This does not start well for Williams:
https://www.racefans.net/2019/02/17/williams-will-not-run-on-first-day-of-testing/
Their drivers have a lot of experience in current F1 cars and 2018 was a good year for them. Should be fine.
Both very true and valid points. One wonders why the top teams bother testing at all.
Seems like Williams isn't going to bother with too much of it: https://www.racefans.net/2019/02/18/williams-will-not-run-on-second-day-of-testing/
Well, are they even going to join the grid in Australia?
The car has made it to Barcelona and should hit the track this afternoon, though they quite probably won't cover any decent mileage until tomorrow.
Ferrari looking strong so far, very strong in fact. Mercedes can match them on long runs, but not outrun them too easily. Remains to be seen how it looks when the teams really push for quali style laps. That's most likely not until next week.
Shaping up to be a great battle between Ferrari & Merc, or between Seb & Lewis to be more precise - hopefully Max will be right in the mix at times. Now though, what about the really big question: who will come out on top between Bottas & 'It is I'? I'm going to say the youngster wins the day (year).
Sauber Romeo looking good right from the off; Haas, McLaren and Toro Rosso all appear in reasonable shape; Renault performing below expectations based on some of Hulk's comments.
It's definitely advantage Sauberomeo in the midfield battle, Raikkonen recently lapped 0.9 seconds faster than Leclerc qualified in Spain in 2018. Williams running now too, we'll see if they can get some decent mileage today and tomorrow. Lots of catching up to do.
That's their 2019 mantra sorted.
Sauberomeo (Alfauber?) going great guns at the moment, and wouldn't it be fantastic to see Kimi battling at the top of Formula 1.5. Renault has now also shown a decent turn of speed, closing fast on their best times from 2018 (test & race weekend).
WELL, let us rate the teams after week 1.
1: Ferrari
2: Mercedes
3: Alfa Romeo
4: Red Bull (yup, but they'll be P3 in a week)
5: Haas
6: Renault
7: McLaren
8: Toro Rosso
9: Racing Point
10: Williams
Alfa looks incredibly smooth over kerbs and under acceleration, the only part missing is the braking where they don't quite have the stability of the Ferrari or Mercedes. Red Bull has the braking down, but the cars just don't look 100 percent comfortable through corners. Ferrari and Mercedes both run like clockwork.
Racing Point is running virtually their 2018 car adapted to 2019 regs, and they do not seem fully comfortable.
Sorting 4th to 7th is the tricky bit. Doesn't help that teams insist on using different compounds, that we don't know fuel loads, engine settings, how hard drivers are pushing... basically, all the normal stuff that makes testing such a dodgy guide to actual performance. :)
1. Ferrari
2. Merc
3. Red Bull
4. Alfauber
5. Renault
6. McLaren
7. Haas
8. Toro Rosso
9. Racing Point
15. Williams
So we rate them exactly identical bar Haas and my admittedly incorrect Alfauber Romauber rating? Good for us.
I also put Williams five places lower than you.
This is true.
Lots of familiar faces in the paddock today. Eric Boullier and Fernando Alonso were both spotted, as was Stoffel Vandoorne.
Marcus Ericsson (We all follow him in social media, yes?) has posted on Instagram from Sauber's HQ in Switzerland, and his personal trainer (we all follow him in social media too, yes?) flew from Denmark to Barcelona today. Maybe Sauber will see a visit from their famous Swedish superstar Marcus tomorrow or the day after! WHAT COULD BE MORE EXCITING?!
Well, one thing could be that both Mercedes and Ferrari struggled immensely today, on this day one of test two. Leclerc barely ran at all (29 laps), and Bottas only managed 7 laps all afternoon thanks to the Mercedes requiring an engine change.
Who ran the most laps, you ask? Red Bull's Gasly, the Haas of Magnussen (who struggled last week) and Russell at Williams (a team that did not exist last week). Williams even finished ahead of Renault and Mercedes today, with an almost competitive lap time of 1m19.6s. McLaren's Norris ran fastest, with a 1m17.7s. Fast.
I'm wondering if Ferrari and Mercedes simply are holding back a lot, or if perhaps the gap from the front runners to the midfield may prove to be a bit smaller this year. I am under no circumstances suggesting that McLaren and Alfa Romeo will be fighting for regular podiums (that's still just for the top 3) but perhaps they won't be lapped before the first pit stop.
Quote from: Chrill on February 26, 2019, 01:28:19 PMEric Boullier and Fernando Alonso were both spotted, as was Stoffel Vandoorne.
Chickenpox or a fashion statement?
