Pre-Season 2012 Testing: Jerez
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EvilWhippet
Podium Finisher
Now onto long runs in the mid 1:24's?
tranquility2k9
Podium Finisher
Jenson button on day 1 of testing http://en.espnf1.com/mclaren/motors...S;utm_medium=twitter;utm_source=twitterfeed:-
"It does feel very different to testing last year, which is a good thing really because it's not like we can stick on an exhaust which gives us two seconds at the first race," Button told reporters at Jerez. "The regulations are very different now, so I think you're going to see the cars a lot more bunched up this season, especially at the start of the year.
"Obviously when racing gets underway and you're always improving the car through the season then I think the field will split a little bit more, but at the start of the year I think you're going to have a lot of cars that are within a few tenths which is great - it's great for the sport it just makes things a little bit more complicated and difficult for us."
Button also said that he had been pleasantly surprised with the performance of the MP4-27 without the blown diffuser.
"I was surprised; I thought that we'd have more issues under braking because the downforce that the top teams were producing from the blown diffuser last year was staggering. To lose that much you would think you would struggle, and the difference between on-throttle and off-throttle you'd think would be massive but it's not such an issue. I suppose you balance whatever you have; whatever grip you have you find a way of balancing it and that's what we've done. I don't feel it's a massive issue, it's not something that I would point out and say that's a weakness with the car."
Having set the eighth fastest time of the day, Button added that it had been a productive day for McLaren and that the car felt better than it had in the simulator.
"I'm much lower in the car, and the way the car is I can just about see out which I love. I love that position, so I'm well inside the car, feel like I'm part of it and there's some promising signs. We don't know where we stand and we won't until the first race but the important thing for us is to get a good clean day tomorrow, put some more miles on the car, find a direction with the car; we have so many different things to test that we've tried in the simulator already.
"One thing that I must say is that I thought we'd have a lot less grip than we do have on the first day, but it seems that that's the case for everyone. The times are obviously very quick this year round here considering the regulation change, but even compared to the simulator I feel that the car is more together and it feels a very good base for the coming days."
"It does feel very different to testing last year, which is a good thing really because it's not like we can stick on an exhaust which gives us two seconds at the first race," Button told reporters at Jerez. "The regulations are very different now, so I think you're going to see the cars a lot more bunched up this season, especially at the start of the year.
"Obviously when racing gets underway and you're always improving the car through the season then I think the field will split a little bit more, but at the start of the year I think you're going to have a lot of cars that are within a few tenths which is great - it's great for the sport it just makes things a little bit more complicated and difficult for us."
Button also said that he had been pleasantly surprised with the performance of the MP4-27 without the blown diffuser.
"I was surprised; I thought that we'd have more issues under braking because the downforce that the top teams were producing from the blown diffuser last year was staggering. To lose that much you would think you would struggle, and the difference between on-throttle and off-throttle you'd think would be massive but it's not such an issue. I suppose you balance whatever you have; whatever grip you have you find a way of balancing it and that's what we've done. I don't feel it's a massive issue, it's not something that I would point out and say that's a weakness with the car."
Having set the eighth fastest time of the day, Button added that it had been a productive day for McLaren and that the car felt better than it had in the simulator.
"I'm much lower in the car, and the way the car is I can just about see out which I love. I love that position, so I'm well inside the car, feel like I'm part of it and there's some promising signs. We don't know where we stand and we won't until the first race but the important thing for us is to get a good clean day tomorrow, put some more miles on the car, find a direction with the car; we have so many different things to test that we've tried in the simulator already.
"One thing that I must say is that I thought we'd have a lot less grip than we do have on the first day, but it seems that that's the case for everyone. The times are obviously very quick this year round here considering the regulation change, but even compared to the simulator I feel that the car is more together and it feels a very good base for the coming days."
Hamilton is quite a bit shorter than Button so he could struggle.
tranquility2k9
Podium Finisher
True, but I assume at his seat fitting they could just put more "padding" (of some kind) underneath Lewis? I guess it's easy to add a little padding to enhance height than it is to take it away if the space isn't there in the first place. I'm pretty sure McLaren wouldn't be as stupid to further detriment Lewis' visibility after some of the issues he had last year, but you never know lol.
No problem. Kiddicare.com have an extensive range of booster seats available.
landogeorgelewis1
Champion Elect
Yeah - first days testing has gone how i thought it would.
Mclaren and Ferrari seem to have focused more on the race set up on the car. Not sure if Red Bull have as well. But i expected Lotus and Force India to go for the headline making times by focussing more on lap times.
Mclaren and Ferrari seem to have focused more on the race set up on the car. Not sure if Red Bull have as well. But i expected Lotus and Force India to go for the headline making times by focussing more on lap times.
racecub
Champion Elect
That was my first thought. Uh, uh! Now its not just the mirrors he cant see out of...but the actual car!
But maybe its his legs that are shorter and his body is about the same? maybe??
But didnt Jenson say how much the designers were listening to him
And how much better it was now he could fit in the car
Not sure he'll be over upset if lewis cant see out the window! Er, front bit.
And we know how much of a pig that car was come the start of the season,,
Woohoo! Is this a record?
Kewee
Race Winner
Hmm, a Red Bull at the top of the time sheets.
Last year Ferrari were top of the time sheets at Jerez. Didn't mean much when you look back at the season that followed.
Times from the second morning:
Pos Driver Team Time LapsSchumacher is driving last year's car though, so it's not a valid time for comparison purposes.
1. Michel Schumacher Mercedes 1m18.561s 53
2. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m19.184s + 0.623 58
3. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m19.587s + 1.026 41
4. Jules Bianchi Force India 1m20.221s + 1.660 46
5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m20.239s + 1.678 26
6. Jenson Button McLaren 1m20.688s + 2.127 25
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m21.060s + 2.499 38
8. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m21.197s + 2.636 61
9. Sergio Perez Sauber 1m21.289s + 2.728 35
10. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 1m21.518s + 2.957 78
11. Pedro de la Rosa HRT 1m23.468s + 4.907 23
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