Sounds reasonable. Button did a similar run but not as quick and obviously it's complete speculation that they're trying the same thing on similar fuel loads etc.
Lunchtime update: <style type="text/css"> table.tableizer-table {border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;} .tableizer-table td {padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc;} .tableizer-table th {background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold;} </style> <table class="tableizer-table"> <tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th>Pos</th><th>Driver</th><th>Team</th><th>Time</th><th>Laps</th></tr> <tr><td>1</td><td>*Schumacher</td><td>Mercedes</td><td>*1m18.561s</td><td>53</td></tr> <tr><td>2</td><td>*Webber</td><td>Red Bull</td><td>*1m19.184s**+0.623</td><td>58</td></tr> <tr><td>3</td><td>*Ricciardo</td><td>Toro Rosso</td><td>*1m19.587s**+1.026</td><td>41</td></tr> <tr><td>4</td><td>*Bianchi</td><td>Force India</td><td>*1m20.221s**+1.660</td><td>46</td></tr> <tr><td>5</td><td>*Raikkonen</td><td>Lotus</td><td>*1m20.239s**+1.678</td><td>26</td></tr> <tr><td>6</td><td>*Button</td><td>McLaren</td><td>*1m20.688s**+2.127</td><td>27</td></tr> <tr><td>7</td><td>*Massa</td><td>Ferrari</td><td>*1m21.060s**+2.499</td><td>38</td></tr> <tr><td>8</td><td>*Maldonado</td><td>Williams</td><td>*1m21.197s**+2.636</td><td>61</td></tr> <tr><td>9</td><td>*Perez</td><td>Sauber</td><td>*1m21.289s**+2.728</td><td>35</td></tr> <tr><td>10</td><td>*Kovalainen</td><td>Caterham</td><td>*1m21.518s**+2.957</td><td>78</td></tr> <tr><td>11</td><td>*De la Rosa</td><td>HRT</td><td>*1m23.468s**+4.907</td><td>23</td></tr></table>
From Autosport: Webber did two longer runs for Red Bull - each lasting 10 laps, and both averaging low 1m22s. That followed his qualifying-style 1m19s blasts of earlier this morning. Ferrari just seem happy to be doing their own thing.
Not really racking up the miles either. They're usually miles out in front in terms of laps completed. I think they've probably got some technical problems which are restricting them.
BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Lee McKenzie "As you know, Mercedes are the only top team here in Jerez who are running an old 2011 car. The word on the street is that the reason they are not here with a 2012 car is that they are trying to hide a clever new front wing they have developed - they don't want their rivals to see it too early. It seems the word is already out, though." So it's the front wing they are hiding?
They said Mercedes had that f-duct(ish) front wing at the back end of last season. If they are hiding something its a big gamble to hide it so much that they miss four days if testing.
Why not run the new car with an old wing? They may or may not have a trick front wing, but if the chassis was ready they'd run it.
A lot of those were out and straight back in, too, like installation laps after some substantial change. I don't think Button's strung together more than five laps today, so Ferrari are up on that. It's worth considering that both teams have significantly redesigned cars compared to Red Bull's fourth iteration of the RB5. I'm sure they're working on establishing what direction it's best to develop in between now and Melbourne and how best to make use of the remaining tests. Mercedes must be getting tons of information on tyre performance but I wonder how transferable that'll be? It's going to be compelling to watch how Force India, Lotus and Toro Rosso fare against the top teams as the tests progress and the top teams start to focus on lap times. We've seen midfield teams flatter to deceive in early tests before.
Ferrari using the the illegal rear wing from Spanish GP: please log in to view this image More videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YkKrA4N5Ug http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIXJTd0Ckag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdUgxRqCgs8
I thought the drivers hated the way the 'blown front wing' effected handling under braking, so they ruled the concept out? Unless they've completely reworked it of course.
With the rising number of champions there are 4 drivers on the grid who have had 2 champions for teammates Hamilton: Alonso and Button Button: Hamilton and Villeneuve Massa: Raikkonen and Alonso Grosjean: Raikkonen and Alonso
Headline-grabbing hot laps aside, Massa managed to get on par with Webber and Schumacher on those consistent longer runs (1:20/21-ish), although the commentary indicated that he was quite ragged in achieving it. Raikkonen looks next best (1:22/23-ish) but Kovalainen also managed a couple of runs of that order. Button's back in Force India territory (1:24/25-ish). Not that we can read much into anything at this stage.