'07-'08 Formula 1 Testing Thread.................

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mlittle
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'07-'08 Formula 1 Testing Thread.................

Post by mlittle » Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:27 am

With the off-season in full swing, I thought I'd go ahead and put up a testing thread for the 2007-2008 F1 off-season........

Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't the first tests of the F1 off-season take place this week...... :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
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Post by Ed » Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:19 pm

Indeed mlittle,

This week the teams will test at Barcelona mainly with their '07 cars but with the standard ECU for 2008 (no driver aids/TC).

Predictions are that the cars will be around 1.5 to 2 seconds a lap slower than last year!

The Force India team (previously Spyker) will have Liuzzi and Klien available for the test.

More info as it becomes available.

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Post by three-m » Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:43 am

ah yest test's to start tomorrow
will be interesting to follow
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Post by Julian Mayo » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:31 am

Ed wrote:Indeed mlittle,

This week the teams will test at Barcelona mainly with their '07 cars but with the standard ECU for 2008 (no driver aids/TC).

Predictions are that the cars will be around 1.5 to 2 seconds a lap slower than last year!

The Force India team (previously Spyker) will have Liuzzi and Klien available for the test.

More info as it becomes available.
I reckon they will be on pace with last seasons times by the season start...........correction...........some will be 8)
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Post by three-m » Wed Nov 14, 2007 2:45 am

looks like mother nature has cooperated today in Spain
time's should be a bit slower w/ no traction control etc..
waiting for the posted times..........
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Post by GhoGho » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:38 am

1 M. Schumacher Ferrari 01:21.922 64
2 L. Badoer Ferrari 01:22.129 76
3 P. de la Rosa McLaren 01:22.687 63
4 H. Kovalainen Renault 01:22.802 81
5 R. Kubica BMW 01:22.883 56
6 G. Paffett McLaren 01:23.008 46
7 K. Nakajima Williams 01:23.187 66
8 D. Coulthard Red Bull 01:23.332 55
9 J. Trulli Toyota 01:23.624 46
10 N. Heidfeld BMW 01:23.671 75
11 N. Rosberg Williams 01:23.847 58
12 F. Montagny Toyota 01:23.861 61
13 S. Vettel Toro Rosso 01:24.048 77
14 A. Zuber Honda 01:24.065 77
15 S. Bourdais Toro Rosso 01:24.193 51
16 A. Davidson Super Aguri 01:24.246 70
17 J. Rossiter Super Aguri 01:24.480 69
18 K. Chandhok Red Bull 01:24.896 39
19 G. van der Garde Force India F1 01:25.317 84
20 Roldan Rodriguez Force India F1 01:26.973 87
I'm in shape

Round is a shape...........


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Post by three-m » Wed Nov 14, 2007 4:34 am

dang your quick
here's what the driver's had to say..........

Michael Schumacher returns - and leads way on day 1 in Spain.

Michael Schumacher set the pace for Ferrari at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday as all the teams began their on-track preparations for 2008.

Schumacher, who has been drafted in to try the F2007, was the main attraction on day 1 in Spain - especially as championship protagonists Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were all absent for various reasons.

The German notched up 64 laps in total and despite not having driven a F1 car 'proper' for over 12-months, he was two tenths up on Luca Badoer, who was 'best of the rest' in the sister car. Both Ferrari men worked mainly on the electronics of the F2007 and on the development of new components aimed at next season.

Pedro de la Rosa meanwhile was third on a 1m 22.687s, around five tenths slower. The Spaniard was joined on track by McLaren team-mate, Gary Paffett. The Brit was a further four tenths back in his MP4-22 and ended the day sixth on the unofficial timesheets.

The McLaren testers focused on running without driver aids - like virtually everyone else - and while there were a number of red flag stoppages during the day, McLaren 'managed to complete its scheduled running for the session'.

Renault's Heikki Kovalainen and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica were sandwiched between the two MP4-22s, in fourth and fifth respectively, the former managing 81 tours in total.

"I was very happy to back driving today," said Kovalainen. "Since Brazil I haven't been out on the track for several weeks so I was pretty impatient this morning. I have to say that driving without any assistance, as was the case today is really great.

"You have to pay attention to your driving, your reaccelerating, your tyre wear and behind the wheel it's fun. We did a good job on our first day back. The car reacted well to our set-up changes and I think that between now and Thursday we'll make a lot of progress."

"The day went off well," added Renault's chief test engineer, Christian Silk. "We've progressed and I think everybody was happy to back out on the track again.

"We're going to do our utmost to prepare for next year's season in the best possible conditions, and our first day's been very encouraging. We're going to continue along the same lines tomorrow and Thursday and we hope to make further progress."

