2018 Season Launch and Testing Thread

[Moneyseeker]

Good to see Pemex on the FI, takes me back to the Piquet/Brabham days !

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

[djinvicta]

It's snowing in Lloret on the beach at the moment (8.30pm Spainish time) just north of Barcelona!

[Richard C]

I haven't commented since the launch of a number of cars...

Toro Rosso: Like last year I think TR has done a great job with their livery. I think the color combo along with the white/silver bull and lettering looks great.

Haas: I like it well enough. I know they try to include the corporate color pallet in the car livery. It's just unfortunate that the putty grey color is not particular inspiring on an F1 car. Otherwise I think it's fine given the constraints they had to work with.

Force India: I don't hate it, I want to like it, but can't. I know it is driven by sponsor color scheme.

Red Bull: I wish they would change it up. It's generally the same thing they have been doing for years. Not bad at all, but just a bit worn.

McLaren: As I joked earlier... "New and improved with more Orange!". But seriously, I think it looks great.

Overall, I think we are seeing a general improvement with respect to liveries over the past handful of years.

As to testing and specifically testing times. It's hard to not get excited, but... I think the main thing that can be taken from this is if teams are able to get the required laps in without significant issue. Times don't mean much at this point. In short, are they able to run their expected testing program. I think it is promising that TR/Honda seems to be running reliably (which I generally expected).

Richard

[AdrianM]

Originally Posted by insane014

How come? Alonso's fastest times were achieved on super softs compared to his times on softs.

With different air and track temperatures and a more rubbered in newly laid track surface. You can't apply what makes sense at a standard GP weekend to testing in conditions where it's too cold to stand at the trackside.

Not to mention they're all running through set programs and lap times are meaningless. The important thing is the programs they are running through and the data they are gathering.

[sizzle]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/feature...ng-opening-day

Really liked this bit.

The Haas looked like a bit of a handful in Romain Grosjean's hands, and he still wants to brake five metres later than everybody else.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by sizzle

The Haas looked like a bit of a handful in Romain Grosjean's hands, and he still wants to brake five metres later than everybody else.

Grosjean's ever present brake problems in a nutshell.

[wnut]

I see the Williams genii are about where the forum thought they'd be.

[F1Guy]

Day 2 about to get underway. Current temp's are 3ºC air and 4ºC track.

Perfect!!

[F1Guy]

They should move the second test to Melbourne Australia. Then two weeks later, we race!

Any members from Melbourne think this is a bad idea?

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

They should move the second test to Melbourne Australia. Then two weeks later, we race!

Any members from Melbourne think this is a bad idea?

Boy would that get the NIMBYs going.

[S griffin]

Vandoorne second fastest this morning, McLaren-Renault's first full day seems to be going well

[BertMk2]

Kubica faster then Sirotkin and Stroll.

Not that you can read much into testing times of course but still:

[Moneyseeker]

Apparently the teams are proposing to extend the test until Friday and potentially not run tomorrow (Wed) due to snow forecast and very cold track temp.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Kubica faster then Sirotkin and Stroll.

Not that you can read much into testing times of course but still:

If the track temperatures they enjoyed were anything like comparable that might be relevant..... Track temp was 2.2C when the session started and climbed to double figures at midday. (There was no break today because they knew the best conditions would be early afternoon)When Kubica went out after lunch the sun was shining and track temp was reported at 18C and the two quickest guys got down to 19's.... although track temps fell later in the afternoon back to single figures and the times increased accordingly. The times today were even less meaningful than normal test times.
Hardly apples with apples.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by E.B

If the track temperatures they enjoyed were anything like comparable that might be relevant..... Track temp was 2.2C when the session started and climbed to double figures at midday. (There was no break today because they knew the best conditions would be early afternoon)When Kubica went out after lunch the sun was shining and track temp was reported at 18C and the two quickest guys got down to 19's.... although track temps fell later in the afternoon back to single figures and the times increased accordingly. The times today were even less meaningful than normal test times.
Hardly apples with apples.

That's what I meant by "Not that you can read much into testing times of course" there are so many variables we don't know about (fuel load, what they were trying achieve on any given run etc etc etc) that direct comparisons are useless.

Just thought it was amusing that Kubica was the fastest of the 3 - it's a great soundbite.

[AdrianM]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

Apparently the teams are proposing to extend the test until Friday and potentially not run tomorrow (Wed) due to snow forecast and very cold track temp.

But as usual they can't agree on it so it probably won't happen.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by AdrianM

But as usual they can't agree on it so it probably won't happen.

They all need to agree for it to happen.... Williams have the circuit booked privately on Friday for promo filming. Ferrari same for Saturday. As you say the 100% agreement required is a (very) long shot.

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Vandoorne second fastest this morning, McLaren-Renault's first full day seems to be going well

On the ultrasofts, the Red Bull was just as fast on the mediums(and did almost double the laps)

[E.B]

McLaren only managed 37 laps today, not even going out to play in the afternoon after an exhaust pipe clip broke.

They were also the only team to resort to using the pink hypersoft tyre to set their times.

Vandoorne did not return to the track due to work required after the exhaust came loose.

"Unfortunately we had a small issue with an exhaust clip, just after lunch, which obviously detached the exhaust and blew a lot of hot air on some of the wiring looms," he said.

"One of those wiring looms was the brake wire as well, so the team took precautionary checks, which obviously meant things took a bit longer than expected."

[AdrianM]

They're all correlating wind tunnel data, mapping the cars, checking for installation issues etc etc. Times are utterly irrelevant especially in this weather. What tyres they run are also irrelevant when it's 2 degrees.

At the end of next week they'll all be going three seconds faster than they are now.

[F1Guy]

Will there even be any testing today??

I don't think so. Going to need snow chains I think.

[Mike Bell]

There’s a tweet on beeb sport showing snow falling at the circuit. Better now, just realised we’re there in 5 weeks......

[F1Guy]

These have just arrived in pitlane!

[E.B]

Catalunya this morning.....

[S griffin]

Well this is worse than where I am in Hertfordshire. Such a shame it doesn't look like it's going to be rescheduled due to all the teams not agreeing