2011 F1 testing day 15 live: Barcelona
2011 F1 testing
Red Bull are one of seven F1 teams who finish their pre-season testing at Barcelona today.
Renault, Force India, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Lotus and Virgin will also be running for the last time before the Australian Grand Prix.
Meanwhile HRT are due to run their F111 for the first time.
Follow today’s F1 testing live with F1 Fanatic.
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F1 Fanatic live: F1 testing day 15, Circuit de Catalunya
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F1 Fanatic live: F1 testing day 15, Circuit de Catalunya
Drivers
The following drivers will be participating in today’s test:
| Team | Car | Friday 11th |
| Red Bull | RB7 | Sebastian Vettel |
| McLaren | MP4-26 | Jenson Button |
| Ferrari | 150° Italia | Fernando Alonso |
| Mercedes | W02 | Michael Schumacher Nico Rosberg |
| Renault | R31 | Nick Heidfeld |
| Williams | FW33 | Rubens Barrichello Pastor Maldonado |
| Force India | VJM04 | Adrian Sutil (am) Paul di Resta (pm) |
| Sauber | C30 | Kamui Kobayashi |
| Toro Rosso | STR6 | Jaime Alguersuari |
| Lotus | T128 | Heikki Kovalainen |
| HRT | F111 | TBC |
| Virgin | MVR-02 | Jerome d’Ambrosio |
Update: Mercedes are also running Nico Rosberg today and Williams are running Pastor Maldonado in the afternoon. The table above has been updated.
Best times at Barcelona this year
| Team | Driver | Time | Gap | |
| 1 | Sauber | Sergio Perez | 1’21.761 | |
| 2 | Red Bull | Sebastian Vettel | 1’21.865 | 0.104 |
| 3 | Ferrari | Felipe Massa | 1’22.092 | 0.331 |
| 4 | Toro Rosso | Sebastien Buemi | 1’22.396 | 0.635 |
| 5 | Williams | Rubens Barrichello | 1’22.637 | 0.876 |
| 6 | Renault | Vitaly Petrov | 1’22.670 | 0.909 |
| 7 | McLaren | Lewis Hamilton | 1’22.888 | 1.127 |
| 8 | Mercedes | Michael Schumacher | 1’22.892 | 1.131 |
| 9 | Lotus | Heikki Kovalainen | 1’23.990 | 2.229 |
| 10 | Force India | Adrian Sutil | 1’24.177 | 2.416 |
| 11 | Virgin | Jerome d’Ambrosio | 1’26.501 | 4.740 |
| 12 | HRT | Vitantonio Liuzzi | 1’27.044 | 5.283 |
2010 best times
These are the best times for each team from last year’s pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya:
| Driver | Car | Best time |
| Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25 | 1’20.472 |
| Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault RB6 | 1’20.496 |
| Felipe Massa | Ferrari F10 | 1’20.539 |
| Nico Hülkenberg | Williams-Cosworth FW32 | 1’20.614 |
| Adrian Sutil | Force India-Mercedes VJM03 | 1’20.667 |
| Nico Rosberg | Mercedes W01 | 1’20.686 |
| Kamui Kobayashi | BMW Sauber-Ferrari C29 | 1’20.911 |
| Sebastien Buemi | Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR5 | 1’21.413 |
| Vitaly Petrov | Renault R30 | 1’22.523 |
| Jarno Trulli | Lotus-Cosworth T127 | 1’25.059 |
| Timo Glock | Virgin-Cosworth VR-01 | 1’25.942 |
2011 testing so far
| Date | Circuit | Fastest driver | Car | Best time | Laps |
| 1/2 | Valencia | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault RB7 | 1’13.769 | 93 |
| 2/2 | Valencia | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari 150° Italia | 1’13.307 | 108 |
| 3/2 | Valencia | Robert Kubica | Renault R31 | 1’13.144 | 95 |
| 10/2 | Jerez | Felipe Massa | Ferrari 150° Italia | 1’20.709 | 101 |
| 11/2 | Jerez | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes W02 | 1’20.352 | 112 |
| 12/2 | Jerez | Nick Heidfeld | Renault R31 | 1’20.361 | 86 |
| 13/2 | Jerez | Rubens Barrichello | Williams-Cosworth FW33 | 1’19.832 | 103 |
| 18/2 | Catalunya | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault RB7 | 1’24.374 | 37 |
| 19/2 | Catalunya | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault RB7 | 1’23.315 | 104 |
| 20/2 | Catalunya | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes W02 | 1’23.168 | 92 |
