2015 F1 Pre Season Testing Thread

[steveaki13]

So the first pre season test has gotten under way at Jerez this morning. So I thought we could use a thread.

One Red Flag so far as Ericcson Spun his Sauber.

Mercedes straight in on a brilliant pace at the top of the times

[steveaki13]

Line ups for day one

Mercedes – Nico Rosberg
Red Bull – Daniel Ricciardo
Williams – Valtteri Bottas
Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel
McLaren – Fernando Alonso
Toro Rosso – Carlos Sainz Jr
Lotus – Pastor Maldonado
Sauber – Marcus Ericsson

[steveaki13]

http://cdn.images.autosport.com/editorial/1422778545.jpg

Red Bull are sporting a groovy camouflaged livery for Testing. I reckon it should be kept. :p

[steveaki13]

Mercedes has already set the pace today.
http://cdn.images.autosport.com/editorial/1422780734.jpg

and what are people's thoughts on Sauber. Great livery IMO compared to the grey they have had in recent years

http://cdn.images.autosport.com/editorial/1422781109.jpg

[steveaki13]

Wow. Rosberg with 100 laps up already. Impressive early reliability from Mercedes.

[truefan72]

time to come out of hibernation

[steveaki13]

I know the feeling :p

I barely post during the off season.

[kfzmeister]

http://cdn.images.autosport.com/editorial/1422778545.jpg

Red Bull are sporting a groovy camouflaged livery for Testing. I reckon it should be kept. :p

Aka CamoBull. The ROS with 150 laps today. Wow, what a monster effort!

Here's a clip of what the new Macca sounds like. I know they've had their gremlins so far, but this thing just sounds nazty! http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/formel1/video-4478-klingt-boese-alonso-im-mclaren-honda.html

[kfzmeister]

I take that back. The ROS total laps day 1? 157!

ALO? 6

[Doc Austin]

and what are people's thoughts on Sauber. Great livery IMO compared to the grey they have had in recent years


I thought the grey was fine, but I like the shape of the new car. All the new cars look terrific with the low noses.


I know the feeling

I barely post during the off season.

Yeah, I have kind of missed the interaction. Aside from one or two misunderstandings last year here was really good, and now I know who to avoid! I think we have a good community we can build on.

I've given up on Indycar forums because the fans suck. Posting on Indycar forums is like going out to dinner at a nice restaurant that's full of screaming, rabid children. They are always unhappy about every little thing they can find. I think they go out of their way to be unhappy. It is really sad because Indycar racing is jolly damm good, and the sport deserves better fans than it has.

[anfield5]

Are RedBull using monochamo to try to hide the fact that their car appears to be last years Mercedes?

[Doc Austin]

Can you think of a better car to copy? ;)

[anfield5]

Can you think of a better car to copy? ;)

To be honest I think the chassis that RBR had last year was if anything better than the Merc

[Doc Austin]

To be honest I think the chassis that RBR had last year was if anything better than the Merc

No one else seemed to do anything with a Renault, so you might be right.

[anfield5]

It will be interesting to see how RBR go with no Adrian Newey to lead them. Hopefully for them his genius has rubbed off on the new design team.

[Doc Austin]

Newey essentially trained all those people so I suspect they will be ok. If the new car is problematic I am sure Newey will come back for as long as it takes to get them competitive.

[Doc Austin]

Here's the only video I could find from the test......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hliGQ6_Aoh0

[kfzmeister]

Here's the only video I could find from the test......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hliGQ6_Aoh0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpHwEFGlMQI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5QzSgLIOWE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftmTAaY3pIA

[AndyL]

It will be interesting to see how RBR go with no Adrian Newey to lead them. Hopefully for them his genius has rubbed off on the new design team.

He was in Jerez giving interviews to the press about the car yesterday, I wonder how big a "step back" he has really taken.

[jens]

Haven't really analyzed properly of what is going on.

But guess that Mercedes is probably going to dominate again.

McLaren-Honda was always in for a slow start. Let's see how much can they iron out issues and improve for the start of the season. They have the steepest learning curve.


It will be interesting to see how RBR go with no Adrian Newey to lead them. Hopefully for them his genius has rubbed off on the new design team.

It is never easy to replace geniuses. Otherwise all the students of a genius would also be genuises. But it really doesn't work like that in the real world - there are a few geniuses and usually students to not match up to that talent.

