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

[theforce]

I agree. This slow improvement might be similar to the process Mclaren went through last year. Besides all the aero improvement at the end of the day the driver must feel comfortable with the car in order to attack and produce good lap times.

Welcome to the Forum

As Felipe mentioned, the corner exits could be further improved but him being consistent from the get-go is a great sign.

[rochas]

Welcome to the Forum

As Felipe mentioned, the corner exits could be further improved but him being consistent from the get-go is a great sign.

Thanks, good to be here.

We'll know soon enough (19 days and 15 hours)

[Crucial_Xtreme]

ALONSO, IN AN ACT WITH THE SANTANDER IN JARAMA
"I never poría be a pay driver"

"If not win another world, I would go with the head held high", says
He believes that the car is complex and they are working "200 %"
He believes that it will be important that any pilot dominates from the beginning of year
The Jarama circuit returns to have something formula one for a day. The Madrid track is the venue chosen by Santander to celebrate the renewal of the contract that unites them to Ferrari until 2017 with the press. A relationship that, according to its managers, dilataría in the time until 2020 if them outside.

The great pattern in the celebration of the Bank was Fernando Alonso, which elicited a huge expectation. The Asturian gave a press conference very extensive in which he explained some of his feelings at preseason and unveiled some thoughts for the future.
Valuing the preseason the truth is that conclusions can be drawn 0 ", said Fernando,"we are working 200 %". "What is costing us more to everyone is to get the grip that has lost in the car behind the prohibition of blown diffusers, but I think that we will recover it soon."

Alonso, whose last world title came in 2006 with Renault, in no hurry to recover those sensations. Not even concerned not to repeat that success again. "As already not never won a world, but I will leave with their heads very high." "I've won at least and some will leave here without winning a single race," commented thereon.

The pilot spoke of the new F2012. And shook off some scepticism that has been able to generate the performance of the new revolutionary single-seater. "There is a tendency to think, especially for some obscure reason media, that the car is bad, and we do not understand." "We are very calm because the car is very complex and everything is very slow but there is no reason to assume it's not fast," he explained.
Looking forward to the first race in Melbourne, is optimistic. "Australia is a strange race because it runs on the defensive, it is different." "Will begin to see things from the third race," he said, and considers that one of the keys of this Championship will be in the first third of season there is no no one governs at will. "It would be important, if we do not win us, that no pilot could do in the first three or four races." "The car of 2010 and 2011 were very similar, but the first year we almost won and the second not because there was nothing fight", added.

Ferdinand also admitted that he would never pay for running. "It would be unthinkable that I I become a payment pilot, after everything that has been done my father for me, everything what they have invested in me, that in kart, or won or I had to return to the cole…", he stressed and said that "if I had a son, I do not mind to run in kart"

http://www.marca.com/2012/02/27/moto...330346269.html

[Nova]

Thanks Rishu, for the RB sloted nose pic..I have been wondering about this since I 1st saw it...def something hapng there..

[scuderiafan]

Thanks crucial for the article.
Fernando says they will recover lost EBD rear downforce soon.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Heres the Official line from Ferrari

Scuderia Ferrari

Madrid, 27 February – This is the start of an important week for Formula 1, the last one given over to testing before heading off to Australia and the start of the 2012 World Championship, which gets underway at the Albert Park circuit on 18 March. For Fernando, the week began on track, but not at the wheel of the F2012, nor at the Catalunyan one which hosts official testing in a few days. Instead, he was at Jarama, on the outskirts of Madrid, in the cockpit of a 458 Italia.

It was part of an event organised by the Santander Bank who invited the Spanish specialist media to the venue of one of Gilles Villeneuve’s greatest wins, back in 1981. The purpose was to outline the involvement of one of the Scuderia’s major sponsors at the highest level of world motorsport, Ten winners of a quiz about Ferrari and the career of Fernando Alonso were given a ride around the track with the Spanish driver himself at the wheel.

“We are continuing with development of the new car,” said Fernando when he met the press. “Maybe we are only taking small steps forward, but they are coming constantly: in Barcelona, the F2012 was better than it had been in Jerez and it will be better still this week and even more so in Melbourne. There is still a lot of work to do, but as of today, there is no reason why we should not be ready for the first race. It’s true there are only four more days of testing and we will have to also make use of the first Friday at a race weekend to continue with development, but the car is reasonably complex and needs time, as was the case over the first eight days. It is definitely too early to say where we are compared to the others. Red Bull is very strong, but that’s hardly a surprise. For our part, it will be useful to get off to a good start as this always takes the pressure off the team, but if we do not turn out to be competitive enough to challenge for victory immediately, then it’s important that it’s not just one person doing the winning. If one thinks about it, the difference in performance between us and Red Bull in 2011 was not that different to what it had been in 2010 and yet two years ago, we came to the last race leading the championship, while last year we were hardly ever in the title fight.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formu...p-by-step.aspx


Personally I love how we're downplaying our car. Very sneaky! XD We'll have a surprise for the paddock come Melbourne. :))

[scuderiafan]

“Maybe we are only taking small steps forward, but they are coming constantly: in Barcelona, the F2012 was better than it had been in Jerez and it will be better still this week and even more so in Melbourne.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Even better--> "There is no worry, nor is it a case of seeing a light at the end of the tunnel," said Alonso about his post-test reaction, during a promotional event with Santander at Jarama on Monday.

