2008/2009 Winter Testing

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Do you race?
When was the last time a car running new specifications at the first test of the off-season was identical to the car that would become the team's title challenger for the next year? BMW's combine harvester is probably a work in progress.
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Obviously. :rolleyes:

I simply meant it was nice to finally see a sexier front wing - the previous attempts were boxy and rather unpleasing.

As for final specifications, I never said anything about those. The whole point of this thread is to keep track of changes (which it's doing), not predict the cars.
 
What I will say is, All these new regulations could possibly bring back the
'we dont know which god damn body shapes are the best so racing is varied'
theme of the 80's back.
:)
 
well looks like ferrari no longer has the frankenstine intake on there car. did anyone ever find out what that was for anyways? but looks like several teams still arent testing the new wings on there cars.
 
Blake and I hoped desperately that this was a new way to mount the air-intake, but it appears it was just a radiator to cool the KERS system.

It would never have been 2009-legal anyway (as a radiator - as an intake, not so sure), so don't fear.
 
Ardius
Yeah, you can regularly see him on the Ferrari pit wall at most races. Not a bad life for an F1 (race driver) reject, eh?
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They're under just as much, if not more pressue as a matter of fact. Plus his salary will be a small fraction of Kimi's.
 
Here's the McLaren interpretation of the 2009 aero-rules. The nose-cone looks like it came straight off of the MP4-21.

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What advantage are the teams still running 2008 aero gonna have? Surely it would be better to start running the 2009 cars.
 
They dont have complete 2009 cars yet and are testing new drivers, slick tyres, and Kers with what they have.
 
MildAshers
What advantage are the teams still running 2008 aero gonna have? Surely it would be better to start running the 2009 cars.
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2008-spec cars are a known quantity - it helps them identify the changes with tyres and KERS, and single them out.


McLaren did a lot more than just the wing, I'll explain the full deal later, when times are published.
 
Before you start drooling too much over the McLaren, note that it still has the 08 rear wing.
 
...and the 08 body, sans barge boards, but I'm sure he knew that. Still it's a hell of lot more drool-worthy than the BMW unit. Apparently they only have rulers.
 
10th December, Jerez Day 2

Results:
Code: 
Pos.	Driver		Team		Time		Laps
1	S. Buemi	Toro Rosso	01:18.073	128
2	T. Sato		Toro Rosso	01:18.601	38
3	P. de la Rosa	Force India F1	01:18.673	81
4	S. Bourdais	Toro Rosso	01:19.032	78
5	K. Räikkönen	Ferrari		01:19.334	89
6	H. Kovalainen	McLaren		01:19.631	64
7	F. Alonso	Renault		01:19.907	106
8	N. Rosberg	Williams	01:20.309	122
9	N. Heidfeld	BMW		01:20.365	87
10	F. Massa	Ferrari		01:20.490	27
11	R. Kubica	BMW		01:20.954	38

New items:

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McLaren debuted the MP4-23A, their testbed for 2009 bodywork: It included a 2009-spec wing, and like yesterday's Williams, it's curvier than any previous attempt. Looks quite advanced, with mountings for the angle-change mechanism. On top of that, they used their extended wheel-fairings again, as in so many other tests - it's unsure whether they're legal, or just contain measurement-equipment (since these appeared in over the last year during testing, as well).

You may also note a green-ish hue on the bodywork: This is, according to Racecar Engineering writer Craig Scarborough, oil that changes under the aerodynamic pressures - simply put, a way for the team to track airflow, and confirm their wind-tunnel data on the track.

Also, an ode to 2008 cars:

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Funny as it sounds, I'll recognize the R28's body anywhere.
 
The Mclaren's nose really is something, I think the car looks fantastic! Also, the oil method via paint and livery is just an incredibly idea!
 
After the 3rd day of testing, Buemi has beaten Sato again.....though I'm guessing he once again did an insane amount of laps just to do so.
 
Appears as if the gaps are exactly like the ones at the previous test, but reversed. Hmm. Again, testing-times, so only the team knows what each driver ran - but I'm pretty sure they didn't run the same strategies or setups. Buemi can't improve on Sato and Bourdais by 0.8s in the space between two tests.
 
18th January, Algarve Day 1

Toyota TF109 with first updates: Looks like an updated front wing, KERS (at least, there's a warning-signal), and the return of the sharkfins. Running, this thing is one sexy little sucker:

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And first shots of the Renault R29. So far, changes to the livery, embedded exhausts (McLaren-style), the usual bulbous sidepods, high nose, sharkfin

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Thanks for the pics, very interesting. That toyota actually looks quite good 👍

And when are renault going to learn they need a bark blue and yellow only livery :lol:
 
The Toyota has a hugely abnormal rear wing. Renault is perfectly normal though.
 
I dig the Toyota. The shark-fin really does something to "normalize" the rear wing's location - it's no longer "in the middle of nowhere", but looks more like a part of the car than a tacked-on addition.

C-ZETA
The Toyota has a hugely abnormal rear wing. Renault is perfectly normal though.
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Should I repeat that all the rear wings look that big? You just haven't seen the assembled Renault yet...
 
Sharkfins have got to go, it really messed up the whole look of the car. I hate them. The car itself looks incredibly long in that first shot, and I liked it better how it looked in the press photos...

Good looks, may be, but good looks is not going to bring you to victory. I really hope Toyota can return to their 2005 form with this challenger, if the win they wanted to have this season is on its way, I'll be a very happy man for this coming season 👍
 
Is it me or does the front wing on the Toyota look really fragile? They all like that, this season?
 
Yup. The mandated spec middle section brings no downforce, so teams try to slim it down as much as possible. At the same time, we don't have bridge-wings (or upper profiles merging into the nose), and the wings have become even wider. So, less support on a wing that's wider (thus, more leverage and therefore more stress on the supports), while at the same time as wide as the wheels, and therefore more exposed in wheel-to-wheel contact. Whoopee!
 
Elf sponsorship was replaced by parent-company Total. So, it's now the Totally ING Renault team. :p

I'll dig it if they keep red-yellow-white. But knowing Renault, they'll have to add the Blue even if it doesn't match the sponsors.
 
Am I the only person who thinks Yellow-White-Black and not Yellow-Blue when they think of Renault in racing colours?
 
Bram Turismo
Sharkfins have got to go, it really messed up the whole look of the car. I hate them. The car itself looks incredibly long in that first shot, and I liked it better how it looked in the press photos...
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Yeah, I agree. Everything that was good about the TF109 in the release photos has now been destoryed. It went from the best-looking car on the grid to the worst with the addition of that ... thing. Worse, I don't think it really provides any net benefit given that McLaren won the drivers' championship last year without one.
 

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