Here comes the test that shows us a hell of lot more.

The time for sandbagging (or indeed grabbing headlines falsely) is over. The cars will be tested now in more or less their finished form and teams will not be so shy to show their hand. Plus Barcelona is much more indicative of a car's general quality, esp total downforce and aero efficiency.

Webber's flying at the mo – I've had a tenner e/w on him for WDC. Mind you, I did that last year too…

(No doubt some people who declare they ave no time for F1 will spend some time telling me that, but feel free!)

F1 Boring!

😉

Nah, Barcelona will be interesting up to a point but it's still hard to really be sure until the end of Qualy who's where – the fuel loads just make so much difference that if any of the top teams felt that they had an advantage, they could just run the whole test with 20kg extra always in there. Unlikely maybe but you never know…

I don't think even this week tests will show the true form – even now there's still a massive spread between the top and bottom times. And if the times are true then it looks like Lotus and Virgin couldn't even keep up in a GP2 race never mind F1!!

I don't think there's much between any of the big teams – Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull look to have a bit of a gap on the rest though.

50 on Alonso to be world champ, (unless you know your only fools and horses this could be wasted on you)

More likely to have an E/W bet on Vettel tbh.
But if I were to show my hand now, I'd say Alonso will win it fair and square in Brazil

Testing is heavily restricted and this is the last test – no team is going to waste this valuable time running heavy for no good reason. They might roll-off or short shift down the straights, but unlikely too.

New teams do indeed look woeful, but no surprises there.

USF1 doesn't even have a car. No surprises there.

Still unconvinced testing times will give an indication of who's fastest. Most people seem to be overlooking fuel consumption, Ferrari is widely regarded to have the thirstiest car on the grid, having to put 10 more kilos in at the start could take 0.5 secs of a lap alone.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a number of cars this year run out of fuel.

Alonso will never win 'fair' 😉

There's just as good reason (if not more) to run heavy as light – they know light, they have data going back years on this. Its how the cars work on a heavy and varying fuel load that they need to work out this season.

Alonso never win fair? What, the 2xWDC, in a Renault?

He'll be awesome this year.

Agree fuel consumption (and front tyre wear) will be the big unknowns.

I was referring to his toys-out-of-pram, mardy, foot-stamping attitude rather than his driving ability.

He's not my favourite driver! 🙂

Well – we'll never know the truth of what happened at McLaren. They are such a controlling organisation. I personally see no reason to doubt Alonso's version of events – this character that you ascribe to him was not assumed before that year, or since.

Never liked him before the McLaren farse and still don't care for him – he's just not my favourite driver. Some drivers you take to some you don't!

Alonso = dick dastardly, will throw a big wobbly mardy arse fit when he is not allowed to beat Felipe. At least he's at Ferrari this year, a team which I have another unfounded hatrid of.

My wife is Spanish and we have great discussions every time a race is on. One of us usually ends up crying. 🙂

Remember, Lotus and Virgin are tooling around with new boys and reserve drivers rather than anyone with any experience. Wait until their "proper" drivers get back in.

One of us usually ends up crying

that'll be you then Lucas 😉

I may have missed something above, or indeed in the news, but how are those crazy Germans doing?

I'm not entirely sure we'll learn who is quickest

I seem to recall Alonso in the Renault was fastest last year in the final Barcelona test

Wait until their "proper" drivers get back in.

Will take a bit more than that. Like half a decade of building and improving.

Look at Toyota for an example of how difficult it is to start a team and build a car from scratch. Knocking on $4 billion later and no results to speak of.

If Lotus or Virgin pick up even a single point I'd be surprised. Not that I don't want them to, but they just won't.

That's why I said one of us – I was trying to save my dignity

Last year the consensus was trying to figure out who could manage not to get lapped by the Brawn cars. If Renault popped a solitary quick lap in then no-one paid any attention.

Bit like I'm not too impressed with any quick time posted by a car with no sponsors on it…

"It's only testing" is the big caveat all the time. No need for anyone to run a legal car if they don't want to, so someone who wants to turn the screw on sponsorship deals could run an underweight car with minimum fuel to get some fast laps in (if they want to). Word is that the Ferrari seems to be the best of the bunch with fuel on board, but from what I've read the longest runs have been around the 30 lap mark so that's still not representative of a real starting weight, nor of the expected short stint/long stint tyre usage pattern.

Nothing is real until 12th March!

The problem with 'doing a Prost" is that you waste this last test. If you've already got stickers on the car it won't happen.

Looks like Ferrari have some new wheels – neat way around the hub-cap ban!…

It's funny though that their wheel covers are clearly in breach of the spirit of the new wheel cover rules but perfectly legit but Ferrari were the team that complained (and continue to do so) about the double diffusers which are exactly the same…

World Superbikes start this Sunday – proper racing!! And 7 Brits in it to win it.

Yea but F1 has started already! Well, it has for the nerds like me.

@glenp – for nerds like us, does it ever stop?

I almost prefer the closed season! Now that is sad!

dickie – Member
World Superbikes start this Sunday – proper racing!! And 7 Brits in it to win it.

Zzzzzzzzz

dickie – Member

World Superbikes start this Sunday – proper racing!! And 7 Brits in it to win it.

don't they have to go dead slowly around corners?

I'm looking forward to Di Resta getting a race seat half way through the season when Force India sack someone again!

These new teams are a joke, they'll be no more than mobile chicanes. Bernie should have let people like Dave Richards back in rather than wasting everyone's time with Team America and the like.

McLaren esque fugly bit added too 🙁

Not quite Bimbler – thought the McLaren was using the shark fin to duct air to a slot on the rear wing – Ferrari obviously haven't got that page back from the copy shop yet…

Ferrari obviously haven't got that page back from the copy shop yet…

being an F1 geek is great, but when im trying to find news in winter, sometimes its difficult to find.

Pook – don't they have to go dead slowly around corners?

i can get round corners much faster on my fazer than i can in my car

Crappest 'sport' in the world.

Let the drivers go out to find out who is fastest, then …put the fastest guy at the front of the race…

Stupidest dimwitted stupidness ever.

You want a decent race? put the drivers in order of fastestness in reverse order, with the first race being done by lottery.

Otherwise it's just a procession of quick advertising hoardings.

put the drivers in order of fastestness in reverse order

wouldn't they just drive slower in quali to get a better grid position?

Good grief, is it me or is me or has Ron Dennis turned Hamilton into an F1 version of a Stepford wife?

crikey – Member
Crappest 'sport' in the world.

You want a decent race? put the drivers in order of fastestness in reverse order, with the first race being done by lottery.

You seem to be quite confused. First you criticise it for not being a proper sport and then completely contradict yourself. For any proper sport, the best (in this case car/driver combination) should win so qualifying fastest at the front is right, otherwise it's not 'sport', just entertainment.

Bit late to the thread, but I was just reading an Autocar that USF1 are about to call it a day. Campos to turn up in Bahrain with a car that's not been tested. Does anyone else think this could end up being utter shambles?