Kubica, in contrast Heikki, did just 56 laps for BMW, the Pole though, was only fractionally slower - eight hundredths of a second adrift. Heidfeld was also on track for the Swiss-based team, albeit eight tenths back and only just inside the top ten.

"During the three-day Barcelona test the BMW Sauber F1 Team is focusing on testing the new standard ECU which will be mandatory in all F1 cars in 2008," confirmed the team at the end of day 1. "This includes driving without traction control, set-up work and system programming.

"Apart from some teething problems with the new electronics and several red flags, it was a productive day. Robert and Nick will continue to drive on Wednesday and Thursday and work together with the engineers on gaining experience with the standard ECU."

Further down the order, Kazuki Nakajima was seventh for Williams, followed by Red Bull Racing's David Coulthard and Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

Jarno managed just 46 laps after opting to only start running at 11 am due to a fever. He also had to stop earlier than planned due to an engine problem, which left him stranded on the track with around an hour still to go.

"It was nice to be back behind the wheel apart from the fact I was a bit sick today with a fever, so it wasn't the best way to get back in the car," he noted. "But we managed to go through all of my programme and we looked at developments for the 2008 car, working without traction control and looking at other test items.

"In general it was a smooth day apart from my engine problem at the end, which was a shame. We have two more days remaining so we will continue to work hard and try to make as much progress as possible."

Trulli's team-mate, Franck Montagny also had a bit of a disrupted day due to 'teething problems' in the morning. Nevertheless though he did 61 laps and finished the day twelfth overall, two hundredths behind Nico Rosberg in P11.

"Obviously we didn't run as much as we expected this morning but at least in the afternoon we were able to start our programme and learn a few things," noted Montagny.

"It was good to be driving again after quite a long break and I think we made some progress understanding the new ECU. My car has several 2008 items fitted so it was quite different to the 2007 car, but it felt well balanced and I was quite happy with it towards the end of the day. We will run a similar programme tomorrow and try to learn more."

Rosberg managed 58 laps in his interim FW28, eight less than Nakajima, who will drive the #2 Williams car full-time in 2008.

"The AT&T Williams team were back on the race track today for the start of winter testing," stated Williams test team manager, Dickie Stanford. "In preparation for his first full season in F1 having been confirmed as a race driver for 2008, Kazuki Nakajima joined Nico Rosberg in the two-car test.

"The pair, driving interim FW29Bs, opened the winter programme with a constructive first day concentrating on component development. Neither car suffered any major faults. Both drivers will return to the track tomorrow."

Of the rest, Sebastian Vettel was 13th for Toro Rosso followed by Andreas Zuber, who was in action for Honda, and his new team-mate, Sebastien Bourdais. Vettel and Bourdais combined to notch up over 120 laps in total for STR.

Anthony Davidson was next up in 16th having spent the day evaluating the new MES controls system that will become mandatory in 2008 and completing a programme of electronic system check analysis.

James Rossiter was 17th, four tenths off Zuber in the sister Honda car, while Karun Chandhok and Force India duo, Giedo van der Garde and Roldan Rodriguez brought up the rear.

The three-day test now continues on Wednesday.

3m
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2 Sebastian's get on w/ testing the 2008 STR

Post by three-m » Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:13 am

Bourdais kicks off his new career
Tue 13 Nov, 06:46 PM


The 2008 season got underway today, just under a month after the 2007 season finale in Brazil.

Today saw two 'firsts' for Scuderia Toro Rosso, the first run for Sebastian Bourdais as an official driver for the team and the first time the team could carry out a track evaluation of the common ECU now required to be used by all teams for the 2008 season.

That task fell to Sebastian Vettel and it was an encouraging day’s work, with a high mileage completed on a brand new system. His programme also included testing new brake material and new front and rear suspension.

As for the other Seb, he ran a car with 2007 electronics, however, to simulate some aspects of the 2008 package, the traction control and engine braking systems were not operational. He was delayed by a couple of mechanical problems in the morning, before getting on with his programme which also included evaluating new aero elements.

Both drivers ran the Bridgestone tyre used during the Spanish GP, held at this track back in May with Vettel 13th fastes

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Kovalainen kicks off winter testing for Renault

Post by three-m » Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:15 am

Renault returned to the Circuit de Catalunya to begin its winter development programme. The three-day test session is being held on the Montmelo track and will enable Heikki Kovalainen, who’s driving this week, to familiarise himself with the new 2008 ECU.

The aim of this session is quite clear: prepare for the Renault team’s new season, in particular in the area of electronics, as this week the team is running with the new ECU and without traction control and other aids.

