The 2012 Pre-Season testing thread

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 03 Feb 2012, 23:31

Time to kick things off with the running order for the first test at Jerez.

Note the distinct lack of Marussia at the first test. Whether it's strategic or indicating something more serious remains to be seen.

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 03 Feb 2012, 23:34

What will Mercedes be running then? I heard they're not putting out their new car until the 21st...

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 04 Feb 2012, 00:06

JeremyMcClean wrote:What will Mercedes be running then? I heard they're not putting out their new car until the 21st...

I'm pretty sure they're running the old car, mostly to evaluate the new Prielli tyres for this year.

S951 · Post by **S951** » 04 Feb 2012, 00:51

Sky supposed to be showing testing

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 04 Feb 2012, 01:07

I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that Marussia had announced already that they wouldn't be attending the first test.

My guess is they're just focusing on getting the new car out for the second test, but that's just a combination of me speculating and hoping! :lol:

AdrianSutil · Post by **AdrianSutil** » 04 Feb 2012, 03:31

Interesting to see Webber ahead of Vettel. I assume that's because they want to iron out any early teething problems when Webber's in the car, therefore giving Vettel two solid days. That's what I think anyway.

And why haven't Caterham announced their line-up? Have they got problems?

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 04 Feb 2012, 03:37

AdrianSutil wrote:And why haven't Caterham announced their line-up? Have they got problems?

Probably still trying to get rid of Jarno :lol:

razta · Post by **razta** » 04 Feb 2012, 08:36

JeremyMcClean wrote:What will Mercedes be running then? I heard they're not putting out their new car until the 21st...

It IS the old car, with a few mods

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 04 Feb 2012, 09:33

AndreaModa wrote:I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that Marussia had announced already that they wouldn't be attending the first test.

My guess is they're just focusing on getting the new car out for the second test, but that's just a combination of me speculating and hoping!

IIRC, when they announced they'd be missing the first test they also said they wouldn't have the new car ready til the third test.

razta · Post by **razta** » 04 Feb 2012, 09:41

So, Looks like Mclaren have already caused a stir..
http://planet-f1.com/news/3213/7482614/ ... -Concerns-

:lol:

Post by **mario** » 04 Feb 2012, 10:15

GwilymJJames wrote:
AndreaModa wrote:I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that Marussia had announced already that they wouldn't be attending the first test.

My guess is they're just focusing on getting the new car out for the second test, but that's just a combination of me speculating and hoping!

IIRC, when they announced they'd be missing the first test they also said they wouldn't have the new car ready til the third test.

That is correct - Symonds has said that they have fallen behind schedule so they will not participate in the first test, will only carry out a limited amount of testing at the second test to give Pic time to try the MVR-02 and hope that the MR-01 will be ready in time for the 3rd test.
Considering how much HRT have been criticised in recent years, it's probably a bit embarrassing for Marussia that they are almost certainly going to be the one who launch their car last of all and clock up the least test mileage on their car (Symonds did mention in an interview at the Autosport Show that the wind tunnel testing of the MR-01 would only start in February, which is why they are so far behind schedule).

AdrianSutil wrote:Interesting to see Webber ahead of Vettel. I assume that's because they want to iron out any early teething problems when Webber's in the car, therefore giving Vettel two solid days. That's what I think anyway.

And why haven't Caterham announced their line-up? Have they got problems?

It tends to very from year to year and team to team - for example, last year it was Hamilton and Alonso who were given the chance to test first, but this year it will be Massa and Button who start off their respective test programs. I can't quite remember how Red Bull ran their program last year though, but it might be that the roles were reversed last year (I suspect that they were), so it is more likely that Red Bull are simply alternating their test program from year to year. As for Caterham, it is possible that their new test driver, van der Garde - the news has just been announced on Autosport - will be given some time in the seat, and Caterham chose not to announce the running order so they wouldn't reveal who they were planning on signing.

razta wrote:So, Looks like Mclaren have already caused a stir..
http://planet-f1.com/news/3213/7482614/ ... -Concerns-