"There has been a tendency from the media's point of view to believe that Ferrari is having a bad pre-season, or that the car for some dark reason that we don't know is a bad one.

"But for us, we've always kept calm and we have kept working in a consistent way. The complexity of the car has made everything a bit slower. In fact, after two tests we still have plenty of things to do in the final test.

"The last day they still kept on trying things and I'm sure some of them were interesting. So maybe after Barcelona we are better then we were after Jerez. And after Barcelona 2 we will be better than after Barcelona 1. Then let's hope we arrive in Australia with a competitive car.

"But apart from a slight delay due to the complexity of the car, as I say, we haven't seen the light and we weren't inside any tunnels before."


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97709

[Axelsson]

Autosport

Fernando Alonso relaxed about Ferrari F1 team's pre-season preparations

Fernando Alonso says he and Ferrari remain relaxed about their pre-season preparations - as he insists it is far too early to get excited or depressed about its progress.

Although the Maranello-based outfit has faced a tough time in trying to get an understanding of its radical F2012, the outfit was boosted by progress it made during the closing stages of last week's Barcelona test.

But Alonso insists that now is not the time to get emotional about what Ferrari may or may not achieve this year – as the focus must remain on getting through the work that still needs to be done before the Australian Grand Prix.

"There is no worry, nor is it a case of seeing a light at the end of the tunnel," said Alonso about his post-test reaction, during a promotional event with Santander at Jarama on Monday.

"There has been a tendency from the media's point of view to believe that Ferrari is having a bad pre-season, or that the car for some dark reason that we don't know is a bad one.

"But for us, we've always kept calm and we have kept working in a consistent way. The complexity of the car has made everything a bit slower. In fact, after two tests we still have plenty of things to do in the final test.

"The last day they still kept on trying things and I'm sure some of them were interesting. So maybe after Barcelona we are better then we were after Jerez. And after Barcelona 2 we will be better than after Barcelona 1. Then let's hope we arrive in Australia with a competitive car.

"But apart from a slight delay due to the complexity of the car, as I say, we haven't seen the light and we weren't inside any tunnels before."

Alonso thinks the complexities of winter testing make it impossible to say for definite where Ferrari stands in the rankings right now – but he has faith that his outfit will deliver the goods again.

"I can't say if we are first, or second, or ninth," he said. "As of today we are in a position of work in which it is very hard to know where everybody is. It's all speculation.

"You would suppose Red Bull, after dominating the sport for two years, won't be out of Q2 in Australia. You suppose McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari will not be far away from victory, because they are great teams. But all these are assumptions and let's hope they are true and we can be in the fight.

"The message is the same after every test. The team is working well. Ferrari is the only team that can give you a car capable of fighting for victory. In a year that was relatively bad like 2011 we won a race and finished on the podium 10 times. That's something only Ferrari can give you year after year. And that's the main reason for optimism from everybody."

Alonso also dismissed suggestions that he and the team were feeling the pressure to deliver the world title this year – with the outfit having been without a crown since it took the Constructors' Championship in 2008.

"What's obvious is that every season the demands are bigger, both for Ferrari and for me, because none of us likes to finish second, and second for us is not the result we are looking for.

"So the demand to win every world championship you start, year after year, is demanding, but it's needed for Ferrari and to me too as a competitive athlete.

"It's an important year, yes. But that is only because of the demands we set for ourselves, and not because it has been more or less years without a title."

[Nisko]

[gazoz]

where did this pic come from is it exhaust ferrari? apologies thats carbon so can't exhaust, it is at the front

[Crucial_Xtreme]

where did this pic come from is it exhaust ferrari? apologies thats carbon so can't exhaust, it is at the front

That is the side impact structure of the Marussia

[gazoz]

That is the side impact structure of the Marussia

thankyou i realised it wasn't ferrari after thanks anyway

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Word is Ferrari & Red Bull have changed again & will test in Barcelona Thursday-Sunday with the rest of the paddock.

[gazoz]

Word is Ferrari & Red Bull have changed again & will test in Barcelona Thursday-Sunday with the rest of the paddock.

any idea why the change

[FrankAlfa]

@ Nisko,

Looks like the internals of the Sidepod. I think that is the air intaek for the Radiator.

Ciao.

Forza Ferrari!!!!

