Official Pre-season testing thread

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Driver line-up for Bahrain:

[TABLE="width: 600"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Wednesday 19th[/TD]
[TD]Thursday 20th[/TD]
[TD]Friday 21st[/TD]
[TD]Saturday 22nd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Red Bull[/TD]
[TD]Vettel[/TD]
[TD]Vettel[/TD]
[TD]Ricciardo[/TD]
[TD]Ricciardo[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mercedes[/TD]
[TD]Hamilton[/TD]
[TD]Rosberg[/TD]
[TD]Hamilton[/TD]
[TD]Rosberg[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ferrari[/TD]
[TD]Alonso[/TD]
[TD]Alonso[/TD]
[TD]Raikkonen[/TD]
[TD]Raikkonen[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Lotus[/TD]
[TD]Grosjean[/TD]
[TD]Grosjean[/TD]
[TD]Maldonado[/TD]
[TD]Maldonado[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]McLaren[/TD]
[TD]Magnussen[/TD]
[TD]Magnussen[/TD]
[TD]Button[/TD]
[TD]Button[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Force India[/TD]
[TD]Hulkenburg[/TD]
[TD]Hulkenburg[/TD]
[TD]Perez[/TD]
[TD]Perez[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Toro Rosso[/TD]
[TD]Kvyat[/TD]
[TD]Vergne[/TD]
[TD]Kvyat[/TD]
[TD]Vergne[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sauber[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Williams[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Marussia[/TD]
[TD]Bianchi[/TD]
[TD]Chilton[/TD]
[TD]Chilton[/TD]
[TD]Bianchi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Caterham[/TD]
[TD]Frijns[/TD]
[TD]Kobayashi[/TD]
[TD]Ericsson[/TD]
[TD]Kobayashi[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Unless RBR have sorted out their issues, you'd think they'd have the testing days the other way around?
Have Ricciardo do the donkey work first two days and if any issues were to occur, they'd be able to fix them in time for Vettel's run?
 
I thought that when you lifted off the throttle in a modern car effectively the fuel flow went to idle and the sparks were still timed based on the crank rotation signals. Otherwise the engine would effectively immediately stop.
I am guessing here but I would say the Ferrari system not only cuts the fuel and ignition pulses but also does not fully close the inlet or exhaust valves. So the relatively cool air from the turbo is pushed through the combustion chamber providing cooling! I think this can be accomplished as the inlet and exhaust valves are pneumatically controlled.
I would be very surprised if the other teams are not doing the same as it would be very easy, well other than maybe valve cutouts in pistons being required to enable the valves to be open during the entire travel of the piston.

As long as you are in gear and the engine is rotating faster than idle it won't fire. As well as having more control its why its better to coast up to junctions etc in gear than in neutral as it saves wasting fuel. Fuel only goes into the engine if you press the throttle or the car goes into anti-stall/idle :D
 
Unless RBR have sorted out their issues, you'd think they'd have the testing days the other way around?
Have Ricciardo do the donkey work first two days and if any issues were to occur, they'd be able to fix them in time for Vettel's run?

As Vettel is the much more experienced driver, the faster he gets his input to Newey, the faster they can sort any problems out. Or that's how I see it anyway.
 
So, before the testing begins in Bahrain:

a) Is there any credibility to lap times from Jerez? (Button mentioned that all Mercedes engine cars were running different modes to iron things out as fast as possible)

b)If the answer is no- which cars looked the most comfortable on track? (I remember Red Bulls car in testing last year looking glued to the road without setting the timesheets alight- were there any hints of teams looking very promising in grip/cornering?

c) Who would you fancy to have the fastest car for Australia?


Enjoy folks and looking forward to seeing how these cars move forward over the coming year.
 
So, before the testing begins in Bahrain:

a) Is there any credibility to lap times from Jerez? (Button mentioned that all Mercedes engine cars were running different modes to iron things out as fast as possible)

b)If the answer is no- which cars looked the most comfortable on track? (I remember Red Bulls car in testing last year looking glued to the road without setting the timesheets alight- were there any hints of teams looking very promising in grip/cornering?

c) Who would you fancy to have the fastest car for Australia?


Enjoy folks and looking forward to seeing how these cars move forward over the coming year.

a) Sometimes but normally on the last test do we get some sign of a pecking order.

b) McLaren looks very planted around the corners, so do Mercedes and Force India. Ferrari looks a bit tail happy and seem a bit behind of the other 2. Williams look pretty good in my opinion.

c) McLaren as with that unique beam wing design could cause some trouble for the other teams. If not them Mercedes as they look the best in terms of preparation.
 
Line-up for today:

Red Bull - Vettel
Mercedes - Hamilton
Ferrari - Alonso
Lotus- Grosjean
McLaren - Magnussen
Force India - Hülkenberg
Sauber - Sutil
Toro Rosso - Kvyat
Williams - Massa
Marussia - Bianchi
Caterham - Frijns



No green light yet, start is delayed:

Lotus F1 Team ‏@Lotus_F1Team 9m
Well, we're ready to go out. Doesn't seem like the track is open yet...
Lotus F1 Team ‏@Lotus_F1Team 4m
Reports of insufficient marshals available here. Anyone look good in orange and free for the day?

<doh>
 
Caterham F1 Team @CaterhamF1
We have a delay on track while the circuit officials check the circuit. Looks like someone thought this might be Jerez day one again....

Scuderia Ferrari &#8207;@InsideFerrari 1m
Marshals on track inspecting circuit, session start has been delayed. @alo_oficial patiently awaits...


AMuS said:
09:20 The pit exit light is still on red So far, there are only rumors, why nothing works. The state that the marshals are missing. The are stuck in traffic. That might be true. There was this morning at our Driving on the highway route several Unfälel. We were lucky, because in front of us were only 10 cars.
 
Vettel not even in the car yet. Red Bull already have problems?

AMuS said:
09:22 Vettel talks behind the Red Bull box calmly with team advisor Marko. It does not look as if it were the next minute go.

Other drivers are ready to go:

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Oh **** it's Alonso who stopped

06:34 The timing screens are suggesting that Alonso has stopped in the middle sector of the lap. All the other cars that left the pits when we went green have returned.
 
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Autosport said:
06:45 Fernando Alonso, of course, didn't make it quite that far in the Ferrari earlier. On that subject, EDD STRAW has made an observation from the pits...
06:46 Snap-happy Straw has spotted a fluid trail in the pitlane that was left by "smokey Alonso" when he headed out earlier.

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Scuderia Ferrari &#8207;@InsideFerrari 12s
Mappature aerodinamiche stamani. Aero mappings this morning. #F14T

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Obviously whatever problem they had before was minor/unimportant.
 
06:58 We're giving EDD STRAW a workout in the pits at the moment, and he's found out a bit more info regarding the 30-minute delay we had this morning:

"The word in the pitlane is that some marshals were not in position at the allotted time. Officials then wanted to check the circuit and work out if any more were missing and if so, how many.

"Team personnel were generally disgruntled about the delay."
 
Williams and Red Bull haven't left the garage yet.


06:55 No sign of an imminent run for Red Bull at the moment. The garage doors are shut as work continues on the RB10.