Testing complete - 1 day till Free Practice 1 in Melbourne!

[evertV12]

Yes, I think all 2013 cars are more beautiful in general than last couple of years. Williams front wing is pretty thing too.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Anybody know why there no live timing on the BBC?

Oh and now all the cars have been released the Ferrari is the best looking IMO

Says the guy who got a Ferrari as an avatar
At least we are sure you're not biased

As for today, Rosberg toped the ranking even if Mercedes had another problem.

1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.616s 54 Medium
2. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m22.672s + 0.007s 44 Medium
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m22.952s + 0.336s 110 Medium
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m22.965s + 0.349s 66 Medium
5. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m23.733s + 1.117s 86 Soft
6. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m23.884s + 1.268s 73 Hard
7. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m24.124s + 1.508s 77 Medium
8. Paul di Resta Force India 1m24.144s + 1.528s 82 Medium
9. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m25.124s + 2.508s 68 Hard
10. Max Chilton Marussia 1m26.747s + 4.131s 65 Soft
11. Charles Pic Caterham 1m27.534s + 4.918s 49 Hard

 

[Wardez]

Ted's notebook day 1 Barcelona:


hahahah, this camera guy "Pete" cracks me up more and more.

Anybody know why there no live timing on the BBC?

BBC's livefeed sucked to be honest. No point in investing too much when you only have rights to a fraction of the races anyway.

Sky Sports general recap:


lmao to the cringe-fest that is the last question to Kimi.

 

[priesty_lfc]

Says the guy who got a Ferrari as an avatar
At least we are sure you're not biased

Busted haha......

Na I just think the Ferrari does look nice plus the livery is not ott like some of the others.....

BBC's livefeed sucked to be honest. No point in investing too much when you only have rights to a fraction of the races anyway.

True but the BBC feed is easier to follow for me on work!

Just strange that they had a feed for Jerez but not one for Barcelona......

 

[Wardez]

Everything's updated on the OP for day 1 and day 2.

Check out the links, they're good!

Day 1 live commentary (automatically archived):
http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/553

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/f1-live/f1-fanatic-live-2013-testing-day-5-barcelona/

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/testresults/1532/formula-1-test-at-circuit-de-catalunya-19-february-2013/

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/100950.html

Day 1 results:

Notes:
- Williams, the last team to unveil their 2013 car, the FW35, will be first shown in an event in the pitlane before it goes out for testing today.
- First test outing of Fernando Alonso in the new Ferrari F138.
- Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi will both be testing alongside the only confirmed driver so far, Di Resta.
- Rosberg's car had a gearbox failure early on in the day
- FIA deems Caterham and Williams exhaust conditioner plane solutions illegal.
- Lots of teams reported software issues strangely. Lotus hit with telemetry data corruption, flying blind after only two laps for a while. Reb Bull encountered baseline software issues themselves with prevented them from running for a time as well.

Video:
General Sky Sports wrap up:
http://youtu.be/K9AS6I-dr-U
Ted's Notebook:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW2URm5fhiI

News stories:
Pre-test brief:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105604
Sutil and Bianchi auditioning?
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/02/19/f1-fanatic-roundup-1902/
Pirelli Barcelona preview:
http://www.pitpass.com/48401-Pirelli-previews-the-first-Barcelona-test
Review:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/02/19/rosberg-pips-raikkonen-top-time-barcelona/
Rosberg fastest on day 1:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/19/barcelona-day-1-rosberg-fractionally-faster-than-raikkonen/
Mercedes in much better shape this year - Rosberg:
http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/101068.html
FW35 is 'a big improvement' - Maldonado:
http://en.espnf1.com/williams/motorsport/story/101080.html
Paul Di Resta: We got a good feel for [tires] once again:
http://www.formula1onlive.com/2013/02/paul-di-resta-we-got-good-feel-for-them.html
Vettel: At this stage it's still very difficult to judge:
http://www.formula1onlive.com/2013/02/vettel-at-this-stage-its-still-very.html
Vettel: Car feels better than 12 months ago:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/02/19/vettel-car-feels-12-months/
Lotus stunted by telemetry problems:
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1...try-problems-on-Day-One-of-the-Barcelona-test
Caterham and Williams exhausts illegal:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105623
Vettel: It's tough to keep the tires alive for many laps:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/20/v...o-keep-the-pirelli-tyres-alive-for-many-laps/
Williams pushes rule limits with their new 2013 car:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/20/williams-pushes-rule-limits-with-their-new-2013-car/
Sutil Vs. Bianchi:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/20/y...-india-seat-still-the-hot-topic-in-barcelona/
Alonso thinks the F138 is on another planet too:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/20/alonso-i-share-felipes-opinion-that-the-f138-is-on-another-planet/

Photo galleries:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/02/20/2013-f1-testing-day-6-pictures/_mg_8598/

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-photos/9213/formula-1-test-at-circuit-de-catalunya-19-february-2013/

http://photos.speedtv.com/gallery/F...m_2_0213/slideshow/Sergio_Perez/02wk1ocflj5mo

http://www.formula1onlive.com/2013/02/day-1-photos-2013-barcelona-pre-season.html

 

[freshseth83]

Hamilton and Vettel, back and forth!