Who says that is it just McLaren who are being looked into by the FIA? It could well be that Whiting has gone to inspect other devices - for example, the modifications that Mercedes are thought to have made to their interlinked suspension system that now acts as an anti dive device could be under scrutiny given what happened to Lotus (interestingly, when Goss was asked about the Lotus ride height adjustment mechanism, he said that McLaren never investigated that avenue because they always believed that the device fell foul of the regulations, so they were not exactly surprised when the FIA did eventually backtrack and declared the device illegal). Similarly, we know that Ferrari as working on an anti dive system close to the one Lotus were employing, so Ferrari might also be under the spotlight.
The FIA might even be concerned about the legality of a car that hasn't even launched yet; remember, the teams often submit elements of their designs to Whiting for his assessment, and a number of teams (Sauber, Williams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso) are launching their cars in Jerez, not in their factory.

I don't think that the fact McLaren didn't show off their diffuser is necessarily a sign of guilt either - Ferrari and Caterham also chose to block off their diffuser in the shots released to the press (only Force India revealed theirs, and that was because their shakedown was taking place immediately after the press session). It may well be McLaren, but it is by no means assured, especially given that the reports of McLaren being close to the limit of the rules look to be increasingly unreliable, and the MP4-27 is, if anything, relatively conservative on the outside compared to some cars (i.e. the Ferrari F2012).

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 07 Feb 2012, 09:27

I know testing indicates almost nothing by Raikkonn already looks like he's in the zone. Suddenly this season just got a whole lost more interesting.

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 07 Feb 2012, 10:02

Either Lotus are showboating or they're seriously quick. It's barely been 2 hours and Raikkonen's already beaten the fastest time from the entire Jerez test last year. And the kicker? That time was set on medium compound tyres.

Enforcer · Post by **Enforcer** » 07 Feb 2012, 10:19

That's not good for Kimi though. If he's expending his will to give a shite about racing now, he'll have run out of enthusiasm by FP2 in Australia...

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 07 Feb 2012, 10:20

planet-f1.com wrote:And an article in Spanish daily Marca

Post by **mario** » 07 Feb 2012, 11:27

Wizzie wrote:Either Lotus are showboating or they're seriously quick. It's barely been 2 hours and Raikkonen's already beaten the fastest time from the entire Jerez test last year. And the kicker? That time was set on medium compound tyres.

I suspect that Kimi is using this test session as a statement of intent to answer his critics - he's the sort of person who prefers to let his driving do the talking, and the fact that he has been going for it right from the off (even attacking the pit lane entry on his in laps) sounds like just the sort of thing you'd do to say "I am back and I've still got it".
He is definitely pushing the car harder than I'd have expected for a test session - particularly given that it is the morning of the first day at the first test - but it'll probably be good for his confidence, and perhaps also good for the team as well (I wouldn't totally discount a little bit of showboating by the team to show off their new sponsors and generate some positive headlines in the press).

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 07 Feb 2012, 12:38

mario wrote:
Wizzie wrote:Either Lotus are showboating or they're seriously quick. It's barely been 2 hours and Raikkonen's already beaten the fastest time from the entire Jerez test last year. And the kicker? That time was set on medium compound tyres.

I suspect that Kimi is using this test session as a statement of intent to answer his critics - he's the sort of person who prefers to let his driving do the talking, and the fact that he has been going for it right from the off (even attacking the pit lane entry on his in laps) sounds like just the sort of thing you'd do to say "I am back and I've still got it".
He is definitely pushing the car harder than I'd have expected for a test session - particularly given that it is the morning of the first day at the first test - but it'll probably be good for his confidence, and perhaps also good for the team as well (I wouldn't totally discount a little bit of showboating by the team to show off their new sponsors and generate some positive headlines in the press).

Given that it is Bahahahahar's team, I am betting on showboating. One point against it was that they did the same thing last year only to reveal themselves as quick in the first races. They then lost on the development front but that is another story.

S951 · Post by **S951** » 07 Feb 2012, 12:57

is this being shown on sky? they said they'd be following it all

madmark1974 · Post by **madmark1974** » 07 Feb 2012, 14:06

From the BBC's live updates, on the Red Bull :

BBC Sport's chief F1 writer Andrew Benson
"Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey has been asked about the now-famous hole in the nose of his team's car, which has been the subject of speculation since the RB8 emerged on Monday. He says: 'The slot at the base of the ramp to the nose into the front bulkhead is simply driver cooling. Traditionally that is right at the front of the nose. Really for styling as much as anything we moved it to where you now see it to break up the aesthetics of the ramp that is required by the regulations.' I'm sure there will be a sceptical response to that in some quarters, but at least everyone now knows Newey's position."

