Bahrain testing 27 Feb-2 Mar

[peta_w]

Easier to stick your head in the sand and pretend everything is ok I guess.

You prefer to start blaming and firing people before we even seen one result.

If that's putting putting my head in the sand I think it's a darn sight better than following your example of sticking your head firmly up your own @#$%.

[FerrariF60]

You prefer to start blaming and firing people before we even seen one result.

If that's putting putting my head in the sand I think it's a darn sight better than following your example of sticking your head firmly up your own @#$%.

+100000000000

[diesel08]

Force India Team Principal Vijay Mallya says that Mercedes is clearly ahead of rivals Ferrari and Renault ahead of the first race of 2014 in Australia.

[Hornet]

Geez, looks like someone forgot his morning coffee I don't understand why some people cannot be super optimistic without being insulting to others.

Force India Team Principal Vijay Mallya says that Mercedes is clearly ahead of rivals Ferrari and Renault ahead of the first race of 2014 in Australia.

Well considering that he stands to benefit from Merc, I think 50% of that is wishful thinking
Not saying he will turn out to be right or wrong, but I don't think he knows what's really going on in Ferrari and Renault

[bondilad]

Mar.5 (GMM) Niki Lauda has revealed that Mercedes' new turbo V6 engine produces "about 580" horse power.

It is a rare admission in the highly-secretive world of Formula One, but field-leading Mercedes' F1 chairman wasn't giving the whole game away.

Asked to put a number on the German marque's early-season superiority, Lauda told Austrian Servus TV: "The fuel engine is about 580 horse power.

"Then there is the electrical side," he added, without elaborating.

It is known that the energy-recovery or 'ERS' side of the 'power unit' adds 160 horse power to the equation, but Lauda's figures just made fellow Austrian Dr Helmut Marko - of the struggling world champions Red Bull - grin.

"Interesting data," Marko smiled. "I would be happy if I had 580hp."

[mark p]

His adjusted laptimes (complete nonsense IMO)



His comments about Ferrari:

So in the same car Perez is 2 seconds quicker than Hulkenburg as I guess he as adjusted times as if all conditions and ful loads are equal. I call BS.

Same with engine situation as before they ran Merc was piweful Renault was smallest and fuel efficient and Ferrari were not good at anything. Testing has only highlighted Renault are in trouble Ferrari ar not bad and everything else stated 6 month ago is tbc.

[Nova]

If you burn fuel at the start (reduce weight by loss of fuel) then you have a lower cumulative weight for the race compared to doing the same at mid point or at the end.

I don't think these cars will have fuel to burn however, with high power (never full) being used for only a few laps (if that) at key points like in the pit stop in/out lap or to over take/defend.


I am interested in if there are any significantl gains to be made by following another car (getting a tow) in terms of fuel saving or would any advantage be lost due to higher tyer deg and over heating?

Thats an unknown..The last few years it seems that following too closely in F1 didnt help and washed the front downforce of the following car, whereas say in nascar, the aero is such that it gives the following ca
r a tow. No one mentioned if anyone tried this at testing.

[nikola0406]

I have info that Ferrari have been sandbagging all these years 2008-2013, fooling everybody, making them relax and chill, and nailed them this year. You'll see.

[f300v10]

Good article on top speeds from winter testing. Ferrari was fastest, exceeding 335 kph three times during the test. There is simply no way the Ferrari engine when allowed to use full power is 75 HP behind the Mercedes. Instead it sounds like Ferrari rarely used full power, while the Mercedes teams did it all the time.

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/f...n-8165979.html

[Kyss4k]

Mar.5 (GMM) Niki Lauda has revealed that Mercedes' new turbo V6 engine produces "about 580" horse power.

It is a rare admission in the highly-secretive world of Formula One, but field-leading Mercedes' F1 chairman wasn't giving the whole game away.

Asked to put a number on the German marque's early-season superiority, Lauda told Austrian Servus TV: "The fuel engine is about 580 horse power.

"Then there is the electrical side," he added, without elaborating.

It is known that the energy-recovery or 'ERS' side of the 'power unit' adds 160 horse power to the equation, but Lauda's figures just made fellow Austrian Dr Helmut Marko - of the struggling world champions Red Bull - grin.

"Interesting data," Marko smiled. "I would be happy if I had 580hp."

If it's indeed doing 580hp there's no way we will be behind by a lot. The "electrical" side will be probably sorted out by inproving the software, but after those predictions, that their actual engines could have over 610hp, 580hp seems kinda low to me. Which I like.

[Ed Harley]

Australia will tell a lot.

