Official Pre-season testing thread

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Three teams confirmed for Jerez, but how many more will join them?

Three teams have confirmed they will attend the first pre-season test of 2014 in Jerez, which starts on 28 January, but the suggestion is that there might not be too many more joining them.

Mercedes, Caterham and Williams will be in Spain for the four-day test, as they look to gain crucial mileage with their new cars following a big change to the regulations.

Williams, who used their old 2012 machine at the first test last year, tweeted that they have begun building their new FW36 this week ahead of Jerez.

However, it seems many other teams are facing a race against time to get their cars ready in time, with the Spanish test just over two weeks away.

Lotus have already said they will miss the test, instead aiming to have their 2014 challenger ready for the first of two tests in Bahrain next month.

Speaking to Reuters, Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon said his team are “planning to be there” in Jerez, while Sauber’s Adrian Sutil said he would be at Jerez – but neither has confirmed their plans. Toro Rosso’s Danil Kvyat has also said he will be in Jerez.

It comes as the FIA has called a meeting with the teams’ sporting directors in Geneva today to discuss a number of issues.

There are still plenty of rules which are up in the air such as the issue of double points awarded at the final race of the season, which will be the subject of a further meeting of the new F1 Strategy Group.

With a little over 60 days until the first race, there’s the sport’s governing body and the teams have a lot of work to do before the lights go out in Melbourne on 16 March.
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*In other news, Williams announced three new signings to its engineering team for the coming season.

Jakob Andreasen joins from Force India to take up the role of head of engineering operations, working to chief technical officer Pat Symonds.

Craig Wilson returns to the team from Mercedes to take up the role of head of vehicle dynamics while Rod Nelson joins from Lotus to become the chief test and support engineer.
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You would assume with McLaren confirming their lauch prior to the test that they would be there?
 
Smithers said:
You would assume with McLaren confirming their lauch prior to the test that they would be there?
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It would seem odd indeed to unveil a car then not run it. Presumably they're going for the earlier launch so they can announce their sponsor too?
 
Ferrari launch on January 25th.

Which name is the best?


  • F14 T
  • F14 Maranello
  • F14 Scuderia
  • F166 Turbo
  • F616

Latest results:

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DHCanary said:
It would seem odd indeed to unveil a car then not run it. Presumably they're going for the earlier launch so they can announce their sponsor too?
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This.. think I read something last year (could have been here) that Whitless wanted to announce both the new Title Sponsor and unviel the new car at the same time to get max. exposure for their new title sponsor.
 
DHCanary said:
It would seem odd indeed to unveil a car then not run it. Presumably they're going for the earlier launch so they can announce their sponsor too?
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Isnt the McLaren launch an Online viewing of a graphical image of what the car will look like. It doesn't mean they have a car ready for the test
 
F166 Turbo.

1. it has turbo in the name, which is always good.
2. 166 harks back to when the chassis were named in relation to the engine capacity and number of cylinders the engine has. 312T, 412T, F310 etc
 
So as confirmed in the other thread Red Bull will be at the first test so somebody is a big fat liar!!!
 
McLaren failed the crash tests, could miss Jerez.

McLaren does not pass the crash test: Jerez at risk?
The MP4-29 is long overdue, but Ron Dennis claims that the car is on the track in Andalucia

Ron Dennis yesterday has already made ​​a speech very clear : those who disagree with the new choices can leave the McLaren team. The "old master" wasted no time to give a jolt to Woking and make everyone understand that the music has changed. Immediately. And you need it!

THE CRASH TEST FAIL McLaren MP4-29 has not yet passed all crash tests to obtain the approval of the body and, as he had expected Eric Boullier, is likely to be the second team that will miss the Jerez test, scheduled for 28 January, after the Lotus. Even in the next few hours at Cranfield is expected to be yet another attempt to crash test, after the many failed tests in recent weeks. This paradoxical situation for a top team, shows the climate of confusion that reigns within the Technocentre that has always been a strict functional and procedures of its main features.

