2013 Testing - Barcelona 1: 19 - 22 Feb

[Maelstrom]

I wonder if the car will be as consistent in hot weather too...

If I recall correctly Brawn or Nico said the W04 is better on it's tyres in hot weather.

Do you have a link to that? I'd love to read it.

[astracrazy]

Showing the regular 5 sec time drop off... seems fairly consistent. We can atleast presume that they don't have any worse tyre degradation than the other teams. Then again... Merc is always better in the cold... it's in hot weather that their tyres are cooked.

the drop off is really 1.5 secs. as stated above i think they push for two laps to get the tyres to temp then drive consistent, the times very hardly at all really

According to Brawn the cars better in warmer conditions.

[ForMuLaOne]

Showing the regular 5 sec time drop off... seems fairly consistent. We can atleast presume that they don't have any worse tyre degradation than the other teams. Then again... Merc is always better in the cold... it's in hot weather that their tyres are cooked.

But in fact they run more consistent AND over 17 Laps, not only 8 to 10. So if the delta between new and finsished tyre is 5 seconds, one need to drive 1 to 2 seconds slower than the times produced with a tyre thats done in order to stay out for a long time.

[ForMuLaOne]

I thin the merc is good for a 1.19 at Barcelona. Let`s see

[tranquility2k4]

Does anyone know the fuel per lap / time difference it makes at Barcelona, e.g. 1 tenth per lap for each extra lap of fuel? I'm trying to work out what Hamilton could have done if he was bone dry by the end of his 17 lap run where he set a 1.23.2 on Mediums.

[windtravels]

I thin the merc is good for a 1.19 at Barcelona. Let`s see

I like your optimism but theres no way they could do that time. a low 1.21 would be very impressive though, and looks achievable.

[godlameroso]

tedkravitz Lewis Hamilton says he isn't looking like being able to challenge for wins this season. Downplaying expectations? Full intvw on F1 Show 5pm


What do you make of this? Usually Hamilton is pretty honest about the car, what do you guys think? Playing down expectations or resigning himself to a season of torture as he watches the field pull away from his new team's lack of insight into developing a fast car?

[khaliweed]

tedkravitz Lewis Hamilton says he isn't looking like being able to challenge for wins this season. Downplaying expectations? Full intvw on F1 Show 5pm


What do you make of this? Usually Hamilton is pretty honest about the car, what do you guys think? Playing down expectations or resigning himself to a season of torture as he watches the field pull away from his new team's lack of insight into developing a fast car?

I just dont think He would come out and declare that he is going to win races this season.

[Maelstrom]

tedkravitz Lewis Hamilton says he isn't looking like being able to challenge for wins this season. Downplaying expectations? Full intvw on F1 Show 5pm


What do you make of this? Usually Hamilton is pretty honest about the car, what do you guys think? Playing down expectations or resigning himself to a season of torture as he watches the field pull away from his new team's lack of insight into developing a fast car?

Seems like a pretty strange comment. I don't think it's a championsip contender... but they won a race with the w03 and nearly won pole and the race in Monaco... if the car is better than last year then I don't see how there isn't a good chance to win a race or two. Also, unless Ferrari, RBR, Lotus & McLaren are all sandbagging, the lap times sow that Merc is pretty fast and consistent and doesn't seem to have as much tyre degradation as last year... Nico has said as much.

Q: Can you identify which areas of the car have contributed to those ‘massive’ changes?
NR: Take the rear. We had massive problems with tyre heating and losing grip and all that. That seems to be history now. And that is really a massive change.

[tranquility2k4]

tedkravitz Lewis Hamilton says he isn't looking like being able to challenge for wins this season. Downplaying expectations? Full intvw on F1 Show 5pm


What do you make of this? Usually Hamilton is pretty honest about the car, what do you guys think? Playing down expectations or resigning himself to a season of torture as he watches the field pull away from his new team's lack of insight into developing a fast car?

It depends on when the interview was done, if it was done today then I'd be more concerned, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was done before the Barca test and Merc have looked much better here than Jerez.

[k.ko100v]

Maybe, he doesn't want to make funny expectations, like dreams about wins, poles and etc. Beside he didn't knew where the others cars are. Most realistic is top 6 target at every race, some podiums and maybe 1 - 2 wins. Sounds more serious.

For example, Perez in my eyes was very funny when he talked about wining the WDC, his realistic target might be consistent podiums, then his first ever win, and then he might talk about being a WDC.

[Nando]

It´s a straight contrast to Nico who thinks they can win races.

My bet it´s Hamilton being humble and not wanting to eat his words later on if they did not win any races.

[JimClarkFan]

It´s a straight contrast to Nico who thinks they can win races.

My bet it´s Hamilton being humble and not wanting to eat his words later on if they did not win any races.

Yeh I think Hamilton is playing down expectations

[astracrazy]

perhaps a bit of bluffing. Would laugh if its actually a very quick car and his has us all fooled since he joined merc

[zoro_f1]

after the break (1-2pm) the track is wet again. williams are preparing for more pit stop training and maybe other teams will do the same.



lotus have found a solution for heating the driver.