Wow the Williams were teabaging a huge amount previously. I wonder if the rest will show their hand tomorrow?
Massa looking fast, much consistency, very flawless, too smooth, blue car, not sandbagging, qualifying pace.
Button seemed proper downbeat about the Mclaren, but you can expect it after what he has been through. Mclaren seems really solid to me though.
Rosberg previously did a 1:32:2 on softs so I would think Mercedes held back some performance today or conditions affected them badly.
AMuS review of Red Bull: http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/...-bull-verlorener-tag-fuer-vettel-8164033.html Because it takes strong nerves. Vettel managed on the penultimate day of testing in Bahrain only one round. In fact, there were only 1.5 km. Then his Renault engine turned just dead "An electronics problem," said Vettel. Half an hour later, he launched his second attempt. He did not even came to the end of the pit lane. Again, the same defect. After consultation with Renault operations manager Remi Taffin was decided to replace the battery. Probably a short circuit was to blame. The first should take three hours, then four. Finally, it was decided to end the day early. Because Red Bull made ​​a mistake with the start procedure of the engine. Film Day brings Red Bull 100 km in addition Vettel's test volume is as small as no other driver in the field. 11 laps in Jerez, 72 in Bahrain. Power in total 457 kilometers in five days of testing. A mere one and a half race distances. Now even the test final on Sunday and a Flimtag remains on Monday in Bahrain, where only 100 km, however, are allowed. But Red Bull clings to any straw. ". Overnight new manufacturing part why I write the test not from," said Vettel makes hope. Desires of the world champion for the time being become modest: "I want to see in Melbourne the checkered flag." Pointing out that Daniel Ricciardo has managed 66 laps and a respectable time of 1.35,743 minutes the day before, Vettel does not apply: "I mean a race distance So laps in a row not in portions..." One problem solved and a new one is added In the world champion team burned the tree. Obviously, Red Bull is more affected by the Renault-crisis than any other of the French manufacturer customers. Even the second problem child lotus leaves at least 30 rounds a day, despite four days of testing deficit. But has similar problem areas. The exhaust, the electrical machinery, the transmission, the environment of the turbocharger. "We solve a problem here, and there comes a new addition," desperate team boss Christian Horner. improvement after only being phased in sight, the defending champion with the preparation program is massively in arrears. Because of the stability problems Red Bull was neither a race distance, yet to start exercises. Pit stops was practiced with mechanics in the car. Some people on the team are talking about 100 hp deficit, others by 20 On the question of whether a postponement of Homologationsfrist would have helped, says one. "There are so many sites, that two months had more not enough." Vettel holds the exaggerated and secondary: "We must first of all go Then we can look at where else are still shortcomings.." Three projects instead of a Apparently serious errors in the preparation of Renault happened. Engine, electric machines and energy storage have been developed by three project groups instead of one. The V6 Turbo Renault and APC, the MGU and MGU K-H from Renault, former Lotus engineers and Magneti Marelli, the batteries of Red Bull itself, since getting the statement of operations manager Remi Taffin on a new meaning when he says : ". isolated The individual components work well considered only communicate with each other is wrong." Horner refers to the problems to be solvable. Because they mainly concern the software. "The engine is mechanically sound and if all the blocks fit together, then we are doing well We know that we have a fast car..." Mercedes confirm engineers: "According to our GPS measurements of Red Bull is in the curves a bomb. " Vettel with gallows humor: "Would have bad if we had with the car still problems." Test stands not realistically by Renault The problems that now appear on the track, you would need to try it in the winter on the test bench. However, the test benches in Viry-Chatillon do not represent the reality dar. "Because Mercedes is vastly superior to us" says one of Red Bull Thus, the Renault test stands, neither the exhaust in the configuration as in the car, nor the cooling to be adjusted. All tests ran virtually from. still a problem: Renault has made ​​in the installation of the building blocks to generous information. Therefore, some components in places where it is too hot or too strong vibrating. The Red Bull RB10 is a tailor-made suit in the good old tradition. This is also a reason why Toro Rosso on the eleventh day of testing 81 and Caterham can drive 113 laps, while Red Bull is. There is more space under the outer skin. Red Bull Renault provides customers with batteries The battery was changed on Saturday morning, was at Red Bull Technology. It has acquired in Milton Keynes knowledge in the KERS time. Red Bull took their own batteries as opposed to the other Renault customers. Now use Lotus, Toro Rosso and Red Bull Caterham products. "Battery is our lowest problem," dismisses chief technical officer Adrian Newey. The ongoing cooling problems make the technology guru not worry. Once again, had to be cut in the fairing unsightly holes. "We have to handle in Melbourne," promises Newey and annoyed. "We have a good car, but it can not show"
Red Bull haven't pushed the limits yet like the Mercedes and Ferrari powered cars have. They have so much work still to do, they may make an improvement in Melbourne but I still think they will have a lot of problems. They will recover eventually though but they will have to recover fast if they want to retain both championships.
Interesting that Red Bull are trying to use their own batteries! The other Renault teams are using Renault batteries. Seems like Adrian thought he could save weight and space with their own batteries!!!! Also Renault admitting that their dyno tests are not replicating on track tests well enough. Even in the later stages Renault did not test with comparable exhausts and cooling systems!!! Too many short cuts.
I guess Newey was due a rough car... I'm not convinced they are out of it just yet though. If the points are spread around in the early stages, they could find themselves not too far behind.
Today was a joke for Red Bull. You try to feel sorry for them but they insist on tight packaging and bodged cooling. Caterham could manage it, why won't Red Bull just simply have bigger intakes and outlets. No sympathy for them at the moment, they are doing this to themselves.
Day three Average KM per engine if we ignore the shortest running team from each group (using Forix data): [TABLE="width: 196"] [TR] [TD]Mercedes[/TD] [TD="align: right"]572[/TD] [TD]km[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Ferrari[/TD] [TD="align: right"]447[/TD] [TD]km[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Renault[/TD] [TD="align: right"]417[/TD] [TD]km[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Average KM per engine if we ignore the longest running team from each group (using Forix data): [TABLE="width: 196"] [TR] [TD]Mercedes[/TD] [TD="align: right"]523[/TD] [TD]km[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Ferrari[/TD] [TD="align: right"]214[/TD] [TD]km[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Renault[/TD] [TD="align: right"]208[/TD] [TD]km[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] please log in to view this image
