Williams back to looking poor again Ferrari looking improved but still iffy Red Bull still seems the most planted, but happily the McLaren seems quite a close match. (happily for me and anyone who wants a closer season )
Well the material science behind it isn't too complicated, but I imagine the application would be a nightmare. Certainly feasible though, and if they've mastered the materials, they could produce something truly impressive.
I found it from the bbc feed. "McLaren tell us the focus for the first two days is race simulation work, while the final two days 'will be more exclusively devoted to learning about the new upgrades'." Also here is the article I think you were referring to with Button talking about the major update. "There will definitely be something new before Melbourne," he said. "We have an update on the car for the first race, it's not a completely straightforward update. It's not just about bolting downforce onto the car, it's slightly more than that I would say. I just hope that we're going in the right direction. The windtunnel says we are so I'm looking forward to the update next week and then we can start balancing the car and finding a direction for the first race. "It's the same for a lot of people, we do a lot of testing with the launch cars and then we bolt on a different package for the first race and a lot of it you have to do all over again. It's important to understand what does what and if everything works correctly, so that if you find yourself in a situation at the next test and you need a direction you know exactly where to go."
Martin Brundle said it still looks a handful to drive around the high speed corners. I'm sure they can sort that out though, hopefully in Melbourne we have a 4 way fight between RBR, Mclaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
They could easily sort it out by bolting on a bunch of downforce but it'll make them slower. I hope it's just a case of them unlocking the car's secrets but, assuming Brundle means consistently difficult in high-speed corners rather than going over the limit once or twice, it could be a fundamental problem that will lead to them abandoning development halfway through the season to focus on the 2013 car.
Clearly Lotus have been doing more short run work than anyone else, but what's the gut feeling on where they'll be come Melbourne?
I would say that have a good chance of scoring points, but are still behind Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercades.
My gut feeling is that they may be overhauled by Force India. Between them the Lotus drivers have garnered a fair few headlines over the course of testing but headline-grabbing runs smack of headline-grabbing motives to me. My gut feeling is that there'll be a second-tier battle between Mercedes, Lotus, Sauber and Force India for much of the first half of the season and that it may not be Mercedes that breaks free and claims a clear fourth place this year.
Despite having just 1.75 drivers, at this stage I really cannot see Mercedes finishing lower than 4th.
There's no way they should but then there's no way Honda should have trailed around at the back of the field in 2007 and 2008. I wouldn't attempt to present a rational explanation as to why Mercedes may not have progressed as much as those behind them but in general terms there isn't as much room for Red Bull to improve as for everyone behind them and, in that variable mix of catching up, some teams will have improved more than others. Despite a measured alacrity in their comments, I wonder at rumours of uncomfortable front tyre wear, grassing up potential engine mapping loopholes to the FIA, apparent additional layers on the diffuser, and the bizarre two-year extension to the 75% driver subsequently denied. Like I say, it's a gut feeling rather than a rational deduction but something doesn't seem right.
Lunch time and this morning the top teams have been mostly doing short spurty runs yielding decent but no blindingly quick laps. I haven't noticed much comment on this from the Autosport team but is it possible that, hidden among the sector times, the cars' true pace is emerging but veiled from us? If not, then what do the short, controlled runs indicate?
I'm with Genji on this, Mercedes really talked themselves up pre test, talking about all their great rule interpretations, but no one else has, and mst of the teams know roughly where each other are (except HRT and Marussia) personally I think they're struggling a bit with the new rules and their car isn't close to where they thought it'd be. I would be unsurprised to see them overhauled by FI tbh, who have come from the back of the grid to a solid point scoring team in 3 years