Enforcer · Post by **Enforcer** » 07 Feb 2012, 14:36

Whether he's telling the truth or not, I feel that Newey's response amounts to this:

Post by **mario** » 07 Feb 2012, 16:12

DanielPT wrote:
mario wrote:
Wizzie wrote:Either Lotus are showboating or they're seriously quick. It's barely been 2 hours and Raikkonen's already beaten the fastest time from the entire Jerez test last year. And the kicker? That time was set on medium compound tyres.

I suspect that Kimi is using this test session as a statement of intent to answer his critics - he's the sort of person who prefers to let his driving do the talking, and the fact that he has been going for it right from the off (even attacking the pit lane entry on his in laps) sounds like just the sort of thing you'd do to say "I am back and I've still got it".
He is definitely pushing the car harder than I'd have expected for a test session - particularly given that it is the morning of the first day at the first test - but it'll probably be good for his confidence, and perhaps also good for the team as well (I wouldn't totally discount a little bit of showboating by the team to show off their new sponsors and generate some positive headlines in the press).

Given that it is Bahahahahar's team, I am betting on showboating. One point against it was that they did the same thing last year only to reveal themselves as quick in the first races. They then lost on the development front but that is another story.

Possibly yes - it seems that some of the teams sponsors were at Jerez to see if they were getting their money's worth today, although Di Resta also set a fairly quick time later on today. On the whole, it's been reasonably quiet at Jerez it seems, although Toro Rosso seem to have had a few problems (Ascanelli admits that their exhaust design was overheating the rear suspension arms according to Adam Cooper, whilst officially Ricciardo stopped on track with a loss in oil pressure). It's also a shame that Caterham couldn't do any more running (not due to the car itself, but apparently due to a damaged starter mechanism), since Kovalainen seems quite happy with the car and Tost has said that he believes that Caterham will now have a car that is fast enough to catch the midfield pack.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 07 Feb 2012, 16:17

mario wrote:It's also a shame that Caterham couldn't do any more running (not due to the car itself, but apparently due to a damaged starter mechanism), since Kovalainen seems quite happy with the car and Tost has said that he believes that Caterham will now have a car that is fast enough to catch the midfield pack.

And I think they can take encouragement from being faster than Williams. I say this because Williams are traditional showboaters in testing in which they tend to try and convince some sponsors to join in...

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 07 Feb 2012, 19:40

Considering how close PDLR is to the cars in front, I will be taking absolutely nothing away from this test in terms of race form. To me it's just proof this isn't an accurate representation of each team's pace.

Post by **mario** » 07 Feb 2012, 21:07

kostas22 wrote:Considering how close PDLR is to the cars in front, I will be taking absolutely nothing away from this test in terms of race form. To me it's just proof this isn't an accurate representation of each team's pace.

There probably is little that can be taken away from the test data today beyond a few vague indications, which would be that a few teams seem to have had slight problems with overheating bodywork or other components (Ferrari and McLaren seem to have had a few problems with slightly charred bodywork and Toro Rosso had problems with overheating suspension components).
The other thing that seems to have been tentatively suggested is that the new tyres that Pirelli have brought for this test do not produce the same quantity of marbles as we saw in the early part of 2011, and appear to be a little more durable than last year. It's still a touch early, though, to tell whether the teams are running a little lighter on fuel than last year, though only Kobayashi seems to have driven the car until it was dry today (in theory the ban on the retarded ignition timing should reduce fuel consumption, since Renault reckoned that those types of engine maps increased fuel consumption by about 10% last year).

LionZoo · Post by **LionZoo** » 08 Feb 2012, 01:10

kostas22 wrote:Considering how close PDLR is to the cars in front, I will be taking absolutely nothing away from this test in terms of race form. To me it's just proof this isn't an accurate representation of each team's pace.

