F1 Testing

[toomuchbeer]

So, we have 8 teams testing in Jerez at the moment, all appear to be doing 70 laps plus a day. But Honda, BMW and Super Aguri are missing.

Can these teams make up this testing time that they appear to be missing? Is testing limited to hours, miles or days?

Will Honda be once again on the back foot at the start of the season due to not testing. I mean look at the current teams testing, Williams are in an interim car, Toyota are running last years car and their new one.

I would have thought getting JB & RB out on track with no traction control in any F1 car would be worthwhile, or am I talking bks.

Edited by toomuchbeer on Thursday 17th January 10:51

[10 Pence Short]

Honda would've been there, but the handpainting of 3 million trees on the bodywork has overrun.

If they continue with their stupid livery policy this year...

[jon-]

[peterh2]

Hamilton seems to be quick again but is having difficulty adapting to driving without traction control. He has been off twice now.

[patmahe]

peterh2 said:

Hamilton seems to be quick again but is having difficulty adapting to driving without traction control. He has been off twice now.

So even the driver that barely had an off all last year is making mistakes now. Should liven up the racing now the electronics no longer drive the car.

[jon-]

patmahe said:

peterh2 said:

Hamilton seems to be quick again but is having difficulty adapting to driving without traction control. He has been off twice now.

So even the driver that barely had an off all last year is making mistakes now. Should liven up the racing now the electronics no longer drive the car.

I think Hamiltons style isn't to slowly work up to the limit and gradually push it, it's more to instantly find the limit and then pull back a little.

Far more entertaining IMO

[10 Pence Short]

Not to mention it was wet and he rode the kerbs. He knows what he did and no doubt he'll sort it out.

Better now than in 60 or so days time.

[BoRED S2upid]

Interesting to see. A lot of people are going to be finishing races in the gravel traps getting caught out. However, does this mean any wet race is going to be spent following the safety car?

[jon-]

BoRED S2upid said:

However, does this mean any wet race is going to be spent following the safety car?

Sadly, that's a very valid point. Wet races should be turned into an old style F1 race, where the driver with the best car control AND the biggest balls wins. It would be spectacular. In reality it will probably turn into a precession behind the safety car with the drivers moaning it's unsafe to race.

Edited by jon- on Thursday 17th January 12:28

[patmahe]

jon- said:

BoRED S2upid said:

However, does this mean any wet race is going to be spent following the safety car?

Sadly, that's a very valid point. Wet races should be turned into an old style F1 race, where the driver with the best car control AND the biggest balls wins. It would be spectacular. In reality it will probably turn into a precession behind the safety car with the drivers moaning it's unsafe to race.

Edited by jon- on Thursday 17th January 12:28

If this happens everyone switch off your TV sets its the only language the FIA understand

[vojx]

patmahe said:

If this happens everyone switch off your TV sets its the only language the FIA understand

er. . literally? don't think Max or Bernie'd care if i switched my TV off

[Babybel]

vojx said:

patmahe said:

If this happens everyone switch off your TV sets its the only language the FIA understand

er. . literally? don't think Max or Bernie'd care if i switched my TV off

Max wouldn't as the FIA have no interest in the TV rights, FOM control those.

[Mr_Yogi]

Slightly O/T but, have wet races always had such bad visability, or is it worse now because the new tyre technology/ patterns can displace so much more water than in the past, and this water gets displaced into the air?

[Petrol_fumes]

patmahe said:

peterh2 said:

Hamilton seems to be quick again but is having difficulty adapting to driving without traction control. He has been off twice now.

So even the driver that barely had an off all last year is making mistakes now. Should liven up the racing now the electronics no longer drive the car.

Should be an interesting year. From what i remember, GP2 cars don't run T/C, so the McLaren boys shouldn't be too bothered by it, given their recent step up to F1.

[MrKipling43]

Mr_Yogi said:

Slightly O/T but, have wet races always had such bad visability, or is it worse now because the new tyre technology/ patterns can displace so much more water than in the past, and this water gets displaced into the air?

It's almost certainly worse. Aero effects included F1s displace something like four bathtubs worth of water every second.

[skinny]

toomuchbeer said:

So, we have 8 teams testing in Jerez at the moment, all appear to be doing 70 laps plus a day. But Honda, BMW and Super Aguri are missing.

Can these teams make up this testing time that they appear to be missing? Is testing limited to hours, miles or days?

BMW have an exclusive test at valencia this week, and are testing there (possibly with the other teams) next week. doubtless honda / SA are at some other track somewhere in spain...

[Ahonen]

MrKipling43 said:

Mr_Yogi said:

Slightly O/T but, have wet races always had such bad visability, or is it worse now because the new tyre technology/ patterns can displace so much more water than in the past, and this water gets displaced into the air?

It's almost certainly worse. Aero effects included F1s displace something like four bathtubs worth of water every second.

But it was always bad. The spray would hang in the air in the trees at Hockenheim, making it treacherous.

[LocoBlade]

I suspect the reason Honda aren't testing is because their new car is going to be completely different to the RA107 from this year, so unlike Williams / Renault etc who are more likely to have an evolution of last year's car there's little to gain in testing with an interim "B" spec car because it won't correlate to the new car.

Having said that, you'd still think they might be wanting to develop and test the new ECU etc though but maybe they're comfortable with how that's going and don't feel the need.

[jon-]

LocoBlade said:

I suspect the reason Honda aren't testing is because their new car is going to be completely different to the RA107 from this year, so unlike Williams / Renault etc who are more likely to have an evolution of last year's car there's little to gain in testing with an interim "B" spec car because it won't correlate to the new car.

Having said that, you'd still think they might be wanting to develop and test the new ECU etc though but maybe they're comfortable with how that's going and don't feel the need.

You can integrate the new ECU on the bench.

[anonymous-user]

jon- said:

patmahe said:

peterh2 said:

Hamilton seems to be quick again but is having difficulty adapting to driving without traction control. He has been off twice now.

So even the driver that barely had an off all last year is making mistakes now. Should liven up the racing now the electronics no longer drive the car.

I think Hamiltons style isn't to slowly work up to the limit and gradually push it, it's more to instantly find the limit and then pull back a little.

Far more entertaining IMO

Pretty much, it's better to go over the limit a few times in testing and see what that limit feels like, than be cautious to the point you never take it past what is capable. The trick is to do that where it's safe and where you wont damage the car enough to stop the testing program.

If you remember Lewis totalled one of the new cars in last years testing, so as long as he keeps it in one piece thats the program going to plan.