Just noticed ferrari doesn't have the winglet on the halo like last year, but merc has it now.
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Just noticed ferrari doesn't have the winglet on the halo like last year, but merc has it now.
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Ferrari has emphatically won the testing war
With the 2019 pre-season testing period over, it's clear the fights at the front and in the midfield are very tight. But one team appears to be leaving Barcelona with a clear advantage
By Edd Straw
@eddstrawF1
Published on Friday March 1st 2019
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Were a qualifying session and grand prix to be staged at Barcelona right now, the evidence of pre-season testing suggests Ferrari would win from pole position. Ferrari has won the testing war. Emphatically.
All the usual caveats apply. There won't be a grand prix in Spain until May, there's two weeks to go before the phoney war turns into something real, and teams will have upgrades to deploy in Australia. We also can't be entirely sure about fuel loads, engine modes and exact run plans. But every single indicator, whether it's short runs, long runs, trackside impressions or paddock gossip, points in one direction: Ferrari is fastest.
Straight out of the box, the Ferrari has looked like a very well-balanced, well sorted car. There's no obvious weaknesses; it turns in well, the traction is excellent, it's stable mid-corner and it is extremely driver-friendly. If the driver does make a small error, as for example Sebastian Vettel did into Turn 1 at one stage on Friday morning, it is very easily caught and doesn't cost much time. Just as in the past two years, it's a very usable racing car - perhaps even more driver-friendly than before.
It's also quick. Vettel set the fastest time of the test overall on the final day of running, a lap of 1m16.221s, which was three thousandths of a second faster than Lewis Hamilton managed for Mercedes in the afternoon using the same Pirelli C5 tyres. Neither car will have been in full-on qualifying trim, and both were certainly carrying more fuel than they would in a real session, but the comparison tallies with the kind of pace difference we're also seeing on the longer runs. Interestingly, Hamilton was two tenths faster than Vettel in the final sector on their fastest laps. But earlier on, Vettel had posted a similar pace in that sector, suggesting there was more on the table.
In testing it's not just about headline times. Shortly after setting his best lap, Vettel headed out on the C3-compound Pirellis and banged in a 1m16.770s. Adjusting for the two-step difference to C5s, that takes Vettel to somewhere around the 1m15.900s mark. It's the critical lap that overpowers the headline times.
Hamilton suggested Ferrari was "potentially half a second" ahead of Mercedes on pace. Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto replied "it would be completely wrong to think that we're faster than them". The reality is perhaps somewhere in between, but Ferrari will certainly head down under as favourite. Ferrari can afford to be cautiously confident, but not complacent.
Had the full pace of the Ferrari been unleashed, there's no doubt it would lap well into the 1m15s bracket, certainly to a point Mercedes could not reach. Even so, the second block of four days of testing was positive for Mercedes, which deployed a major aerodynamic upgrade that impacted the majority of the aerodynamic surfaces of the car. This allayed the more serious concerns about its deficit that arose after the first test, and represented a significant change in aero philosophy thanks partly to the switch from inwash to outwash endplates.
But the Mercedes continues to be on something of an island with its lower-rake concept. While the team deserves the benefit of the doubt given the vast success it has had in recent years with it, you have to ask whether being in the minority with that approach is a disadvantage. As team boss Toto Wolff has admitted, were it to change that philosophy it could take months to implement it. The hope in the team is that won't be necessary and it has the foundation on which to build a challenge to Ferrari.
If that gap is indeed in the area testing suggested, perhaps around the three-tenths mark, that's at least within striking distance. This means that while Mercedes is likely to be playing catch-up (we can't really be sure until we get to Melbourne), it's at least not floundering. But it's an unfamiliar position to be in for a team that has topped the first qualifying session of the year for the last five years. After the strain of last year's frantic development war with Ferrari, it could be on for another, even more difficult, one.