As for the testing.... I do share your view that the midfield appears to have trimmed its deficit to Merc/Ferrari/Red Bull. Doubtless those three will dominate proceedings, but I'd take it as a positive for the sport if we have a few others around .5 sec/lap off the ultimate (Ferrari?) pace.
Well, Ferrari hit trouble today as well. In the shape of absolutely binning the car into turn 3. Vettel is fine, the car is not. Remains to be seen how many hours of fixing up is needed, and what spare parts cannot be used. Costly.
... and they don't yet know what caused it.
McLaren still setting a strong pace - I'm tempted to bump them up to fourth place in my team ranking thingy.
Very strong pace from Micky Laren, but they also seem to struggle with reliability. Neither Mercedes or Ferrari have had a good start to this week of testing, perhaps they will both show up slightly less prepared than usual in Australia. Surprise podium in case one of the big ones go amiss? Here's hoping. In reality, Lewis or Sebastian will be first and the other will be second. Leclerc, Verstappen and Bottas will have to fight for P3.
So far today, Leclerc has gone fourth fastest using the second hardest compound, which implies he's at least .5 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Now he's bolted on the softest of the soft and gone half a second faster than anyone, and actually just two tenths behind Hamilton's qualifying lap in 2018. Fast stuff.
Toro Rosso and McLaren look good on low fuel loads too. Hoping to see Mercedes try it out as well.
These new wings were expected to cost teams 1 - 1.5 sec/lap, so to already be within a whisker of the 2018 pole is seriously impressive - though not sure how the C5 tyre used today by 'It is I' compares to the super-soft of last year.
It is I's C5 is one step softer than Lewis Hamilton's tyres from that there pole lap.
Prior to the final day of running, I am going to prematurely pick out another ranking. Some things will change.
1. Ferrari
2. Mercedes
3. Red Bull
4. McLaren
5. Renault
6. Alfa Romeo
7. Haas
8. Toro Rosso
9. Racing Point
10. Williams
Now, teams 4-8 seem very evenly matched and any of those may be ranked fourth in about 8-9 hours when testing is over. Racing Point is slipping a little, so is Williams, but Williams appear more competitive than I had expected them to.
Mercedes just seems to lack that final bit of stability. It seems more sluggish, it does not turn in quite as sharply as the Ferrari. Development race for 2019, where Mercedes historically have been stronger.
I'd put Toro Rosso ahead of Haas right now except that their driver line-up doesn't inspire much confidence; mind you, to a far lesser extent that might be a good reason to place Renault above McLaren... and one of the Alfauber cars comfortably ahead of the other. Should we do a top 20 'driver adjusted' ranking for all the cars? Maybe after today's testing.
If Merc's struggles (a relative term) do persist we may have Red Bull all over them in Melbourne, or at least perhaps Max could be, I have Gasly down as a DNF brought about by over-exuberance.
Quote from: Chrill on February 28, 2019, 08:37:41 AM
It is I's C5 is one step softer than Lewis Hamilton's tyres from that there pole lap.
Cheers. So not a bad effort for a guy who says he wasn't even pushing flat out.
Well, both Bottas and Vettel pushed hard on the softest tyres today. Vettel bettered Leclerc by another 0.1 seconds, going 1m16.221s. Bottas best on the same tyres during the same timeframe was 1m16.561s. Both cars seemed to really push. Three tenths is a small gap, one Hamilton can make up by being Hamilton. Still, I find Ferrari stronger.
Does all point towards it being advantage Ferrari. At the moment.
Hamilton is the Mercedes advantage. It's a tight battle as it looks, Ferrari won't run away with it.
Little Jack Horner's elder brother reckons Red Bull has closed the gap on Merc & Ferrari. Toss in the fact that the energy drink people are usually pretty handy at the old in-season development game, and we could be on for a right old ding-dong between the big three.
I don't buy it. Gastappen also does not come across as equally strong to Botham or Leclettel.
I'm not suggesting they're in with a shot of any title this year (and I don't think Horner is either), but I reckon on Max being in the hunt for far more victories than in 2018 - the Bull seemed to have good long-run pace in testing.
Loving Gastappen & Leclettel, but Botham can only ever be cricketing leg end Ian 'Beefy' Botham.
Bottilton? Hamiltottas?
Has to be the Hamiltottas: A curious beast which once roamed the Russian Steppe. Forelegs more powerful than those of any other creature in the land, capable of astounding bursts of speed and changes of direction; hind legs of fine appearance but unable to match the dynamism of those at the front, often dragged limply across the ground as the animal reached maximum velocity.