Comments on: Are pre-season F1 testing times any use in predicting form for 2009?

By: PaulD

PaulD — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:45:41 +0000

If you look at trends across multiple tests you can actually learn a lot. A single test means very little though.

By: Arthur 954

Arthur 954 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:59:27 +0000

Im sure the simulator makes a HUGE difference – it is what I most often think about if I where the team owner and was looking for ways to invest in something really productive. It also must keep the drivers SHARP during the winter months.

By: Juhhi

Juhhi — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:20:01 +0000

I personally follow testing as much as it´s possible. I don´t watch times because I think those tell you nothing. Best is, as someone said, is bodylanguage of drivers and how they, and other on the team responds questions like: how was the car?…is it fast?…was there problems? Does it fit you?..and so on…

I was wondering do drivers drive fast as they can every time they go on track when testing. Or like tire testing, could it be drived half throttle….?

By: theRoswellite

theRoswellite — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:21:27 +0000

…boy, flies on crap…I’ve never been so succinctly described.

Certainly, if one watches testing over two months, and listens to driver/media comments, it is possible to discern some relative relationships between the cars, or between drivers in the same team; but, to be in agreement with everyone else,….only relative.

Becken’s post reminds me, in the words of the old economic adage, The First Rule & the Last Rule is: The Rich will get richer, and the Poor will get poorer.
Will someone please tell Toro Rosso that now they need to build an F1 simulator…that isn’t a toy and translates to improved track performance.

And, if McLaren is dominant this year, I’m sure we will hear about a “simulator-gap”.

By: James

James — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:56:53 +0000

Generally, if a team or driver feels good about a new car, that will emerge in the adjectives. If they do not, they tend to avoid saying anything at all. I remember Williams in 1994, when the response to the FW16(a) was rather low-key, and Benetton were notably upbeat about the 194. And so it came to be, that the Williams was fast, but not particularly easy to drive.

Ferrari in ’97 were similar. They didn’t say much, because the car – again – wasn’t quite there. Of course, they had a driver and Technical Director who knew how to work the tenths to make it competitive.

Last year, I really thought the BMW’s were going to be off the pace, substantially, because there were actually negative noises coming from testing – it looks like they found the performance and – on balance – did well.

Jackie Stewart mentions in his book that, generally speaking, if a new car isn’t fast right away, chances are it never will be, such is the pace of relative development in F1. And so it will be in testing this month – the driver’s body language will tell all.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:51:12 +0000

Just looking at that picture of the F60…I’m already getting used to it..!!

Roll on tomorrow for the Toyota launch and more importantly Friday for the McLaren launch….

By: Captain Caveman

Captain Caveman — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:39:06 +0000

At the end of the day we are all addicted to it..

What I tend to follow is obviously developments of the car which gives me something to talk about etc, but I find that even though the testing is limited in comparison to other cars and teams, I have felt that the testing seems to be more accurate and relevant in comparing drivers from the same team. Weber versus Buemi, etc

This I find intriguing, plus the amount of time each driver has in the seat during the next few months, very much highlights to me a number of issues (or at least potentially) who does the team trust most for feedback, who is the car really being designed for, who is the better engineer/driver and not just driver in each team etc

Come on …. just another 71 days to go

By: Boyce

Boyce — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:34:05 +0000

Usually pre-season times don’t give you a very accurate picture, but I remember everyone knew the McLaren was brutally fast before Australia 1998.

By: Chaz

Chaz — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:05:10 +0000

In addition to this site, I like to listen to what the commentators like Brundle have to say, because one feels he has been privy to perhaps a little more inside information and he knows how to sift through all these variable and data…

By: NDINYO

NDINYO — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:03:47 +0000

what choice do i have? we are like flies on crap …