2016 Pre-Season Testing Thread

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Are Merc just not interested in learning anything about the super-soft and ultra-soft tyres... I hope they dissolve in half a lap when put on the W07
 
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PaulK said:
Are Merc just not interested in learning anything about the super-soft and ultra-soft tyres... I hope they dissolve in half a lap when put on the W07
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They have probably already made the decision that their default choices will be soft and medium all season - also it appears that with the low temperatures and track characteristic they are irrelevant at this track.

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After consulting the drivers, who vehemently opposed the the new format, and the fans, who are interested in simple, loud, fast, close racing, the FIA has unanimously APPROVED the new changes to qualifying for Melbourne.

Welcome to Formula ****ing One, where a billionaire scaletrix baffles all but the decision makers.
 
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Well my assessment of McLaren is that they are fooked! EB making reference in an interview today that this is technically the 2015 car and we will not see their "2016" car until Aus. For me that's code for we are still shocking!
 
Smithers said:
Well my assessment of McLaren is that they are fooked! EB making reference in an interview today that this is technically the 2015 car and we will not see their "2016" car until Aus. For me that's code for we are still shocking!
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I think it's a good thing that there is more performance to come because they are at least 2 seconds off the pace, but it is worrying that there is so much untested stuff to have to try out in Australia.

Having said that, reliability was always critical for them to even think about adding performance so there is promise there in that sense. On the flip side, there is talk that this engine was detuned so we're they slower to be reliable?

Flip it again, and you could argue that when the engine is at full tilt at least t might bring good lap time despite reliability concerns.

Frankly, I think only McLaren Honda know where they are and even they aren't sure, as referenced by Alonso and Button in reference to finding out the true running in Melbourne.

I'm keeping expectations very low early on, although obviously hoping they might move forward quicker than anticipated.
 
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All valid and logical points, and I would agree that they are at least 2 seconds off the front running pace. If that is correct (and we won't know until Aus) with their New and fundemental revamped PU, they are no closer than they were at the end of last season!

Frightening for McLaren

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When Boullier talks about 2016 package in Melborne, is he talking chassis wise or are they still also to run the 'final' 2016 engine there too? I'm more confused on day 8 than I was on day 1 haha.
 
Interesting article on the BBC.

"The best lap of the winter, for example, appears to have been one done by Rosberg on the medium tyre on an eight-lap run on Thursday. Hamilton did an almost identical time on Friday morning. So, take each driver's fastest time on each type of tyre throughout the second test and apply these factors, and you end up with a list of the fastest lap for each team that looks like this:

Mercedes (Rosberg) 1:22.6
Ferrari (Raikkonen) 1:22.9
Williams (Massa) 1:23.4
Red Bull (Ricciardo) 1:23.7
Toro Rosso (Verstappen) 1:23.7
Force India (Hulkenberg) 1:24.0
Renault (Magnussen) 1:24.4
Sauber (Nasr) 1:24.8
McLaren (Button) 1:24.8
Haas (Grosjean) 1:24.9
Manor (Wehrlein) 1:25.6

That's just single lap times. But Ferrari and Mercedes also did race-simulation runs, albeit on different days. And the average lap times for those are:

Hamilton 1:29.1
Rosberg 1:29.3
Raikkonen 1:29.4
Vettel 1:29.5

...and!

Honda has undoubtedly made some serious steps with its engine - hybrid energy deployment, a major shortcoming last year that left the engine as much as 250bhp down on the straights, has improved "massively", according to Alonso's team-mate Jenson Button.

But the engine is still a long way off the pace. Even Alonso allows it may be 80bhp down. Some say it could be as much as 100bhp!"
 
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