On the contrary, I am already planning my "Kimi 2012 WDC" party and have put in big orders for magnum, Coke, and vodka.

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 08 Feb 2012, 01:49

LionZoo wrote:On the contrary, I am already planning my "Kimi 2012 WDC" party and have put in big orders for magnum, Coke, and vodka.

I for my part am meanwhile working on my "Williams are awful now, if only they have kept Rubens" rants. :lol:

razta · Post by **razta** » 08 Feb 2012, 03:41

Apparently, Mr Whiting was checking the FERRARI and REDBULL Exhausts yesterday!

razta · Post by **razta** » 08 Feb 2012, 07:09

Eric Bullier.. is rather pissed off with the RRH Ban

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 08 Feb 2012, 08:29

1:22.3 first up from Heikki is actually a pretty good laptime.

And Raikkonen's also had an off-track excusrion so far this morning :lol:

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 08 Feb 2012, 08:52

Kovy less than a second off Webber. Maybe there is a God afterall... :mrgreen:

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 08 Feb 2012, 09:13

Kovalainen has just passed Maldonado on track :lol:

(And yes, I've officially joined the Heikki Kovalainen fan in the past few hours after being a fringe member for the last few years :lol:

)

Up front and Button's less than a tenth off Webber's benchmark so far.

Post by **mario** » 08 Feb 2012, 09:25

razta wrote:Apparently, Mr Whiting was checking the FERRARI and REDBULL Exhausts yesterday!

Interesting, but I'd be surprised if he hadn't checked out the McLaren exhaust system either given that there does seem to be a bit of speculation about what they are doing. Already, it seems that some teams are pushing the regulations closer to the limits than others are, with James Allison saying that he believes that it will take some time, and a fair amount of discussion, before the FIA makes its final rulings on what exactly can be done with bodywork around the exhausts. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97400

Wizzie wrote:Kovy less than a second off Webber. Maybe there is a God afterall...

Webber has picked up speed since then - he has almost matched Kimi's times from yesterday now. What does seem promising for Caterham though is that the Autosport commentators say he has good consistency and pace, plus so far their first runs with KERS (they are actively using KERS today, since yesterday saw them running with their KERS in 'passive' mode) do not seem to have caused any problems.

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 08 Feb 2012, 11:13

Schumi's been absolutely on it in the old car for the last 10 minutes now

fjackdaw · Post by **fjackdaw** » 08 Feb 2012, 11:59

Sergio's new helmet has something of the Badoer about it.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 08 Feb 2012, 12:01

Wizzie wrote:Kovalainen has just passed Maldonado on track

(And yes, I've officially joined the Heikki Kovalainen fan in the past few hours after being a fringe member for the last few years )

Up front and Button's less than a tenth off Webber's benchmark so far.

Nothing against. But I still haven't forgotten Kovalainen's almost barren years at McLaren. He won just one race in a championship winning car and was nowhere the second year. Long way to be a fan, yes.

fjackdaw · Post by **fjackdaw** » 08 Feb 2012, 12:02

PS. I know a girl who looks like Sergio Perez. Would it be wrong to tell her?

AdrianSutil · Post by **AdrianSutil** » 08 Feb 2012, 12:27

fjackdaw wrote:PS. I know a girl who looks like Sergio Perez. Would it be wrong to tell her?

In a word, yes. Even if Sergio has the 'girly' look about him.

Anyway, it's pleasing to see Kovalainen and Caterham doing well.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 08 Feb 2012, 12:29

fjackdaw wrote:PS. I know a girl who looks like Sergio Perez. Would it be wrong to tell her?

That depends... Do you like her?

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 08 Feb 2012, 12:44

fjackdaw wrote:PS. I know a girl who looks like Sergio Perez. Would it be wrong to tell her?

If you happen to know a girl that looks like Nico Rosberg, I might be interested.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 08 Feb 2012, 12:59

Phoenix wrote:
fjackdaw wrote:PS. I know a girl who looks like Sergio Perez. Would it be wrong to tell her?

If you happen to know a girl that looks like Nico Rosberg, I might be interested.

That's... Wrong, man. That is just plain wrong. Can you imagine waking up sleepy in the morning and confound your girl with Nico Rosberg?