| 21/2 | Catalunya | Felipe Massa | Ferrari 150° Italia | 1’22.625 | 121 |
| 8/3 | Catalunya | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault RB7 | 1’22.544 | 97 |
| 9/3 | Catalunya | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault RB7 | 1’21.865 | 112 |
| 10/3 | Catalunya | Sergio Perez | Sauber-Ferrari C30 | 1’21.761 | 95 |
Circuit
Today’s test is at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain:
Direction: Clockwise
Length: 4.655km
Fastest lap (all-time): 1’18.483 (Fernando Alonso, Renault, 2008)
Following the test live
Join us for live coverage of the test on F1 Fanatic Live:
F1 Fanatic live: F1 testing day 15, Circuit de Catalunya
Williams and Mercedes are providing live times from the test on their websites here:
If you find any other good sources for live times, please post them in the comments.
You can follow live updates from F1 Fanatic and others at the Circuit de Catalunya using the Live F1 Twitter app (no Twitter account needed):
2011 F1 testing
- Young Drivers Test Day 3 in pictures
- Vergne completes third day on top in Abu Dhabi
- Young Drivers Test Day 2 in pictures
- Vergne stays quickest on second day of test
- Italian F3 pair complete Ferrari test
- Jean-Eric Vergne leads first day of young drivers test
- 2011 F1 testing diary part four: Barcelona
- McLaren cover least test distance with new car
- Rosberg: Mercedes are “on the up”
- Second Barcelona test day 5 in pictures
Image © Pirelli





Ralph Schumacher said on 11th March 2011, 8:14
Random question people.. Is it me or do the rest of u feel that the rapidly degrading pirelli tyres might result in a drop in sales of their tyres.. I know that the compounds for F1 tyres and road cares are totally different but in my mind, i cant help but subconciously feel that the pirellis will finish faster. Just me?
Adrian J said on 11th March 2011, 9:28
Ironically I was buying new tyres for my car last week and was told that the Bridgestones aren’t as durable as the Pirelli’s.
matt88 (@matt88) said on 11th March 2011, 10:36
no way, Pirelli’s experience on the circuit can’t be compared to what they do on the road. Bridgestone has achieved that quality in over a decade, while Pirelli has just started. Moreover, Bridgestone could accelerate their experience without the restrictions in testing of these days (Ferrari could do hundreds and hundreds of laps in Fiorano…).
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 11th March 2011, 11:16
Why would that happen? Bridgestone were so image-conscious that it led them to develop a “soft” tyre that could last for 52 laps of Monza because they didn’t want to be seen as producing an inferior-quality product. But if the Pirelli tyres as a success and it produces more exciting racing, I think Pirelli will have done themselves a huge favour.
BBT said on 11th March 2011, 16:05
Yes, it sure will. Almost a cert. Many that only watch the odd race and don’t really follow F1 won’t understand the situation. Friend that aren’t that interested in F1 have already said why do they make such $%^& tyres.
ivz said on 11th March 2011, 9:07
What’s the reason that the Pirelli tyres go off so quickly? Are they just really soft? And if so, shouldn’t that mean that they are offering heaps of grip, and would make lap times very very fast?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 11th March 2011, 11:17
They were deliberately designed to experience significantly higher rates of degradation than the Bridgestones.
the-muffin-man said on 11th March 2011, 9:11
Is there any sign of an HRT emerging from a garage – or has anyone even seen an HRT in a garage!!!?
Adrian J said on 11th March 2011, 9:26
Or even a HRT garage???
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 11th March 2011, 9:29
Apparently it’s out for the first time this afternoon.
