Clicky

Jump to content

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Sakae

Pre Season Testing 2020

Recommended Posts

Barcelona testing schedule

Circuit de Catalunya

Wednesday, 19 February - Friday, 21 February

Wednesday, 26 February - Friday, 28 February 

1 month to P1 in Austr.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ferrari has the same car as last year, and it seems the same race engineer. Let's hope they are hiding all good stuff from competition. Moreover, it is good to get all smoke out of engine before season, rather than later (I think).

Is it too soon to make gloomy forecasts for fans in red?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
35 minutes ago, Sakae said:

Ferrari has the same car as last year, and it seems the same race engineer. Let's hope they are hiding all good stuff from competition. Moreover, it is good to get all smoke out of engine before season, rather than later (I think).

Is it too soon to make gloomy forecasts for fans in red?

Dunno. This is new to me. Im not familiar with the new rules yet, or delved into the technical aspects of the Ferrari bullet. Just saw a heading that states extreme Ferrari. This is confusing

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Too soon to tell IMO, Brad. I think some people in media like to use superlatives to keep attention onto a sport which is trying to reinvent itself. I cannot play dumb that I know more than a next person, but all what I see is very little of true form I expect to see later on. There is undeniable optimization on last year car, but all good stuff -- if there is any -- is awaiting for us in early races. They better be ready for fight from day one. RBR with Honda will be in the mix, I guess, if end of last season meant anything. Alonso must be kicking himself for all his little, and very public, theatrics.   

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Official F1 website:

Quote

For 2020, pre-season testing has been reduced from eight days of running to six, with the two three-day tests due to take place at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 19-21 and February 26-28.

I have to admit I feel defeated and deflated. For years I am consistently complaining for what I would consider inadequate track time testing with aim to detect and possibly correct anomalies well before a season begins, yet F1 is charging its course exactly in opposite direction. I do not understand aims of this strategy, and my head hurts. In fact, some speculative, self generated explanations of possible reasons for it actually infuriate me, and my trust in management of FiA and Liberty is pretty low right now. I am failing to find positives in such decisions. I used to like seeing Ferrari pounding track quite early with their drivers in excess of 10000+ km. We do not have it anymore, and if I ever can detect false flag economy, this it is.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

RBR earned some headlines after declaring themselves as first challenger to Mercedes. Bragging in the F1 arena is neither new or newsworthy, however IMO it is worth noting, that Dr. Marko has decided to dismiss Ferrari challenge. Adding recent rumors that testing results in Maranello generated concerns in Italian media, this is then getting really interesting. I have no doubt that Verstappen is slowly settling down, Newey is known factor in aero field, and Honda's figures are in the ballpark with rivals, thus RBR has every right to be optimistic.

Based on circumstances, I am now fully awake to hear back from Seb.   

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ruslan, I've asked this question on several occasions, however you are deaf to it, so it seems. Let's try again. In hypothetical scenario a team got hit with unplanned expenses, and as it happened, in September they find themselves on budget limit. Can you elaborate on team's options for the rest of the season in terms of managing competitive upgrades, recovering from track accidents, etc. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Testing - Ferrari assigned Vettel for first outing. I am not sure how experts view such choice, however I think its a "downer". Validation of systems, and running around with garden fence full of sensors really is not a job for a seasoned veteran like Vettel. I could be wrong, but Leclerc will have more clear run in last day, when car will have to show what it can do. I am hoping Seb will get final word in test 2 (unless weather goes to dogs).

 

Ooops - Seb is ill, Leclerc had to take over. Love it. Seb probably got sick just thinking about what was in plans for today.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1/2 of first day is gone, and Ferrari was parked in the garage, while Honda was thundering on the track. It's good for Ferrari fans to keep expectations low.

Can anyone can still say with a straight face we do not need to have a car really ready (through proper testing) for a season? 

 

Verstappen spins -- so far twice today -- a no declaration of driver's ERROR in sight. Just wait when Vettel will do the same.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So what has changed since last season?

Mercedes - as expected.

Ferrari after initial scare in the morning - they are obviously getting ready to come from behind in P11.

I am not sure Italian press will like it. Luckilly it was Leclerc, rather than Seb, so they cannot accuse him of being old and slow.

That RP20 allegedly copied last year Merc, and it seems to work for them.

The rest...who knows after one day.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

At Mercedes, the simulator has become a hugely important tool, especially during the race weekends. "Because it is a tool that represents 95 percent of reality, we can test almost anything at any time," concludes Ocon.

Good to know, however permit me to ask the obvious - how significant is loss of that last 5% in a sport where 0.001 sec can make a difference between win and lose as expressed in big bucks in December?

Mercedes has a better simulator than rest of them, and we are talking here about level playing field because of some measly budget? 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
21 hours ago, Sakae said:

Ruslan, I've asked this question on several occasions, however you are deaf to it, so it seems. Let's try again. In hypothetical scenario a team got hit with unplanned expenses, and as it happened, in September they find themselves on budget limit. Can you elaborate on team's options for the rest of the season in terms of managing competitive upgrades, recovering from track accidents, etc. 

Well, if I was running the budget cap, which I am not, I would allow a team to exceed the budget cap for one year at a penalty for next year.....so this would not really be an issue.

I have no idea what Liberty is doing on this or has made any such provision.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, Ruslan said:

Well, if I was running the budget cap, which I am not, I would allow a team to exceed the budget cap for one year at a penalty for next year.....so this would not really be an issue.

I have no idea what Liberty is doing on this or has made any such provision.

I don't want to be mean or quarrel, but I've told you many times budget cap will generate more issues than solving. I am not surprised over halve baked cake which no one fully understands.

About your penalty points...what if a team incurred expenses due to force majeure?  Driver A smashes a car of his rival to smithereens; not once, but thrice? What happens to arbitrary, nonsensical limits? 

