2018 pre-season testing thread

[Fede90]

Well in 2014 Manor helped Ferrari to achieve more hp from the engine by insulating exhaust pipes. Dont ask me what they discovered (what was the exact solution), but i know i red about it back then.

Have you any proof about that thing?

https://theparcferme.com/has-marussia-f ... r-ferrari/

I really have no doubt about an article that start with a answer in the title

[proteus]

Have you any proof about that thing?

https://theparcferme.com/has-marussia-f ... r-ferrari/

I really have no doubt about an article that start with a answer in the title

https://www.gptoday.com/details/view/49 ... s_Ferrari/

http://www.somersf1.co.uk/2014/08/bite- ... teams.html

[Fede90]

https://theparcferme.com/has-marussia-f ... r-ferrari/

I really have no doubt about an article that start with a answer in the title

https://www.gptoday.com/details/view/49 ... s_Ferrari/

http://www.somersf1.co.uk/2014/08/bite- ... teams.html

So...When other two teams (MB, Manor) are using one technical solution to improve exhaust efficency, and Ferrari do the same thing someone could think that Ferrari has received some instructions to do the same because they can't do itself? Is that are you saying?

OT/
P.S.: I want to thank thatone undervote my last comment with " It is obviously a translation from german.." and what does it have to do with what I wrote?
By the way Never mind /OT

[Phil]

Please keep in mind that I only translated the most important things from the article.

Can someone explain what it means to analyze GPS data? Cornering speed? Acceleration? And how accurate are these analyses? Is it possible to determine how much fuel is in the tank and what the engine setting is?

Thanks for the translation. As for the GPS, i’d say yes, it would allow the teams to analyse cornering speed specifically which would hint at overall weight and grip. Not sure how sophisticated these tools are, but given this is F1, i’d say very.

Usually they say teams have quite a good estimate on how their competitors are fairing. It’s just us armchair observers that have a real problem, because all we have are lap times that we can use to form any opinion.

Right now, the scariest thing is that Mercedes seem quite confident. RedBull too, which suggests that those two are in the strongest position so far. Ferrari is pretty much headsdown so far, which might be in line that they are indeed behind a little. Doesnt mean they dont still have some ace they are hiding away somewhere..

Think about last year: Mercedes was concerned during/after winter testing and they were clearly sending that vibe. Melbourne came and it happened to be true, with Mercedes barely ahead.

One thing though: Barcelona suited Mercedes well last year. So do smooth surfaces. Even if Mercedes are comfortably ahead here, doesnt give me the confidence that their car also works well on other tracks and on softer compound tires. We’ll see about that soon enough.

[proteus]

I really have no doubt about an article that start with a answer in the title

https://www.gptoday.com/details/view/49 ... s_Ferrari/

http://www.somersf1.co.uk/2014/08/bite- ... teams.html

So...When other two teams (MB, Manor) are using one technical solution to improve exhaust efficency, and Ferrari do the same thing someone could think that Ferrari has received some instructions to do the same because they can't do itself? Is that are you saying?

I gave u the facts and u still refuse to believe it. And i would like to add that saying the journalist is a "monkey" just because he wrote a bad review of youre favourite team is very innapropriate, and childish.

On the other hand, by all means you have a birth right to live in a denial and refuse to except what i have posted. BTW we went a way off topic here, and i guess everybody will be gratefull if we stop the talk about 2014.

[Restomaniac]

Please keep in mind that I only translated the most important things from the article.

Can someone explain what it means to analyze GPS data? Cornering speed? Acceleration? And how accurate are these analyses? Is it possible to determine how much fuel is in the tank and what the engine setting is?

Thanks for the translation. As for the GPS, i’d say yes, it would allow the teams to analyse cornering speed specifically which would hint at overall weight and grip. Not sure how sophisticated these tools are, but given this is F1, i’d say very.

Usually they say teams have quite a good estimate on how their competitors are fairing. It’s just us armchair observers that have a real problem, because all we have are lap times that we can use to form any opinion.

Right now, the scariest thing is that Mercedes seem quite confident. RedBull too, which suggests that those two are in the strongest position so far. Ferrari is pretty much headsdown so far, which might be in line that they are indeed behind a little. Doesnt mean they dont still have some ace they are hiding away somewhere..

Think about last year: Mercedes was concerned during/after winter testing and they were clearly sending that vibe. Melbourne came and it happened to be true, with Mercedes barely ahead.

One thing though: Barcelona suited Mercedes well last year. So do smooth surfaces. Even if Mercedes are comfortably ahead here, doesnt give me the confidence that their car also works well on other tracks and on softer compound tires. We’ll see about that soon enough.

Exactly.

As I said the other day 12 months ago Ferrari were clearly sandbagging like crazy and sounding rather confident if guarded. With the noises coming out of RedBull and Mercedes being far more downcast (remember how quickly Hamilton was to point out that no team has kept a WCC during a major reg's change).
As you say at Melbourne those ideas were born out.

