Embarrassment for Hamilton? The Reborn Button...

[bdr529]

Please understand that we get a lot of new users here who do actually think testing times are something to go off of, or talk technically and then turn out to not know what cold or hot blowing is.

Unfortunately I assume the lowest common denominator with new users. You obviously get it and we are agreeing, it was all just semantics.

No problem, I probably should have mentioned at some point that I'm in my late 40's and have been following F1 since the late 60's.

[Hail22]

Please understand that we get a lot of new users here who do actually think testing times are something to go off of, or talk technically and then turn out to not know what cold or hot blowing is.

Unfortunately I assume the lowest common denominator with new users. You obviously get it and we are agreeing, it was all just semantics.

No problem, I probably should have mentioned at some point that I'm in my late 40's and have been following F1 since the late 60's.

Regardless of your age mate, I have to give you props you are sporting an avatar of a man I am happy to be named after at birth.

On Topic: As much as it seems ridiculous or stupid Raikkonen could throw a spanner in the works and pull off a Niki Lauda...

[Donuts]

09:38 Grosjean shoots to the top with a 1m18.901s.

So now Grosjean is the faster! Please don't take this any other way then with a laugh!

=D>

[munudeges]

I was simply segueing from a post where someone I have yet to converse with yet made an assumption about a driver based on testing times. I was just saying that you can't read anything into testing times, and cited Merc as an example.

You cant read much into individual lap times but you can build a probable picture as to where teams will be by reading between the lines as to the times they do on heavier runs and how they look over several days and a couple of tests. I'm afraid if a team is still saying that testing times don't mean anything at the end of a test or they're doing three or four lap sprints at the end then they're not in good shape.

Trust me, the teams and people in the know at the circuit know who is likely to be fast and who they suspect of sandbagging. For example, if you take Raikkonen's one lap on its own it doesn't mean too much. However, when you look at the laps he's done together he certainly is up to speed. Most people thought Ferrari were in good shape last year but those who looked long and hard suspected they hadn't pushed their car hard enough and Red Bull were pushing their car with a much higher fuel load. When Ferrari turned up to testing in 2002 and Brawn in 2009, people knew.

Of course there is always McLaren pulling something out of the bag, but telling people that testing times don't mean anything is not completely accurate. You just have to look harder.

[xpensive]

...
Of course there is always McLaren pulling something out of the bag, but telling people that testing times don't mean anything is not completely accurate. You just have to look harder.

In that context, I find it surprising that Williams is as slow as they are, they if any team should have every reason to run underweight and low on fuel to impress potential sponsors, just like Prost did a decade ago and many more since?

Lotus as well perhaps, aren't they gunning for a deo-deal or something?

[Neno]

...
Of course there is always McLaren pulling something out of the bag, but telling people that testing times don't mean anything is not completely accurate. You just have to look harder.

In that context, I find it surprising that Williams is as slow as they are, they if any team should have every reason to run underweight and low on fuel to impress potential sponsors, just like Prost did a decade ago and many more since?

Lotus as well perhaps, aren't they gunning for a deo-deal or something?

Lotus have sponsors, heck they give up Petrov and his sponsors. I dont see reason for to run underweight and low on fuel.

[Giblet]

I think sponsors worth having might not be as easily fooled by running light anymore, considering how often the idea to do so is bandied about every year by just about everyone.

[PlatinumZealot]

Running light gets your car on top of the charts, so I think from a marketing point of view, your car gets more exposure before the season starts.

Imagine head lines like this throughout testing.

"Williams tops day two"
"Williams tops day three"
....day 4

At top in Barcelona!"

etc
etc

The car may be as slow as molasses but it's in the spotlight! And sponsors and potential sponsors will definitely react.

[raymondu999]

Aye. And story would mean the Wolliams gets pictured. Having said that other than F1 purists not many follow testing

[Pierce89]

I think he is a truthful man that tells it like it is.

Unfortunately I think EB is just as Machiavellian as Mosely or Ecclestone. He treated Petrov like yesterday's garbage.
Sorry for OT.

[xxChrisxx]

Running light gets your car on top of the charts, so I think from a marketing point of view, your car gets more exposure before the season starts.

Imagine head lines like this throughout testing.

"Williams tops day two"
"Williams tops day three"
....day 4

At top in Barcelona!"

etc
etc

The car may be as slow as molasses but it's in the spotlight! And sponsors and potential sponsors will definitely react.

Sponsors are neither four years old nor stupid, they aren't going to be hoodwinked that easily.
None watched winter tesing apart from us sad bastards.

That is all.

[munudeges]

In that context, I find it surprising that Williams is as slow as they are, they if any team should have every reason to run underweight and low on fuel to impress potential sponsors, just like Prost did a decade ago and many more since?

Perhaps they will do that at some point, but they're slow because.....they're slow. I know it's the most obvious thing in the world when a team lower down jumps to the top of the timesheets but they still do it. Even Merc did it last year and even Red Bull did it one year because the boss had turned up.

Lotus as well perhaps, aren't they gunning for a deo-deal or something?

Not so sure. Their other laps have been really quite reasonable.

[bdr529]

Preseason testing is more about the top teams trying to look slower then they really are and the tail enders trying to look faster then they are

I had left that line out of my last post think it may piss someone off,.. but it seems some share this view

The race for press clippings, was a big part of testing back in the 80's 90's, But I would have to agree that it seems to has gone by the wayside now a days. which does seem odd with so few test days in a year, that you'd think they would feel the need to do so.
But like some said here it's probably not the stuff sponsors are going to put in their corporate news letter next month

Regardless of your age mate, I have to give you props you are sporting an avatar of a man I am happy to be named after at birth.

Your father is clearly a wise man

[PlatinumZealot]

Hmm. I notice that some sponsor only pay for races. Most cars generally sport only the main sponsor stickers in testing and then pile on the auxiliary sponsors on race weekends.

[Hail22]

Who knows, Formula 1 may just survive on sponsorship/sales instead of the past consensus of real fans...

Also would like to see the current amount of people who have signed up to Skysports pay TV program.

Will it be like most fans have said? the death of Formula 1 to the fans, or will this be the new wave of viewership of a once legendary motorsport?

Grosjean has a thirst that needs to be further observed over the year.