[mirafiori]

Australia will tell a lot.

Yes Australia will give us an idea where we stand.

[windwaves]

You prefer to start blaming and firing people before we even seen one result.

If that's putting putting my head in the sand I think it's a darn sight better than following your example of sticking your head firmly up your own @#$%.

dude, are you ok ? we have seen results for the past several years!!! what are you talking about. We are just seeing more of the same. Enough is enough. If we don't have the courage to change we are only indefinitely postponing a title win.

What I am trying to say is that even the worst management, if you give it infinite chances, will eventually score a title, accidentally (which is how we got 2nd place twice recently, i.e. accidentally). NOw, if Ferrari intervenes and addresses the need for truly competent management/leadership, we could target titles much more realistically and sooner.

[Tobes]

and still they might have lost a third of the season, two third is left ...
and by smashing the competitors (like 2013 second half and 2012 second half) it might be enough for them again (considering the double points rule for final race)

first this season it will be a question of reliability and cooling issue (I would guess first 5 to 6 races) which will then convert to a aero and also software (engine, brake-by-wire, ERS) issue ... and winner of the season will be those who will able to deal with all 3 things. And aero isn't really our best running horse in our stable ...

All points lost against any Merc driven team in the beginning will hurt us in the end when RedBull is back ... as they will for sure be once again strongest in the aero part and Merc, McL and we will steal points from each other ...

I agree with all that, I'm just hoping if Mercedes are the early season favourites, we are second best, then when all our updates work we will be mid season favourites, and if Red Bull are fastest at the end of the season if we can maintain being second best still I think that consistency will be enough to win the WCC, with our current driver pairing I'm thinking that is a very realistic goal for this season, and with a little luck the WDC is also not beyond the realms of possibility, I actually think we have a pretty good package going into this season...


On a related note... I think we are all looking at our performance in testing, and although there are reasons for optimism, there is also reason for some pessimism, I guess it depends on one's current perspective, are you a glass half full, or a glass half empty kind of person... but I think we are overlooking a huge factor for the coming season... once upon a time our upgrades and development throughout the season were second to none, every upgrade made the car better and faster, in recent seasons it seemed every upgrade made the car slower or harder to drive, obviously we can no longer pound round Fiorano virtually 24hrs a day like Michael used to, but the fact is the wind tunnel in Maranello is fully functioning again, the correlation is correct and the results on track appear to be working as expected, I think (even with all the rule changes this season) this alone is the single biggest step forward for us, I really think this is such a vital instrument in this era of F1 that we have been really missing, don't underestimate just how dramatically that has hindered us in past seasons, I would go as far as to suggest this is the single most important change to this year that is in our favour and could keep us ahead of Red Bull in the latter part of the season...

Bring on Melbourne, we're ready...

[ferrari4life]

On a related note... I think we are all looking at our performance in testing, and although there are reasons for optimism, there is also reason for some pessimism, I guess it depends on one's current perspective, are you a glass half full, or a glass half empty kind of person... but I think we are overlooking a huge factor for the coming season... once upon a time our upgrades and development throughout the season were second to none, every upgrade made the car better and faster, in recent seasons it seemed every upgrade made the car slower or harder to drive, obviously we can no longer pound round Fiorano virtually 24hrs a day like Michael used to, but the fact is the wind tunnel in Maranello is fully functioning again, the correlation is correct and the results on track appear to be working as expected, I think (even with all the rule changes this season) this alone is the single biggest step forward for us, I really think this is such a vital instrument in this era of F1 that we have been really missing, don't underestimate just how dramatically that has hindered us in past seasons, I would go as far as to suggest this is the single most important change to this year that is in our favour and could keep us ahead of Red Bull in the latter part of the season...

Bring on Melbourne, we're ready...

I am still leery about the wind tunnel excuse. I hope that they have indeed got it right but I have to wonder. They have known about it for a few years and each year we thought they were on top of it only to find out that they were not.

[Hornet]

dude, are you ok ? we have seen results for the past several years!!! what are you talking about. We are just seeing more of the same. Enough is enough. If we don't have the courage to change we are only indefinitely postponing a title win.

What I am trying to say is that even the worst management, if you give it infinite chances, will eventually score a title, accidentally (which is how we got 2nd place twice recently, i.e. accidentally). NOw, if Ferrari intervenes and addresses the need for truly competent management/leadership, we could target titles much more realistically and sooner.

That's an interesting point. That seems to be what McLaren did, after a disastrous season, Ron Dennis decided to take things into his own hand at the top. Clearly Ron believes that changing technical personal alone no longer works and bigger changes has to be done. I hate Ron Dennis, but I have to give him credit for doing what he believe is the best to bring McLaren back to the top.