That proves that teams can see the wood for the trees in their own data about themselves and others. So the idea that the teams already have a fair clue of where everyone is isn't exactly a shot in the dark.

[rogazilla]

a simple way to look at GPS data is the given speed at corner entry, apex and exit. looking at enough time a driver go through it, you can find what the car is capable going through that corner and compare that to other cars.

[Mamba]

The more I read this thread and articles on the web, the more I realize nobody really knows anything. It is testing people. Trying to predict the year ahead is pointless based on what little we know. Lauda predict Ferrari bit behind - day later it comes out he was referring to just that days running . Toto seems to think anybody is behind? The same Toto that year after year says Ferrari/Red Bull or anyone will catch them soon? Ferrari engineer running to HAAS may well be for a scolding to them for using a quali mode that was meant to be secret... (Yes that is very, very wild speculation but can anybody else tell me the truth?

It is testing, just enjoy the cars and aero things coming up. We in the comfort of our houses cannot possibly know how teams stand. Pecking order could be as guys here predict, or it could not be. We will soon see...

MAMBA

[Noetiepoerker26]

I really have no doubt about an article that start with a answer in the title

Well, I can assure you it was factual, as I actually own one!

[Giblet]

https://twitter.com/_/status/971791597548421120

Reversing at speed in the pit lane. How very safe of him.

I'm sure nobody was on the radio telling him it was clear, and he was just endangering everyone.

Or not and you are being silly.

[galien]

After reading AMuS analysis, it would be difficult to point Italien press as pro Ferrari when others are more objective

[Restomaniac]

https://twitter.com/_/status/971791597548421120

Reversing at speed in the pit lane. How very safe of him.

I'm sure nobody was on the radio telling him it was clear, and he was just endangering everyone.

Or not and you are being silly.

Formula one sporting regulation 28.3 specifically forbids it. Why do you think they put that rule in?
If this was an 'official' event Vettel would be due a major slapping.

[Morteza]

[PhillipM]

Because personnel on the pit wall wearing ear defenders are only looking the direction that they expect traffic coming from, they don't expect Vettel to be flying up the pitlane from the left in reverse.
I'll be surprised if he doesn't get a bollocking from race control for it anyway.

[LM10]

AMuS:

GPS data show Mercedes clearly ahead
Vettel was 1.172 seconds faster than Kevin Magnussen in the HaasF1 customer Ferrari. Nevertheless, there was no cheering in the factory in Maranello. Rather the opposite. Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene and technical director Mattia Binotto stepped out of the Ferrari garage during the lunch break with a worried face.

While Vettel struggled his way through a wall of autograph and selfie hunters into the motorhome, Binotto set off for HaasF1 to find out how much fuel Magnussen was using in his US Ferrari? According to calculations by the competition, there was not much more residual gasoline in the Ferrari tank. If that's true, you'd have to worry in Maranello.

Vettel's best time was put into perspective by scoring it on the softest rubber compound Hypersoft. Magnussen had supersoft tires on his car. According to Pirelli calculations, the two-step difference in rubber is approximately one second. This means that the Ferrari, adjusted for tyres, would have been only a tenth faster than its American counterpart. Too little, if you want to win the world championship against Mercedes

Mercedes officially regards the balance of power as a neck-and-neck race between Red Bull, Ferrari and himself. One does not want to take away the illusion from the fans that it could come to an end of the silver dominance. That would be bad for business.

But the truth looks a little different. Renault's GPS analysis gives Mercedes a clear lead over Red Bull. So at least three tenths. Ferrari is only third and the red cars seem to lose evenly over all corners.

This is also proven by the first Longrun comparisons. Valtteri Bottas was on average almost one second faster than Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel in his Grand Prix distance. All other teams are at least 1.6 seconds behind. That would be last year's picture.

Responding to the observations of the competition, Mercedes also had to admit that they are one step ahead. More clearly than last year, but not as dramatic as 2015 and 2016, and at the moment Red Bull is more on the bill than Ferrari.

Marchionne at the Geneva Motor Show yesterday:

As for Ferrari's chances of winning the title in 2018, Marchionne said he is feeling "relaxed". "It's definitely the quietest season I've faced since arriving in 2014," he revealed. "The boys are in control more than before. We have all the conditions we need and I think the car can be a winner at 51 per cent of the races this season." - article out of f1today.net

So, who do we believe now?

I personally would be really surprised if the article you quoted was correct and Ferrari actually was quite behind.
Also, Vettel told last week that the car has been like they expected it to be and feels good. These exceptations must have been high since in the process of producing the car it was told that Ferrari had very good numbers in the wind-tunnel.

Having said that, either Ferrari achieved their numbers, but still are behind because they underestimated the potential of the opponents or these are just rumors we shouldn't interpret much into it.