 

[Wardez]

Yeah, and the best part's Vettel used mediums and Hamilton did that time on hards, still waiting to see what he can pull on mediums now, if they can. Otherwise it'll keep heating up and once that happens everything'll change.

Now Vettel just went a tenth lower on softs.

 

[freshseth83]

If this is any indication of what Mercedes can do, they're looking in much better shape than last year. And last year they won Shanghai and took pole at Monaco.

 

[Wardez]

Lunchtime break now.

Only problem is that we have no idea what amounts of fuel they're running, so the times are up in the air, so to speak.

Once every one starts putting in more long runs it'll be easier to spot overall speed by the consistency of their pace.

 

[Wardez]

My man Checo on top breaking the lap record from last year by 2 tenths and Hamilton's pole by four tenths!

Ted's Notebook day 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntpzQkkGCbU

Awesome how he notes, "Lewis Hamilton's time on the hard tyre this morning will have made "Red Bull sit up and take notice.""

Sauber tested their own Drag Reduction Device today, interestingly enough:

Pretty much an exact copy of the Lotus except for the seemingly less elegant monkeyseat/mini-diffuser.

Mercedes have come up with a Williams style solution. But they cover the exhaust ramp IN FRONT of the exhaust hole. You can't see this in the picture above, which seems to be a hybrid version of the conventional an coanda version. So they install a flow conditioner for the exhaust which should be allowed as it does not effect the direction of the exhaust gases AFTER they exit the pipes.

Hamilton's fastest lap was during a stint which lasted 7 more laps. So that means that he could go roughly 0.6-0.8 faster on low fuel.
So you are talking high 1.21's on the hard tyre. You bet the engine could be turned up a bit higher too.

More pics of the very interesting exhaust solution:

McLaren and Ferrari put up some nice long stints, with Checo putting in very quick consistent ones. The MP4-28 seems to be quite the confidence maker, being pushed consistently on the whistle. They also seem to be in sync with the tire situation better than most at this stage. A lot of people were struggling. One other thing to note, know Lotus, and only one long run for Red bull, which could be skewing things a bit.

Perez did a 15 lap stint, starting at 1:29.7 and ending at 1:32.1. ~0.2s per lap on what I have to assume are the hard tires.

 

[thewheelman83]

Wow!... this is great info here, Wardez. Giving you a 👍 👍... Keep up the good job, mate.

 

[freshseth83]

The exhaust was switched back to the coanda type on the Mercedes when Hamilton starting doing his 1:22's.

 

[Wardez]

Ahh, time to stretch out, make a nice coffee, put on an old race of choice for the soundtrack, and take in some F1 testing again.

OP updated.

Here's day 3 for you guys so far:

_____________Day 3 _____________​

Test starts: 9am CET (8am GMT)
Test ends: 5pm CET (4pm GMT)

Drivers for the Day - February 21st:

Red Bull - Mark Webber
McLaren - Jenson Button
Ferrari - Fernando Alonso
Lotus - Romain Grosjean
Mercedes - Nico Rosberg
Sauber - Nico Hulkenberg
Force India - Adrian Sutil
Williams - AM: Pastor Maldonado PM: Valtteri Bottas
Toro Rosso - Jean-Eric Vergne
Caterham - Giedo van der Garde
Marussia - Luiz Razia
​

Day 3 live commentary (automatically archived):
http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/555

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/f1-live/f1-fanatic-live-2013-testing-day-7-barcelona/

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/testresults/1534/formula-1-test-at-circuit-de-catalunya-21-february-2013/

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/100950.html

Day 3 results:

Notes:
- Adrian Sutil makes his F1 return today, last having driven a top-tier GP car in 2011. He is being evaluated through testing against Jules Bianchi for securing a racing seat for this season.
- It is an unusually cold day in Barcelona today. This will cause tires to degrade at an increased rate.

