Bahrain testing 27 Feb-2 Mar

[Winter]

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...

Merc teams may have afford for engine saving. I think we'll be testing like the heck with both of our cars.
If we are behind, we need something new and something new always needs some testing.
And Renault cars needs some test miles too..

[F2002]

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...

Wouldn't it be just a little bit ironic if, after all these rule changes and engines taking centre-stage again, Ferrari were to win on the basis of some newfound aerodynamic capability?

[Nero Horse]

With the Formula 1 world focusing on the forthcoming season opening Australian Grand Prix, the big talking point is how the all new V6 turbo power units will fare in the first race of this new era for the sport - Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo wondered out loud how many cars will cross the finish line on 16 March.

“It will be interesting to see how many cars will finish the first race in Australia,” said Montezemolo at the Geneva Motor Show.

Speaking to journalists, the Ferrari boss added, “The design of these new Formula 1 cars is very complicated, with a lot of aspects still to be defined. Some parts of it we have already developed, whereas others still need working on to give their best. The run up to this season is a bit like a puzzle, with the parts slowing fitting together.”

With not long to go to the start of the Formula 1 World Championship, many teams – including world champions Red Bull – have had difficulties during pre-season testing and look like heading to Melbourne less than completely ready.

However, the President was only concerned with his own team, “The testing we have been able to do has been indispensible. I’m not interested in what the others are doing, we are only concentrating on ourselves.”

“It seems to me, that in terms of reliability the work is very complicated for everyone. These difficulties are understandable, because for 2014, Formula 1 has taken on a big challenge, going down a very innovative route.”

[Nova]

Luca is correct..while this engine does this or is fastest..can it be fastest the whole race and not risk running out of fuel? No..I dont care who is the fastest in testing,
where reliability may be the aces. N I still think its going to take 4 or 5 races to see whats up.
Im so interested to see just what strategies the teams employ this year. I mean, if I cant have full blown pedal to the metal F1 the whole race,
I may as well get into the strategy thing.

[Nova]

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.

Wow, Ferrari should hire you...do u think people here would want you sacked if u did?
Ferrari will be fine. People, especially new fans got so spoiled by the Brawn, Todt, Shuey era..that doesnt happen often, winning like that.

[stefa]

I still refuse to take any of all rumors regarding Ferrari as try. I''ll wait until first race and that to comment about my disappointment or (preferably) joy about pace and level of competitiveness!

[Bertie]

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

Edit: from regulations

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

Qualifying yes. but isn't free practice.... free? as in no parc ferme e.g. you could in theory run illegal parts/settings in free practice and a protest would only be made if they were raced (didn't red bull do this last season with hydraulic suspension to find optimal ride height quicker?). Last year if engine or gear box went in free practice there were times when no penalty was given because it was a practice part. Whether they were additional units or ones that had gone through the cycle, i don't know.

Thanks for quoting the regs it seems clear.

[Alonsomaniac]

I don't worry at all. I see Fernando walking around with a big smile on his face.

[Kiwi Nick]

I don't worry at all. I see Fernando walking around with a big smile on his face.

That could be because his cycling team is coming together!

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/...in-2015-113630

[ntukza]

That could be because his cycling team is coming together!

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/...in-2015-113630

Or maybe after four years he's gotten used to Ferrari's lackluster cars that it doesn't affect him anymore ;)

[PS: to the serious and overly sensitive fans, please don't take my comment seriously. Calm down, I'm a Ferrari supporter, I promise.]

[ntukza]

I can't say what's true and what's not but I think it's fair to say the 'quietly confident' impression has dissipated.

[Katu]

Qualifying yes. but isn't free practice.... free? as in no parc ferme e.g. you could in theory run illegal parts/settings in free practice and a protest would only be made if they were raced (didn't red bull do this last season with hydraulic suspension to find optimal ride height quicker?). Last year if engine or gear box went in free practice there were times when no penalty was given because it was a practice part. Whether they were additional units or ones that had gone through the cycle, i don't know.

Thanks for quoting the regs it seems clear.

last years if engine or gearbox failed in FP sessions they usually were older engines and gearboxes, already used in many races. so no, every engine counts

[Stormsearcher]

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



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

I wouldnt read too much into his comments. He usually doesnt know whats going on in his own companies as well.

[ntukza]

I wouldnt read too much into his comments. He usually doesnt know whats going on in his own companies as well.

Hahahaha

[FER]

This is not exactly what can be said of past commentaries, @FER, especially in the last few years, when pre-season forecasts have always materialized unfortunately.

At the same time, reliability will certainly be an important factor this season, and for this reason, it is impossible to predict who will really be competitive in Australia and the subsequent few races. The story of the hare and the tortoise springs to mind...

I can recall few pre-season sessions in recent years as expectations missed the reality to 100%.

[anialonso]

AMuS published an interesting report about Ferrari:

http://www.auto-moto...ht-8166040.html

Ferraris strange test strategy bluff or caution?
From Ferrari one is not smart. The red cars drove in Bahrain much phased quickly, lay in her best time but a second behind Mercedes and Williams. High top speed and good sector times raise questions: Ferrari bluffing or you dare to rarely, to give full power?

Ferrari race director Stefano Domenicali moved to eight days of testing in Bahrain balance: "We are behind Mercedes and Williams now developing race begins to catch up.." When the microphones were turned off, Ferraris Capo added: "The residue is not as big and aufholbar."

