Pre-Season Testing

The Valencia test had Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton & Ralf Schumacher set the fastest laps on each day...........but can I suggest that the fastest individual lap time set in any test between now and Melbourne is only a guide to a cars potential over one lap.

If anybody could let us know what the times were in the long distance stints and what the performance drop-offs were through these stints, that is more likely to give us a guide as to how the season will kick-off, rather than a single low-fuel lap.

A low-fuel, full qualifying set-up run doesn't really tell us much other than that the car has the potential to set a quick time.

So, what I want to know is not who was quickest over one lap, but who was quickest over a stint distance?

The last I heard (pre-Christmas), that honour went to Mclaren.

[Sleeper]

I doubt that any of the top teams still do low fuel qualy style runs any more as it takes time out of their testing program. Would like to know who has produced the most consistently quick car over long runs so far myself.

[tinchote]

I doubt that any of the top teams still do low fuel qualy style runs any more as it takes time out of their testing program. Would like to know who has produced the most consistently quick car over long runs so far myself.


They have to do it. Otherwise, how would they prepare for the qualy sessions?

[schmenke]

Full lap times are meaningless in pre-season testing.

Keep in mind that teams are testing specific components and/or setups that are typically measured over a particular lap sector, not necessarily a full lap.

[futuretiger9]

For a proper barometer of form, I'd love to see the times for sustained runs over something approaching a race-distance on representative fuel loads. Is any of this data freely available? It would be very enlightening, and would show us who is doing consistent times rather than flashy one-offs.

[Schnell]

Stints are kept secret, the media are obsessed with the lone fastest lap, so when a team/driver doesn't post one it stands out like a sore thumb.

But if we take Hammies 1.11.119 time from Valencia and compare it to last years fastest of 1.08.543...take away 2 seconds for the 2006 tyre, and allow say 2 or 3 tenths for the new kerb they dropped in to stop the GT's riding them... you end up having to assume Hammy' is on 15-20kg of fuel! After all they have to gain data for qually running as well as race stints now don't they!

[PSfan]

Well, at least when they test at Jerez you can see lap by lap what each drivers are doing:

http://www.crono-jerez.com/

Don't know if any other tracks offer this...

[miksu]

http://www.circuitcat.com there's the best live timing, and lap by lap. for Barcelona that is.

[miksu]

Stints are kept secret, the media are obsessed with the lone fastest lap, so when a team/driver doesn't post one it stands out like a sore thumb.

But if we take Hammies 1.11.119 time from Valencia and compare it to last years fastest of 1.08.543...take away 2 seconds for the 2006 tyre, and allow say 2 or 3 tenths for the new kerb they dropped in to stop the GT's riding them... you end up having to assume Hammy' is on 15-20kg of fuel! After all they have to gain data for qually running as well as race stints now don't they!

no, we really cannot assume anything with out times. in Jerez you can have them, as in Barcelona too. so lets wait for tomorrow, and next week ;)

[Roamy]

the times will be more important as teams release and develop thier new cars.