*** Winter Testing #2 - Barcelona ***

[Park'O]

BritishRacinGrin said:

Park'O said:

So Mercedes are around a second a lap quicker than the next fastest car, no change there then. Non of the teams have made no sort of ground up on Merc what so ever, which is fairly disappointing.

Bit early to be jumping to conclusions like that but I see you've made your mind up already.

I'm not jumping to conclusions, it's evident already there's a big gap!

[thegreenhell]

Park'O said:

BritishRacinGrin said:

Park'O said:

So Mercedes are around a second a lap quicker than the next fastest car, no change there then. Non of the teams have made no sort of ground up on Merc what so ever, which is fairly disappointing.

Bit early to be jumping to conclusions like that but I see you've made your mind up already.

I'm not jumping to conclusions, it's evident already there's a big gap!

There was a big gap at the end of last season, and that won't be overcome overnight. As much as the other teams are working to improve their cars, Mercedes aren't standing still either. What we don't know, and won't know until the first race, is whether that gap has increased or decreased.

We don't know what fuel loads or performance programs the teams are running in testing, so any laptimes aren't directly comparable, and most of them won't be showing their full hand yet and will arrive in Melbourne with new update packages from what we're seeing now.

[Teppic]

I see that the cause of Button's earlier failure was the redesigned seal on the MGU-K failing, and a re-redesigned part is being shipped out to be fitted this evening, ready for Alonso tomorrow.

[BigBen]

The McLaren has looked quite decent when it has actually been going fast. Sadly this has not been enough of the time so far. Hope the fix works for Alonso tomorrow.

[Park'O]

thegreenhell said:

Park'O said:

BritishRacinGrin said:

Park'O said:

So Mercedes are around a second a lap quicker than the next fastest car, no change there then. Non of the teams have made no sort of ground up on Merc what so ever, which is fairly disappointing.

Bit early to be jumping to conclusions like that but I see you've made your mind up already.

I'm not jumping to conclusions, it's evident already there's a big gap!

There was a big gap at the end of last season, and that won't be overcome overnight. As much as the other teams are working to improve their cars, Mercedes aren't standing still either. What we don't know, and won't know until the first race, is whether that gap has increased or decreased.

We don't know what fuel loads or performance programs the teams are running in testing, so any laptimes aren't directly comparable, and most of them won't be showing their full hand yet and will arrive in Melbourne with new update packages from what we're seeing now.

I completely agree but I'm still going to put my neck on the line and say there will be a big gap. In fact I think the gap will be greater than last season.

[andyps]

Park'O said:

I completely agree but I'm still going to put my neck on the line and say there will be a big gap. In fact I think the gap will be greater than last season.

There are indications that it could be at least the same - I guess that is the case it proves that the current format has not yet reached the point of diminishing returns.

[rdjohn]

BigBen said:

The McLaren has looked quite decent when it has actually been going fast. Sadly this has not been enough of the time so far. Hope the fix works for Alonso tomorrow.

I like to think that I am a "glass half full" sort of guy, but sadly I can see nothing that gives me any hope.

I obviously need to dump crossed-fingers and get myself a rabbit's foot.

[anonymous-user]

Inertiatic said:

Galileo said:

Inertiatic said:

London424 said:

Here it is

https://twitter.com/mclarenf1/status/5687071233345...

I remember Webbers car doing that at the start of a race a few years back. Wasn't a problem

Tyre smoke with picture taken at an angle that makes it look like it's coming from the exhaust.

It was def out of the exhaust and I'm pretty sure the commentator s mentioned that it was oil

The rules have stated for a very long time now, that any oil breather systems have to be vented into the engines inlet system. So if you have any overfill of oil, it will be burned by the engine rather than dumped onto the track or held in an external catch can.

So that is probably why the smoke, as the excess oil was burned.

The other common issue with turbo race engines, is if the oil scavenge system for the turbo bearing feed wasn't working, or the turbo seal was weeping a little, oil will pool in the exhaust and when the engine fires and gets some heat into the exhaust/turbo, you get a lot of oil smoke as it burns that oil off.

Worst I ever had was on a Group C car, the previous team to run the car disconnected one of the electric feeds to one of the two turbo scavenge pumps (twin turbo setup with turbos mounted lower than the dry sump tank so needed external scavenge pumps to return the oil to the tank), the smoke was quite impressive when the engine was fired. It took a few minutes after I reconnected the electric scavenge pump to clear the excess oil passed by the bearing seals.

[London424]

Aaannd the McL has broken down again.

Eta: might be a crash

Edited by London424 on Sunday 22 February 11:58

[mw88]

London424 said:

Aaannd the McL has broken down again.

Eta: might be a crash

Edited by London424 on Sunday 22 February 11:58

Alonso taken to Medical Centre as a precaution, so must has been a decent fight with the wall.

Hope Button can get out this afternoon as planned!

[aberdeeneuan]

Some photos on twitter show it looking pretty intact, and that he parked it as he felt dizzy. We'll know soon enough I guess.

[London424]

Everything crossed he's ok!

[mw88]

Image from Sky's live feed - http://media.fyre.co/cqlJqeCTjKdgbLkiH882_Fernando...

Edit - Apparantly Fernando is being air lifted to Hospital...

Edited by mw88 on Sunday 22 February 12:22

[anonymous-user]

Blimey!

Turn 3 is very fast. Hope he is okay, but going by air is not good. Every test for the last few years seems to have been very hard work for McLaren

Edit: According to Sky the impact was on the side of the car. That would explain the hospital visit, and hopefully it's just concussion.

Edited by RenOHH on Sunday 22 February 12:51

[Mini1275]

All very strange, fingers crossed eveything is okay.

[airbusA346]

From the Sky Live Feed:

"Our colleagues at German publication Motor und Sport have quoted Sebastian Vettel, who was behind Alonso on the road when the McLaren crashed out, as saying: "The speed was slow - maybe 150kph. Then he turned right into the wall. It looked strange.""

[Mini1275]

From the Sky F1 testing feed:

Our colleagues at German publication Motor und Sport have quoted Sebastian Vettel, who was behind Alonso on the road when the McLaren crashed out, as saying: "The speed was slow - maybe 150kph. Then he turned right into the wall. It looked strange."

[MartG]

The car doesn't look badly damaged from the pics seen so far, so hopefully he's not badly hurt

Edited by MartG on Sunday 22 February 13:12

[airbusA346]

According to McLaren the G-Force alarm on the car was triggered, which is why Alonso has gone to hospital.

[Mojocvh]

Not good seeing them flat out like that....