FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[spankyham]

@Hammer & @Lew, even though the RB was a great car in 2010 and 2009, I really don't agree that it was developed well. The F60 was a dog, but, by Spa Ferrari managed to squeak a win out of it. The McLaren definitely outpaced the Red Bull, it was just coming from a lot further back.

Personally, I think the Red Bull started winning because of two reason (nothing to do with their development of the car):-
1) Button went ultra conservative to ensure he won the WDC
2) the Brawn was not good in the European temps

In 2010, RB started the year miles ahead of everyone, by Europe Ferrari had caught them and they remained neck and neck to the end of the season.

Of course the Red Bull was and is a great car. But, my original opinion still stands, I think Ferrari and McLaren develop cars better during the season. And, I think the RB7 because of its suspension is limited in how it can be developed and because it is already an evolution of the RB6 it doesn't have the undeveloped potential of the Ferrari, McLaren or Renault. Also, the RB7 already has its plus from the flexi-front - the other teams are yet to add that speed to their cars.

[MattMK45]

I think McLaren will be closer than ever and may even be above Red Bull in terms of pace in China. If Red Bull decide not to use Kers then they will be greatly disadvantaged at a track that has a 1km straight. Considering engine power alone, they are behind the Mercedes powered cars by roughly 30 bhp and without kers that deficit could easily be expanded to 100bhp. I think Mercedes will be closer on the pace with the supposedly the 'best' DRS system on the grid and of course the Mercedes power plant. That being said, their car does not look too sorted at the moment and is squirming a lot which could minimise their advantage against the front runners.

[spankyham]

[What's Burning?]

I'm sure it's a scene that happens often in F1!

The sport is clearly not run in a vacuum and ideas that can be implemented towards improve your own car can probably be found up and down the grid, not just on the front runners.

[nish2280]

"Haha, you might haver KERS but Seb is on the podium."

[Robert12010]

"Haha, you might haver KERS but Seb is on the podium."

[killem2]

Why is gods name would he be looking at a Ferrari?

[Hammer278]

He's a freaking genius. I'm sure especially McLaren fans know and appreciate what a freak this guy is, he's like the Ryan Giggs of F1. Gets better with age, the other teams need to develop an invisibility cloak to switch on whenever Newey comes close.

[spankyham]

Oh no! Rory's bacccckkkkkkkkkk

[vlad]

He saw something...

[What's Burning?]

Oh no! Rory's bacccckkkkkkkkkk

He's showing NO interest in the front wing.

[vaptin]

Ferrari's development will be interesting to watch, apparently this car is slower than the one they had in Barcelona testing. The updates didn't just not work out, they're actively disrupting something.

No idea why they haven't just gone back to that configuration then.

[spankyham]

Ferrari's development will be interesting to watch, apparently this car is slower than the one they had in Barcelona testing. The updates didn't just not work out, their activly disrupting something.

No idea why they haven't just gone back to that configuration then.

Wind tunnel testing and Barcelona testing of the base unit were very consistent. Basically, things went as they'd expected.

The last release of the F150 (the upgrade delivered before Melb), in the wind tunnel, had shown very significant improvements for the car. What happened in Melb was the opposite. In Sepang things got a lot better, but not where they thought they'd be with the last major section of the launch car which was delivered in Melb.

As I understand it, the team feel the upside (potential) shown (by the last upgrade) in the original testing, makes it worth persisting - but they have set a time line of China. If they don't get what they want/expect, they will go to what is being called a "B" spec.

I guess we'll know by Sunday evening.

[bud]

Ferrari's development will be interesting to watch, apparently this car is slower than the one they had in Barcelona testing. The updates didn't just not work out, their activly disrupting something.

No idea why they haven't just gone back to that configuration then.

I doubt that is true if it were they would have gone back to the configuration. They have said if they knew where the problem was they would address it already, so something as easy as taking new parts off is not the problem. I think what has happened is

A. You cant really read too much into testing times. Ferrari appeared fast but clearly no where near Redbull, but there was never a certain answer in any case until race 1.

B. Updates haven't worked, while other teams updates have increasing the performance gap.

[Hammer278]

Alonso himself came out and said it point blank "The others did a better job during winter".

Fact is the car just isn't good enough. Testing was misguided, Redbull and (more so!) McLaren managed to put a cloak over everyone's eyes.