Formula 1 in 2015

[Simple Jack]

I am really looking forward to the new season. I dare say I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. Here's hoping Mercedes will be kept honest by someone this year.

Yep. By the time we get to the last quarter of the season I'm fully agreeing with ManWithNoName that the importance of each GP is really diluted but when it comes to now/Feb I'm thinking: * this! I want max 2 week breaks throughout the season (maybe 3 for summer) and then maybe a month off between seasons.

 

[Jack Stevens]

RBR just posted this on Facebook. Please tell me this is just some testing thing, not their race livery.

 

[Bacon Warrior]

So that's why the car wasn't ready - they were busy applying B&W stickers all over it!

 

[ManWithNoName]

RBR just posted this on Facebook. Please tell me this is just some testing thing, not their race livery.

Testing livery.

 

[ManWithNoName]

May as well enjoy being in front while it lasts I guess.

 

[NotAMagpieBogan]

Proof that you don't need colour to make a car look exciting

 

[darth_timon]

When I first looked at that Red Bull I wanted to puke.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Proof that you don't need colour to make a car look exciting

When I first looked at that Red Bull I wanted to puke.

Makes it a lot harder to see and copy the subtle details though.

 

[ManWithNoName]

That is one tightly packaged car. Wonder if overheating/cooling will be an issue.

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

RBR Testing Livery looks like the old Team New Zealand in the Supercars but worst

 

[darth_timon]

Mercs are predictably fastest so far in testing.

 

[Simple Jack]

Makes it a lot harder to see and copy the subtle details though.

Yeah pretty common over various other categories of motorsport. I've seen it a lot in LMP1 recently.

 

[happy_eagle]

I dont mind the look of the Red Bull
Good to see some unique looking cars this year

 

[ManWithNoName]

Ferrari did the fastest lap of the day, but the Merc managed 157 laps. Next best were Williams and Sauber with 73. Bloody hell.

 

[ManWithNoName]

That is one tightly packaged car. Wonder if overheating/cooling will be an issue.

On that

 

[Sven]

Interesting article on grandprix.com about the first day of testing with the following points being made:

a. Red Bull only made it to the test because the car passed crash testing at the 11th hour with an interim solution.

"The nearly-late but hugely resourced Red Bull, meanwhile, made it to Jerez but reportedly only with a temporary solution at the very tip of the camouflaged short nose."

b. McLaren and Ferrari are planning to introduce short nosed cars as soon as they can pass the crash test

Auto Motor und Sport predicted a busy forthcoming period for FIA crash-testing, with teams queuing at the doors for revised nose solutions to be rubber-stamped.
"McLaren and Ferrari are planning short noses," correspondent Michael Schmidt claimed. "They are testing long noses (at Jerez) because passing the crash tests with them was a formality."

 

[Sven]

Ferrari did the fastest lap of the day, but the Merc managed 157 laps. Next best were Williams and Sauber with 73. Bloody hell.

Last year Mercedes decided to focus on reliability and it looks like this year's engine is going to be just as reliable. Ferrari and Renault engined cars did manage some useful laps (130 and 81 laps respectively) and it looks like Honda are in same situation that Renault was in last year (6 laps).

Lets see what day 2 brings when Lotus will hit the track for the first time.

 

[darth_timon]

Last year Mercedes decided to focus on reliability and it looks like this year's engine is going to be just as reliable. Ferrari and Renault engined cars did manage some useful laps (130 and 81 laps respectively) and it looks like Honda are in same situation that Renault was in last year (6 laps).

Lets see what day 2 brings when Lotus will hit the track for the first time.

McLaren are struggling badly to even get in laps - I fear for their prospects. Mercs are going to be hard to beat again.

Would be nice to see Williams (and McLaren) get back up to the top step. Williams might.

Do we think Ferrari might have a realistic chance of a win or two this season? Or, given that they were the fastest in testing this stage last year, not read anything into it?

 

[ManWithNoName]

McLaren are struggling badly to even get in laps - I fear for their prospects. Mercs are going to be hard to beat again.

Would be nice to see Williams (and McLaren) get back up to the top step. Williams might.

Do we think Ferrari might have a realistic chance of a win or two this season? Or, given that they were the fastest in testing this stage last year, not read anything into it?

Wouldn't be too worried about McLaren yet. This is basically how the first test went for everyone last year remember.

 

[Sven]

A rookie mistake from Kvyat cost Red Bull any chance of meaningful laps on day 2. He broke the team's only front wing after spinning on an out lap in the first 30 minutes of the day. The Red Bull team had no choice but to continue running the car with no wing for the rest of the day. Not surprisingly they failed to complete a timed lap during the day.

McLaren continue to look like the 2015 version of last year's Red Bull and completed only 6 laps.

Lotus finally made it onto the track and completed a very respectable 41 laps.

Ferrari and Sauber (87 laps each) and Mercedes and Williams (91 and 61 laps) continued to post impressive lap totals.

The quote of the day on twitter suggested that Mercedes may actually drive their cars to each race this year....

 

[Smoooothy]

A rookie mistake from Kvyat cost Red Bull any chance of meaningful laps on day 2. He broke the team's only front wing after spinning on an out lap in the first 30 minutes of the day. The Red Bull team had no choice but to continue running the car with no wing for the rest of the day. Not surprisingly they failed to complete a timed lap during the day.

ah, that explains that

 

[Main Man]

Cars sound louder to me based on the youtube videos that are up, Ted Kravitz has mentioned this in his day 1 & day 2 notebooks without being prompted on the issue, hoping that this is the case when you hear them in person.

I didn't actually mind the sound last year but they just weren't loud enough, no wow factor as you could barely hear them until they were right on your corner.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Fernando's just done an installation lap with no issues. The McLaren might get to stretch its legs today.

 

[Cole Dammett]

Just bought myself a ticket to the GP, Prost Stand

 

[Sven]

Day 3 of the Jerez test finally saw the McLaren put in a meaningful number of laps completing 32 laps for the day. Their day came to an early end with a cooling issue.

The Red Bull had an engine problem in the morning which limited them to just 5 pre-noon laps, but Ricciardo put together 43 laps in the afternoon. The other Renault engined car (Toro Rosso) put in an impressive 136 laps. Reading between the lines I'd say the Red Bull is, yet again, a very tightly packaged design and this is causing reliability problems for the senior team.

Rosberg completed another big day with 151 laps to add to his Monday effort of 157. The other Mercedes teams also enjoyed good days with the Williams doing 71 laps and Lotus 96. The Lotus appears to be reliable straight out of the box which is great news for the team.

The Ferrari engine cars have been quick all week and Sauber topped the timing sheets on day 3 completing 108 laps with 92 laps for Ferrari.