Nothing has changed sadly. There are 4 works teams. 2 are two years ahead in development, two are two years behind. Formula 1 has limited testing on the most complex formula we have ever had, so we have to wait years for the catchup to happen. Mercedes are light years ahead, and Ferrari are second. What a ****ty outlook. And that comes from Hondas biggest optimist. The task it too big with only 4 days of testing left. They should allow full in season testing and development.
I think our only hope is Hamilton and Rosberg taking points off each other and ferrari backing Vettel just to make the results interesting
The major players have nothing to gain by going full whack. They don't need to attract sponsors and they much rather check the car is performing as expected rather than showing the world that yes, it's fast. Breaking down or crashing out wastes valuable testing time. Seeing how a car compares to a simulation helps validate that simulation. A validated simulation, means an awful lot more testing 'laps' can be done confidently via simulation.
These titanic laps by Mercedes may look ominous, but think back to Hamiltons qualifying in Hungary a few years ago I think and Rosbergs issue in Canada and Monza. Anything can happen. In a more negative view, basically lap 1-2 of Melbourne will decide whether this season will be worth wasting my Sundays on. If its a 2 second lap increase between lead driver or 2nd. Or if Nico rolls over I am calling it a day till 2017.
So, half way through 2016 testing. The numbers in their most basic form. Honda really need to find themselves a second team.
You are right Honda do need a second team but who would jump ship? Only options are Red Bull or TR then Renault might be down to 1 team...
I think they will, but they haven't got their car ready so they're running a modified version of their 2015 car. Or something to that effect
I thought they were using last years car at the first test, I guessed that meant last years Ferrari engine. Must be fair amount of work to modify 2015 chassis to fit 2016 engine. Can't imagine Sauber had the spare manpower or funds to build 2016 car and modify 2015 for 2016 engine just for 4 days use.
Mclaren just haven't made the cut over Winter. I can just see it in the drivers faces, sadly I believe any dream of podiums powered by Honda engines won't be made a reality driven by the current drivers. Alo and Jenson won't see the day, that podium gimmick last season will be even more ironic.
Must admit I think you are right. The only thing that may make a difference is I think next weeks tests are using a newer spec Honda PU. I really hope the Melbourne spec McHonda gets into Q2 and can go on to improve.
It is just gutting for fans of close racing. I disliked Alonso after 2007 but the bloke eventually earned my respect by battling his way into championship fights with Ferrari. To have Alonso and Button potentially powerless again to fight, is just seriously sad. Trundling around waiting for an engine to put their chassis to the test. Lewis is one of the very best right now but for his own legacy he needs Alonso/Button to join Vettel and Rosberg to really build some iconic seasons, moments, and battles. Sadly, Merc appear ruthlessly happy to continue to dominate under these PU-dominant regulations.
I would love to see Ferrari close right up. That's my hope rather than expectation this year. I would love to see Hamilton and Vettel neck and neck this year, splitting wins between them with Ham coming out narrowly on top at the end. This would set it up perfectly for 2017, with both drivers on 4 WCCs and similar race wins, and potentially the biggest season for a very long time. Sorry, caught me dreaming there.
I don't think 675 laps is necessary to validate the car in one configuration. Pirelli have brought new tyres this year and Mercedes have no experience of using 80% of them halfway through testing. And triggering a break down isn't a waste of testing time, the whole point is to expose vulnerabilities in the car so it can be fixed. I know it's not going to happen but I'd love it if they took it conservatively all through the next test as well and then broke down in Q3 in Aus. Also given how often you see teams struggling to switch on their tyres for a qualifying lap, you'd think they'd use testing to get this nailed, has anyone on the grid actually performed a qualifying sim yet?. It's such an important part of the weekend. If Ferrari are struggling with this again all season I'm going to be fuming.
I have to agree, I fail to see what 4 days of testing the same tyre, with the same fuel simulation offers over 3 days, 2 days, 1 day? Except to confirm that their car can run at that pace/simulation configuration for what is equivalent to 5/6 GP weekends. It would have made more sense to have done each day on a different compound.
I guess the argument from Mercedes is that they already know what they don't know, 4 days of pounding the car around the track should reveal the things they don't know that they don't know. Any parts that don't have bulletproof reliability, any ways in which the car changes as parts age, anywhere that runs hotter than expected towards the end of a race distance, etc. I think most of us are sure, and I suspect Mercedes are, that they'll be the class of the field again. They were let down by reliability in the past, so addressing the occasional DNFs is much more valuable than making sure they're another tenth of a second ahead of Ferrari. The points lost from a DNF is vastly greater than a couple of third or fourths rather than podium finishes.
I think the question would be, what will break at 50% performance? Running at the pace they have, surely the temperatures are lower, the consumables are lasting longer and hence it will take longer for mechanical attrition or the associated problems of thermal degregation to raise its head. Things break and wear under extreme stress, not under a controlled delta.