Video:

News stories:
New McLaren adapted to Button's style:
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns24847.html
Ecclestone and Todt to meet:
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns24846.html
Drivers not a priority at Force India says Bruno Senna:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/21/d...d&utm_campaign=Feed:+Yallaf1com+(YallaF1.com)
Yet to be filled Force India seat to be hot topic in Barcelona:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/20/y...-india-seat-still-the-hot-topic-in-barcelona/
Sutil calm ahead of crucial career defining F1 test:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/21/sutil-calm-ahead-of-crucial-career-defining-f1-test/
What's really going on with the "extreme degradation"?
http://www.scribblelive.com/Event/SinglePost.aspx?PostId=63977703



Photo galleries:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/02/21/2013-f1-testing-day-7-pictures/

http://www.formula1onlive.com/2013/02/2013-f1-barcelona-testing-day-3-in.html

 

[freshseth83]

Just to repeat, here's the best (IMO) timing site I can find- http://f1tests.info/2013.php?rev=on

 

[Wardez]

Awesome, thanks for that.

Man, it's like they're out of the gate blazing. They already set some '22s out there in the early morning cold. Like they're saying "eff the tires."

Here's the day 2 wrap up from Sky btw:

 

[Carlos]

Watch out!! Maldonado coming out!




Thanks for this thread, nice information 👍

 

[Wardez]

👍

Some great info in what's really going on with the tires:
http://www.scribblelive.com/Event/SinglePost.aspx?PostId=63977703

 

[Carlos]

I was reading something, some time ago, about oiling up tires to get them to grip more. This is done in the RC racing world, those guys said it's done in real racing too. Although I doubt this is used in F1, but do they check tires when they are done racing? Like they check the fuel and the rest of the car.

edit;
Grosjean second fastest!

 

[Wardez]

I was reading something, some time ago, about oiling up tires to get them to grip more. This is done in the RC racing world, those guys said it's done in real racing too. Although I doubt this is used in F1, but do they check tires when they are done racing? Like they check the fuel and the rest of the car.

edit;
Grosjean second fastest!

From regulations:

12.5 Supply of tyres :
12.5.1 All tyres must be used as supplied by the manufacturer, any modification or treatment such as cutting,
grooving or the application of solvents or softeners is prohibited. This applies to dry, intermediate and wet-weather tyres.

"Oiling" is when guys use dissolvents to eat away at the top layers of tires in order to expose rougher layers underneath, or get rid of top coatings, making the rubber softer. Solvents like paint thinners and bleach will do the job.

Hydrocarbons will certainly attack natural rubber, products like kerosene or WD-40. They will eat away away at tires, making them softer and stickier as well.

Stuff like this is sold as "tire conditioner.":
http://www.bmikarts.com/Thor-Oil-Tire-Prep-5--100-Goat-P-_p_684.html


I'm pretty sure it's just some hydrocarbon lubricant that acts on rubber too, but they sell it as some special formula.

People do all kinds of stuff to their tires for more grip. They'll even shave buff off the top with a grinder, then use a solvent so it penetrates even further.

Also, the FIA makes Pirelli have strict control over all tires. The teams don't mess with them, before they're on, after they're used. The only times the teams touch them is when they fix them on in the garage or during stops. Next time, look out for the Pirelli staff in and around the garages.

 

[Carlos]

Also, the FIA makes Pirelli have strict control over all tires. The teams don't mess with them, before they're on, after they're used. The only times the teams touch them is when they fix them on in the garage or during stops. Next time, look out for the Pirelli staff in and around the garages.

I will do that!

Alonso has a nice time now, chopped of a few tenths.

 

[Wardez]

Yeah, that dip into the 21s with softs was a great run. Surely on a very low amount of fuel though.

 

[Carlos]

What would the Caterham boys be doing? With their Dutch driver I'm somewhat interested, their times aren't good, especially after 50 laps.

Maybe I have to give in to social media, and follow them to know more..

edit;
Uh-oh.. Just made a Twitter account Now let's find out who to follow

 

[Wardez]

Caterham still uses the same tub. They're trying all kinds of aero dynamic tricks on top of it but it's still the same old girl. Lipstick on a pig in a sense.

They need to really just come to grips with the car right now so they're going to be doing a lot more technical runs than anything. New team as well for the main part, drivers, young principal. They're going to have a lot of headaches this year but if they really concentrate on learning to develop their package unlike last year, which was horrible, they can do great things toward the end, and in preparation for next year for sure. This is effectively them learning to walk still.

It's crazy how much they really seem to have to go back to the basics year after year. For these tests for the new year, they're having to relearn car set up completely almost, when most other teams already have tons of set ups done in simulation or derived from last year to draw from, Caterham's heading out and sticking their thumbs in the air. Not to say that you can't do things that way, of course, you can learn almost as much as the other teams by the time testing's done, but the problem is that once they've figured things out and want to move on to the next step of dialing in their pace, the season's already started.