But not only could this be the sternest test yet of F1's pre-eminent team of the hybrid era, it could face a double challenge. Red Bull's new alliance with Honda appears to have produced a strong package that is at least battling with Mercedes. While the Honda engine's qualifying settings will still be a weakness (it is estimated to have approximately halved the gap on Saturday afternoon power to the front with its 2019 spec), and there are a few concerns about fuel mileage at certain tracks, the car is genuinely quick.
As ever, the Red Bull looks brilliantly poised on track, more Ferrari than Mercedes. It has run pretty well throughout testing, although Pierre Gasly's brace of crashes - one in each test - have left it light on spares and crunched two gearboxes. What we didn't see from Red Bull was a strong headline lap time, perhaps a consequence of Max Verstappen's final day of running being limited to just 29 laps by a gearbox problem, and Gasly's second mishap.
Where this year has been different is that while Ferrari took off fast out of the blocks, Mercedes was behind where you would normally expect it to be
The best Red Bull time puts it only seventh in the team ranking, although it moves up to third when you adjust for fuel load and tyres. But with no standout fast lap to use as a benchmark, it's more difficult to be completely confident about its pace and, combined with what we're seeing from the car on track and paddock chatter, it seems that being in the mix with Mercedes is possible.
Some have suggested a gap of around three tenths to Ferrari, which is plausible, although on the final two days the long runs didn't echo that - again disrupted by Gasly's crash and Verstappen's problems. There were signs earlier in testing, however, that Red Bull was able to run comfortably within half-a-second of Ferrari on long runs at times. But whatever happens, Red Bull is certainly no worse off for its switch from Renault to Honda engines, and probably in a better position.
Does this mean this will be the picture in Melbourne? Not necessarily. Mercedes should not be underestimated and the fact is its car has not been at its best on the C4 and C5 Pirellis - the softest two compounds of the range - but looks better balanced on the C3s, which is not unusual for it in pre-season.
Mercedes has always taken a cautious approach to testing, not sandbagging as such but focusing on a good, sensible runplan. Where this year has been different is that while Ferrari took off fast out of the blocks, Mercedes was behind where you would normally expect it to be. So big was the aero specification change from test one to two, Mercedes appears to be playing another game of catch-up, this time with itself. But this could mean there's more to exploit from its car than Ferrari has left, which could help the gap to close. Equally, though, that would mean Mercedes is behind the aerodynamic development curve we would normally expect from it. But Mercedes must not be discounted.
One thing that hasn't changed from last year is that the midfield pack is nowhere near the top three. The margin looks to be a good three quarters of a second, perhaps a little more. What looks to be another 'Class B' battle now comprises two groups of three teams, with a slight gap in between but all tightly packed.
In the first group are Renault, Haas and Alfa Romeo. It's difficult to choose between Renault and Haas for the lead of this part of the field. Renault has had to take a cautious approach to testing owing to a shortage of spares and it's fair to say we haven't seen either Nico Hulkenberg or Daniel Ricciardo truly let off the leash. On paper, it's expected to lead the way and ideally edge away from the mid-pack.
But the Haas, appropriately enough given its black-and-gold livery, has been the dark horse of testing. Just as in pre-season last year, it's a car that tends to run with a reasonable level of fuel aboard but finally unleashed some pace on the final day to end up with a 1m17.067s lap. Come Australia, Haas might even be leading the way in the midfield.
Alfa Romeo has not perhaps looked as strong at the end of testing as it did initially and finding a good balance for rear grip with the car has been a challenge. But the car does have a decent turn of pace. Whether that means it ends up pressuring Haas and Renault, or slips a bit more into the second group, remains to be seen.
Toro Rosso appears to lead the second group with a car that looks to be pretty well-balanced, save perhaps for a rear end that has shown signs of giving up at times, and maybe lacks the downforce levels of the teams ahead. But this is a team that expects to make steady progress throughout the year and should become more competitive.