Kovalainen found his marks very quickly. This morning he worked on setting up the balance of his car on a very cold track, and in the afternoon he did a number of long runs to test the new ECU’s reliability.

With a total of 81 laps covered the Finn was one of the drivers who spent the most time on the track enabling him to gather a lot of information on his first day out. He topped the time sheets for a long time, and his best lap in 1m 22.802s gave him fourth place in the overall classification.

So far this first day back has been a very positive one. The team ran though its programme without meeting any major difficulties, and did not really suffer from the numerous interruptions that marked the session. The data recorded today will be completed tomorrow and already the signs are very encouraging.

Heikki Kovalainen

“I was very happy to back driving today. Since Brazil I haven’t been out on the track for several weeks so I was pretty impatient this morning. I have to say that driving without any assistance, as was the case today is really great. You have to pay attention to your driving, your reaccelerating, your tyre wear and behind the wheel it’s fun. We did a good job on our first day back. The car reacted well to our set-up changes and I think that between now and Thursday we’ll make a lot of progress.”

Christian Silk, Test Chief Engineer

“The day went off well. We’ve progressed and I think everybody was happy to back out on the track again. We’re going to do our utmost to prepare for next year’s season in the best possible conditions, and our first day’s been very encouraging. We’re going to continue along the same lines tomorrow and Thursday and we hope to make further progress.”

3m
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Re: 2 Sebastian's get on w/ testing the 2008 STR

Post by mlittle » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:55 am

three-m wrote:Bourdais kicks off his new career
Tue 13 Nov, 06:46 PM


The 2008 season got underway today, just under a month after the 2007 season finale in Brazil.

Today saw two 'firsts' for Scuderia Toro Rosso, the first run for Sebastian Bourdais as an official driver for the team and the first time the team could carry out a track evaluation of the common ECU now required to be used by all teams for the 2008 season.

That task fell to Sebastian Vettel and it was an encouraging day’s work, with a high mileage completed on a brand new system. His programme also included testing new brake material and new front and rear suspension.

As for the other Seb, he ran a car with 2007 electronics, however, to simulate some aspects of the 2008 package, the traction control and engine braking systems were not operational. He was delayed by a couple of mechanical problems in the morning, before getting on with his programme which also included evaluating new aero elements.

Both drivers ran the Bridgestone tyre used during the Spanish GP, held at this track back in May with Vettel 13th fastes

3m

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Post by Ed » Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:54 am

Interesting to see Michael Schumacher top the times. Doesn't look like he lost his touch!
Sebastien Bourdais winning in Champ cars on Sunday and testing in Barcelona on Tuesday shows real dedication. He was only a fraction off Vettel's time (albiet running simulated 'no electronic aids')
Renault and Honda ran just 1 driver !

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Post by Ed » Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:26 am

Test times from day 2 in Barcelona:

Pos Driver Constructor Time Laps
1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1m19.603 90
2 Pedro de la Rosa McLaren 1m21.857 60
3 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1m21.894 65
4 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m22.044 56
5 Gary Paffett McLaren 1m22.293 57
6 Nico Rosberg Williams 1m22.333 64
7 David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1m22.555 74
8 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1m22.946 102
9 Kazuki Nakajima Williams 1m23.021 78
10 Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso 1m23.187 74
11 Karun Chandhok Red Bull Racing 1m23.255 57
12 Jenson Button Honda 1m23.358 79
13 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m23.465 54
14 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1m23.488 37
15 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri 1m23.547 80
16 Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso 1m23.596 74
17 Luca Filippi Honda 1m23.753 72
18 Franck Montagny Toyota 1m23.977 45
19 Christian Klien Force India 1m24.446 56
20 Adrian Sutil Force India 1m24.537 105
21 Tonio Liuzzi Force India 1m24.555 55

Note that the fastest time reported by Ferrari for Michael Schumacher was a 1:21.489. It is not clear why the other teams are reporting the 1:19.603 time

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Post by Ed » Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:43 am

Michael once again dominates even though the time reported doesn't sound right! He is still fastest with the time reported by Ferrari!

Klien, Sutil and Liuzzi were very close!

Nakajima and Chandhok don't look too bad while Massa may be taking his time getting used to the new ECU!

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Post by Julian Mayo » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:16 am

Fishy, decidedly fishy :?
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Post by mlittle » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:24 pm

Looking at the times after the first two days of the tests, isn't it just a little bit scary how Schuey, despite having been out of the saddle the past year, still managed to set the fastest time each day?

Makes you wonder what woulda' happened this past year had he not retired....... :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
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