Official Pre-season Testing Thread

[DOF_power 0]

Nothing to do with drivers, just team decision on how to use their testing time limited by the FIA.

[HandyNZL 1]

Err.....so Ferrari have unlimited km's and no one else does? If I was Renault I'd want to be testing as much as Ferrari - and they simply are not.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Err.....so Ferrari have unlimited km's and no one else does? If I was Renault I'd want to be testing as much as Ferrari - and they simply are not.

true, Kimi is dispelling many myths about his dedication to the craft.... apparently he was one lazy bugger that did not like testing and improving the car...those voices are pretty silent on TF1 forums now...

sissies!!!

[bathurst1000 0]

true, Kimi is dispelling many myths about his dedication to the craft.... apparently he was one lazy bugger that did not like testing and improving the car...those voices are pretty silent on TF1 forums now...

sissies!!!

He's got motivation now, the fastest car on the grid

[BradSpeedMan 6]

He's got motivation now, the fastest car on the grid

so what happened in 2005?

Having the fastest car does'nt make you motivated to do more laps... it should let you do less.

[Boudica 0]

Initially Ferrari had indeed planned to set that very fast laptime yesterday but the problems the day before made the team decide 'to play it safe'. Costa decided both cars would be doing long runs, always with 70 kg of fuel on board. The objective was to once more put the reliability of the car to the test, in the hottest and most windy day of all six.

Costa laughed at the end of the day: ''I'm satisfied. It has gone very well, according to plan. And this track has confirmed to be the ideal one to test on because it allowes you to work in constant conditions and with a continuity which is impossible to find elsewhere. The only regret are the of 'infancy problems' of the car on Sunday.''

Kimi's engine has done 431 laps, which is 2.332,572 km, in six days time. And he certainly wasn't taken it easy on the engine. ''The test has gone well. Some problems occured to the F2008, but only small ones. We wanted to know the car better and that's what we've done.''

Compared to a year ago ''Ferrari starts well. Improvements already came in every area and now we await the new aerodynamic package at Barcelona. With the coming update the performance will increase furthermore. There we will also compare ourselves to the competitors and see where we are. Clearly there's still a lot to improve but for me it's easier compared to 2007.''

Kimi laughs a lot: ''Yes, because I'm satisfied. So there's no reason to look sad. But the decisive step will be made the next tests. And then Melbourne, because only there we will really know the pecking order.''

Ferrari has done 846 laps, which is 4.578,500 km, in these six days.

[Boudica 0]

1. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-23 1:19.102 20 pit

2. R. Kubica BMW Sauber F1.08 1:19.536 +0.434 18 pit

3. N. Heidfeld BMW Sauber F1.08 1:20.469 +1.367 7 pit

4. N. Piquet Jr. Renault R28 1:20.536 +1.434 11 pit

5. N. Rosberg Williams FW30 1:20.921 +1.819 11 pit

6. S. Bourdais Toro Rosso STR2 1:21.087 +1.985 8 pit

7. K. Nakajima Williams FW30 1:21.291 +2.189 11 pit

8. M. Webber Red Bull Racing RB4 1:21.395 +2.293 9 pit

9. R. Barrichello Honda RA108 1:21.759 +2.657 10 pit

10. A. Wurz Honda RA108 1:21.950 +2.848 5 pit

11. V. Liuzzi Force India VJM-01 1:22.118 +3.016 10 pit

12. L. Di Grassi Renault R28 1:31.843 +12.741 4 pit

13. P. de la Rosa McLaren MP4-23 1:47.409 +28.307 4 pit

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Initially Ferrari had indeed planned to set that very fast laptime yesterday but the problems the day before made the team decide 'to play it safe'. Costa decided both cars would be doing long runs, always with 70 kg of fuel on board. The objective was to once more put the reliability of the car to the test, in the hottest and most windy day of all six.

Costa laughed at the end of the day: ''I'm satisfied. It has gone very well, according to plan. And this track has confirmed to be the ideal one to test on because it allowes you to work in constant conditions and with a continuity which is impossible to find elsewhere. The only regret are the of 'infancy problems' of the car on Sunday.''

Kimi's engine has done 431 laps, which is 2.332,572 km, in six days time. And he certainly wasn't taken it easy on the engine. ''The test has gone well. Some problems occured to the F2008, but only small ones. We wanted to know the car better and that's what we've done.''