[Hombre B]

Ferrari:

Change of the testing programme: we will run from 1 to 4 March...

Felipe will drive on Thursday and Saturday, Fernando on Friday and Sunday.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formu...programme.aspx

[Stormsearcher]

Ferrari:



http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formu...programme.aspx

Thats like the merc testing programme. Whats happening?

[medeni73]

joseluisf1:

"Magazine Autosprint confirms that Ferrari tested up to 3 different positions of exhaust"
"Autosprint says that the correlation between the tunnel and the track was not correct from Jerez"
"However, we should clarify that it is not the same problem as last year, but typical for a 'fine tuning' early in the season"
"Autosprint also confirms what we discussed that they are seeking more downforce and better management of Pirelli"
"We need more downforce and better 'control', not straying too far from the center of aerodynamic forces which unbalances the car"

[Rosso Corsa]

someoneontwitterf1:

"You’re likely to receive some interesting information from a friend or business associate. It could be that a deal that's been in the works has just been signed, or a romantic interest you've been pursuing finally returns your affections. Whatever the day brings, it’s likely to be favorable"

[bladeswing]

someoneontwitterf1:

"You’re likely to receive some interesting information from a friend or business associate. It could be that a deal that's been in the works has just been signed, or a romantic interest you've been pursuing finally returns your affections. Whatever the day brings, it’s likely to be favorable"

sounds like somebody's horoscope
whose would it be?

[medeni73]

someoneontwitterf1:

"You’re likely to receive some interesting information from a friend or business associate. It could be that a deal that's been in the works has just been signed, or a romantic interest you've been pursuing finally returns your affections. Whatever the day brings, it’s likely to be favorable"

Congratulations on another useless forum post
I cant wait to see your meaningful, full-of-truth informations and thoughts regarding the theme...





someone with italian language skills ?

[M.K]

Ferrari and Red Bull forced to revert to original testing schedule after FIA move


Ferrari and Red Bull Racing have been forced to abandon plans to run a revised testing programme at Barcelona this week following the intervention of the FIA.

Both outfits had hoped to run from Friday to Monday at Barcelona, instead of the Thursday to Sunday schedule that other outfits present at the test had originally agreed to.

However, Ferrari revealed on Tuesday morning that an FIA clarification of article 22.4 of Formula 1's sporting regulations, which governs testing, on Monday night had meant it was no longer possible to stick to its change of plans.

Despite shifting its days, Ferrari will maintain its original driver rotation plan - with Felipe Massa testing for the first and third days (Thursday/Saturday), and Fernando Alonso driving on the second and final days (Friday/Sunday).

Red Bull Racing will also alternate its drivers for the final test, with Mark Webber driving on Thursday and Saturday, and Sebastian Vettel slotted in for Friday and Sunday.


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97713

[MarlboroFA]

Congratulations on another useless forum post
I cant wait to see your meaningful, full-of-truth informations and thoughts regarding the theme...

chill out man...why so serious

[medeni73]

chill out man...why so serious

I'm cool and chillin`... :)

[gazoz]

Congratulations on another useless forum post
I cant wait to see your meaningful, full-of-truth informations and thoughts regarding the theme...



from what i can make of it is Ferrari is looking into mercs style diffuser seeing the benefits it also says even RB may have there own version of the double Diffuser

someone with italian language skills ?

[Rosso Corsa]

Congratulations on another useless forum post

Another? At least that horoscope will be relevant to someone somewhere on the planet. Ambiguity rules!

[blaney1977]

i have spent the last few hours on the internet, reading various sites and blogs, i have tried to get a better understanding and opinion on where we stack up in the pecking order, i found it hard to find anything that is balanced, british press clearly favour mclaren and always look to put ferrari down and thats the route sky are going down. any opinions on these 3 questions. 1. are ferrari sandbagging? 2. are we just 3 tenths behind? 3. is the truth in what the drivers say after the tests have finished, is it that simple?.

[Hermann]

Honest answer to all three questions: nobody really knows outside the team. But i guess there will be more endless speculation until Melbourne.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

i have spent the last few hours on the internet, reading various sites and blogs, i have tried to get a better understanding and opinion on where we stack up in the pecking order, i found it hard to find anything that is balanced, british press clearly favour mclaren and always look to put ferrari down and thats the route sky are going down. any opinions on these 3 questions. 1. are ferrari sandbagging? 2. are we just 3 tenths behind? 3. is the truth in what the drivers say after the tests have finished, is it that simple?.

Yes very hard to get an objective opinion on the state of the car.

1) Possibly. Haven't seen the team downplay the car this much since 2004. It's definitely possible. I think they're holding back a bit, all teams are & being cautious.

2) Impossible to tell until Melbourne and even that won't show the full picture. Will have to wait until Malaysia or Bahrain.

3) To a point. They're not going to tell you everything. And would lie if need be, be for the most part I think they're somewhat believable.