MP4-29 AND THE 'LATE The car designed by Matt Morris, the former Sauber dt, is behind schedule, but the team is doing its best efforts to complete the first car in view of the opening test in Andalusia . The car will be shown on-line presentation of 24 January may not be complete in every detail. This is the picture of the car that is emerging around the power - unit of Mercedes for the first time McLaren will have to pay for the supply of the engines of the three-pointed star, waiting to go to Honda in 2015.

Whitmarsh NOW 'AT RISK And just to meet expectations, very high Japanese, Ron Dennis has been put back on track: the CEO is preparing a restructuring of the Woking team and among the first who risk the place we are the team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, the general manager, Jonathan Neale and sales manager and finance, John Cooper.

PRESENTATION ON-LINE ON 24 The machine, in fact, be shown without the colors of a sponsor, so it is likely that you see in traditional orange color, as we had anticipated on OmniCorse.it: McLaren, after a disastrous season in which there has never been on the podium, he lost a lot of appeal to find a title sponsor can detect the Vodafone ended the relationship with the expiration of the contract. We talk about the Sony, but there 'still nothing definite ...

DENNIS ROSS BRAWN WANTS Ron Dennis, then, has the task of giving a "frustrated" to a team that wants to go back to being a top team: ie voices and promptly grow back a call by Ross Brawn in the role of team principal. The former manager Mercedes will not have time to indulge in a year sabattico, because the restructuring of the team before the start of the 2014 season.

THE SEARCH FOR HONDA WARRANTY What would be the reason for such haste in a year, however, will transition to the McLaren? The reason is quite simple: the Honda. The Japanese want to understand how much you can spend in partnership with the Woking team. In 2015, they expect excellent results, otherwise what will initially be exclusive to the engine, it could become a supply also open to other teams. Not only that, since the Honda engines also could give the Supercar McLaren Automotive.

WOKING LITTLE APPEAL FOR ALONSO McLaren, then, is at an important juncture in its history is not surprising, therefore, that the revival steps from the decisions of one man: Ron Dennis. Also because it is inconceivable to think of looking for a driver like Fernando Alonso for 2015 if there are no technical conditions in order to have a winning team. The Honda would be willing to overpay Spanish while taking it, but why should the Iberian leaving Ferrari to go to a facility that has to make that path of profound revision that the Maranello team has just completed?
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http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/33...laren-non-passa-il-crash-test-jerez-a-rischio
 
I would have thought the crash tests were one of the easiest parts of the car design these days. The back markers we all sorted before Christmas. Must be that McLaren are really pushing the boundaries and building the most compact car they can get away with?
 
7 teams with confirmed launch dates.

McLaren MP4-29 - Friday 24th January (Online Presentation - 12pm)
Ferrari F14T/F166 Turbo - Saturday 25th January (Online Presentation - 1.30pm)
Sauber C33 - Sunday 26th January (Online Presentation - 4pm)
Toro Rosso STR9 - Monday 27th January (Jerez Pitlane - 4:30pm)
Mercedes W05 - Tuesday 28th Jaunary (Jerez test 1st day - 8am)
Caterham - CT04 - Tuesday 28th Jaunary (Jerez test 1st day)
Red Bull - RB10 - Tuesday 28th Jaunary (Jerez test 1st day - 7.40am)


Which leaves:
  • Williams - Say they will test at Jerez, no launch date yet
  • Marussia - They "plan" to be at Jerez, presumably launching on Jan 28th
  • Force India - will announce plans soon, expected to be at Jerez
  • Lotus - lol
 
[TABLE="width: 223"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Car launches[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Team[/TD]
[TD]Date[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
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[TR]
[TD]McLaren[/TD]
[TD]January[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]24[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ferrari[/TD]
[TD]January[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sauber[/TD]
[TD]January[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]26[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Toro Rosso[/TD]
[TD]January[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Red Bull[/TD]
[TD]January[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]28[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mercedes[/TD]
[TD]January[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]28[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Caterham[/TD]
[TD]January[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]28[/TD]
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Williams F1 Team ‏@WilliamsF1Team
We can announce we will be on track in Jerez. @ValtteriBottas will do days 1 & 2 @Felipe1Massa days 3 & 4 running our heritage blue livery
 
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