What will change between Sakhir and Barcelona?

[jens]

After a small pause another thread from me. We have almost one-month-long F1-racing-free period to go and we have to fill that time with something. A lot of questions will rise during that period and one of them is in the title of the thread. At the moment teams seem to be in the following groups in terms of competitiveness:

Ferrari, McLaren

BMW

Renault, Toyota, Williams, Red Bull

Honda, Super Aguri

STR

Spyker

Between Albert Park and Sepang races we had a 3-week-long brake, but quite little changed - Renault dropping backwards marked one of those rare changes. Now we have four weeks to go. What will change? Most of the teams have announced some kind of aero update.

One of the most interesting questions is about Honda. It's tough to believe that they are going to be so crap for the whole season. Sooner or later they should be capable of driving into the points, but will they manage to make such development during the next month? For example in 2005 BAR was quite crap in first three races, but bounced back in Europe at Imola by finishing 3rd. A podium place at Barcelona would be probably overoptimistic in current situation, but what about points?

Another question is about Williams. A privateer, who has probably put much effort into winter testing to be successful at the start of the season, but do they have funds to keep that development and stay in Top6 in the WCC?

What about Red Bull? They seemed pretty quick at Bahrain, but it seems that they took too many risks and gained speed losing in reliability. Can they find the right balance and also start rising in the WCC?

What about others?
The start of European season has often marked some important changes, which have been vital for the title race. In 2005 McLaren became the fastest car at Imola and in 2006 Ferrari achieved winning form since Imola. On both occasions they started chasing Renaults after the start of European season. At the moment McLaren and Ferrari are quite close in the standings, so there is not much "catching" to do, but can anyone of them find some advantage to start easing away to win the title?

BMW has looked secure third in all three races so far this year. Will that trend continue for the rest of the season?

Can Renault get more used to Bridgestones and start finding its top form again?

Toyota is one of those teams, who has announced a "big aero update for the European season". Will that enable them to continue catching Renault or will they have to start defending their 5th position?

Will Spyker become at least some threat to the teams in front of them?

It's your turn to try to find an answer to those and other questions. :)

[F1boat]

I hope that Ferrari will find some advantage over McLaren, but I think that it can go either way. I also think that BMW might catch them or at least reduce their advantage. Red Bull will improve IMO as well. Renault will continue to struggle.

[stevie_gerrard]

Honda are gonna get worse than ever :p :

Nah, i expect honda to actually find some one-lap pace and qualify further up the field, and maybe contend for points in the race. i think it will help that they are going back to Europe for the next few races.

[Stuartf12007]

Honda are building a totally new car.

They also need to ditch the worst formula one livery in the history of the world, that livery is also making the car slow.

I want the pre season black back.

[SuperAguri]

To be honest, look at pre-season testing times from Barcelona

That should almost tell you. Barcelona doesn't seem to go by race form, but by testing

[DimitraF1]

posted by Stuartf12007
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 24


Honda are building a totally new car.

They also need to ditch the worst formula one livery in the history of the world, that livery is also making the car slow.

I want the pre season black back.



.................................................. ...........
livery makes car go slow? so you are watching formula 1 for the first time? welcome to the forum

[Stuartf12007]

yes its a slow livery

[Kevincal]

I think Alonso may hush the critics yet again, and Hamilton is due for a significant rookie mistake. Ya, he's a great driver, but he's also overly aggressive...

[millencolin]

i think the race will be a snorer... there is never an exciting race at Barcelona.

i expect Alonso to win. it is his home race, drivers always lift that extra notch at home (I.e. Webber leading in Oz last year in that dog of a williams)

i expect Heidfeld to be nipping at the heels of the top 4... good luck to him, ive always liked heidfeld.

Super Aguri will embarras HOnda again, Jenson will crash (which would make me smile), Webber will be in the points until 5 laps to go when his car decides not to spoil their point free run and will self descruct.

and Ralf will still be a laughing stock

[PSfan]

Honda are building a totally new car.

They also need to ditch the worst formula one livery in the history of the world, that livery is also making the car slow.

I want the pre season black back.

I guess its hard to make a car go fast when it has the weight of the whole world on it... :p :

[Hawkmoon]

I guess a lot will depend on how much testing the teams do in the break. There's a limit on testing days this year, isn't there?

I think the overall pecking order will stay the same with the only possible change coming from the packed midfield.

Any of the cars with a flawed aero design are going to suffer at Barcelona so it will be a good indication of who's in trouble and who's in good shape.

[Valve Bounce]

I don't know the answer to any of your questions, but it all depends whether David Bekham is willing to play for Sakhir :confused:

Last I heard he was heading for the States.

[ioan]

I guess a lot will depend on how much testing the teams do in the break. There's a limit on testing days this year, isn't there?


Yep, and not only the testing days number is limited, they can only use 1 car at a time, if I'm not wrong.

[janneppi]

Yep, for example at Ferrari, Massa will test two days and Kimi one day. Unless Gene is a master at testing corner behaviour in straight line testing, the team doesn't have too much time to test Kimi's new front wing :(

[ioan]

Yep, for example at Ferrari, Massa will test two days and Kimi one day. Unless Gene is a master at testing corner behaviour in straight line testing, the team doesn't have too much time to test Kimi's new front wing :(

Don't worry, Felipe will test it.

PS: Why you call them Kimi and Massa and not Kimi and Felipe?

[janneppi]

Kimi and Massa is faster to type than Felipe and Räikkönen. ;)

[ioan]

Kimi and Massa is faster to type than Felipe and Räikkönen. ;)

For sure, bur Kimi and Felipe can be done almost as fast. I think I'll never try again Räikkönen. On my new laptop (english keyboard) is pain in the butt with all those umlauts.

[Valve Bounce]

Don't worry, Felipe will test it.

PS: Why you call them Kimi and Massa and not Kimi and Felipe?


For me, I always think of Kimi as Kimi, and Felipe as Massa. No idea why :confused: that's the way my brain reacts.

The name Massa just sounds so good!! Felipe is a bit whimpish, don't you think?

[ioan]

For me, I always think of Kimi as Kimi, and Felipe as Massa. No idea why :confused: that's the way my brain reacts.

The name Massa just sounds so good!! Felipe is a bit whimpish, don't you think?

Might be, however I'll treat them equally, either FM and KR, or Kimi and Felipe.

[Valve Bounce]

I've given up using initials - at my age, I can't remember who we are talking about if we use initials, then I have to look it up at Formula1.com. :(

[Robinho]

i reckon the top 3 will enlarge their gap to the field, BMW may close a little on the top 2.

the midfield will remain largely the same, maybe Red Bull and Honda should be the most improved, Honda ought to find some solutions to their lack of pace and Red Bull seem to be extracting more pace form the current design as they get to grips with the car, which is very different from anything most of the team have ever worked with (ie, Good!).

i'd hope Williams stay as best of the rest, to me they seem to have more pace than Renault and Toyota, whether they can maintain that in the face of the resource and talent available at the other 2 remains to be seen.

Super Aguri are likely to stay mixing it with the back of the main field, surprising a few on occasion, STR ought to improve if Red Bull do, but maybe they'll get left behind to prova that the STR is a different car!

Spyker are going to be no clsoer to not being on the back of the grid just yet, it will be interesting to see if Gascoyne can pull them up a place or 2 over the course of the year