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Motorsport Week

Feature: 10 talking points from F1 pre-season testing

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6 years ago
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We’ve had eight days of Formula 1 testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and while accurately predicting the pecking order is a fruitless task (and ruins some of the fun), Motorsport Week nonetheless looks back at some of the key talking points – and a handful of expectations…

Ferrari is a much more buoyant place…

Can Ferrari end 11 years of hurt?

With a new Team Principal in Mattia Binotto and new young driver in Charles Leclerc, this feels akin to a fresh era for Ferrari. Part of that has been facilitated by its new working relationship with the media, with fresh (and experienced) faces welcoming journalists with a smile as opposed to cultivating an air of hostility and suspicion. Part of that buoyancy, of course is helped by the performance of car, for while the SF90 had its fair share of reliability setbacks – which will be a concern to the engineer-at-heart Binotto – it is a fundamentally fast car. Sebastian Vettel, who has emerged refreshed after a winter to ponder on the 2018 setbacks, was the quickest driver through pre-season testing, while the swift manner in which Leclerc slotted in spoke volumes at how well he is being nurtured, and the compliancy of the SF90. It is as if Leclerc has been a Ferrari driver for years. None of this, of course, means Ferrari is a dead cert to end its 11-year title wait. There are many questions. Will Vettel sustain a year-long challenge? Can Leclerc deliver week in week out? Can Ferrari avoid the strategic flaws and development issues that derailed previous years? It is only March. But pre-season Ferrari 2019-spec is at least better than it has been at any stage in the hybrid era.

…but the title fight will be close

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Only a fool would discount Mercedes

After 64 hours of testing across eight days the fact that Ferrari and Mercedes were separated by just three-thousandths of a second provides a mouth-watering prospect heading into Melbourne. Further analysis of C3 and C4 runs – along with a look at the long-run data – puts Ferrari a little further ahead, but to the tune of only a few-tenths rather than a sizeable chasm. And, of course, there are so many variables during testing that unearthing a definitive gap is nigh-on impossible. The unknown fuel loads, the times of day at which times were set, and the possibility of a driver simply not getting a certain lap hooked up creates curveball upon curveball. But the consensus is that Ferrari and Mercedes are very close. You would not want to bet a large amount of money on either party. It’s a long, long season during which marginal differences will multiply: driver errors, strategy, weather, tyre understanding, car development, human relationships… these are all factors that will influence 2019’s outcome. And there’s unknown unknowns at this stage as well. Even in the event that – given a level playing field – one team romps to victory in Australia, it’s by no means a certainty that the rest of the season will unfold in such a manner.

Red Bull is playing catch-up

Long run pace left Verstappen upbeat

A two-team title fight or a three-team scrap? At the moment it’s more likely to be the former than the latter. There were positive noises coming out of the Red Bull-Honda camp but for the operation to hit the ground running as title contenders would be a massive – and unexpected – development. Red Bull shied away from undertaking low-fuel runs (amid rumours of vibrations) and while Max Verstappen was enthused by the long-run pace of the RB15 there was little evidence to suggest they’re on the same page as Mercedes and Ferrari. If they’re in the ballpark then Red Bull certainly has the potential to try and out-fox its rivals by gambling on a left-field strategy (for example, as it did in China last year) as it remains a well-structured switched-on team. For Pierre Gasly his Red Bull career has already begun slightly on the backfoot on account of the two clumsy crashes he suffered, the second not only bringing his race run to a crunching halt, but compromising Verstappen’s programme on the concluding day due to insufficient gearboxes. It would be a surprise to see Red Bull anywhere but third best – and considering its long-term goals with Honda that would be a solid place at which to start.

The midfield is still rather tight

Ricciardo could be set for a fierce midfield scrap

At the conclusion of the final day Renault, Toro Rosso, McLaren, Haas and Alfa Romeo – and, incidentally, Red Bull – were separated by just a few tenths of a second. Last year Formula 1’s midfield group was interchangeable, resulted in a few spats, and produced some thrilling battles. If pre-season testing is anything to go by then it could be even closer. Renault, given its upwards momentum and far greater resources, should be at the helm – and pull clear – but both Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo indicated they are expecting to be in the thick of the fight. Haas displayed some stellar long-run pace – albeit with the caveat that Barcelona was one of its strongest circuits in 2018, and that use and understanding of tyres meant its performance fluctuated elsewhere. Toro Rosso, effectively running Red Bull’s 2018 rear end and with a year’s experience with Honda under its belt, also impressed. An upbeat Alfa Romeo team is also expected to be in the mix while McLaren was there or thereabouts (more on that in a second). In this gaggle of drivers, nailing the set-up and kissing the right apexes could make the difference between seventh and 15th on the grid.