Ferrari is to assess the most difficult of all the teams. What can the red cars really, if you let them? Force India technical director Andy Green believes that Ferrari's bluffing. , Mercedes engineers suspect based on their GPS measurements that no longer works at the moment. The second residue of Fernando Alonso 's fastest time is what Ferrari draufhat two weeks before the start of the season.

After mileage at No. 3
Clear is just one. With 4,458 kilometers of testing Ferrari is at No. 3 behind Mercedes (4972 km) and Williams (4892 km). "Most of the problems sorted out we", Fernando Alonso found satisfactory. This can be a joker in Melbourne. Reliability is one thing, speed the other. And just because donates Ferrari confusion. The F14T only showed his true colors in phases.

For top speed. On the last day Alonso roared with 339.6 km / h over the finish line. To worlds faster than the competition. The round itself was rather slow with 1:35.509 minutes. It was 1.2 seconds over Alonso's best value with 1:34.280 minutes. Same game two days earlier. Alonso was measured at 338.5 km / h on the home straight. Then he put the car into overdrive. The corresponding Lap Time: 1:40.634 minutes.

What does Ferrari?
But it was also vice versa. In his fastest lap of the entire Bahrain tests Alonso turned in 308.5 km / h over the finish line. Above 30 km / h slower than what would have been possible. The sector times this round did not appear. Ferrari stated transponder problems. Accident or design? With no team existed in the sector detection so many empty records. And on all test days. Only on the finish line and at the top-speed determination Ferrari could not hide anything. Since it does not rely solely on the transponder. These values ​​are registered without interruption. If one were to add together the best sector times that were officially measured from Ferrari, then Alonso's fastest lap at 1:35.559 minutes had stood. So 1.279 seconds slower than the personal best. This is, however, guaranteed.


Packed Top Speeds in slow rounds
Italian media speculated that Ferrari did not want to show his true colors and therefore a personal timekeeping has built up somewhere along the line. You have given only between these measurement points really gas to disguise at start and finish, what you really on it.

This theory is also represented by Force India technical director Andy Green: "It's funny that Ferrari packs his best top Speeds in slow rounds your sector times they have driven at different times.." For the suspicion that Ferrari not shown everything has, says: Domenicali, Alonso and Raikkonen had a remarkable cool in spite of the residue from one second to Mercedes and Williams. Normally such a difference would fire under the roof.


Mercedes is not smart from Ferrari program
At Mercedes which is doubted. Chief designer Aldo Costa says: "Based on our GPS measurements Ferrari is as fast as what the lap times you only drive a funny test program It differs from all other We were not smart from what they did there.... " There are voices from the Ferrari camp that Ferrari could indeed go faster, but have not done as a precaution. Or only very rarely for a few sections to see what would be possible if you let the dog off the chain. That would speak for the strong fluctuations and the highlights that are always flashed only briefly.


Gives the Ferrari 40 PS ago
Supposedly there is also at Ferrari still problems with the engine tuning. Nowhere near as bad as Renault, but large enough that you can not afford it permanently to drive on the straights with the maximum possible boost pressure or retrieve the entire electrical power. Most of the time have been retrieved apparently only 120 of the 160 horsepower of the electric motor. Overall, we gave away 1.5 seconds due to the conservative engine settings. Even with the fuel consumption can you still be on the limit. It is now a certain knowledge that Ferrari when downshifting the MGU-K uses to electrically to give intermediate gas. So it sounds as if the motor is switched off. There are rumors that you hear nothing. An expert: "You do that when you have problems with the fuel consumption."


Electric intermediate gas: Good or Bad?
Mercedes thinks this is a waste of electrical energy. The one could be better deployed elsewhere. But there are also dissenting votes. Toyota makes at his new Le Mans engine the same. The Japanese engineers have calculated that between gas with the electric motor is the most efficient way for the gearbox, fuel consumption and driveability and not adversely affect the electrical power output elsewhere. If you have mastered the tuning perfect. And that is the biggest problem.

If its true then we have all the rights to be optimisstic..

[Hornet]

I wouldnt read too much into his comments. He usually doesnt know whats going on in his own companies as well.

[Ste]

The new Williams Livery:

[Schumiklub]

The Williams looks really cool with the Martini colors.

[Tobes]

Got to love that livery, looks a bit retro, I know it's been on a number of cars in various racing series, but it always reminds me of the Lancia Delta S4 WRC car, it's as iconic as the Gulf livery...

[Ste]

At least Williams have their driver number visible

[wisepie]

Got to love that livery, looks a bit retro, I know it's been on a number of cars in various racing series, but it always reminds me of the Lancia Delta S4 WRC car, it's as iconic as the Gulf livery...

Me too, and the Lancia LC2 LMP cars, but Felipe just doesn't look right in white overalls, this will take some getting used to. I feel shaken and stirred!

[vcs316]

Love the Williams livery!!

[ManFromMilan]

The new Williams livery really does look very cool.

Good to see the livery back in F1.

[Senna4Ever]

Got to love that livery, looks a bit retro, I know it's been on a number of cars in various racing series, but it always reminds me of the Lancia Delta S4 WRC car, it's as iconic as the Gulf livery...

[Forzi]

Does look brilliant:

[Alonsomaniac]

Ooh......a beautiful, almost classic racingcar.....if that car is really as fast as it looks, Felipe will enjoy himself this year.

[raylinds]

I also love the williams livery. I notice the photos are also made to look retro- they look like prints from the 70s with the scewed colors.

[diesel08]

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/3...-in-australia/

[F2002]

Does look brilliant:

It's probably the only car whose penis looks OK