Pre-Season Testing starts soon

[Brogan]

I know it's only testing but Marussia don't look very quick...

 

[Mephistopheles]

Yes Brogan but, I know it's only testing but McLaren don't look very quick.

And.

I know it's only testing but Caterham don't very quick.

 

[Hamberg]

everyone rallied round and told me I was the one talking bollocks, I'm looking in your direction Hamberg.

Awkward.

I think that was just a general comment Meph

 

[Mephistopheles]

Hah dragged you out of retirement...

 

[cider_and_toast]

You say that though Mephistopheles but don't forget, McLaren finished 1st and 4th in the first testing times and finished 2nd and 3rd at the first race. Granted that was helped by Red Bull screwing up but still. KMag even qualified 4th fastest so there must have been some pace in the car before they crapped out for the rest of the year.

 

[Dartman]

For some peculiar reason McLaren and probably others run the cars with illegal aero and other parts during testing. Certainly when they were playing with the octo exhaust, they later stated that the testing set up was not legal when questions were asked about lack of performance. So another good reason not to place too much emphasis on test performance.

 

[cider_and_toast]

According to Ted's Note Book on Sky after Monday's running, all of the cars have to be legal on track and comply with the rules. (though I would assume aero vanes, speed monitoring equipment, camera's etc would be allowed). Ted said that when Kyvat knocked the nose off his car Red Bull wanted to continue to run some miles just to get a bit of engine data, to that end they had to ask the FIA delagate at the test if it was ok to run the car without a front wing beam. The rules were checked, nothing found that said you can't run a car without that bit, and out they went.

I guess you could set the car up so that it ran too close to the ground and therefore wouldn't pass a scrutineering check and the car still be legal but the question is, why would you want to do that when you know there are a number of things not right with your car and you need to get the maximum legal data out of it while you can?

 

[The Pits]

I think it has only been the last couple of seasons where the rule has been in place. I am not certain, but I believe that the rule only pertains to crash testing, rather than specific regulations, that in itself would limit the benefit of making a part that will not be raced, if it still required crash testing.

I may have a look through later.

I do recall that the McLaren in 2013 testing posted an impressive lap time, later turning out to be due to an illegally low ride height related to a suspension piece mounted the wrong way round.

 

[Jen]

Isn't testing, especially the first test, exactly that, about checking spec and reliability? Speed comes second, surely

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Also if you don't break the car you're not trying hard enough.

 

[Mephistopheles]

In that case Maldonado must be the bloke that tries the hardest...

 

[Titch]

He's trying so hard, that he breaks anyone's car that gets in his way.