Pre-Season The first Test of 2011 - Valencia

[jonnybario]

Good to see the times in general coming down for the new cars - looks like everyone's really getting in the swing of things today. I was a bit worried about the spread of times yesterday. Hope it's a good sign for another competitive season.

 

[Brogan]

Hope it's a good sign for another competitive season.

Hopefully no one team will have a major advantage at the start as Red Bull did last season and it's a good hard fight to the finish.
It would be great to see a mix up in the order too with some of the mid-field teams battling with the top 3.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Hopefully no one team will have a major advantage at the start as Red Bull did last season and it's a good hard fight to the finish.

Agreed!
(unless it's Mclaren)

 

[jonnybario]

Poor Felipe... it would happen to him, wouldn't it? My hunch is Fernando nibbled through the oil-line first morning to limit Felipe-baby's track time....

 

[McZiderRed]

Poor Felipe... it would happen to him, wouldn't it? My hunch is Fernando nibbled through the oil-line first morning to limit Felipe-baby's track time....

The image of Fernando "nibbling" through an oil-line is quite amusing! Perhaps Fernando really is a goat!

 

[Brogan]

The image of Fernando "nibbling" through an oil-line is quite amusing! Perhaps Fernando really is a goat!

O/T: That right there is why I Follow McZ

 

[snowy]

I'm back!
And very quickly reduced to hysterical laughter.

 

[snowy]

Θ. 	Driver		Best Lap 	Last lap 	Diff	Laps 

1	A. Sutil	1:13.201 	1:15.072 		49

2 	J. Button	1:13.553 	1:14.477 	+0.352 	38

3 	R. Kubica	1:14.373 	1:14.668 	+1.172 	24

4 	M. Schumacher	1:14.537 	1:16.543 	+1.336 	35

5 	M. Webber	1:14.584 	1:16.588 	+1.383 	53

6 	P. Maldonado	1:14.844 	1:17.128 	+1.643 	55

7 	S. Buemi	1:15.107 	1:16.595 	+1.906 	45

8 	T. Glock	1:15.613 	1:20.108 	+2.412 	68

9 	S. Perez	1:15.627 	1:15.941 	+2.426 	48

10 	F. Massa	1:15.650 	1:15.650 	+2.449 	12

11	N. Karthikeyan	1:16.997 	1:17.480 	+3.796 	41

 

[sportsman]

Disregarding both Button's and Sutil's times as they are both driving highly developed 2010 cars in third place is Kubica in the 2011 Lotus Renault.His time does not match Alonso's 1m13.307s from yesterday but he is second fastest in 2011 machinery.

 

[snowy]

I like the consistency that Sergio Perez is showing. His times are not frighteningly quick but they are metronomic.

 

[jonnybario]

The image of Fernando "nibbling" through an oil-line is quite amusing! Perhaps Fernando really is a goat!

This, of course, may also explain Fernando's recent facial hair growth...

And like Snowy, I'm impressed with Perez. D'Ambrosio also seems to be giving a decent account of himself. Good collection of rookies we've got this season, i hope.

 

[sportsman]

I agree.We tend to label all these newcomers as "pay drivers" as they all carry considerable sponsorship money.But there is reason for that.They are good drivers and attract sponsors.
There are other equally good drivers around, Hulkenberg springs to mind but somehow he does not attract sponsors.Could be poor management.

 

[sportsman]

Any idea of Lotus 1 Malysia.Are they running?

 

[snowy]

Felipe is back on track!

 

[snowy]

Perez goes P4 with a 1:14.469.

 

[sportsman]

Fantastic.Go Sauber.

 

[snowy]

Θ. 	Driver		Best Lap 	Last lap 	Diff	Laps 

1 	A. Sutil	1:13.201 	1:19.372 		80

2 	J. Button	1:13.553 	1:16.861 	+0.352 	49

3 	R. Kubica	1:13.893 	1:15.418 	+0.692 	48

4 	S. Perez	1:14.469 	1:15.507 	+1.268 	66

5 	M. Schumacher	1:14.537 	1:20.698 	+1.336 	66

6 	M. Webber	1:14.584 	1:15.719 	+1.383 	70

7 	P. Maldonado	1:14.844 	1:17.128 	+1.643 	55

8 	S. Buemi	1:15.107 	1:16.048 	+1.906 	54

9 	T. Glock	1:15.526 	1:22.819 	+2.325 	85

10 	F. Massa	1:15.650 	1:18.988 	+2.449 	22

11 	N. Karthikeyan	1:16.997 	1:23.926 	+3.796 	48

 

[F1Yorkshire]

I agree.We tend to label all these newcomers as "pay drivers" as they all carry considerable sponsorship money.But there is reason for that.They are good drivers and attract sponsors.
There are other equally good drivers around, Hulkenberg springs to mind but somehow he does not attract sponsors.Could be poor management.

On the sponsorship issue, I assume it would be more profitable for a company to invest in an unknown driver just breaking through into F1 instead of paying over the odds to sponsor an already established driver.

 

[fat jez]

surely if they're an established driver, they should be good enough to earn a pay drive after a season or two? If not, move over and let somebody else have a go!

 

[F1Yorkshire]

surely if they're an established driver, they should be good enough to earn a pay drive after a season or two? If not, move over and let somebody else have a go!

Hulkenberg showed us last season that he has the pace but it still wasn't enough for him to secure a race seat. Maybe its time for some of the older drivers to make way and let more of the new drivers have a chance at F1.