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[racechick]

Yes that sounds like a reasonable explanation.

edit -found an update on that new chassis, the exhaust seems to be the main difference
http://www.f1technical.net/development/350

[spankyham]

Testing about to end and then only 11 days until the first Practice session at the Melb GP. Woo hoo, can't wait.

My impressions on the teams thus far:-
SF = Clearly have the most radical car and therefore the biggest work-load. Highly unlikely we will see the car anywhere near its peak until after China. They have had problems and setbacks, but they have also shown glimmers of excellent form. And the car has proven reliable. Alonso being able to string together long runs with little to no drop off is a good sign. Also, they have clearly overcome the tyre heating problems. Definitely hope for the Tifosi IMO.

McLaren = Times carry very little meaning, but trackside observations are important. McLaren seem to have the best comments on how good the car looks on track. Plenty of laps and steady improvement. I'd say McLaren win the pre-season testing championships and, IMO go to Melb as favourites.

RB = furrowed brow. Personally I think the team is a little lost. They see McLaren have clearly made steps forward and yet they have gone with an evolution of last years car. They have lost their 2 biggest assets - EBD and extreme overrun and I don't see anything that shows they have clawed back that loss - let alone made progress. They have clearly tried to go for a tighter rear (to enhance aeros) but with 3 drive-train failures (gear box again today) they have worries. They also have a dilema, do they go with the "new" floor and exhaust pointing out (as introduced yesterday) or do they go back to what they were able to run with. They only ran 21 laps today and had the slowest time. No doubt they will be very fast and competing for wins, but I see them behind McLaren.

Lotus = Good signs and another good day from Kimi on track today. They have a fast car, remains to be seen if they can turn that into consistent podiums.

Mercedes = Despite most people being upbeat about Merc, I just don't see it. They definitely have a serious tyre degradation issue.

Williams = Shot themselves in the foot last year with the unreal "fast laps". Sir Frank stepping down may provide impetus but I don't think we will see much from them this year.

Sauber = expect to see improvement from them this year and, hopefully a really good tussle between Kobi and Perez.

Torro Rosso = I think this team will be the big improver this year. Lots of good signs, consistent time, reliable car and good track-side reports. Bodes well for Dan (hoping he can do well this year).

Force India = Clearly the car can be fast, which is a real plus. Their problem is they appear to only have a small window of good performance. Once they are outside this, times drop off very dramatically. They will also need to overcome corporate stability issues.

Caterham = (I wonder what they'll be called next year? - Queens Park Protons?) Could well make a move on the mid-field. They are well run, seemed to be well organized from the get-go and have produced so good long runs with fairly consistent times.

HRT & Marussia - they shoot horses don't they?

[LewEngBridewell]

Interesting read there spanky. I hope your predictions with regards to RBR are true!

I know it's only testing, but one team which has disappointed me so far is Caterham. They don't seem to be making leaps of progress to me. I so badly want them to move forward! I guess we'll see in Melbourne.

[scotty]

I know it's only testing, but one team which has disappointed me so far is Caterham. They don't seem to be making leaps of progress to me. I so badly want them to move forward! I guess we'll see in Melbourne.

I think Caterham already set a time nearly 3 seconds better than their best qualifying time at Barcelona last year (1:22.6 vs 25.4), in worse track conditions... 3 seconds!

I agree with some of spanky's post but i think Mercedes have good one lap pace in spite of their wear problems.

Not sure about Toro Rosso either. They promised a lot in testing the last 2 years too but then weren't particularly fast come the races.

[spankyham]

Interesting read there spanky. I hope your predictions with regards to RBR are true!

I know it's only testing, but one team which has disappointed me so far is Caterham. They don't seem to be making leaps of progress to me. I so badly want them to move forward! I guess we'll see in Melbourne.

I think you've got a bit to be optimistic about Caterham. Heiki isn't one for saying much, but his comment that he feels they can challenge the "established" middle order teams is very encouraging. They got through over 100 laps again today and here's Petrov's last run today...

Petrov.JPG

[Clare]

I'm trying to have a good feeling about FW34 and I'm about half-way there - that's the power of autosuggestion for you

[Hammer278]

Woohoo!! Tonight's gonna be a good nighttt...United beat Spurs 3-1 and now this sweet little nugget:

Ferrari rules out podium fight

Ferrari's technical director Pat Fry has ruled out the team fighting for a podium position during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

While the team's lap times have not appeared a match for Red Bull and McLaren over a long run, the most telling sign that Ferrari is in trouble came yesterday when the drivers were prevented from speaking to the press. A revised exhaust position during the second test appears to have halted any progress the team was making, and when asked if he would exclude a battle for the podium in Melbourne Fry replied: "At the moment I'd say yes.

"I am disappointed by our performance level at the moment; I think we've got a lot of work to do. So we've just got to kick on. The change we made last week to the exhaust position has put us a little bit on the back foot we're just trying to optimise for that, we've still got obviously a lot of work going on at the factory and we'll have new bits to test in Melbourne."

When asked by ESPNF1 how far the team still has to go to reach the point it hoped to be at by the end of testing, Fry admitted that a substantial amount of progress needed to be made.

"A reasonable way I think really. Testing is always hard to see exactly where you are. We know historically what fuel levels people have run so we've got an idea where they are but if they've changed what they've done for the last two or three years I could either be depressed, more disappointed or less disappointed, I don't know. I think we've got a reasonable amount of work to do still."

With Red Bull appearing to direct its exhausts towards the floor to blow the diffuser again, Fry admitted that if it was legal in the regulations then it was the best solution but that Ferrari had failed when trying to do something similar.

"I think it's the obvious direction to go in. We gave it a shot and we didn't quite get it right and the issues we had we weren't going to solve at least for the first four races so that's why we had to back up and change course. Ultimately I think it is the way to get the most downforce out of the current rules - obviously depending on Charlie's (Whiting) interpretations - so we are continuing to look in that area, obviously, as I'm sure the whole pit lane is."

___________________________________

Nothing in the article about the podium...misleading title but a sweet read anyway!

[andrew]

Meaningless until the first race.

I still think Ferrari are sand-bagging. They're playing the "we're in trouble" card far too much for my liking.

[Hammer278]

Well good for you, but looking at testing and the general comments by Alonso (who isn't good at hiding his feelings much), I will stick to Ferrari not fighting for the top 4 spots in qualifying at Melbourne.

[andrew]

Well good for you,

No need to be a about it!

but looking at testing and the general comments by Alonso (who isn't good at hiding his feelings much), I will stick to Ferrari not fighting for the top 4 spots in qualifying at Melbourne.

I just can't believe that any team would put such a downer on their chances, especially one of the top 4. It's usually they're exact opposite, even when the car isn't that good! The sponsors and the Tifosi will not be happy. Just as well AKR is away from here at the moment. He wouldbe inconsolable!

[Hammer278]

Whatever.

[LRW]

Meaningless until the first race.

I still think Ferrari are sand-bagging. They're playing the "we're in trouble" card far too much for my liking.

I really hope you are right. I so want to see it really tight at the top this year. I would really LOVE to start each weekend off, with it being totally realistic for either RBR, SF, VMM or Mercedes to take the win.

[scotty]

I thought Mclaren supporters would know better after last season and given how similar this situation appears, with them going on about exhaust problems...

edit - one more thing i just read. Perez Q2 time 2011: 1:23.4. Did a 22.1 yesterday.

[LewEngBridewell]

"OH I GIVE UP"

(Yes, we've seen this attitude before from the Scuderia... I'm taking it all with a pinch of salt until qualifying...)

[f1ea]

Testing times mean nothing!