Pre-Season 2012 Testing: Jerez

[Jos the Boss]

What do you see?

 

[teabagyokel]

If the bumps mean we can actually see the numbers, I for one will be delighted!

 

[GeoffP]

What do you see?

That car has a bogey!

 

[Mezzer]

If the bumps mean we can actually see the numbers, I for one will be delighted!

Shame on you TBY, a real fan knows the car and the helmet!

 

[sushifiesta]

Can anyone find anything from Button/McLaren talking about how today went? It seems they're very quiet, they say no news is good news...

There's murmurs from Ferrari already that they have a lot of work to do to understand the new car.

EDIT: As if by magic:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97432
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97431

They definitely seem to think that they have a solid platform they understand to work with.

 

[EvilWhippet]

He just needs Heidfeld and Fisichella to become World Champions for the set. And that is (Checks for EvilWhippet) unlikely to happen!

You know Heidfeld and Fisichella are just rope-a-doping everyone. Letting everyone else get worn out fighting each other then they'll strike. You'll see. You'll all see.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Has Charlie Whiting turned up at Jerez yet?

 

[Brogan]

I believe so.

I read an article earlier that several team principals had spoken to him about the new reg's which have resulted in the stepped noses, trying to discuss whether they can be changed for 2013.

 

[Kewee]

Fascinating, if it's true!

BBC Sport's chief F1 writer Andrew Benson
"There is a certain amount of anxiety among fans of McLaren that their car is the only one so far not to feature a stepped 'platypus' nose. There is a rumour going around that this is all part of a cunning plan. The lower nose regulation was originally planned for 2011, but was delayed by a year. The rumour goes that McLaren built their 2011 chassis and crash structure to conform to the stepped nose regs and were effectively running it all last year - which would make McLaren months ahead of their rivals in optimising the aerodynamics of the new rules. I ran this by an experienced F1 engineer, and the response was: 'Sounds like a good story to cover up a bit of a screw-up.' Time will tell."

Worth reading the interview with Paddy Lowe on Autosport. McLaren have followed a different philosophy for some time now choosing not to design cars with a high nose. For this reason the car they ran last year did meet this years new regulations. I think the experienced F1 engineers suggestion they are covering up a screw-up is way off the mark.

 

[Brogan]

Oh dear...

Jules Bianchi has crashed into the barriers.

08:58 It is indeed Bianchi: he's not just off, but in the tyres barriers down at Pons bend...that is our first crash of 2012
08:57 We did say it might be risky for Bianchi to try the Medium tyres in these conditions...we think it is him who is off the track
08:57 We now have a red flag in Jerez
08:55 The Frenchman is driving the Force India against this morning, before Hulkenberg takes over in the afternoon
08:55 This is brave stuff (and maybe a bit risky!): Jules Bianchi leaves the pits with only Medium compound tyres on-board

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/testresu...circuito-permanente-de-jerez-9-february-2012/

 

[Greenlantern101]

Sounds like he crashed on his out lap.
What a plank.

 

[RasputinLives]

Oh dear Jules not the best start to the audition.

Having said that I remember Hulkenberg binning it on one of his first Friday session for Force India so still time to recover.

 

[Greenlantern101]

McLaren Just sent me this..

 

[Brogan]

Unless there are any objections, I'm going to try and split the McLaren exhaust posts off to their own thread.

I think it's worthy of a separate discussion and I don't think we've seen the end of the story yet.

 

[Porceliamone]

No probs Brogan.

 

[Road of Bones]

Some pace evidently in the McLaren - Hamilton has got it below 1:20s. That 1:18 by Grosjean looks pretty mighty though, especially as he was on Medium tyres & a cold track when he set it.
I'm actually rather impressed...

 

[Greenlantern101]

Grosjeans 1.18.419 smashes the previous best time by over a second and is 1.4 seconds faster than the quickest lap last year.

Maybe they have thrown all the sand bags over the side and done the first proper lap of testing so far.

 

[Galahad]

Or he cut the chicane behind the pits?

 

[Brogan]

I think I managed to include all the relevant posts: http://cliptheapex.com/threads/mclaren-mp4-27-exhaust-vents-legal-or-illegal.4553/

 

[Greenlantern101]

Lewis puts in the fastest lap for McLaren so far 1.19.464 to go second