I do not want to be petty about it, but I say, let natural market forces to take care of the team's budget. Firing 1000 engineers and technicians (to save on wages), and substitute them with 25 high priced lawyers and bookkeepers to count pennies seems such waste of life, and for what? What is the objective here? Save Williams and alike? Would you get better gate purse with 12 teams like Williams? Turn the clock back into seventies? Some people would like that, I guess.

F1 is dying, and gimmicks are not really what is needed.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 hours ago, Sakae said:

 

F1 is dying, and gimmicks are not really what is needed.

 

F1 is dying and I gather your solution is more of the same. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ruslan, there are two issues to consider.

1.     Cost. I am not against decreasing cost, however we difer on methodology how to do that.  You like imposition of budgetary restrains as a trick which will save a day, whereas I think we need to build a simpler car. New technical direction (tech. specification) which will make big spending overkill without effect. My other favorite alternative to this would be to break series in two tiers, each having their own set of technical rules (perhaps different PU), yet racing side by side on the same track in the same event. Normally aspirated V12 replacing current hybrids as less expensive solution is probably high bar forever lost.

2.     Popularity. How to make F1 more popular - admittedly I have no idea, however protecting one team from competition as we observed since 2014 was IMO a disastrous plan. Restricted development for teams to catch up, homologation of challenging new technology in its first year, tokens... all just self inflicted pain with a sticker on forehead - BORING. No one should be surprised some people are bored, others have no interest in watching and knowing ahead how the race will end up.

Maybe merging different styles of racing into one body, and serving niche clientele (as opposed to be everything to everybody) could do the trick. I am not really sure, but considering Budget as a magic pill to increase competition seems far fetched to me. It might not be even a "good start". Ecological concerns and pressure on governments could impact sheer existence of the series. You will have Greta-like youngsters showing up at the races, and the end is predictable.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I read the interview with Leclerc, and I am lost over his "wisdom". We changed strategy this year and concentrate mainly on us, said this hopeful. 

Really, Charles? I do distinctly remember Sebastian telling us repeatedly last year how Ferrari is focusing on team's development (instead letting their minds wonder around). So, what had really changed?

One change was rather blatantly obvious to all in contrast to 2019, namely, sitting in the garage instead turning laps. Other, being slowest team of the day.  

Charles is growing to be a great driver in a year or two, but maybe he is too young to talk and make sense. Even paddock politics is a special set of skills, and not everyone is good at it. Why not come clean and admit, team had a problem deep inside, and could not quickly fix it without taking whole car apart?

 

...I may add it is confirmed that Ferrari run first day with detuned PU. It doesn¨t need much for an educated guess that not all was well, thus day went that way from necessity to minimize potential damage to equipment, rather than some kind of brainy and devilish strategy how to confuse rivals. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

14:30 second day - Ferrari on the blocks, and no sight of Seb. 

Very "promising" start of the season, but for some of us older folks who do remember 2014 play at RBR, it's actually pretty scary.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good stuff from Kimi. It doesn't matter if it was on fumes or full tank, but he has done it. It would be interesting to know how much fuel Ferrari carries in their tanks.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As always... Merc's new steering wheel system apparently decalred legal, despite protestations from all other teams. If that was Ferrari coming up with it, we probably know what the outcome would've been...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I made a lot of "enemies" after admitting that I have my issues with Hamilton's 6 WDC. In that car, no one ever had it better. Not even Schumacher, and definitely not Vettel. Up to 2014 rivals were free to change a car any time and compete. That was put into a freezer once Mercedes got the jump on everyone else, writing rules and getting jump (some sources saying over 3 years) on everybody else. After scanning some GP247 and similar sites, there is a lot of people who do not want to hear of any advantage Hamilton would enjoy, including No. 1 over Bottas and Rosberg. They always critiquing Vettel needed "best car", yet totally ignoring Hamilton's complain about his car when Rosberg beat him. 

This double standard puts me off making me sick. When Rosberg won his WDC, Tony Kanaan put it well - Hamilton participated in a series compiled of 2 drivers, and he came second. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Sakae said:

Good stuff from Kimi. It doesn't matter if it was on fumes or full tank, but he has done it. It would be interesting to know how much fuel Ferrari carries in their tanks.

Yes, but set on the softest tyre C5. I don't expect miracles, just hope AR can competently compete with the midfield. Ferari has changed their strategy for testing, no fastest laps anymore, so I expect that they filled their bullet with lots of fuel

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

True, but I think sooner or later they will need track data to plot race strategies. Maybe not tomorrow, but in second test it has to happen. 

I also think they had car problem yesterday (probably some sensor located deep inside).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Interview with Vettel

Quote

"At first glance the competition is faster than we are, but we are not currently looking for laptimes," he added. "But in the car you get a feeling of what is better and what is not.

This little sentence (in bold) is not making any headlines, not too many would stop and think about it, yet IMO it expresses sad tragedy path F1 has undertaken in moving development of cars onto computers. Seb simply stating what will be lost, namely, only a driver, not a computer wizard can confirm right direction of development. Human touch cannot be replaced with current technology; you need feedback from a driver on the track, make adjustments, and reiterate. That's how old-timers have done it for ages, and it worked. Computer designed cars which even cannot follow each other. Dropping interest in racing makes one think that the computer got it wrong. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

"We had to stop due to an engine problem, whose exact cause we will investigate back in Maranello - we are now fitting a new engine so will be back on track in the afternoon."

Seb stopped on the track.  I wonder if this event was in any way linked to causes which delayed Leclerc first day. First race is coming, and discovering now they have a weak link in a design is not a good news. Lets hope its just nothing more than mechanic's watch which he forgot and left behind.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...