First Barcelona Test 21st-24th Feb 2012 - news and pics

**OSS EL BOSS** · 22nd February 2012, 13:57

Hamilton and Vettel baattleing against another on track while both are on their raci simulations

**Fer12** · 22nd February 2012, 13:59

Alonso comes out..

**OSS EL BOSS** · 22nd February 2012, 14:02

15:01 The disappointment in the press room is audible as the battle comes to an end. Vettel passes Hamilton and pulls away.

14:58 'About a car length between them, with different tyres on each car, and Hamilton just about keeping Vettel at bay'.

14:58 AUTOSPORT's Tremayne is getting quite heated about the Vettel/Hamilton tussle. 'This is decent actually' he reports.

**Fer12** · 22nd February 2012, 14:10

yesterdays testing video..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=_tGE-HmT-H4

**dfunk257** · 22nd February 2012, 14:10

Its becoming very clear to me that Ferrari are struggling with this new exhaust system which is putting us back big time in terms of our testing goals. We have tried 3 different exhaust systems and have spent so much time working on it at both the factory and in the garages in both test sessions. I can only come to the conclusion that our new exhaust system is simply not working, and Ferrari are getting desperate to try and get it sorted so we can actually do our proper set up simulations with everything working and find out the real potential of the car.
On the plus side I think everything else with our car is fine and I dont think that either Felipe or Fernando have not yet pushed the limits of this car. Lets just hope they sort this exhaust problem out by the end of testing cause if not its gonna be struggle town in Melbourne again.

FORZA FERRARI!

**Nova** · 22nd February 2012, 14:13

Vettel is pounding out the laps today..good times, no problems...

**Fer12** · 22nd February 2012, 14:15

[QUOTE=dfunk257;710272]Its becoming very clear to me that Ferrari are struggling with this new exhaust system which is putting us back big time in terms of our testing goals. We have tried 3 different exhaust systems and have spent so much time working on it at both the factory and in the garages in both test sessions. I can only come to the conclusion that our new exhaust system is simply not working, and Ferrari are getting desperate to try and get it sorted so we can actually do our proper set up simulations with everything working and find out the real potential of the car.
On the plus side I think everything else with our car is fine and I dont think that either Felipe or Fernando have not yet pushed the limits of this car. Lets just hope they sort this exhaust problem out by the end of testing cause if not its gonna be struggle town in Melbourne again.

or they are trying out every possible solution there is & then stick to it...just so they dont miss anything.
i think we wil see the real solution in the final test...
As Ferrari have said they are just gathering data...

**NJB13** · 22nd February 2012, 14:19

Last year we were able to pound out heaps of laps because our car hadn't changed much. Macca and RB look very much in the same situation.

**Kyss4k** · 22nd February 2012, 14:19

Originally Posted by Fer12

We cant compare wat happened last year with us to how other teams are performing..
u may never know..mclaren might actually be good...

The thing is, you DON'T KNOW. So why are you still comparing the cars against each other... This thread is becoming unreadable really fast...

**Nova** · 22nd February 2012, 14:20

I would think that at this point in testing you would want/need to be pounding out race sims.

**FerrariF60** · 22nd February 2012, 14:24

I just hope we’re going to solve out the issues we have sooner rather than later and start pounding some laps in; so much for Ferrari’s estimated 100 + laps a day.

But yeah, I think we’re just trying to get all the possible combinations of the exhaust and see which one works best; and I too think that by last test we’ll be seeing the TRUE potential of the car.
And I really hope it’s good, and by that I mean FAST and surprise everyone including the whizz Newey (as Vettel the screaming school girl) put it in a recent interview.

**Fer12** · 22nd February 2012, 14:24

Originally Posted by Kyss4k

The thing is, you DON'T KNOW. So why are you still comparing the cars against each other... This thread is becoming unreadable really fast...

Tats wat im trying to say..

**racingbradley** · 22nd February 2012, 14:25

I guess we will all have to wait & see what transpires in Q3 in Melbourne.

**Axelsson** · 22nd February 2012, 14:25

103 laps by Hami now.

**PURE PASSION** · 22nd February 2012, 14:28

Alll i worry about is that i don't see too many laps!!!!!I don't care at all for the lap times but we need the mileage!!!!!!!

**Kyss4k** · 22nd February 2012, 14:30

Originally Posted by Fer12

Tats wat im trying to say..

It wasn't directed on you. There is so much people here making conclusions about how fast we/others are... I don't know if you are one of them, but it's getting really annoying.

**hogo** · 22nd February 2012, 14:31

Originally Posted by PURE PASSION

Alll i worry about is that i don't see too many laps!!!!!I don't care at all for the lap times but we need the mileage!!!!!!!

Well at least we are doing better than Lotus, that's for sure :)

**Tony79** · 22nd February 2012, 14:31

Wasn't it 2004 that everyone was writing off Ferrari pre-season then at the final test at Imola they blew everyone away? Let's just let them get on with testing shall we? Stop with the panicking... it's a completely new car and our development program is going to be way different to the rest of the front runners.

**Hornet** · 22nd February 2012, 14:32

At some point every team including Ferrari will have to do race sims. If its not this week, then in the final testing week they have to.

There are so many reasons why the team need to know how the car behave over race distance, they need to know how it would react setup changes and so on. Without these info, you would be going into races blind not knowing how the car would behave, let alone fine tuning it.

If Ferrari is still going according to plan (only they know) then there's nothing to worry as Ferrari are confident they would have enough time later on to do race sims. But they have to and they will. We can't be playing with the exhaust every day.

**luicchi** · 22nd February 2012, 14:40

really i dont know why i see some of us in panic , because for what i can see so far we are good . We didn´t make race slims but in runs of 9/10 laps i can see times better than Mcl or even redbull...so why the panic???
We are in testing mode not in race mode so i makes all sense to test all possible situations.New parts,new pieces, new setups...all.
Ferrari has a different aproach this year, and i´m happy with it. Not showing everything to the oppenents...that´s the right thing to do. I guess and for your information alonso had all evening the super hard tyres. So we are not looking to the best time, it is confirmed!!!

**OSS EL BOSS** · 22nd February 2012, 14:41

Originally Posted by Fer12

yesterdays testing video..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=_tGE-HmT-H4

The car looks not bad and better than the mclaren at the exit.

**kheopsb** · 22nd February 2012, 14:42

Is it alright to stare.... ?

[/QUOTE]

**Axelsson** · 22nd February 2012, 14:48

1m23.180s Alonso

**anialonso** · 22nd February 2012, 14:49

Alonso bangs in a 1m23.180s
can anybody confirm what tires he was on??

**luicchi** · 22nd February 2012, 14:51

super hard tyres

**Ferrari_Fanatic** · 22nd February 2012, 14:51

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=_tGE-HmT-H4

quite impressed the car is looking more and more planted in the corners but u can tell the car was heavy! looking good i think!