As I said 3rd-4th are the most dangerous cars "mostly" at this point. Still up there, but refuse to show their full hand. Suprised by how slow McLaren have been though, they really don't want to be noticed it looks.
[TABLE="class: text_small, width: 100%, align: center"] [TR="bgcolor: #eaeaea"] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Rosberg[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Mercedes[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m22.616s[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Raikkonen[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Lotus[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m22.623s +0.007[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #eaeaea"] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Alonso[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Ferrari[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m22.952s +0.336[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Vettel[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Red Bull[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m22.965s +0.349[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #eaeaea"] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Maldonado[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Williams[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m23.733s +1.117[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Ricciardo[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Toro Rosso[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m23.884s +1.268[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #eaeaea"] [TD="align: center"]7[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Perez[/TD] [TD="align: center"]McLaren[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m24.124s +1.508[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [TD="align: center"]8[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Di Resta[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Force India[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m24.144s +1.528[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #eaeaea"] [TD="align: center"]9[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Gutierrez[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Sauber[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m25.124s +2.508[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #ffffff"] [TD="align: center"]10[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Chilton[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Marussia[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m26.747s +4.131[/TD] [/TR] [TR="bgcolor: #eaeaea"] [TD="align: center"]11[/TD] [TD="align: left"] Pic[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Caterham[/TD] [TD="align: left"] 1m27.534s +4.918[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
Well it's a bit hard to tell how good their race pace is when they didn't really do a race pace of the same magnitude as McLaren and Ferrari did IRBR seem to be more focused on seeing how the tyres work more than anything.
If McLaren stay low all through these tests I'm calling BS on it since they did it last year. Test 1: 3rd Test 2: 6th Test 3: 4th Test 4: 6th
Alonso to Spanish media: "Of my four winters with Ferrari, this is the most comfortable, because the data is consistent between the wind tunnel and the track"
[video=youtube;cjkrCwCNGwg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjkrCwCNGwg[/video] [video=youtube;nF4y9wONMjQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF4y9wONMjQ[/video] [video=youtube;1PHbxi7l9r0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PHbxi7l9r0[/video] [video=youtube;NRrCFAivyhA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRrCFAivyhA[/video] [video=youtube;mlxQGjgPiXE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlxQGjgPiXE[/video] [video=youtube;3qEhOEPzYqE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qEhOEPzYqE[/video] [video=youtube;GMrDi_jVaZw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMrDi_jVaZw[/video] [video=youtube;AgU3EIzxDfI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgU3EIzxDfI[/video]
Observations from Twitter, from a Spanish guy: In the morning: The Caterham handles really bad at Turn 9. Unstable and lots of understeer In contrast, the Red Bull is a Scalextric [ie on rails] In the afternoon: Vettel at Turn 9 without lowering gear. The others, ALL OF THEM, lower. Alonso doing juggling. Understeer, hit the gas and into Turn 12. Kimi already thinking about the next bend. Departing from La Caixa, in the left bend, turned to his right while the Lotus even digested the previous order. These things can only be seen live In part: Red Bull can accelerate earlier, but the gears are not the same either. Checo Perez entered to make a pit-stop test. Let's see how long it takes 3.3 for Mclaren at their stop. Not bad.
I find it weird after watching testing, and getting such a massive insight into how the cars are designed so wonderfully, and so much time has been taken to refine setups and all sorts. That some drivers cock it up, and bin the car and it is all lost. Can see from the mechanics point of view, just a thought.
too many variables to have any idea of who's fastest, gonna stick my neck out and say the Marussia's and Caterhams will be at the back of the grid.
Isn't it usually the case that the cars still driving around with the outrageous fins for measuring aerodynamic performance during the second test, are way behind the curve? Can't remember who said that, or if I made it up , but Ferrari seem to be in that position year after year.
There was a lot of excitement for Marussia this season but unfortunately that excitement about the car doesn't seem to have come to fruition. It doesn't help that they have two average drivers for the coming season too.
Blimey... Bold statement Miggs. I'm going to be equally bold by suggesting that RBR, Ferrari or McLaren will win the title. Call me crazy.
That Red Bull does look smooth doesn't it? The Lotus looked a bit lighter IMO and has a few signs of oversteer.
Apparently Perez's long runs were very consistent, definitely think McLaren are trying to be discrete about their car's true pace.
