2nd Winter Testing 7th March - 10th March 2017, Barcelona

[Super M]

Raikkonen has finished breakfirst, and is again on track :)

You mean, he's finished eating his ice cream!!

[Frank Dhont]

Indeed, ice cream needed to cool down first :)

[S1000RR]

Massa did a 1.19.9 on the soft tyre. Same as our "personal best" by Vettel

[IulianFerrari]

Why have we done so few laps today? Did we have a problem or something ?

[S1000RR]

No statement by the team but rumours brake ducts touched the tyres

[jgonzalesm6]

Bottas's new benchmark of 1:19.310 is the sixth fastest lap EVER around this version of the Circuit de Catalunya and now inside one second of the outright record, Massa's 1:18.339 from 2008 testing.

[mhmalik]

#Kimi7 spent time in garage for fluid systems check. Back on track now. #F1Testing
12:13 PM - 8 Mar 2017

[Super M]

No statement by the team but rumours brake ducts touched the tyres

FERRARI'S LACK OF RUNNING EXPLAINED

Ferrari's lack of running this morning was due to a "fluid system check".
Update posted on 13:18:06

From F1TODAY.NET...............Can we believe that source ?

[nani_s23]

Ferrari's lack of running this morning was due to a "fluid system check". - autosport

[S1000RR]

FERRARI'S LACK OF RUNNING EXPLAINED

Ferrari's lack of running this morning was due to a "fluid system check".
Update posted on 13:18:06

From F1TODAY.NET...............Can we believe that source ?

Think so

https://twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari/...837313/photo/1

[fronaldo]

Hope Kimi can get near 100 laps today

[nani_s23]

Hope Kimi can get near 100 laps today

he will end up between 90-100laps probably.

[cisco82]

I'm happy with the amount of running that's been achieved, not too concerned with the lap count (provided there's no break downs) from here on in..
I think it's time to start fine tuning and introducing some new parts.. There's only 2.5 days of testing left..

[mirafiori]

he will end up between 90-100laps probably.

My prediction is 102 laps. Lol😎

[bondilad]

Just wondering if Williams can do a 1.19 on softs, how much is merc sandbagging ? Either the top three are sandbagging big time or it's that merc engine doing all the work ?

[piglett]

I think it's time to start fine tuning and introducing some new parts..

Makes no sense to me, they should have enough data to compile the aero route ahead. Why bring new parts now, and give other teams a glimpse at those parts?! Updated parts should be added in FP2 in Melbourne, so other teams don't get the chance to copy anything.
Sidenote: engine sounds healthy to me and running in low(ish) power mode. Don't ask how i know! I can hear it :P

[nani_s23]

Just wondering if Williams can do a 1.19 on softs, how much is merc sandbagging ? Either the top three are sandbagging big time or it's that merc engine doing all the work ?

they have done it SS not softs. If i'm not wrong.

[IulianFerrari]

I maintain my idea from about 2 weeks ago. It looks like Mercedes paid also in useful information to Williams, not just money or engines. Williams is looking/will be looking better than most expected.

[S1000RR]

they have done it SS not softs. If i'm not wrong.

I think it was softs, same time as Vettel drove on day 3 if I am not mistaking

[nani_s23]

I think it was softs, same time as Vettel drove on day 3 if I am not mistaking

yes just saw it was on softs.

[nani_s23]

I maintain my idea from about 2 weeks ago. It looks like Mercedes paid also in useful information to Williams, not just money or engines. Williams is looking/will be looking better than most expected.

its a mix of aero-engine era. williams are not that good at aero development.
Also they do testing & set fastest times on low fuel just for the PR & business.

I think & strongly believe its straight fight between Mercs & ferrari. RB would join the contest may be later part of the season or next year.

[jgonzalesm6]

I maintain my idea from about 2 weeks ago. It looks like Mercedes paid also in useful information to Williams, not just money or engines. Williams is looking/will be looking better than most expected.

Maybe, I predict next year will be more interesting now that Paddy Lowe will "design" the next Williams.

[cisco82]

Just because I wanna see some new parts.

[jgonzalesm6]

its a mix of aero-engine era. williams are not that good at aero development.
Also they do testing & set fastest times on low fuel just for the PR & business.

I think & strongly believe its straight fight between Mercs & ferrari. RB would join the contest may be later part of the season or next year.

good point. IMO, its going to be a fight with the top 3 for now.....after I see about 3 or 4 GP's.....it MAY be just a fight with 2 teams.

[IulianFerrari]

its a mix of aero-engine era. williams are not that good at aero development.
Also they do testing & set fastest times on low fuel just for the PR & business.

I think & strongly believe its straight fight between Mercs & ferrari. RB would join the contest may be later part of the season or next year.

Not saying Williams will be top 3. But remember most, before testing, thought they will be behind Force India, McLaren and Renault. Doesn't look like that now does it? Even if they are going for glory runs, the time isn't bad at all. They certainly look the best of the rest to me, and nobody expected that. I'm sure Mercs had something to do with this.

[Rosso Corsa]

My feeling is Williams are maybe digging deeper and faster to reclaim lost time from the programme last week. It looked last week like their starting package is actually pretty good. It makes sense to get Massa in the car and get race ready with an eye on big points in Melbourne, hence the mileage and pace he's shown in the last 2 days. Stroll in the car tomorrow and Friday I believe, which as cruel as it sounds, might not be optimal for finding and learning full performance leading into Melbourne. That's my feeling anyway. Williams are good opportunists and will already have all eyes on maximising early points. Putting Massa in yesterday and today and going for it is a low risk strategy, even if it means revealing more of your hand.

[Scuderia1967]

I maintain my idea from about 2 weeks ago. It looks like Mercedes paid also in useful information to Williams, not just money or engines. Williams is looking/will be looking better than most expected.

The deal with Bottas was finished in January. Too late for any Merc "information" to be used in the car

[IulianFerrari]

The deal with Bottas was finished in January. Too late for any Merc "information" to be used in the car

Not necessarily. And we pretty much all knew in December that Bottas will be selected, so Mercs and Williams knew earlier than we did obviously.

[nani_s23]

14:51 Confirmation that Red Bull's had an engine change. That's a legitimate reason for us not seeing Verstappen so far in this afternoon session. - autosport

[Scuderia1967]

Not necessarily. And we pretty much all knew in December that Bottas will be selected, so Mercs and Williams knew earlier than we did obviously.

The deal was announced as soon as it was completed, no matter what we all "knew"