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[bud]

They do have a new front suspension setup, being a pull rod solution. It won't be easy to come to terms with that straight a way. But this is what testings for to understand the car then try and unlock its potential.

[spankyham]

Anyone else feel Ferrari might have messed up with their car after reading this?
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Ferrari has a hefty workload with its new car according to Felipe Massa, who has spent the last two days trying to get a better understanding of the F2012....
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.... "It's a lot of work," he repeated. "We tried a lot of different things and a lot of runs we go out with not everything in the car, just so we can collect that data. It's different to how it was in the past, the programme is much more different and also more complicated for us because we tried so many things looking for the performance from a specific piece on the car that you are trying."

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I thought the best car is one which the team understands straight out of the box, or is easy to setup. If you have a complicated jigsaw puzzle to solve every race weekend, won't that slow down your process of setup optimization?

Or maybe its just wishful thinking from my side.

Possibly a bit if wishful thinking, but I just don't think anyone could possibly tell after such a small amount of time. Looking at it from a Ferrari-positive perspective I'm genuinely amazed that the F2012 was able to put together two long runs with very respectable times, albeit on unknown fuel loads. remember this is a dramatically different car to last years - completely different suspension both front and back for starters. Therefore the team has absolutely zero reference point in terms of setup.

I'm even more encouraged by Peter Windsor's comments here.

Felipe Massa looked very good late in the day, when he was finally able to string some laps together (prior to that, Ferrari were in telemetry mode: out-lap, in-lap, out-lap, in-lap). The new Ferrari gave the impression of being fast on both slow and fast corners – and I say “gave the impression” because Felipe appeared to be driving well within the car’s limits at every given moment. And he was doing so with a nice, taut entry phase, just as he used to have in the good old days. No reason to be anything but positive about Ferrari at this early stage of the day.

Peter Windsor was the first one to pick how good the Ferrari was at Silverstone last year and how fast it was through Copse Maggots and Becketts.

I think any speculation on the relative performances of any cars is pure speculation at this point of time.

[geetface9]

Don't forget how abysmal mclaren seemed in testing last year yet still brought some A game throughout the season. It could happen to ferrari!

[racechick]

Lewis going fast today . Renault going faster

[LewEngBridewell]

Lewis going fast today . Renault going faster

I wonder if the Enstone-based team are looking to enjoy their best season since their title-winning days as Mild Seven Renault back in 2005 & 2006?

Meh, it's only testing, so we can't draw any real conclusions...

[vlad]

Kimi will have to do good in this season - Last night I dreamed that he died in a horrific accident. And you know what they say about those kind of dreams...

[darwin dali]

Kimi will have to do good in this season - Last night I dreamed that he died in a horrific accident. And you know what they say about those kind of dreams...

That you are paranoid?

[What's Burning?]

Jules Bianchi has established the unenviable statistic of being the first man to crash a Formula 1 car in 2012. The Frenchman, a Ferrari protégé but Force India’s reserve driver for this year, went off-track in Jerez on Thursday morning.

numero uno.

[LewEngBridewell]

Kimi will have to do good in this season - Last night I dreamed that he died in a horrific accident. And you know what they say about those kind of dreams...

Well, if the worst comes to the worst, we'll know who to blame.

[What's Burning?]

Kimi will have to do good in this season - Last night I dreamed that he died in a horrific accident. And you know what they say about those kind of dreams...

eerie... I had the same dream, except in my dream the horrific accident happened while making ice cream at home.

[kerc]

Lewis going fast today . Renault going faster

I wonder if the Enstone-based team are looking to enjoy their best season since their title-winning days as Mild Seven Renault back in 2005 & 2006?

Meh, it's only testing, so we can't draw any real conclusions...

A McLaren/Ferrari/Red Bull/Renault scrap for the title? Oooooo yeah, I'm in for that!

[stonemonkey]

Lewis going fast today . Renault going faster

I wonder if the Enstone-based team are looking to enjoy their best season since their title-winning days as Mild Seven Renault back in 2005 & 2006?

Meh, it's only testing, so we can't draw any real conclusions...

A McLaren/Ferrari/Red Bull/Renault scrap for the title? Oooooo yeah, I'm in for that!

Where's Merc?

[kerc]

Lewis going fast today . Renault going faster

I wonder if the Enstone-based team are looking to enjoy their best season since their title-winning days as Mild Seven Renault back in 2005 & 2006?

Meh, it's only testing, so we can't draw any real conclusions...

A McLaren/Ferrari/Red Bull/Renault scrap for the title? Oooooo yeah, I'm in for that!

Where's Merc?

Oh right. Merc. Well, there's one team right there that doesn't get me excited at all, for some reason.

[scotty]

Peter Windsor's impressions of the Williams on track:

Pastor Maldonado was out late in the Williams FW34 – around 4:00pm – but at Turn Five, where I was watching at that point, he was sensationally fast. The Williams looked very good at this fast corner, which I think augers well for the season ahead. The car seemed less effective into the hairpin, and through the slow-speed chicane, although Pastor was on hard tyres and a very heavy fuel load at this point so it was difficult to judge. In terms of his driving, Pastor looked excellent, I thought - neat, precise and efficient.

I'm intruiged now, as Williams have also stated they aren't planning on doing Quali runs this week.

Also Schumacher's thoughts on the new spec tyres:

He also implied that the tires are now more suited to him: “They have changed quite a bit – they are lot more consistent, and a lot more close to let’s say a real F1 tire, what you would expect, what you’d wish to have. It’s certainly for a race driver much better.”

And on the subject of Mercedes, they are apparently running a blown front wing via the hole in the nose. Worth about 5-8kph on a decent straight according to Whitmarsh... i am very much looking forward to seeing the 2012 Merc now.

[racechick]

Also Schumacher's thoughts on the new spec tyres:

He also implied that the tires are now more suited to him: “They have changed quite a bit – they are lot more consistent, and a lot more close to let’s say a real F1 tire, what you would expect, what you’d wish to have. It’s certainly for a race driver much better.”

That bodes well for lewis too then!