Autosport just said this : They haven't mentioned anything since testing began about Red Bull's off-throttle noise that other observers have noticed.
time for lunch time times... [TABLE] [TR="bgcolor: #00FFFF"] [TD="align: right"]1. [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Nico Rosberg[/TD] [TD] Mercedes GP[/TD] [TD] W02[/TD] [TD] 1:17.613[/TD] [TD="align: right"][/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 60[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #F0F0F0"] [TD="align: right"] 2.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Romain Grosjean[/TD] [TD] Lotus[/TD] [TD] E20[/TD] [TD] 1:18.419[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 0.806[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 53[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"] [TD="align: right"] 3.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Lewis Hamilton[/TD] [TD] McLaren[/TD] [TD] MP4-27[/TD] [TD] 1:19.464[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 1.851[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 38[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #F0F0F0"] [TD="align: right"] 4.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Jean-Eric Vergne[/TD] [TD] Toro Rosso[/TD] [TD] TR7[/TD] [TD] 1:19.734[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 2.121[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 41[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"] [TD="align: right"] 5.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Sergio Perez[/TD] [TD] Sauber[/TD] [TD] C31[/TD] [TD] 1:19.770[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 2.157[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 31[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #F0F0F0"] [TD="align: right"] 6.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Sebastian Vettel[/TD] [TD] Red Bull Racing[/TD] [TD] RB8[/TD] [TD] 1:20.154[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 2.541[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 28[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"] [TD="align: right"] 7.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Fernando Alonso[/TD] [TD] Ferrari[/TD] [TD] F2012[/TD] [TD] 1:20.412[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 2.799[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 25[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #F0F0F0"] [TD="align: right"] 8.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Bruno Senna[/TD] [TD] Williams[/TD] [TD] FW34[/TD] [TD] 1:21.293[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 3.680[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"] 54[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"] [TD="align: right"] 9.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD] Giedo van der Garde[/TD] [TD] Caterham[/TD] [TD] CT01[/TD] [TD] 1:23.505[/TD] [TD="align: right"] + 5.892[/TD] [TD="width: 10"][/TD] [TD="align: right"]40 [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
1pm 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>P</th><th>Driver</th><th>Team</th><th>Time</th><th>Laps</th></tr> <tr><td>1</td><td>*Rosberg</td><td>Mercedes</td><td>*1m17.613s</td><td>78</td></tr> <tr><td>2</td><td>*Grosjean</td><td>Lotus</td><td>*1m18.419s**+0.806</td><td>53</td></tr> <tr><td>3</td><td>*Hamilton</td><td>McLaren</td><td>*1m19.464s**+1.851</td><td>45</td></tr> <tr><td>4</td><td>*Vergne</td><td>Toro Rosso</td><td>*1m19.734s**+2.121</td><td>41</td></tr> <tr><td>5</td><td>*Perez</td><td>Sauber</td><td>*1m19.770s**+2.157</td><td>31</td></tr> <tr><td>6</td><td>*Vettel</td><td>Red Bull</td><td>*1m19.785s**+2.172</td><td>39</td></tr> <tr><td>7</td><td>*Alonso</td><td>Ferrari</td><td>*1m20.412s**+2.799</td><td>38</td></tr> <tr><td>8</td><td>*Senna</td><td>Williams</td><td>*1m21.293s**+3.680</td><td>74</td></tr> <tr><td>9</td><td>*Van der Garde</td><td>Caterham</td><td>*1m23.324s**+5.711</td><td>54</td></tr></table> Red bull seem to be lacking in laps, Ferrari too but they have a reason. Mercedes getting lots of laps in as usual
Mercedes are piling on the mileage. Will be interesting to see how much more grip the tyres give this year given the slightly larger contact patches.
@StrangAutosport has dug up some news from McLaren: "McLaren reports Lewis happy with the car. So far today the 2008 world champion has conducted an aero rake test, and plenty of set-up work in shorter runs. Then the team made a few changes over lunch and is now looking into doing some longer runs now that the track is past its best." Wonder how many laps they'll be able to cram in in these last few hours.
Ferrari: The problem with radical new designs, takes a while to understand how they work. Should see some positives coming out of Ferrari soon unless they really are in trouble.
I've been wondering that too, what can they learn after so many laps? The only think I can think off is that they are testing something that they are not telling us about, otherwise it does look like a waste of time.
They're probably testing new systems/devices that will be on the new car that they have put on to the one they are using now. But what do we know ?
Exciting tyre news!!!!!!! 14:49 EI from New Jersey, USA asks: Two days of testing, can you give an idea as to how the tyres feel compared to last year Paul di Resta: I think they have improved. They are certainly a little bit different. It’s difficult to get a full gauge on that because obviously it’s a change of car as well and the suspension is a little bit different. That’s what we are here for, to get the data.