Pre-Season 2017 Testing, Car Launches & Chat

[Incubus]

all the reports I've seen so far seem to agree that this Ferrari looks to be a very good car indeed. Early days yet but are they onto something here or will they flatter to deceive again?

 

[vintly]

Seb's come in to 9/1 from 16/1, might bung a tenner on it.

 

[FB]

Courtesy of the BBC website - F1 testing 2017: Mercedes fastest on day three

Final times
Posted at 17:04


1 Bottas Mercedes 1:19.705 75 laps Ultrasoft

2 Vettel Ferrari 1:19.952 139 Soft

3 Ricciardo Red Bull 1:21.153 70 Soft

4 Palmer Renault 1:21.396 51 Soft

5 Hulkenberg Renault 1:21.396 42 Soft

6 Ericsson Sauber 1:21.824 125 Supersoft

7 Hamilton Mercedes 1:22.090 95 Soft

8 Grosjean Haas 1:22.118 56 Supersoft

9 Stroll Williams 1:22.351 98 Soft

10 Alonso McLaren 1:22.598 72 Ultrasoft

11 Sainz Toro Rosso 1:23.540 32 Medium

12 Celis Jr Force India 1:23.619 70 Soft

13 Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:23.952 31 Medium

 

[snowy]

The problem is all the cars look like they are on rails. It really isn't that easy to tell which cars are using a funicular system.

 

[Olivier]

Renault is looking good. Will the lead the midfield?

 

[Il_leone]

Mclaren again disappoint and someone decided to throw stories around that Honda and Mclaren to split Alonso seriously jumped from a Ferrari fire into a frying pan at Mclaren.

Mercedes already ominously scarily fast and bullet proof

Ferrari appear to be close BUT

Red Bull still not showing their true hand yet

 

[Bill Boddy]

McLaren have already been asked about rumours of them splitting; not unnaturally they both deny it. After all it is a 10 year contract.

 

[Il_leone]

Well someone trying to sell some juicy stories and clearly Mclaren is an easy target given the expectations for both Mclaren and Honda

Honda are a proud company and they will not accept being constantly bashed about how poor their car is so if it gets too much they would quit

It is a 10 year contract but it does not stop Honda walking away if they feel they are not treated properly by Mclaren.

 

[marksawatsky]

One of the editors at Autosport pointed out that Alonso had to wait a long, long time to get on the gas coming out of turn 3 and that is indication that engine power is not the problem, chassis problem is.

 

[Il_leone]

Nearly 3 seconds to Mercedes to make up is worrying
Any odds then Alonso will not complete the season again ?

 

[olegg]

Information only about best laps is little for analyses.
It is sorry that FIA doesn't publicate laps time same as on the GP's weekends.
There will be interesting to compare laps race on the Catalunya with race simulation on the testing

 

[Incubus]

I think it's a bit early to rely too much on lap-times to assess McLaren because they effectively missed the first two days of testing with the car spending most of its time in the garage, so yesterday they were carrying out the sort of tests they were supposed to have done on the first day.

What's more worrying are the reports of general lack of grip throughh Barcelona's various corners from journalists posted there. If the car is unbalanced or not set-up properly they've just got to keep working at it but when the car looks fundamentally slow it's more worrying because it means the progress margin will always be limited and it could already mean this season will be another write-off for McLaren...

 

[olegg]

In the last year on this circuit best qualification lap was 1:22.000 on Soft.
In the race fastest lap was 1:26.948.
Now best is 1:19.705.
And yesterday in the race simulation fastest was 1:24.965 or faster

 

[olegg]

Only 2 Mercedes drivers made simulation of the race on these tests

 

[Incubus]

And just as I was typing my previous posts it already looks as though McLaren - along with a few others - won't have the opportunity to catch up on lost dry track time today:

 

[The Artist.....]

And just as I was typing my previous posts it already looks as though McLaren - along with a few others - won't have the opportunity to catch up on lost dry track time today:

This was always planned to be a wet test; the water tankers have been soaking the track all night to provide a test of the wet tyres. However, the track will end up drying up during the day - as the sun's out, blue skies and cars are running round.

 

[olegg]

I think that last hours before lunch and before end will be dry

 

[Incubus]

The Artist..... Ah yes, i'd forgotten about that.

Still, I don't see much point in testing the full wets though... i mean they're never used are they, except under safety-car conditions...

 

[olegg]

It is maybe first pre-season test with artifical wetness

 

[F1Brits_90]

I know this ridiculous as even trying to make performance ideas l in testing is stupid with different fuelloads & all that. I know mercedes are privately more concerned than they were a yr ago as they only used the mediums on all 8 days. Yet even by the 1st morning they already gone on to soft tyre. But i think mercedes have been pegged back.

Verstappen has been lapping similar or quicker than bottas & Red bull always trying to pull wool over peoples eyes. Like 2016 oh Toro Rosso will be faster team for 1st of half the season & then Riccardio put it on the front row by china, max won in spain. That ferrari is looking pretty good exact opposite to rumours coming out that ferrari were worried & my 50/1 bet on kimi Raikkonen that's come into 20/1 might not be too bad Although lets not mention the vandoorne bet at 100/1 thats gone out to 150/1

The more i see this Mclaren more im not liking the paint job, but honda might be having few problems didnt take lkng for ridiculous questions about honda & Alonso staying long term but i think thats a good thing because take Lewis Hamilton had perfect testing campaign last yr doing 100+ lap every day on mediums, being faster than his rivals on softs/supersofts. Yet by the time he left russia half of engines had gone arguably costing him the championship