Pre-Season Testing Has Started

[Incubus]

Do they have Ferrari's current or 2014 engine? Can't remember now...

 

[cider_and_toast]

Current I think

 

[P1]

101 laps from McLaren today. Can everyone hear the huge sigh of relief in Woking.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Except that 101st lap ended with the car grinding to a halt. Unless they ran out of fuel, I wouldn't jump for joy just yet. It's a step in the right direction though. There are many parallels to be drawn with Red Bull last year. Wasn't it only in the last few days of the final test that they started to put in some serious laps.

As I've posted in other threads, Honda's strange decision to limit their efforts to McLaren has already started to bite them in the bum as they had to get the McLarens to run well out of the box in testing because that's he only source of engine data they are going to get.

 

[Lewywo4]

After the times put in by Nico at Barcelona today.......this is an ominous sign for the rest of the field.....except Lewis!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117851

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Apparently no-one saw Nico activate his DRS at any point today either which makes it even more ominous.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

I've seen a few tweets going around saying that Nico's fastest times were done without DRS too.

Edit.

Pipped to it by rufus_mcdufus

 

[Lewywo4]

Apparently no-one saw Nico activate his DRS at any point today either which makes it even more ominous.

If that's the case ....DAMN.....

 

[sushifiesta]

I suspect that's still some way off what Mercedes can achieve as well. Here's an updated comparison between qualifying in 2014 and the fastest times in 2015 testing:

I get the impression that all the teams should be able to go at least 3s/lap faster than last year (Force India managed that in their 2014 car), in which case there's at least another 6 tenths in the Mercedes and probably a decent chunk more than that.

 

[Incubus]

Judging by the Sauber's lap-times it does look as though Ferrari have made a step forward in the engine department.

However it's equally apparent that Mercedes have done likewise, only more so. Judging by the speed trap figures we have seen as well as witness accounts of the various journos gathered trackside, the Mercs still accelerate comfortably harder than the other engines out there...

 

[siffert_fan]

If the first race shows that the Merc advantage remains much as it was last year, I predict that tv audience numbers will plunge. I wouldn't be surprised if such a situation would make Haas decide that the expense of F1 isn't worth it, if you can't be competitive, and he will withdraw.

 

[RasputinLives]

I'm not really sure it'll be a shock to anyone if the Mercs pull away will it? Its what everyone expected right?

I think the interest of the season will be whether Rosberg has anything more in the tank than he did last year. Also after a few bad results last year things got a bit panicy at Merc just for a little bit when Ricciardo won a couple. If that happens early on I'll be interested to see if they go into blind panic.

For the interest in the season I hope that Bottas is allowed to race the Mercs as at least he'll keep them honest. I expect Williams will fall in line like they did last year though.

Now Enstone have the Merc engine I expect Grosjean to be a factor again on occasions.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I think the Sauber times must be down to a mix of a better Ferrari engine and a better chassis.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Better drivers too?

 

[RasputinLives]

Nasr's sponsors may have bought him in but there is no doubt he's quality. Ericsson I'm not so sure on but I'd rather have him than Sutil.

I think Force India are gonna struggle this year as they aren't ready and the other midfield teams seem well prepared.

 

[siffert_fan]

I still think that, if this season looks like last, where there were, in essence, two F1 cars and a bunch of F3s, interest will wane rapidly. I still suspect, and I guarantee you I am not alone, that the post-Spa "clear-the-air" Merc team meeting amounted to "Nico, Hamilton is faster than you are. Do you understand?". If that was the case, by mid-season, only the most die-hard Hamilton fans will bother getting up early on Sunday to watch the races.

 

[Kewee]

I'll be sitting there from 10.30pm until 2.00 in the morning because that's what an F1 fan does on this side of the world regardless of the results. I'll be hoping to see the gap to Mercedes close by the half way point of the season.

 

[marksawatsky]

The most satisfying races to be in or to watch are the ones where there is a battle to the very end

 

[Incubus]

Blimey. Apparently the ambient temperature's barely above freezing this morning in Barcelona, coldest day of testing so far. Will today's test really have that much significance in terms of lap times? F1 cars never experience that kind of temperature during the season.

 

[Kewee]

I'm at a complete loss as to why McLaren have put Magnussen in the car with only two days testing left before the Australian GP. That's not intended as a criticism of Magnussen I just can't figure out why they wouldn't have Button in the car for the full four days with his many years of experience to accelerate the development process as much as possible, considering they're only one day away from running out of testing time.