2015 Pre Season Testing

[Mike Harte]

Well, we are, I believe, just 2 days away from the first test sessions for 2015, and some of the website headlines make for very sad reading.

Force India have already confirmed that they will not be present at Jerez, and rumours are abounding that neither will Red Bull or Lotus. In the case of RB, it would seem as though their new challenger has not passed the necessary crash testing, whilst at Lotus they are running extremely late.

Whatever, it may be that there will only be 4 or 5 cars testing - not a terribly good way to start the new season.

[wolfhound]

It does not sound promising at all lets hope that we have 18 cars in Melbourne. Considering that the regs are relatively stable one would think that we should have 9 cars in Jerez, at the moment it looks like 6 max.

[Knowlesy]

So, away we go!

Merc have already gone under last year's Jerez best on a 10 lap plus run. Which is kind of scary, but the Merc teams probably have a lot less operational things to go through on the engine side having actually designed it properly some years ago.

The likes of Honda in particular will probably take an age to get going.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

It does not sound promising at all lets hope that we have 18 cars in Melbourne. Considering that the regs are relatively stable one would think that we should have 9 cars in Jerez, at the moment it looks like 6 max.

7 at the moment: Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams,Mclaren, Toro Rosso and Sauber

Lotus should join tomorow, FI will skip this test.

[steve nielsen]

Day 1

1. Vettel Ferrari SF15-T 1:22.620 60 laps
2. Ericsson Sauber C34 1:22.777 +0.157 73 laps
3. Rosberg Mercedes GP W06 1:23.106 +0.486 157 laps
4. Ricciardo Red Bull Racing RB11 1:23.338 +0.718 35 laps
5. Bottas Williams FW37 1:23.906 +1.286 73 laps
6. Sainz jr Toro Rosso STR10 1:25.327 +2.707 46 laps
7. Alonso McLaren MP4-30 1:40.738 +18.118 6 laps

[wolfhound]

It looks like Sauber have a car that is capable of scoring points, it completed 2nd highest number of laps with the second best time of the day. Sponsor hunting perhaps?
Vettel seems to have got off to a good start with Ferrari at least it has some speed but I suspect the Mercedes powered teams have a lot more speed than what we saw today. Rosberg completed over 2 GP distances today that must be ominious for the others. Red bull seems to be camouflaged in more than one way.

By the end of the test we should have a better idea about the pecking order.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

It looks like Sauber have a car that is capable of scoring points, it completed 2nd highest number of laps with the second best time of the day. Sponsor hunting perhaps?
Vettel seems to have got off to a good start with Ferrari at least it has some speed but I suspect the Mercedes powered teams have a lot more speed than what we saw today. Rosberg completed over 2 GP distances today that must be ominious for the others. Red bull seems to be camouflaged in more than one way.

By the end of the test we should have a better idea about the pecking order.

I was about to tell you to 'hold your horses', but then realised anyone who turns up to the races will probably end up scoring a point!!

How very sad...

Selby

[flor]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

It looks like Sauber have a car that is capable of scoring points, it completed 2nd highest number of laps with the second best time of the day. Sponsor hunting perhaps?

Well, that of course and their car is basically the 2014 one anyway, so it should at least be reliable.

[wolfhound]

I wonder have Ferrari made a significant step with their engines as the two fastest time today were Ferrari powered or was everybody else sand bagging. I know a lot is down to the programs everybody was running but still its while since there were 2 Ferrari engined cars at head of the time sheets.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Honestly wolfhound, it's far too early.

All you can take away from today is how Mercedes have a substantial advantage to the rest of the field still, at least in terms of reliability.

You have to believe that all cars would quite fancy 100+ laps out there today! Mercedes were the only team to manage that, and in turn allow Nico to become familiar with the new car, and to gather 4-5 times more data than all the other teams. That's pretty significant.

Pace wise? Doesn't mean anything yet. When Ericsson's second, you know to take no notice You'll have teams like Sauber putting him out there on an empty tank. They need some more sponsors, and they'll want to make Ericsson look competent.

Selby

[Tucky]

Kimi was fastest on the first day last year as well, Ferrari still had a dog of a car the whole year!

[Knowlesy]

Rosberg seemed able to up his pace at will fairly comfortably. And so many laps. Ominous.

[steve nielsen]

Day 2

1. Vettel Ferrari SF15-T 1:20.984 88 laps
2. Nasr Sauber C34 1:21.867 +0.883 88 laps
3. Bottas Williams FW37 1:22.319 +1.335 61 laps
4. Hamilton Mercedes GP W06 1:22.490 +1.506 91 laps
5. Verstappen Toro Rosso STR10 1:24.167 +3.183 73 laps
6. Maldonado Lotus E23 1:25.802 +4.818 41 laps
7. Button McLaren MP4-30 1:54.655 +33.671 6 laps
8. Kvyat Red Bull Racing RB11 no time 18 laps

RBR only did installation laps without a front wing after Kvyat damaged the front wing on his first lap, they did'nt have a spare front wing yet.

[wolfhound]

F1 cars did not need front wings in the early 80's as they generated so much downforce from the underbody. I thought that they looked a lot better without front wings as well.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

F1 cars did not need front wings in the early 80's as they generated so much downforce from the underbody. I thought that they looked a lot better without front wings as well.

[Sodemo]

The size of the front wings has gotten ridiculous. They need to dramatically reduce the size of them. Same width, (or maybe a touch narrower) but stop all the multideck elements, just regulate that they can have 2 elements of a given size and that's it.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

The size of the front wings has gotten ridiculous. They need to dramatically reduce the size of them. Same width, (or maybe a touch narrower) but stop all the multideck elements, just regulate that they can have 2 elements of a given size and that's it.

Or get rid of them altogether, there's a radical idea.

[JeremySmith]

Speck front and rear wings ....

[dsg]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Speck front and rear wings ....

Any wings you want as long as they are a straight, single continuous plane.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by dsg

Any wings you want as long as they are a straight, single continuous plane.

I could drive a truck through the holes in that regulation.

[Born Racer]

Wings belong on aeroplanes and birds to generate lift.

You don't see wings in the animal kingdom to keep an animal planted to the floor.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

Wings belong on aeroplanes and birds to generate lift.

You don't see wings in the animal kingdom to keep an animal planted to the floor.

It's little known that the duck-billed platypus can run so fast its bill is actually an aerodynamic device keeping it pinned to the floor for better traction.

*That's* where last year's nose designs came from.

[Knowlesy]

@alo_oficial: "Encouraging morning here at the test! 32 laps. We keep learning about the car! #McLarenHonda"

@McLarenF1: "Lunchbreak: 32 laps on the board for Fernando, and a best time of 1m35.553s. #Progress #SizeZeroF1Car"

[Gingers4Justice]

Really don't like the Size Zero reference. It's insensitive on all sorts of levels.

[rwintle]

Three sets of very nice photos from Jerez, from Flickrite Greg Kingston here if you're interested:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gregkingston/sets/