I do not know what changes Ferrari need. I do hope this year everything will work out for us and no one needs to leave. But IF (and thats still a big IF) we do not win this year, perhaps it's time for bigger changes.

We've had the perfect driver to win the WDC for past 4 years, it's sad we were not able to capitalize on it. I agree that we cannot continue waiting around for a miracle.

[Tobes]

I am still leery about the wind tunnel excuse. I hope that they have indeed got it right but I have to wonder. They have known about it for a few years and each year we thought they were on top of it only to find out that they were not.

Agreed, but the wind tunnel at Maranello has virtually been completely rebuilt, and we have been told all the wind tunnel data is matching what they are seeing on track, can't remember the last time that was true...

[Tifoso]

I agree with all that, I'm just hoping if Mercedes are the early season favourites, we are second best, then when all our updates work we will be mid season favourites, and if Red Bull are fastest at the end of the season if we can maintain being second best still I think that consistency will be enough to win the WCC, with our current driver pairing I'm thinking that is a very realistic goal for this season, and with a little luck the WDC is also not beyond the realms of possibility, I actually think we have a pretty good package going into this season...


On a related note... I think we are all looking at our performance in testing, and although there are reasons for optimism, there is also reason for some pessimism, I guess it depends on one's current perspective, are you a glass half full, or a glass half empty kind of person... but I think we are overlooking a huge factor for the coming season... once upon a time our upgrades and development throughout the season were second to none, every upgrade made the car better and faster, in recent seasons it seemed every upgrade made the car slower or harder to drive, obviously we can no longer pound round Fiorano virtually 24hrs a day like Michael used to, but the fact is the wind tunnel in Maranello is fully functioning again, the correlation is correct and the results on track appear to be working as expected, I think (even with all the rule changes this season) this alone is the single biggest step forward for us, I really think this is such a vital instrument in this era of F1 that we have been really missing, don't underestimate just how dramatically that has hindered us in past seasons, I would go as far as to suggest this is the single most important change to this year that is in our favour and could keep us ahead of Red Bull in the latter part of the season...

Bring on Melbourne, we're ready...

Brilliant analysis. Again,

[Tifoso]

Agreed, but the wind tunnel at Maranello has virtually been completely rebuilt, and we have been told all the wind tunnel data is matching what they are seeing on track, can't remember the last time that was true...

2006?

[Tobes]

2006?

2004..?

Edit - I can't remember which year it was, but it was when the size of the scale models used in the wind tunnel increased to 60%, that was the point that the Maranello tunnel became pretty much useless...

[Nero Horse]

Yes Australia will give us an idea where we stand.

I think that even Australia won't show the true picture yet. The Melbourne track is very unconventional compared to the other more typical F1 tracks. We'll have to wait until Malaysian GP to get a better idea of the real pecking order.

[Ed Harley]

Well, 10 smoking exploded engines across the grid in Australia will give a sign of things to come.

[radosav]

It's Kimi's fault !

[Senna4Ever]

Bring on Melbourne, we're ready...

Correct,
Bring it on, can't wait come FP1 Melbourne ...

[Nero Horse]

It's Kimi's fault !

No, it's Hamilton's fault!

[AfterLife]

Bring on Melbourne, we're ready...

If we were not ready, bring on Malaysia
If we were not ready in Malaysia either, bring on Bahrain

[Katu]

Correct,
Bring it on, can't wait come FP1 Melbourne ...

looking at what time it is, i can skip FP1 easy, they probably try to run as little as possible to save engines. or well see the first engine blow-ups already in fp1...

[Bertie]

looking at what time it is, i can skip FP1 easy, they probably try to run as little as possible to save engines. or well see the first engine blow-ups already in fp1...

So they don't have practice engines that are not included in the 5 a year?

[Senna4Ever]

looking at what time it is, i can skip FP1 easy, they probably try to run as little as possible to save engines. or well see the first engine blow-ups already in fp1...

you're probably right Katu about the 'action' in FP1
but I still need the kick of adrenalin when I see the Red car first and my favourite driver of this era for the first time live in 2014 ....

I still hope some will do some valuable testing in FP1 and FP2 to make the latest updates work ...
As we still have to solve our software issue for ERS ... for example

[Katu]

So they don't have practice engines that are not included in the 5 a year?

haven't heard that there are practice engines. correct me if i'm wrong

Edit: from regulations

Each driver may use no more than five power units during a championship season.

i think that should include all sessions - FP-s and qualifying too