McLaren is starting a long journey

McLaren is at the start of its recovery

McLaren endured a dismal 2018 campaign as inherent flaws with its MCL33, technical structure and operation were embarrassingly exposed. It has accepted that it is at the start of a long route back to where it wants to be – James Key and Andreas Seidl are still to take up their new roles – and thus it was little surprise to see the MCL34 as firmly a midfield package. Lando Norris is, understandably, still getting up to speed in the championship, while the more experienced Carlos Sainz Jr. indicated that McLaren showed its full pace, pointing to “underlying balance issues” that it still needs to address. The team is in a better place compared to 12 months ago, when it still believed Honda was to blame for its malaise, and one note of encouragement provided by Norris was that updates and tweaks are being better understood this season, a factor which was not always the case in 2018. Don’t, though, expect a sudden McLaren resurgence.

Racing Point may start slowly

The Pink Panthers are a little behind…

Racing Point had a subdued pre-season programme, possessing the ninth-fastest package – a few tenths adrift of the midfield – while also amassing more laps only than Williams. On paper, it marks an underwhelming start to the team’s new identity, but it was always braced for a slow first phase to the campaign on account of the mid-2018 takeover. Technical Director Andrew Green pre-empted that by referring to the team’s test car as “vanilla”, and substantial upgrade packages are expected to arrive at Grands Prix in Australia and Spain. That leaves the team playing catch-up at this stage with its RP19 but history indicates that the operation has the ability to bounce back from a so-so start. Racing Point may well be ninth-best at the moment but don’t expect the team to remain there for a prolonged period.

Williams is in no-mans land

…but it's Williams that's really struggling

This was a chastening couple of weeks for a once-great outfit that is floundering in a sea of unknowns. Williams’ FW42 was delayed – suggested to be missed internal deadlines rather than external or budgetary issues – and when it appeared it was slow. Williams’ drivers finished substantially off the pace while the delays meant it lacked the spare parts to carry out sustained representative running, much to the angst of Robert Kubica. The Pole’s demeanour carried that of a man who has been through hell and back only to finally receive his opportunity and find out he’s been served a total dud. Even George Russell, usually energised like a puppy, bluntly conceded that Williams is currently F1’s slowest team. It is not all doom and gloom though. Kubica was lifted by one of his spells in the FW42 – even if his confidence was reduced thereafter – while according to tech chief Paddy Lowe Kubica claims the car is inherently more compliant and balanced than its predecessor. That, if true, is a good sign, and provides a glimmer of hope for in-season progress. But right now it is plum last and faces the prospect of the opening Grands Prix becoming a prolonged test session. 

Weight rules means happier drivers

Drivers are healthier this season after rule changes

Formula 1 drivers have had to starve themselves in recent years but for 2019 the regulations have changed to alleviate that necessity. This season the drivers (plus their seat) must have a minimum weight of 80kg, and if they are under that mark then ballast will be added to their seat. It is a move taken to help level the playing field – minimising the penalty for taller drivers – and it has also allowed drivers to be healthier and train in a more desirable manner. “In the past 12 years we have had to be a certain weight and it has not been particularly great,” said Lewis Hamilton. “You are missing meals to hit the right weight limit so you’re not having the maximum energy. With the rule change it is better for the drivers, you can be in healthier state and I do feel in a healthier state than I have for 12 years simply because you can eat more and sleep better you have more energy, so I am definitely happier.” Team-mate Valtteri Bottas revealed it had been the first off-season since he joined Formula 1 in which he had not been sick, while all around the paddock drivers cut healthier figures, able to eat more effectively and build muscle where they need.

The regs have helped – and may have closed the pack

It should be easier to follow in 2019…

Getting a handle on whether new regulations have worked is always tricky during testing, but a handful of drivers were ebullient over the relative ease they had at following an opponent. Kevin Magnussen lit up when asked about pursuing a rival, compared to the volume of dirty air encountered in 2018, while Sergio Perez hailed series chiefs for an “incredible” job. There must be a note of caution; Albert Park is a notoriously tricky circuit at which to pass and thus if drivers struggle there it cannot be used as a beacon for the remainder of the season. The early signs, though, are encouraging. It was also suggested that the relatively late notification of those new regulations means there is less of a field spread, with Renault’s chassis chief Nick Chester explaining “if you’ve got a well-developed top team then they might have been hurt more by the 2019 regs… but also you’d expect that after a big drop to maybe start recovering quicker. It’s very hard to say. It does look like it’s closed up a bit. Maybe some teams that are finely honed in their aero structures may have lost a bit more.” Fingers crossed those respective trio’s assertions are proved correct.

F1 TV’s testing test was a success

There was a lot of media attention during testing

The evolution of pre-season testing has effectively turned the two four-day gatherings into a pair of Grands Prix in terms of organisation and duration, albeit without the crescendos and actual qualifying/races. There was widespread eyebrow-raising when it was announced F1 TV would broadcast the entirety of the opening test live but the feedback from viewers was predominantly positive. Courtesy of an array of expert commentators, knowledgeable pundits and insightful guests from various backgrounds within the sport it allowed Formula 1 to approach testing akin to a Test Match Special broadcast. Considering the logistical and human challenge of broadcasting what is effectively an eight-hour practice session (with only 10 cars) for four successive days, it has to be regarded as a positive test. Saturation coverage can sometimes be a negative in sports broadcasting (for example, the incessant hype of some mediocre matches that means this famous sketch is no longer a parody) but, after a winter of nothing, covering the first season test was an ultimately sage move.

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