F1: Barcelona fourth pre-season test
Discussion
I can't see a thread specifically with the rescheduled 4th test.
Testing started today and runs to Saturday.
We finally might see some real runs. The teams are limited to the 2 tyre compounds that they will be using for the first 3 rounds.
Highlights so far - the Mclaren nose
http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/314
At every opertunaty...So far it's all about the tyres - like all the other testing has shown.
Basically forget about anything about making the cars go faster or more grip. It's all about who can go the slowest to make their tyres last longest. And by longest I meant 10 laps would be amazing !
The drop off is simply unbelievable. You're looking at 8-10secs from the optimum to where it ends up. 3 pitstop races without a doubt and a season that will be solely about tyre management.
Whether it will make good racing is yet to be seen.
woof said:
So far it's all about the tyres - like all the other testing has shown.
Basically forget about anything about making the cars go faster or more grip. It's all about who can go the slowest to make their tyres last longest. And by longest I meant 10 laps would be amazing !
The drop off is simply unbelievable. You're looking at 8-10secs from the optimum to where it ends up. 3 pitstop races without a doubt and a season that will be solely about tyre management.
Whether it will make good racing is yet to be seen.
I watch F1 to see the best drivers in the world in some of the best cars racing... Not who can manage their tyre wear the best. I recognise that it's all part of the game as it always has been but this could potentially get daft. Hope were wrong but don't suppose we'll know for a few weeksBasically forget about anything about making the cars go faster or more grip. It's all about who can go the slowest to make their tyres last longest. And by longest I meant 10 laps would be amazing !
The drop off is simply unbelievable. You're looking at 8-10secs from the optimum to where it ends up. 3 pitstop races without a doubt and a season that will be solely about tyre management.
Whether it will make good racing is yet to be seen.
groomi said:
Pirelli were saying that they're glad the tyres aren't holding up well in these cold temperatures, as that means they should be ok for the races - every one of which will be warmer.
I would have thought that would work the other way round, i.e. that they'd last longer when colder.
Nope, cold racing tyres drop off in performance rapidly, the rubber compound is designed to work above certain temperatures, too cold and it chunks off or shaves off the surface.
It's the same to a certain extent with road tyres, your tyre wear goes up a lot in winter when using summer tyres, because the rubber is too hard so shaves itself down, rather than bonding with the road surface.
It's the same to a certain extent with road tyres, your tyre wear goes up a lot in winter when using summer tyres, because the rubber is too hard so shaves itself down, rather than bonding with the road surface.
It's got to be the worse case scenario for teams and drivers in testing. You're chasing times and performance but you can't get the tyres to work nor last as you would expect.
I want to see, flat out lights to flag racing. OK - the racing does need to be mixed up a bit and tire changes (and for that matter fuel stops) mostly add to the racing. But you'd expect the tyres to last more than a few laps before they drop off by such a huge amount.
I'm sure you're going to see 4 and 5 stop strategies from the lower grid teams.
Pirelli are saying they're happy with the compounds and in the hotter climates will work just fine.
However the teams have tested all the compounds are they say they'll all s
t ! (Apart from the wets that lasted better than expected). 
CanadianScot said:
It's a measuring device though, it won't be raced like that.
I would imagine that the struts are terminated in force transducers, the aim being to measure the actual downforce generated by the wing, and how that downforce is distributed (front-to-back, and left-to-right). This will not just be useful in steady-state running, but also in following other cars.TBH I'm surprised they don't do this already with piezo-electric or optical fibre sensors embedded in the CF layup...
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