2008 Barcelona Testing Thread (17 Nov - 19 Nov)

[Metar]

Senna and di Grassi ran a regular RA08 car, Wurz ran the interim "RA08.5".

v.d. Garde crashed his Renault rather heavily, so that cost him time as well...

Liuzzi level with Sutil is a surprise after a year out of the sport - I'm still wishing he'll get his seat back. Sato beating Buemi is good news as far as I'm concerned, too. Liuzzi-Fisico & Bourdais-Sato '09!


Also note, each of the STRs completed more laps than some teams did combined, and that Loeb did some pretty cool times in the Red Bull!

[mx_tifoso]

Front suspension

Are the suspension arms shorter than usual? I sense something is different there too.

IMO, so far the Williams is the best looking car out there, their '09 parts are simply the most eye pleasing.


Williams have miniature barge boards, compared to other teams which don't have anything there at all.


I was expecting some '09 configuration testing today, but I was simply shocked when I opened this thread.

[rjsa]

So the end of day 1 and

Senna is 1.2 seconds faster than Di Grassi who is 3.1 seconds slower than Wurz. No idea what aero or tyre configuration they're running.

Van Der Garde was 2.35 seconds slower than Piquet again no idea on tyres or aero.

Liuzzi and Sutil 0.03 seconds apart, which could be interesting.

And Sato and Buemi only 0.3 seconds apart.

And strangely I quite like the new Williams, it reminds me a little of the old JPS Lotus.

Senna/DiGrassi should be running standard 2008 spec, they are there fighting each other. Wurz would have something different.

[Principessa]

Pictures available here http://www.f1technical.net/gallery/v/Te ... +Nov+2008/ More will follow the coming hours/days.

[timbo]

It is hard to tell but maybe Williams endplates are looking better because they are painted dark-blue. Maybe FIA should issue a mandatory black glossy-paint for front-wing...

[vasia]

The test times mean absolutely nothing right now. There were a variety of drivers, including non-F1 drivers testing under a variety of conditions. Some were new drivers to F1 testing 2008 cars with slick tires. Some were new drivers testing 2008 cars with grooved tires. Then you had the regular team test drivers as well as race drivers testing 2008 cars under simulated 2009 downforce levels with slicks as well as grooved tires. You also had some teams testing with some 2009 parts, KERS systems, and slicks. Then you had Ferrari, running their F2008K test car, with that Frankenstein radiator on it.

There was absolutely no consistency between the teams today in testing, so times mean nothing.

Also for those who think the BMW, Williams, and Honda teams were running final 2009 parts, I highly doubt it. It would be foolish for some of the teams to show final 2009 parts so early before their 2009 cars are even unveiled. It would put them at a competitive disadvantage. Also even after the 2009 cars are shown next year, most of the teams will have major upgrades to their cars before the first race in Melbourne.

So in other words, expect to see more sculpted front and rear 2009 wings, and expect to see some interesting and unique aerodynamic innovations. Teams are holding their cards close to their chest, and we won't even have any idea of the pecking order until February testing at the very earliest.

As for the BMW, that is simply a modified F1.08 car being used with some 2009 parts, and also testing the KERS system. You can be sure that BMW's F1.09 will not look like that, including the suspension. The current suspension seen in the pics is simply the F1.08 suspension with some minor modifications. I also expect the nose will look different as well.

Also nobody has yet mentioned that all teams right now are testing ... except Toyota. There has been word Toyota will test in Bahrain with Ferrari in December, but where are they now? Why isn't Toyota testing this week along with every other team? What are they up to? Anyone have a good reason why Toyota decided not to test this week?

[timbo]

Pictures available here http://www.f1technical.net/gallery/v/Te ... +Nov+2008/ More will follow the coming hours/days.

Great! Thanks!

Wow in this pic we can see that addition radiator on Ferrari is HUGE...

[Birel99]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.ph ... catID=3662

is it just me or is the exhaust in this picture more vertical than before?

[CMSMJ1]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.php?photoID=115690&catID=3662

is it just me or is the exhaust in this picture more vertical than before?

Nope, not just you!

I thnk it is pointing skywards in another shot earlier in the thread too.

Am loving that exra duct on the Ferrari - very chavvy!

[Tomba]

Well, in case no one noticed yet, Ferrari not only have an air inlet on the top of their sidepod, but also aside of the right sidepod. It's a black mounting fixed on the car's floor.

[coreybaxter]

Is this a Star Mazda Series test or a Formula 1 test?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[DaveKillens]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.php?photoID=115690&catID=3662

is it just me or is the exhaust in this picture more vertical than before?

The exhaust appears the same as before. But with all the flip-ups and aero appendages removed, it now stands out much more than before. Just compare the difference in clutter....
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/photolarge.php?photoID=114690&catID=598

[Shaddock]

Really? If you see timbo's pic it's clear that the Honda's endplate tapers outside as well, between the t and h. It also ramps up a bit.

Btw Williams' seem to be the only curvy front wing, the others appear to have flatter main elements.

The Willams does look the best I have to agree.

It was the area upwards and the right of the tapered lump (ramp) that I was talking about. The ramp stops well before the edges of the backplate.

[djos]

Ther rear diffuser on the BMW's appears to be the only non-2009 part on the car:



I'm almost certain that diffuser is illegal under 2009 regs???

[Conceptual]

Ther rear diffuser on the BMW's appears to be the only non-2009 part on the car:



I'm almost certain that diffuser is illegal under 2009 regs???

I would have thought, but maybe not?