Schumacher 2010 insight and 2011 W02 testing

Another one for Tifosi12 to archive:

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/6813579/Schumi-Not-quite-ready-to-win

Michael Schumacher has downplayed claims that Mercedes GP are one of the favourites for the Aussie GP win, saying they are "not quite" in a winning position.

Schumacher set the pace at Barcelona last week, posting the fastest lap time seen at the Circuit de Catalunya in a 2011-spec car.

The German was over three-tenths up on the second best time, which was also set on the Friday by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

The 42-year-old's pace prompted Alonso to predict that Mercedes GP "can be one of the favourites for Melbourne" as it's "normal that, with a quick car, Michael should immediately be competitive."

The seven-time World Champion, though, downplayed his W02's pace.

"We have made a lot of progress with the car, so I'm quite happy," Schumacher said.

"Having concluded all our reliability work at the last test, we concentrated on setting up the car, fine-tuning, understanding it down to the last detail.

"Right now, we are not concerned with our reliability - we have had some issues, but that is why you go testing - and we are on the progress curve like we want to be.

"I guess we're not quite in a position (to win), but then I wasn't expecting to be in this position right now. However, I know where we are, and we are working very well."

He added: "We clearly know Red Bull are very strong and are the team you have to look at. But the season is long and there is a big question mark as to who is coming up behind. I hope we play a sufficient role in that."

 

1 week to go until first practice. Anyone care to offer any further conjecture regarding Mercedes' position?

Brundle, Jordan, and Coulthard ALL basically wrote off the MB yesterday in an interview with BBC essentially stating it's just not a front-of-the pack contender although MB and other drivers/teams obviously see this differently.

I feel like I have analysed the MB lap and specific sector times to a rediculous extent. MBs exhaust system alone knocked half a second off their sector 1 time at Barcelona mainly due to turn 3 which is pretty much the turn that determines if your car has enough downforce. Their S1 time was consistently quicker than anyone else on the field post-exhaust upgrade. S2 and S3 were bang on with Ferrari and RB. Nico's times are difficult to tell, but Nico's qualy runs were slowed down due him being slower in S1 than Michael by about .2.

Alonso was running the the hell out of that Ferrari the final dry day. Ferrari's engine mapping may be slightly different later but I think what we saw out of them is very close to what they are doing to put down later.

After seeing how consistent MB was on their longer runs with only their new exhaust fitted (other new bits had not been fitted yet, only exhaust), I have to say (quote me later) they will be running with Ferrari and possibly Red Bull.