This is why I hate limited testing in modern F1, it's a detriment to the sport and its up and comers in every regard.

Important addition edit:
Also, they don't plan on getting significant upgrades attached till the Spanish GP. So they're hard at work at the factory, as is always said. If their car isn't fast, it is at least quite reliable, so they're getting good data for sure. Keep all this in mind once we come back to Barcelona during the season, car may look a lot different in profile as well.

Morning wrap-up:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105656

 

[Carlos]

Hmm, that's sad. I want Caterham to do better, atleast better than Marussia. What Marussia did was probably the best thing, compared to Caterham? Since they now have KERS, and already fully understood what the car was doing, they have a jump ahead, am I right?

 

[Wardez]

Marussia have a simpler approach. New tub, so they're learning more, but with an easier package to set up. No word on how well the development is going to go but they could definitely beat out Caterham in the first few races, after that I'm pretty confident they'll be left in the dust unless something really amazing happens. But, again, their package is so simple it doesn't seem like it's going to evolve much. Could be almost a throw away/learning year for 2014, which they should definitely concentrate on big time already.

But their addition of KERS along with the basic fact of having a whole new car means that they'll probably encounter lots of reliability issues nevermind the addition of new substantial aero parts that could interfere with their learned balance in the set up.

I think they may come up against a brick wall around half the season where they'll realize they just can't keep going with such compromised downforced compared to the rest, so they'll try something radical and probably suffer some dark days. I don't know what Pat Symonds has planned, but I'd bet he's probably drawn up the car, said, " well that's better than CFD." Then moved on to designing a couple of upgrade approaches but mostly focusing on the 2014 effort.

All in a new team's year!

 

[Carlos]

I have nothing to reply on that but thanks for your reply!

 

[sems4arsenal]

Quick get him

 

[freshseth83]

McLaren seem to be struggling according to autosport.

 

[Ardius]

Marussia have a simpler approach.

They had a simpler approach the past couple of seasons too, their car has always looked pretty basic. It seems to have always been their design philosophy.

Not to say that you can't do things that way, of course, you can learn almost as much as the other teams by the time testing's done, but the problem is that once they've figured things out and want to move on to the next step of dialing in their pace, the season's already started.

This is why I hate limited testing in modern F1, it's a detriment to the sport and its up and comers in every regard.

Having more testing wouldn't help Caterham or Marussia much. Its about budget, they simply don't have the same resource to spend.
Even if you allowed unlimited testing, the small teams wouldn't be able to afford to go further testing - its why testing was restricted in the first place! You had teams like Ferrari owning their own test track and clocking up thousands of kilometres of testing while teams like Minardi could barely afford to pay tracks to host a test session.

 

[Wardez]

Of course, it wouldn't shake up the running order, that's not what I'm expecting at all. These guys just need more time to get themselves situated outside of having to always do it at the races. The season ends up becoming one long test for them.

Just being allowed more time, not even necessarily having to go out to tracks, but more liberal "straightline" types of testing or other sorts at airport runways and such could be vital.

These "test drivers" need to be able to get more seat time as well.

Even just throwing out a couple more test meetings during the year, in tracks in south England to keep costs down, not Maranello or PR and such, surely would make sense wouldn't it?

I dunno, maybe being blindly idealistic.

Anyway, here's the final times for day 3 at Barcelona:

And some news -
Review:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105659
Boullier talking:
http://www.lotusf1team.com/Encouraging-Signs-for-Eric.html
Nico Rosberg says Mercedes will be closer to front runners:
http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1...s-will-be-closer-to-the-front-runners-in-2013
Vettel Q&A:
http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/2/14281.html
Grosjean pleased with "impressive stint" - 24 laps on Medium tires:
http://en.espnf1.com/lotusf1/motorsport/story/101347.html
Sutil: I've done everything to get my comeback:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/02/21/sutil-comeback/
Ferrari induce exhaust failure to understand its limits:
http://www.yallaf1.com/2013/02/21/f...-failure-on-their-f138-to-explore-the-limits/
Williams competes trouble free day:
http://www.f1technical.net/news/18173?sid=a84387fbda638f796c7e8625df8b8e60
Reb Bull reliability up to par on day 3:
http://www.f1technical.net/news/18171?sid=a84387fbda638f796c7e8625df8b8e60
Jenson Button admits McLaren struggling to understand new car:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105661

btw, it's gonna rain tomorrow!
SUCKS

Ted's notebook day 3:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxomic_ted-s-notebook-barcelona-test-1-day-3_auto#.USbJ3W0ua6W