2009 Testing - March (Jerez & Barcelona)

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axle
axle
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Joined: 22 Jun 2004, 14:45
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Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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Conceptual wrote:Oooh... Drama!

Alonso fastest infront of his home crowd... Who didn't see that coming?
Not I...I can't see where that time came from. But if genuine then that will shake things up again.

The theory/guess that the KERS was removed could well be right.

Unless of course the Brawn's hit the 1:17's tomorrow...
- Axle

vall
vall
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Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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sometime ago I posted a suspect that some teams were using Barca to optimize their set-ups for other tracks (slow parts for Hungari,Monaco, the fast part for other track, but to know that we need the lap times by sectors to see how was fast where). For example, Renault! and now they do the real set-up for Aus and show their true pace?

a question: how easy would be to take the KESR off and do the underweight test?

regarding, Briatore: he does not need to shut up. If someone does not follow the regulations, they should get penalties.

timbo
timbo
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Joined: 22 Oct 2007, 10:14

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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Alonso posted this time during only 2 lap series, certainly on fumes.
Still remarkable time, though.

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Moanlower
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Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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Great boost for the doubtfull fans especially and those at Jerez anyway. I do think that Brawn is still a half second faster at the least .. if they may keep all their innovations.

Wasn't the track record Senna's 1min18.387 ?
Losers focus on winners, winners focus on winning.

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mattclinch
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Joined: 17 Nov 2008, 14:53
Location: london

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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Moanlower wrote:Great boost for the doubtfull fans especially and those at Jerez anyway. I do think that Brawn is still a half second faster at the least .. if they may keep all their innovations.

Wasn't the track record Senna's 1min18.387 ?
On the old surfaced track, before the Senna curve was added.

Recent laps, fairly accurate i think..

Jerez
Best Lap Time in 2004: 1:15.629 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) - 30 September
Best Lap Time in 2005: 1:15.561 Pedro de la Rosa (McLaren MP4/20) - 29 April
Best Lap Time in 2005 (05 spec): 1:15.561 Pedro de la Rosa (McLaren MP4/20) - 29 April
Best Lap Time in 2005 (Any car - V8 Engine): 1:18.752 Jacques Villeneuve (BMW Sauber C24B) - 10 December
Best Lap Time in 2005 (06 spec car - V8 Engine): 1:19.521 Ricardo Zonta (Toyota TF106) - 14 December
Best Lap Time in 2006 (V10 Engine): 1:16.509 Pedro de la Rosa (McLaren MP4-20) - 11 January
Best Lap Time in 2006 (Any car - V8 Engine): 1:15.684 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari 248 F1) - 12 October
Best Lap Time in 2006 (06 spec car - V8 Engine): 1:15.684 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari 248 F1) - 12 October
Best Lap Time in 2006 (06 Spec car - 07 Bridgestone Tyres): 1:18.684 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4-21) - 7 December
Best Lap Time in 2007 (06 Spec car - 07 Bridgestone Tyres): 1:19.628 Anthony Davidson (Super Aguri SAF1 Interim car) - 18 January
Best Lap Time in 2007 (07 Spec car): 1:19.183 Heikki Kovalainen (Renault R27) - 19 January
Best Lap Time in 2008 (08 Spec car): 1:17.974 Heikki Kovalainen (Mclaren MP4-23) - 14 February
Best Lap Time in 2009 (09 Spec car): 1:18.343 Fernando Alonso (Renault R29) - 16 March

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shir0
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Joined: 10 Jul 2008, 13:44
Location: Acton, MA

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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natef1 wrote:15:14h red Flag!! The Brawn GP of Button has not endured more and has stopped in the straight line that precedes the chicane Senna.

Anyone know if he just stopped out on track, had a failure of some sort, or worse?
from Formula1.com:
Ross Brawn had both his team’s drivers in action. Barrichello completed a series of set-up and tyre evaluations and covered 62 laps in the morning. Jenson Button took over for the afternoon and began a race simulation before a gearbox problem brought his running to an early conclusion after 12 laps, leaving him third fastest.
Now, assuming that they were still using the same gearbox set from last week's tests...the failure would have been expected. Otherwise, if it's a completely new gearbox, then they might have a small concern with gearbox reliability, with some "seemingly" bad items in a batch. IIRC, they are using their own gearbox and not a Mclaren-developed one.
"Fortunately I've got a bag with dry ice in [my suit], which I put next to my balls, so at least they stay nice and cool!"- Sebastian Vettel, 2009 Malaysian GP Friday Practice.

myurr
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Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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You remember correctly, it's their own gearbox.

bmw fanatic
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Joined: 16 Mar 2009, 21:21

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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Hi guys. been skimming through your site for months think its great. my opinion on the new BRAWN GP's blistering pace is due to a lack of ballast. i too thought that their radical design had paid off as a result of their headstart on the project but after watching fernando clinch the fastest time in the closing stages i am more skeptical. Mainly due to the same suspicion that renault have (running without ballast to flatter their pace) the fact that they only attempted to beat their time until the closing stages serves to show that they were mereley mimicking BRAWN GP's tactics to confirm their suspicion and provide a more accurate picture to the engineers. i bet if we looked at the times excludint the last few rounds we will see that the renault could not match the pace of the bgp for the rest of the day when they were running in race spec. the numbers should prove inconsistant. its just a guess so dont bite my head off but i think some may find this explanation useful.

