Barcelona Testing 2019 (Circuit de Catalunya)

Cheers Joe ..makes sense now!

 

Mercedes has replaced their engine after an oil issue.

Not a dumb question. The cars stay in Spain and get worked on there...all additional parts are already in development in the factory that get shipped over.

 

Wolff is shown the Ferrari front wing a the roll out and says "it will take months for Mercedes to make a new front wing".

Mercedes sees how well Ferrari is going at the first test. They claim to be behind.

Next week Mercedes shows up win a new wing and a bunch of other updates.

Yes Toto.. we know you have a TIME MACHINE and are not really sandbagging.

 

Not saying they're not sandbagging, but the new MB wing is nothing close to Ferrari's

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/141768/new-aero-has-made-big-difference--magnussen

Kevin Magnussen says Formula 1's new aero rules have made a 'big difference' when following other cars, based on an experience he had in Tuesday's pre-season test.

Wider and simpler front and rear wings have been introduced this year in a bid to try to help improve overtaking, with the 2018 cars having been notoriously difficult at running closer together on track.

But while there has been a great deal of scepticism about how much of a difference the changes will make, Magnussen said he was hugely encouraged by the totally different feel he had when shadowing a rival in testing.

"I followed a car today and you know it really, really feels a lot better than last year," said the Haas driver.

"There were so many people, even guys from here, that when the car was just in the wind tunnel and before we put the cars on track, a lot of people were saying that it wouldn't make any difference. But following a car today I felt a big difference.

"It felt completely different. I could actually follow. I was a lot faster than the guy I was following and I passed him.

"The lap that I caught him, I got past him. And I must have been around two seconds faster, in which case you would have also passed him last year, I think.

"But it just felt very, very [different] - [the] feeling of the car behind the other car felt different. Much better."

Magnussen said he followed the other car for one and a half laps, and said the main impression he had was that his car was much less unpredictable.

"The whole car just feels more consistent and stable behind another car," he said. "So I am looking forward to see if other tracks are the same.

"There are always different factors that you might have overlooked, so you come to another track and it might be different, but the first signs are good I would say in this following aspect."

He added "Maybe it's too much! So now that we have this bigger rear wing it's too easy to pass and we won't see racing any more!"

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/141769/engine-setback-hurt-mercedes-aero-comparison

Mercedes' oil pressure problem in Barcelona Formula 1 testing hampered the team's chance to fully evaluate its new aerodynamic package.

F1's champion squad arrived at the final week of pre-season running with substantial revisions to its W10 design.

Lewis Hamilton covered 83 laps in the morning, but when Valtteri Bottas took over for the afternoon session the car stopped on its out-lap.

Mercedes undertook a rapid precautionary engine change in response to the oil pressure problem it had suffered, but Bottas only had time for seven more laps at the end of the day.

Technical director James Allison revealed that the package Mercedes had introduced was its intended Australian Grand Prix specification, and different enough from the week one version that the loss of mileage was a problem.

"It was not exactly the day we hoped for, running for the first time with the bodywork kit that we expect to use in Melbourne, with a large part of the day lost to an oil pressure issue at lunchtime," said Allison.

"Nevertheless, either side of that problem we did do some useful things, finding that the car behaves a little differently with the new package.

"We're looking forward very much to have a trouble-free day tomorrow to get a better feel for what it can do."

Hamilton described the revised Mercedes as "feeling relatively good" and "an improvement from last week, which is a good step".

 

Norris, Gasly, Stroll? Now THAT would make a totally unexpected podium!

 

So we roll into day 2 of test 2. Sainz clocks up a 1:17.503 which is pretty impressive even on the C4 beating Lando by 0.2 secs from yesterdays top time. Macca looking not too shabby.

Down to 1:17.144 now.....Could Macca end up ahead of Renault???

This is the fastest of all testing days so far.

 

That's encouraging. So long the cars can follow (a lot) closer than last few years it's a good start.

 

I'm still not very impressed with Mclaren so far. My opinion is low fuel glory runs still.

 

Sainz WDC! Wouldn’t that be a kick in the arse for Fred? Lol.

Honda looks like they got it together. That said the big three seem reluctant to throw down some fast laps...maybe on the last day.....

 

Could be but they are putting in a reasonable amount of laps

 

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Sauber now also with Merc style fins.

All those fancy aero bits teams where forced to take off? Just stick them elsewhere...

 

With or without stops? If it's say a 30 lap run then the time is impressive.

 

Sainz did stop at end of pit exit and was quickly back out so yes possible low fuel....

 

Vettel off.....

 

oops Vettel drops it in the kitty litter

 

Vettel into the barriers....

 

Thanks Bas, makes sense. Was talking with a friend about the cars returning to the various bases, and it seems that within 20 hours, all vehicles can be back at the factory (probably quicker by air). But bringing the bits to Spain makes more sense and far more practical.

 

been in and out quite a lot

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login rear end looks pretty badly damaged?

 

We can hope!!

 

**** sakes.