In the past, the most stress free part of his weekends was when he was on his own in the car. Amen to that!, as it should be!
Absolutely! A car can seem "good" at 9.5/10ths but turn to crap right at the limit - They're pushing as hard as they can, particularly at the end of the day... I do wish the weighbridge was in use and the #'s published after "quick" runs though. Only Williams are running the Cossie at present, right? - Good to see no explosions! I think this lump may surprise a few people......
didn't explode but Rubens did stop on the track one report was an engine issue and the car was trucked back to the pits - mechanical failure was listed in another place.... Carol
Yes, but the end of the day is not today, but Wednesday. It was the first day out there today, I doubt that anyone was pushing their car to its limits... apart from Rubens, obviously
Ok well...I´ll give you that the other phrase of the day was..."you can push it, BUT bring her back in one piece will ya?"
I don't know about Rubens pushing his car to the limits, but I suspect he was definitely pushing it off the track with that engine failure!
+1 As I said, I reckon these times will drop by between 1-2 seconds by close of business on Wednesday. Then we'll have a better idea. "Mechanical failure" for Rubens - Could be *anything*..... A repeat would however be ominous. Cheers, Ian
Who´s supplying the tires?...is there anything official on that yet? I´d hate to see they bring a new manufacturer for the actual champ, and we end up "addapting" for another year
FA have the day off? I thought Ferrari looked good in testing last year? Maybe I am mistaken? I am so ready for the season to start.
Nope, Ferrari pretty much sucked from day one last year. [Actually, I guess that should be "their diffuser didn't suck enough!" ]
1st rule of testing is, take all results with no less than a sea full of salt. Don't believe a cars pace until Q1 bahrain. .