Its fastest time was set by Alexander Albon on the penultimate day, and is reckoned to be relatively close to what the car can achieve, perhaps a tenth or two shy. If it can make progress with development, it can be in the mix with the leading midfield group.
The same confidence of sustained, steady progress applies to Racing Point, which has a car that's still based around the same gearbox/rear suspension it used in 2018 thanks to a necessary design decision made before the team's financial position was clear. Mileage was a little restricted, and the team was hard pushed to get the car ready in time. Given the history of this squad there's reason to be confident it can make good on this subdued start.
On every metric Ferrari is currently ahead
McLaren had a more flashy test than most of its midfield rivals, regularly turning up at the top of the timesheets. But after battling understeer early in testing, it then proved to be a car that didn't have the rear-end stability that it needs. It's not as bad as it was this time last year, but the McLaren is looking to be towards the back of the midfield pack and therefore likely to start the season more pushing to make Q2 than push on to Q3.
But what's striking about the midfield is that the gaps are very small, so we can expect plenty of ebb and flow as the upgrade packages appear over the season. Given the ambitions of the Renault team, and the money sunk into it, it must become stronger than it appears to have been so far and strike out into the gap separating the best from the rest.
At the back stands Williams, which right now looks two-and-a-half days late and a good half-a-second short of the midfield pack. What's described as a "modest" upgrade is planned for Melbourne, so it's difficult to see it being anything other than back-of-the grid fodder when things get serious.
Does any of this mean that we can be confident of the grid being set along the lines described above in Australia? Not necessarily. Testing is always a blend of extrapolation, interpretation and reading the tea leaves - but eight days of running in Barcelona's winter sun has given us plenty of data to crunch and, other than the question marks hanging over Red Bull thanks to its late problem, a reasonable indication of where everyone stands.
And on every metric Ferrari is currently ahead. That doesn't mean things won't change, it doesn't stop Mercedes from bringing another upgrade and closing the gap, and it doesn't prevent Red Bull from causing an upset.
But what it does mean is that, no matter what Binotto - the man who has created a fundamental and very significant change in atmosphere and hopefully culture at Ferrari - says, his team is ahead. Advantage Ferrari.
bonne chance Charles
Originally Posted by da_one
Hamilton insists that Ferrari is half a second ahead at this time of the year but on the same breath, he says he accepts the challenge.
Here is how Rapper Boy "accepts" the challenge:
1. Ask the FIA to add more sensors to the red cars and/or scrutinize every inch a thousand times more to keep Ferrari engineers busy in answering FIA queries.
2. Use his team mate as his personal chicane to block the red cars when he is ahead.
3. Steal victory from the same team mate while professing to the world that he is the best driver the world has ever seen after the race.
4. if there are on track racing incidents or rule violations, ask the FIA to give the red cars the worst possible penalty while the lightest or a slap on the wrist penalty for the silver arrows.
5. Invite the Ferrari strategists to his garage home on the eve of a race and have a party with his super model friends.
6. Just let Ferrari screw up the 2nd half of the season, because they usually do anyways.That was so funny but unfortunately it's also soooooo true.
Forza Jules
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Seb's onboard (1:16.221): https://streamable.com/deds7
Car looks driver friendly, no additional steering inputs, very stable and planted. Also Seb's not pushing at all.
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Awesome lap by seb, wish they had leclercs to compare driver lines.
To me looked like seb was pushing quite a lot, he was ringing out performance going little wide few times and had to correct little like sector 3. Maybe 0.1 0.2s quicker pace left on the car for the ultimate lap imo. Thankfully its hard to read sebs dash so no one will know for sure what mode
Last edited by mwk360; 2nd March 2019 at 16:08.
hockenheim 2018 / China 2018 : Never forget how quick Ferrari can lose it all, be humble.