Compared to a year ago ''Ferrari starts well. Improvements already came in every area and now we await the new aerodynamic package at Barcelona. With the coming update the performance will increase furthermore. There we will also compare ourselves to the competitors and see where we are. Clearly there's still a lot to improve but for me it's easier compared to 2007.''

Kimi laughs a lot: ''Yes, because I'm satisfied. So there's no reason to look sad. But the decisive step will be made the next tests. And then Melbourne, because only there we will really know the pecking order.''

Ferrari has done 846 laps, which is 4.578,500 km, in these six days.

sorry, I just want to get this straight...he did 431 laps with one engine?????

edit: modified when he had the oil leak of course

[Fed up 0]

Before you Kimi fans get ahead of yourselves, this article on Formula1.net puts some perspective on his pace.

"

Kimi Raikkonen looked very impressive at Bahrain testing this week. Had he not been consistently a second faster than Massa and some two seconds faster than last year

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Before you Kimi fans get ahead of yourselves, this article on Formula1.net puts some perspective on his pace.

I've read this article... just so you know he's also PREDICTING...let's wait see and wait what expires, if Kimi's pace shown is not really that significant come Melbouirne... He states he can go faster, which is ominous enough, let alone being the fastest man in F1 at the present moment....I'll predict he'll dominate

Be afraid, be very afraid!

[maure 1]

I've read this article... just so you know he's also PREDICTING...let's wait see and wait what expires, if Kimi's pace shown is not really that significant come Melbouirne... He states he can go faster, which is ominous enough, let alone being the fastest man in F1 at the present moment....I'll predict he'll dominate

Be afraid, be very afraid!

Chances are quite good that you are right. Nice pre-season for us.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Chances are quite good that you are right. Nice pre-season for us.

true

[Boudica 0]

1. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-22 1:19.102 54 pit

2. P. de la Rosa McLaren MP4-23 1:19.287 +0.185 64 pit

3. R. Kubica BMW Sauber F1.08 1:19.539 +0.437 72 pit

4. N. Piquet Jr. Renault R28 1:19.660 +0.558 91 pit

5. N. Heidfeld BMW Sauber F1.08 1:19.958 +0.856 60 pit

6. M. Webber Red Bull Racing RB4 1:20.013 +0.911 64 pit

7. N. Rosberg Williams FW30 1:20.029 +0.927 96 pit

8. S. Vettel Toro Rosso STR2 1:20.105 +1.003 61 pit

9. D. Coulthard Red Bull Racing RB4 1:20.176 +1.074 61 pit

10. K. Nakajima Williams FW30 1:20.237 +1.135 60 pit

11. S. Bourdais Toro Rosso STR2 1:20.418 +1.316 53 pit

12. R. Barrichello Honda RA108 1:21.133 +2.031 91 pit

13. T. Sato Super Aguri F1 SA07 1:21.400 +2.298 47 pit

14. V. Liuzzi Force India VJM-01 1:21.553 +2.451 59 pit

15. L. Di Grassi Renault R27 1:21.654 +2.552 55 pit

16. A. Wurz Honda RA108 1:21.950 +2.848 53 pit

[goferrarigo 0]

Err.....so Ferrari have unlimited km's and no one else does? If I was Renault I'd want to be testing as much as Ferrari - and they simply are not.

Reno right now, i think, have a credit crunch... They hired Yamamoto has their 3rd Test driver, for him money, so thus i think their laps are more limited as they are saving up for the tests mideseasons...

[Boudica 0]

It seems that both the BMW drivers were mainly doing short stints of 5-7 laps most of the day while Piquet was concentrating on long stints of 20 laps(approx). Both Williams cars did a lot of laps in order to catch up with the time lost. Vettel and Wurz were the drivers to cause a red flag today, both them spun their cars at turn 1.

[Boudica 0]

Err.....so Ferrari have unlimited km's and no one else does? If I was Renault I'd want to be testing as much as Ferrari - and they simply are not.

Mhm Maclaren is the team that has actually done the most testing so far, that figures just show the regular drivers, if you but the test drivers into the equation the picture changes a bit.

Ferrari has just let their drivers do most of the testing.