Kester
Kester
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Joined: 11 Aug 2008, 17:26

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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You didn't really need to post the same thing in two threads.

But, I guess the only way we'll know for certain is in just under 2 weeks.

DaveKillens
DaveKillens
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Joined: 20 Jan 2005, 04:02

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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bmw fanatic wrote:Hi guys. been skimming through your site for months think its great. my opinion on the new BRAWN GP's blistering pace is due to a lack of ballast. i too thought that their radical design had paid off as a result of their headstart on the project but after watching fernando clinch the fastest time in the closing stages i am more skeptical. Mainly due to the same suspicion that renault have (running without ballast to flatter their pace) the fact that they only attempted to beat their time until the closing stages serves to show that they were mereley mimicking BRAWN GP's tactics to confirm their suspicion and provide a more accurate picture to the engineers. i bet if we looked at the times excludint the last few rounds we will see that the renault could not match the pace of the bgp for the rest of the day when they were running in race spec. the numbers should prove inconsistant. its just a guess so dont bite my head off but i think some may find this explanation useful.
Welcome bmw fanatic, to THE forum. I agree with your overall picture of the current situation. Right now, it's too early to predict pace. No one knows exactly what configuration each car is running. And what better way for Brawn and company to garner some much-needed positive publicity than to immediately top the time sheets. And who knows what Brawn's most important priorities are. Is gaining positive publicity and pulling in more sponsors more important at this time than just doing testing? We will find out in Australia.
But here's a word of caution for anyone and everyone.... right now no one is telling the truth. So if someone on a team opens their mouth, trust one thing.. they are telling lies.
Last edited by DaveKillens on 17 Mar 2009, 15:25, edited 1 time in total.
Racing should be decided on the track, not the court room.

vall
vall
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Joined: 04 Nov 2008, 21:31

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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but perhaps Renault took KERS off and tried to optimize the mass distribution and see what happens? But I don;t really think so. I would guess they already did that to evaluate if it will be better not to run KERS...

bmw fanatic
bmw fanatic
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Joined: 16 Mar 2009, 21:21

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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vall wrote:but perhaps Renault took KERS off and tried to optimize the mass distribution and see what happens? But I don;t really think so. I would guess they already did that to evaluate if it will be better not to run KERS...
well they did more than 100 laps and i doubt that they could get the car set up in time to run a completeley different set up with different weather conditions and pull off a lap that went so much further than theyve ever got close too before. furthermore they've tested without KERS before and ddnt come close.besides all cars should be faster with kers or else whats the point. they have been designed to run KERS therefore not running kers shouldnt benifit them more that a car that was not designed to run kers(at least in the near future).

vall
vall
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Joined: 04 Nov 2008, 21:31

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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I did ask if they could take the KEST out that fast and set up the car? It seems to me that is a bit unrealistic.

How many cars they have at the test, BTW?

donskar
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Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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Let's step back a moment.

Why would Brawn be running light (or whatever) in order to produce artificially fast times?

To panic the opposition? No, Ross B has been around long enough to know that won't work against the top teams.

To gain sponsors? IF it is true the deal to buy the ex-Honda team came together just a few weeks ago, it is highly unlikely that a major sponsorship agreement is so close to being done that artificial times would close a deal. IF these are fake times, then a poor performance in Melbourne, showing Brawn was "faking" it, would be more likely to harm any potential sponsorship agreements.

What's that leave? Brawn is brilliant. He had good facilities and good human and technical resources. And he had more time than any other team to create a car to meet the new regulations. Result? IMHO he (and his team, of course) have created the standard for all others to aim at.

As a Ferrari fan, I'm not happy about this, but I'm less happy at the thought that the FIA will step in and suddenly declare some Brawn components illegal. And YES, if the only way to beat Brawn is to politic against his team, then so be it. The goal is to win by whatever means, not to lose graciously.
Enzo Ferrari was a great man. But he was not a good man. -- Phil Hill

myurr
myurr
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Joined: 20 Mar 2008, 21:58

Re: March Testing Thread 2009 (Jerez & Barcelona)

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Crazy thought - I wonder if Brawn are deliberately running underweight and with an illegal diffuser (allegedly) knowing that their diffuser is going to get banned at the first race. Thus they can demonstrate funadmental pace, attract sponsors, and then blame their subsequent lack of pace on the banned diffuser.

Or maybe they really are just that quick.