Winter Testing Thread!

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Renault is also testing the front tyre thingies

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Todays testing results

Code: 
1  	 N. Heidfeld  	BMW  	Bridgestone  	01:19.042  	78
2 	J. Button 	Honda 	Bridgestone 	01:19.155 	65
3 	P. de la Rosa 	McLaren 	Bridgestone 	01:19.712 	48
4 	K. Räikkönen 	Ferrari 	Bridgestone 	01:20.083 	73
5 	N. Piquet jr. 	Renault 	Bridgestone 	01:20.366 	66
6 	S. Bourdais 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	Bridgestone 	01:20.615 	97
7 	G. Paffett 	McLaren 	Bridgestone 	01:20.638 	50
8 	M. Webber 	Red Bull 	Bridgestone 	01:20.682 	65
9 	M. Gené 	Ferrari 	Bridgestone 	01:20.832 	67
10 	M. Conway 	Super Aguri 	Bridgestone 	01:20.927 	87
11 	S. Vettel 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	Bridgestone 	01:21.086 	45
12 	J. Rossiter 	Super Aguri 	Bridgestone 	01:21.246 	71
13 	T. Glock 	Toyota 	Bridgestone 	01:21.336 	69
14 	G. Fisichella 	Force India F1 	Bridgestone 	01:21.424 	41
15 	N. Hulkenberg 	Williams 	Bridgestone 	01:21.556 	28
16 	F. Montagny 	Force India F1 	Bridgestone 	01:21.559 	65
17 	K. Nakajima 	Williams 	Bridgestone 	01:21.586 	33
18 	M. Asmer 	BMW 	Bridgestone 	01:21.962 	53
19 	K. Kobayashi 	Toyota 	Bridgestone 	01:22.186 	111
20 	J. Villa 	BMW 	Bridgestone 	01:22.503 	57
 
appie17
Todays testing results

Code: 
1  	 N. Heidfeld  	BMW  	Bridgestone  	01:19.042  	78
2 	J. Button 	Honda 	Bridgestone 	01:19.155 	65
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Nick and Jenson were running the slicks, makes you wonder if the slick tyres would even up the field if the Honda was able to keep up with the BMW.
 
mipuumal
Nick and Jenson were running the slicks, makes you wonder if the slick tyres would even up the field if the Honda was able to keep up with the BMW.
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They're also testing out the '08-spec regulations, which means no more traction control. It's nice to see JB at the business end of the field for once.
 
Metar
And what the hell is with this addon?

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"Teletubbies, and Ferraris, say, heeello."
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Regarding the antenna-like thing on the top? My guess is it's to help send the telemetry back to the pits for on-the-spot studying and to make any possible adjustments to the car when it gets back to the pits. I don't think we'll be seeing them on the cars come time for when the season begins. Now as to what's on the wheels...
appie17
Renault is also testing the front tyre thingies

hxelngqtzolrkqfzslr.jpg
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Seems as though Ferrari has brought 'hubcaps' - for want of a better word to use - to F1 racing last season and other teams want to have their try at their own designs to see if they can duplcate their performance on the track.
 
CAMikaze
Regarding the antenna-like thing on the top? My guess is it's to help send the telemetry back to the pits for on-the-spot studying and to make any possible adjustments to the car when it gets back to the pits. I don't think we'll be seeing them on the cars come time for when the season begins.
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Yeah, it’s just to help with gathering data. A lot of teams have been running them at tests for as long as I can remember, but they’re against the regulations so you obviously can’t run them at race meetings.
 
One assumes the tests don't have a helicopter hovering for the whole day like a regular F1 event so they need to use a different sort of antenna to get telemetry back to their receivers.

As long as we don't see any X Wings or any other 1998 throwbacks.
 
Heidfeld: F1 wil be extremely dangerous in 2009
05 December 2007

Nick Heidfeld was not amused at the end of Wednesday's test at Jerez after having tested slicks and a 2009-spec aero package in his BMW. The 2009 rules cut downforce by half, and with slicks that are not up to temperature Heidfeld has warned of serious dangers.

Speaking with GPUpdate.net he said about his day of testing: "Today, we ran with the 2009 downforce package, which will be around half as effective as the one we're driving with this season. If the slicks return, they won't give as much grip as you'd expect as we will also lose grip as there is less downforce, so we will be slower in 2009."

"If it will stay like this and the tyres will stay like this, it will be extremely dangerous in 2009," he warned. "On my outlap I even thought about coming back in, because there were so many drivers flying past me. You feel like you're standing still compared to the others and it's very easy to spin the car. It's very, very dangerous."

Heidfeld suggested a better tyre might be the answer for more downforce in 2009 but isn't sure if that is going to happen. "Bridgestone could turn this around by making better tyres, but the question is: does it make sense for them?" Heidfeld said. "If there's another tyre supplier and there is competition, it would be solved. If the tyres become softer, it will help a lot. But I'm not a tyre expert, maybe the mixture of the compound should change, but like this, it will be extremely dangerous. They should change the tyres, or they should allow tyre heaters for 2009."

Next season the FIA will ban traction control on cars to make the races more exciting. But with the aero rules for 2009 and perhaps the return of slicks Heidfeld believes things won't get much easier. "Without traction control it's even worse, but if we would run with traction control (in 2009), it would still be very, very difficult. Even if the tyres are hot, you have so little grip with the new package. We have too much power and too little grip. I don't like it at all," a disappointed Heidfeld said.
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Link
 
Nick Heidfeld
We have too much power and too little grip.
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Yes, Nick. That's the whole point.

It's not like everyone will be flying past if they're on the same tyres and aero package, either.
 
And it's not as though this tyre is the done deal either, I was under the impression it was a very early stage trial.
 
I really hope Nick's comments don't change both decisions (to reduce downforce and to return to slicks). I think it's crucial for F1 to have cars with less "aerodynamical" (sp?) grip and more tyre grip.

Like it was in the good ol' days ... :sly:
 
darkfinal
Nope. He's driving the 2008 package, adapted to 2009's rules.
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No, it’s the 2007 car with an aerodynamic package that will produce equivalent downforce to that which they expect the cars will generate in 2009 spec. No one has released their 2008 cars yet.

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Renault have stolen information from a company that makees stabilisers.

...

My guess is that it's a device which can measure wear of a tyre.
 
Blake
No, it’s the 2007 car with an aerodynamic package that will produce equivalent downforce to that which they expect the cars will generate in 2009 spec. No one has released their 2008 cars yet.

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Easy to tell. That rear wing's angle is so bloody flat!
 
Impressive work so far by the Red Bulls :eek: They seem to keep up with the top very good, through it's winter testing and we probably shouldn't make too much conclusions out of that. On that, nice job by Glock in the last session there :cheers:
 
Given the number of teams running low downforce configurations to test 09 spec stuff, you get the feeling anyone wanting to mess with their testing place could just turn the front and rear wings up a little and suddenly be about a second a lap faster.

I was under the impression tyre wear was measured using chassis-mounted lasers pointed back over the wheels (was discussed at Silverstone in 2006 iirc), I suppose temperature is a possibility but I'm not sure.
 

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