Positivity doesn't win you championships, whining about people being negative makes you blind!
lol ignore the bitter old cows ;-)
Ferrari Affiliate
So it is impossible that, say, Ferrari is sandbagging. Just saying :D
"If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari" - Gilles Villeneuve
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There is definitely more in that car. It looked quite controlled all the way round, not on edge once. Great sign for the season ahead!
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So hammy says Ferrari are ahead because Ferrari had more development time this came into play according to Hampstead when Ferrari realised the championship was not any longer achievable in 2018 what a load of hot air it's Mercedes who have had the time in hand they were developing hybrid 2 years before any body then wanted it in f1 or they would quit that why they have won 5 times so Mr Hamilton should stop his early season silly statements.
Ferrari Affiliate
Exactly! That is exactly what I saw too. For the first time in years, Ferrari is playing Toto's game.
"If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari" - Gilles Villeneuve
Ferrari Affiliate
Does it really matter why we're ahead ? :D
"If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari" - Gilles Villeneuve
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Lewis talking about Merc and Ferrari developments and so on, he's forgetting I think; about R Bull, great car or no great car 2019, they have a shot and a 1/2 ! Max will push to the "Max!".
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Not able to watch the video ....!!
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some writers catching on Hamilton and toto's every year lies now, nice
https://www.f1analisitecnica.com/201...o-inviato.htmlAt what point is the night?
The Ferrari (they say) is the fastest. But Mercedes is more or less at its level and, for what we have seen, it is certainly the most reliable. Tocco ferro, I repeat the well-known apotropaic gesture of yesterday morning and I remind myself that all the Formula One World Championships , but especially these World Cups, those of the regulation of the 4 drunks at the bar, are not won without reliability. Of course, it is easier to obtain the reliability from the performance than vice versa, but it would not surprise me if some team had put in place to use one or more PUs compared to three, obviously taking into account the draconian sanctions.
The words of Hamilton in yesterday's press conference, where he clearly stated that Ferrari is in front of half a second? In my opinion, Lewis was giggling enough. On the other hand, the school is that of Toto -Troll , supreme master of hyper-galactic percula. Keeping a low profile is always a winning note (true Ferrari ?) And above all if you win you have created the climate to be able to say that you have prevailed against great opponents. Empower your victory, it makes you see much more sweaty, as if making a car clearly superior to the competition was not a value and a merit. The fact is that, after the first times we have understood the game ofToto (extraordinary manager) and the thing is quite cloying.
Returning to Ferrari , it remains to be seen the glass half full: single-seater that easily reaches the limit, with quick insertions in the corners. It looks on the tracks. We do not know what Vettel stopped . In Maranello they speak, generically, of an electrical problem that can not be solved by the end of the tests.
hockenheim 2018 / China 2018 : Never forget how quick Ferrari can lose it all, be humble.
Positivity doesn't win you championships, whining about people being negative makes you blind!
lol ignore the bitter old cows ;-)
Full Member
https://twitter.com/BerrageizF1/stat...84050908819456
might work?
hockenheim 2018 / China 2018 : Never forget how quick Ferrari can lose it all, be humble.
Positivity doesn't win you championships, whining about people being negative makes you blind!
lol ignore the bitter old cows ;-)
Full Member
Thanks..!! Just now saw the video from other technical forum.
2018 ham pole lap vs 2019 vet testing lap.
It seems like ham, did gain a lot on the straights. Car was responding to his style of driving, I mean so planted & reactive.
On the other hand, vet’s lap was no where near to perfection. It seems like he just sat in the car & driving that’s it. Didn’t see any moment where he was pushing to the maximum. I’m sure vettel can extract more time from that car.
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Ham was definitely pushing the car noticeably harder and driving more on edge than Vettel on that lap. Let’s wait until Melbourne to see what happens. I am optimistic [emoji16][emoji123]
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do you have the link to hamster44 quali video?
hockenheim 2018 / China 2018 : Never forget how quick Ferrari can lose it all, be humble.