[Boudica 0]

FINAL Times - 17: 00

1 . L. Hamilton -1:19.102-89 Laps

2 . P. De la Rosa -1:19.287-88 Laps

3 . R. Kubica -1:19.539-91 Laps

9 . K. Nakajima -1:19.601-93 Laps

4 . N. Piquet -1:19.660-120 Laps

5 . N. Heidfeld -1:19.958-94 Laps

6 . M. Webber -1:20.013-113 Laps

7 . N. Rosberg -1:20.029-125 Laps

7 . S. Vettel -1:21.105-53 laps

8 . D. Coulthard -1:20.176-111 laps

10 . S. Bourdais -1:20.418-82 Laps

12 . R. Barrichello -1:21.133-71 Laps

15 . L. Di Grassi -1:21.200-92 Laps

13 . T. Sato -1:23.400-90 laps

14 . V. Liuzzi -1:21.553-103 Laps

16 . A. Wurz -1:21.950-86 Laps

[Boudica 0]

It seems that both the BMW drivers were mainly doing short stints of 5-7 laps most of the day while Piquet was concentrating on long stints of 20 laps(approx). Both Williams cars did a lot of laps in order to catch up with the time lost. Vettel and Wurz were the drivers to cause a red flag today, both them spun their cars at turn 1.

- All the cars were lined up around 9:00 at the end of the pitlane waiting for the red light to go green and some of the cars overheated when the light stayed red for to long, it was later established that this was because of repair work currently being done for motogp (and workers being to near to the track).

- Kubica's car caught fire in the morning luckily it was extinguished efficiently by the marshals. Lewis had some electronic troubles at some stage, but it wasn't to serious at the end of the day it seems.

- BMW did lots of practise starts in the pitlane.

[goferrarigo 0]

Mhm Maclaren is the team that has actually done the most testing so far, that figures just show the regular drivers, if you but the test drivers into the equation the picture changes a bit.

Ferrari has just let their drivers do most of the testing.

Thats also a good point to consider...

But still Ferrari would be higher than Renault..

[HandyNZL 1]

TWO SECONDS!! How can Honda be THAT far off the pace? STILL!!! Have they copied plans of Minardi's or something? I see the Hari Kari knives being drawn already!

And go that Naki boy! A pretty good time, one has to admit. Maybe Wurz was right about him. I think he may be the rookie of the season to watch. I hope the Williams can maintain the pace they are beginning to show. I think their apparent resurgence may be to do with the competitive Toyota engine - no one has ever bagged Toyota's engine, just the car...(oh and livery)....and whom better than Patrick Head and Frank Williams to mate engine and chassis - only Macca has been able to do a better job of that in the past (Ferrari don't count as they have their own engines, not a supplied one). I haven't the foggiest how long the engine deal was for, but if it's anything like the Honda and Renault deals Williams once had (in terms of years), one might lay a tenner on them for a championship again in the next few years. They need a driver that can bring 6/10ths to the team....damn...anyone heard of someone like that? Sure would be handy if one existed!

[Boudica 0]

1. M. Webber Red Bull Racing RB4 1:18.735 14 pit

2. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-23 1:19.985 +1.250 9 pit

3. N. Piquet Jr. Renault R28 1:20.180 +1.445 16 pit

4. S. Vettel Toro Rosso STR2 1:20.473 +1.738 13 pit

5. S. Bourdais Toro Rosso STR2 1:20.536 +1.801 14 pit

6. F. Alonso Renault R28 1:20.559 +1.824 9 pit

7. R. Kubica BMW Sauber F1.08 1:20.732 +1.997 18 pit

8. H. Kovalainen McLaren MP4-23 1:20.856 +2.121 15 pit

9. N. Heidfeld BMW Sauber F1.08 1:20.915 +2.180 13 pit

[bathurst1000 0]

GO BULL!

[HandyNZL 1]

Do my eyes play tricks or is PK Jnr ahead of Alonso...again...

I know it's testing, but PK is showing he can match Alonso in much the same manner Lewis did. What happens when/if Alonso has a crap start to the season (retirements, whathaveyou) and PK has a run of top-5's...where does the No. 1 status go then?

[BradSpeedMan 6]

GO BULL!

those Red Bull's are looking increasingly competitive.... lovely stuff...

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Do my eyes play tricks or is PK Jnr ahead of Alonso...again...

I know it's testing, but PK is showing he can match Alonso in much the same manner Lewis did. What happens when/if Alonso has a crap start to the season (retirements, whathaveyou) and PK has a run of top-5's...where does the No. 1 status go then?

That Billionnaire sponsor will for sure chime in for equal status, he did'nt demand Piquet's inclusion for no reason...

anyways, will be extremely satisfied if Nelson upstages the donkey driver... There's already a huge dent in his reputation of not deserving of his 2 titles, and winning it based on having the best car which suited his driving style for 2 years.... Go Piquet Jnr!!!!!!