wow, Button really knows how to make his tyres last: http://www.msfree.gr/includes/livelaps.php?name=BUTTON I think he could give Lewis Hamilton a real challenge this season.
Autosport have done a nice analysis of the Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren: 15:15 Here's some long run analysis from @TeamAnglais It's taken most of the day, but we now have some long run data to look at Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren against one another. Again, we don't know the tyre compounds (as similar as they appear) or the excess fuel loads, so it's only a vague comparison at best. Vettel and Alonso did 13 and 16-lap stints respectively. The times jumped around a bit and Vettel's is slightly shorter, but if you follow their general pace it's pretty similar. Vettel 26.4, 23.1, 22.2, 22.6, 23.0, 23.0, 28.5, 23.3, 24.6, 23.7, 23.5, 23.9, 34.1 Alonso 23.1, 23.1, 23.1, 24.2, 25.1, 23.7, 23.3, 23.7, 24.1, 24.2, 24.2, 24.3, 24.8, 25.2, 25.3, 25.5 Then we have Alonso and Button on 20 and 19-lap stints - the first long stint we've seen from the McLaren MP4-26. They start out very evenly matched, then the McLaren hangs onto faster times for longer but plummets further than the Ferrari. Alonso 25.0, 25.0, 25.0, 25.2, 24.9, 25.6, 25.7, 25.7, 25.8, 26.0, 26.0, 26.1, 26.1, 26.5, 26.6, 26.8, 27.7, 27.2, 27.7 Button 24.5, 24.9, 24.9, 25.0, 24.9, 25.1, 25.3, 25.7, 25.7, 25.3, 25.5, 25.5, 25.7, 25.8, 25.8, 26.0, 28.6, 28.5, 29.7
Quiet in here today.. must be half term. Here are todays lunch time test times 1. Alonso Ferrari F150th 1:25.485 30 Laps 2. Alguersuari Toro Rosso STR6 1:26.117 + 0.632 38 Laps 3. Button McLaren MP4-26 1:26.365 + 0.880 28 Laps 4. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB7 1:26.640 + 1.155 20 Laps 5. Barrichello Williams FW33 1:27.447 + 1.962 41 Laps 6. Schumacher Mercedes GP W02 1:27.661 + 2.176 10 Laps 7. Kovalainen Lotus F1 T128 1:30.464 + 4.979 33 Laps 8. D'Ambrosio Virgin Racing MVR-02 1:32.068 + 6.583 38 Laps 9. Karthikeyan HRT F1 Team F110 1:32.396 + 6.911 51 Laps 10. Kobayashi Sauber C30 1:36.264 + 10.779 36 Laps 11. Heidfeld Lotus Renault GP R31 1:44.324 + 18.839 27 Laps 12. Maldonado Williams FW33 0 13. Petrov Lotus Renault GP R31 0 14. di Resta Force India VJM-04 0
last years times 25th Feb 1. Mark Webber Red Bull Racing RB6 1:21.487 109 26th Feb 1. Nico Hulkenberg Williams FW32 1:20.614 99 27th Feb 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP W01 1:20.686 128 28th Feb 1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren MP4-25 1:20.472 134
FASTEST TIMES 1 Vettel Red Bull 1m24.374s 2 Alonso Ferrari 1m25.485s +1.111 3 Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1m25.638s +1.264 4 Kobayashi Sauber 1m25.641s +1.267 5 Button McLaren 1m26.365s +1.991 6 Di Resta Force India 1m26.575s +2.201 7 Barrichello Williams 1m26.912s +2.538 8 Schumacher Mercedes 1m27.512s +3.138 9 Karthikeyan HRT 1m28.393s +4.019 10 Kovalainen Lotus 1m30.065s +5.691 11 D'Ambrosio Virgin 1m30.950s +6.576 12 Petrov Renault 1m35.174s +10.800 13 Heidfeld Renault 1m44.324s +19.950
Ferrari and Red bull are constantly at the top of the times. you have to worry as surely they are sandbagging too
Autosport are saying that Vettel did qualifying simulations earlier today with his fastest time being 1.23.315 Vettel is now starting a full race simulation Now let's see what Red Bull can do
14:03 Vettel now nine laps in to his second stint and only just edging into the 1m30s, with this set of tyres looking a lot more durable as the fuel burns off. 14:01 Rosberg has also kicked off a run in his Mercedes, lapping in the mid 1m32s. 14:00 Button is now five laps into his run and lapping on a similar pace to Vettel in the late 1m29s bracket.
Currently 1 Massa Ferrari 1m42.425s 2 Webber Red Bull 1m42.728s +0.303 3 Maldonado Williams 1m43.121s +0.696 4 Hamilton McLaren 1m43.683s +1.258 5 Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m44.861s +2.436 6 Trulli Lotus 1m45.540s +3.115 7 Perez Sauber 1m46.832s +4.407 8 Rosberg Mercedes 1m47.068s +4.643 9 Glock Virgin 1m47.254s +4.829 10 Sutil Force India 1m47.735s +5.310
please log in to view this image Felipe Massa at turn 5 I think Its damp at the circuit so teams making the most of the wet tyres that Pirelli have brought to Spain.
Massa really going for it now 1 Massa Ferrari 1m41.375s 2 Webber Red Bull 1m42.728s +1.353 3 Maldonado Williams 1m43.121s +1.746 4 Hamilton McLaren 1m43.683s +2.308 5 Rosberg Mercedes 1m43.817s +2.442 6 Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m44.861s +3.486 7 Trulli Lotus 1m45.540s +4.165 8 Perez Sauber 1m46.832s +5.457 9 Glock Virgin 1m47.254s +5.879 10 Sutil Force India 1m47.302s +5.927
Meanwhile at Red Bull the engine cover is off Mark Webber`s car and he has come out of it maybe a check or a more concerning issue which is going to cost him track time.
Renault has a plan, via @officalLRGP: "Today's plan is for a race distance, broken down into several stints. We will also do set-up work and tyre data collection in the afternoon."
Maldonado is in a strong third for Williams and only 1.7 off the pace. Everyone is in the garage except for Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso
He follows that up with a much quicker 1m41.749s on the improving circuit to go second fastest.Glock and Sutil are now back out.