Positivity doesn't win you championships, whining about people being negative makes you blind!
lol ignore the bitter old cows ;-)
Banned
There's a full second of pace in this car, not pushing not using all of the track, missing a few apex.... I believe 1:15.300 would be the time when the car and Seb operates at peak capacity
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Ferrari will investigate Vettel crash further
Ferrari will continue to investigate the rim failure that caused Sebastian Vettel to crash during the second day of this week's Formula 1 pre-season test in Barcelona.
Vettel crashed into the Tecpro barriers after he lost control of his car at Turn 3 during the morning session on Wednesday.
Ferrari concluded the front left wheel rim had failed after being damaged by an external impact.
After the incident limited Charles Leclerc's running to just an installation lap in the afternoon, the team decided to alter its testing programme for the remaining two days, giving each driver a full day of running.
While team boss Mattia Binotto believes the failure had just been the result of a "very unlucky situation", he said Ferrari will look deeper into the data to address any further issues.
"We took a look through all the data to try to understand the origin and the cause of the problem," said Binotto.
"We believe the issue was a rim failure but because the rim has been damaged by an external hit when running on the track, so the type of thing we can not avoid. I think it's been a very unlucky situation.
"On our side that's the best explanation we've got so far but we will still make sure and look deeper in all the details and data, eventually, to address any issue that may be still potential[ly there]."
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...rther/4346098/Although Ferrari had been tipped as favourite thanks to its strong pace during the pre-season, the Maranello squad's week has been far from trouble-free.
On top of Vettel's accident, the team had exhaust problems on Thursday that stopped Leclerc early, and Vettel was hit by electrical trouble on Friday, forcing Ferrari to finish the day early.
Binotto admitted Ferrari's programme had not run as hoped.
hockenheim 2018 / China 2018 : Never forget how quick Ferrari can lose it all, be humble.
Positivity doesn't win you championships, whining about people being negative makes you blind!
lol ignore the bitter old cows ;-)
Full Member
Sebastian Vettel fastest lap 1:16:221 from Barcelona testing 2019 (better quality)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82_gL7cllHk&t=14s
It's not how start but how you finish.
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I just searched for it in YouTube: https://youtu.be/MdH79R5W-po
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Don't forget the secret tire testing debacle in 2013.
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Good articleI don't normally rate Benson, but he's explained the logic behind Ferrari's possible half a second advantage quite well.
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thank you!, i also found the side by side 2018 ham vs seb 2019 laps, Ham's lap was on rails the car went exactly where it needed to, seb didnt have the perfect lap still 0.1 or 0.2 might be found maybe
hockenheim 2018 / China 2018 : Never forget how quick Ferrari can lose it all, be humble.
Positivity doesn't win you championships, whining about people being negative makes you blind!
lol ignore the bitter old cows ;-)
Full Member
The car looks glued to the track and looks quick out of the block,my only slight worry is reliability but hay that’s what the testing is for,RB seems to have caught up a little and the reliability of Honda looks good,as for the mercs I’ve no idea as they sandbag,downplay and bacically bull everyone every season until Quali then blow everybody away(0.6) last season.
Let’s hope we have a great start to the season and stick it up them mercs and can carry on development for the whole season and not implode like we have in the past
Forza Binotto
Forza seb
Forza Charles
Forza ferrari ����
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2019 Sebastian Vettel Testing Fastest Lap vs 2018 Pole Lap of Lewis Hamilton- side by side Comparison
https://twitter.com/Insidef1/status/1101892435343368192
It's not how start but how you finish.
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lol there is a lot more than 0.1 to 0.2. Seb went 1.16.7 on c3, so easily another 0.5 in hand compared to that lap and he wouldn't have been running full out quali mode like ham was either.
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Thanks. When watching steering wheel, looks like Mercs has more action, Ferrari more stable.
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yeah
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Don't waste your time with mwk360. Its always Mercedes/Red Bull=Great, Ferrari=bad and Vettel's making all the differences.
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