The winners are called Mercedes and Ferrari
What significance have the first test drives of the new Formula 1 generation in Jerez? If you drive with Mercedes engine can pat yourself on the back. Ferrari is stronger than expected. And on Renault and his clientele comes too much work.
Normally the first winter test answers the question: Who is quickly who slowly? In the past, there had been always find a rough direction. This time that was not the question. Over the four days of Jerez was all about one thing: Who drives and who does not?
Mercedes with psychological games
Mercedes and its three customer teams have the best solution to this task. The Silver Arrows completed their laps, as it would not give the new regulations. 309 in number. Nico Rosberg drove a race distance twice. On the last day even during a race simulation with real pit stops. There was also psychology in the game. The work team wanted to demonstrate strength at a time when the great enemy Red Bull was on the ground.
Only an accident of Lewis Hamilton on the first day of testing disturbed the test program. At 300 km / h front wing broke. He was believed to have been previously been damaged during internal stress tests. Mercedes was incredibly lucky. If the crash into the tire wall with three km / h more is done, the chassis would have been shattered. So ranged from odd jobs on site. Mercedes leave Jerez with a single large site. The automatic brake force distribution surprised the driver again and again. "We still have to work," Nico Rosberg admits.
McLaren quickly on the clock, slow top speed
The other teams left Mercedes Jerez in tidier mood. Here, the test began for McLaren with a day in the garage. A problem in the harness kept the car firmly to the boxes. There was then so much the better with two fastest times and a total of 245 laps. Newcomer Kevin Magnussen was the absolute fastest lap of 1:23.276 minutes with a bang from his business card.
As much reminiscent of the start of Lewis Hamilton. Quickly at first, then a brilliant departure. Magnussen struck on Friday at treacherous slippery conditions into the barriers a. That brought the Danes back to reality. The new McLaren MP4 -29 obviously, has the most output. But he lost against the other cars at top speed. No wonder, with the rear suspension, although donates pressure, but also as a barn door in the wind is.
Williams reborn
Felipe Massa will shine for the first time since his best season, 2008. The Brazilian marked the second fastest time, and he was one of those six drivers who blew up the 100-lap barrier. Williams looks like a new person. New engine, new engineers, a new driver and soon a big fat sponsor.
Frank Williams let himself slide on Thursday night in his wheelchair to the Mercedes-Motorhome to personally thank Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff. Technical director Pat Symonds made a contented face: "We have in comparison to the competition a much better car than last year."
Force India needed by the four Mercedes-team the longest to come regularly to drive. The node went on until the last day. And there sat a test pilot Daniel Juncadella in the car. Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg had to sort out the teething problems. Juncadellas third fastest time on Friday, just three tenths behind Fernando Alonso, shows that Force India is well prepared this year.
Ferrari as a wolf in sheep's clothing
Ferrari was on the lap times only on the individual squares 5 and 7, but on closer inspection the World bronze medalist last year made ​​a good figure when Mercedes. The times to the first three days were owed about great caution. "We just wanted to do anything wrong," said technical director James Allison. On the last day showed Alonso, what's in the F14T. With 115 rounds of Spaniards recorded the highest daily quota. A racing simulation like Mercedes gave the Reds. "She was never planned," reads from Maranello.
It was not escape the impression that Ferrari remained far below its potential and stubborn transacted its testing program without showmanship should answer the following questions: Does the new power unit? Communicate the individual systems together? What strategies while saving energy at the output of the power and the braking force distribution are the best? Is the fuel consumption?
According to Ferrari neither drew Fernando Alonso Kimi Raikkonen still approximately the limit of what was possible. Found alongside the engineers still have time for elaborate aerodynamics tests. No other car was so often equipped with meter and smeared with FlowViz color. This was self-confidence.
Sauber drove a lot, but slowly
Sauber benefited from the reliability of the drive package from Ferrari. With 163 rounds, the Confederates ranked fifth. Here, too, was the motto. First study, then open the throttle. Nevertheless, Adrian Sutil's fastest lap with so much travel time of a disappointment. The 1:30.161 minutes undercut Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Jean-Eric Vergne, despite fewer rounds and a lot of problems in a jiffy. Hulkenberg had not even make an effort for his 1:26.096 minutes time. "I was not even in my rhythm, since the car was already well again."
The second Ferrari customer Marussia accomplished a feat. The smallest team in Formula 1 solved the most difficult task of all times with decorum. The car arrived two days later in Jerez. Nevertheless, Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton reeled from even 29 rounds. And the car stopped not once unexpectedly. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo will have to change his mind about the backbenchers in the field well.
Renault's problems from the outside audible
Also in the Renault -camp of the smallest of the greatest. was Caterham won with 74 laps clear before Toro Rosso (56) and Red Bull (21). It will probably remain the only internal victory of Caterham. The green cars were the least affected by the Renault problem because they most of the air leaving the new drive unit for life. Red Bull and Toro Rosso apparently also the installation had to do with the fact that the software was wrong commands, which then led to permanent battery drain.
During the charging process, the MGU-K and the MGU-H did not work hand in hand. You could hear it. In the braking zones, the wastegate valve repeatedly blew off the excess pressure. This device is designed with today's turbo engines for emergency use only, to intercept pressure spikes that could damage the engine. When accelerating there were misfires.
Renault gave himself to blame. You know the installations of different cars and have to react, said motor Chief Rob White. Nevertheless, Red Bull needed rectifying. The panel is due to too tight, or there are too few openings through which the hot air can flow. It is easier to enlarge the openings, but the costs massively output. A new panel takes time. Again, there are losses. "10 to 15 millimeters wider cost you half a tenth," says Mercedes chief designer Aldo Costa.
Renault bench test not realistic
Red Bull will solve the problem. The team is well positioned. Toro Rosso has less rework as Red Bull, and should also recover. The question is how quickly Renault can create the malaise of the world. Apparently, the bench tests were not realistic, otherwise you would have the problems can already guess in the test phase. And even if the Renault V6 properly stores energy during the first test in Bahrain, then you will need two to three days to process the other childhood diseases, which remained undetected in Jerez.
The same is true for the cars of Red Bull and Toro Rosso. It has practically learned nothing during the test opener in Andalusia. For many, Lotus therefore the winner of the Renault camp because the troop is not even drove from Enstone to Jerez.
Lotus has indeed saved a bunch of money, but is still open with a queasy feeling in Bahrain. On the one hand, because it is the success of the emergency surgery at Renault dependent, on the other hand, because the technician may also be lodged at the packaging of the drive unit to great risks. On the computer animation the rear of the Lotus E22 looks just as compact as that of Red Bull
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