Ben N said on 11th March 2011, 10:02
It will be interesting to see who drives it… if they are serious they should send out Liuzzi.
bosyber said on 11th March 2011, 11:44
I agree, especially since he hasn’t driven the HRT car yet at all, so has to get on track with the engineers. But also because he did drive a recent higher up in the field car and can thus evaluate how the new car is doing. Maybe it would have been good if they first gave him some torturous laps in last years car to fully appreciate where they came from though.
the-muffin-man said on 11th March 2011, 12:20
I’d guess that the man with the biggest wallet gets to drive the new toy first – and that isn’t Liuzzi!
BasCB (@bascb) said on 11th March 2011, 13:15
He drove the old HRT car in the last barcelona test for 1 day.
Rob Wilson said on 11th March 2011, 10:02
Surely there’s a middle ground between Last years Bridgestone’s and the new Pirelli’s that would be perfect for Formula 1?…
Rob Wilson said on 11th March 2011, 10:25
Red Bull slowest at the moment! waayyyyy
Coefficient said on 11th March 2011, 10:27
1m 21.2 for Schumacher. Will Red Bull be forced to show their hand yet?
Morgan C said on 11th March 2011, 10:31
Interesting Newey will be driving Ford GT 40 at Barcelona test…I wonder whether Costa would be driving one of the Ferrari to spice the Ford vs Ferrari case up again.
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/254263/newey-to-drive-ford-gt-40-at-barcelona-test/
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 11th March 2011, 10:31
I can’t help shake the feeling that we’re either going to see something incredible or something awkward from Hispania.
Ralph Schumacher said on 11th March 2011, 10:35
i’ve got my money on awkward.
Todfod (@todfod) said on 11th March 2011, 12:23
Do you honestly believe you will see something incredible from HRT?
BasCB (@bascb) said on 11th March 2011, 13:16
Or something incredible awkward maybe?
Coefficient said on 11th March 2011, 10:44
1m 21.2 for schumacher. Will Red Bull go quicker?
Rob Wilson said on 11th March 2011, 10:47
It’d be sweet as a nut if HRT come out of the garage with their new livery and get in amongst the times :)
parsik said on 11th March 2011, 11:26
just a thought! Do u think Mclaren is deceiving everyone regardind their pace? I heard they brought multiple uogrades today!
Rob Wilson said on 11th March 2011, 11:33
I Really do hope that is the case but unfortunately i don’t think it is. Maybe they’ll do a low fuel run later to get themselves further up the list, not looking good at the moment stone dead last.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 11th March 2011, 11:43
Hispania lives!
Proof that the F111 does exist and is not some convoluted ruse, as I’ve seen many people imply in recent weeks.
bosyber said on 11th March 2011, 11:46
That actually looks pretty good – even if it is only a tiny bit of the car, it at least isn’t bulky. Looks like they went for form fitting engine cover.
the-muffin-man said on 11th March 2011, 12:30
Is that the instruction manual on the sidepod to show the mechanics how it fits together!!
“take wing A, and attach to nose section B”, “Take 4 x round black things and attach to sticky-out bits at each corner”…..
Coefficient said on 11th March 2011, 12:11
Is this a telling photograph perhaps. Schumacher returning to the pits after a run with what appears to be a big grin on his face.
http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9192&hilit=mercedes+w02&start=1470
Dianna said on 11th March 2011, 12:15
Look at Michael Schumachers times this morning,the new upgrade must be exactly what he wanted.
Todfod (@todfod) said on 11th March 2011, 12:49
I was wondering where you were when Schumi put in that 1:21 lap in.
Oliver said on 11th March 2011, 12:35
After Pirelli’s first tests last yar immediately the season ended, they decided that they would further reduce the durability of the tyres.
Now between tyre durability and performance stability, they are yet to find the right compromise.
They will need to complete at the very least, 3 – 5 races, run at normal conditions, before they can confidently chose a direction to take.
They have only just returned after many years and been given a pretty odd request.
With the current testing limits, teams are having hardly enough time to sort out their cars, with offical tyre tests vanishing from the schedules.