Having said that, Red Bull should still do reasonably fine. But it may not be enough to do anything against Mercedes GP, sadly.

---

To be honest. I must add I have never been so unexcited about the start of a new season/testing/etc. Because I feel that nothing interesting is going to happen this year and mostly a continuation of the 'same old' from last year. Everything is too "predictable". Mercedes will win anyway. Behind them we have the usual strong teams. And lower down the field our small privateer teams, who lack finances and struggle to survive.

[AndyL]

Honours even in the first round of the battle of the champions at McLaren - 6 laps each

[Triumph]

I hope Alonso doesn't end up regretting his move to McLaren. It will be just his luck if Ferrari have managed to get their act together for this year.

The cars sounded quite good in the trackside video on the BBC F1 page. I can't decide whether they sound different from last year, or if it's just because they are being recorded in isolation each time.

[driveace]

What times Were they doing last year in testing at Jerez ,and was it similar to Vettel,s Ferrari,s times of this year.
Impressed by Mercedes laps so far.Dark horses could be RB and Ferrari ,but with all the sandbagging that goes on in testing ,we won't know the true potential until Australia.
Are Williams going to spring a surprise ,would love to see Lotus competitive again too

[big_sw2000]

I know Nico was 4 seconds quicker this year, than the fastest time set at first test last year.
But then, no one did much in the way of running at all last year.

Steve

[jens]

What times Were they doing last year in testing at Jerez ,and was it similar to Vettel,s Ferrari,s times of this year.
Impressed by Mercedes laps so far.Dark horses could be RB and Ferrari ,but with all the sandbagging that goes on in testing ,we won't know the true potential until Australia.
Are Williams going to spring a surprise ,would love to see Lotus competitive again too

I don't think Williams is a surprise. Based on the form last year they are expected to be around "best of the rest" group behind Mercedes anyway.

Lotus could be a dark horse indeed. After all they have got better engines than last year. So it is the matter of how good their chassis now is, and also integration with power unit.

[anfield5]

Good to see Sauber looking fast. Following on from last years disaster and with one promising rookie and one erm.... 1 year veteran (read hugely disappointing 2014) driver inn the team, they can hopefully be competitive at least with Force India, Toleman etc this season

[steveaki13]

I keep hearing rumours of a Caterham or Marussia turning up in Oz in some form. I assume now this is completely out of the question and we will end up with just 18 cars this season.

Which makes me unbelievably sad.

[anfield5]

Caterham's web site is a wee bit enigmatic, in that there is no news update since the 2 day Abu Dhabi test last year, but they have an active countdown clock to the start of the Australian GP running. The administrators looking after things are still saying that there are three interested parties looking to buy and run the team.

Marussia cancelled the wind up auction because there was apparently a buyer ready to talk, howener the factory has already been bought by the Haas team who are due on the grid next season, and it is really difficult to find any offcial statements from them re a buyer.

[Doc Austin]

I keep hearing rumours of a Caterham or Marussia turning up in Oz in some form. I assume now this is completely out of the question and we will end up with just 18 cars this season.

I think we can pretty safely write those two off. Sad, but they are probably gone.

Right now I would take 18 cars. I'm a bit concerned that force India won't make it.

[jens]

Yeah I think Marussia and Caterham were never likely to recover. We will find out, what is the situation with Force India, but they are inherently a stronger team and should make it. If they didn't, it would be a huge blow.

I can't remember there being such an overwhelming pre-season favourite as Mercedes now. Already before winter testing it seemed like a consensus that they are going to walk it again.

So the main hope for the season is that hopefully there is at least a good competition behind them. Most likely between Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams and we are yet to properly find out, what can the likes of Lotus and McLaren deliver. Or even Force India.

Sauber's times are nice and it is a good sign if both Ferrari-powered teams are going well. It may mean the power unit has become more competitive for 2015. But I don't really expect miracles from Sauber - if they can get points from time to time they will have done well. Toro Rosso will probably be somewhere they have always been.

[AndyL]

Another innovation from Red Bull:

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/512/mcs/media/images/80773000/jpg/_80773343_tomclarkson.jpg

Their car cover now has a sheet under the car, to stop the rest of the pitlane seeing the floor of the car when it's craned off the recovery truck.

[Doc Austin]

Well, that didn't work.

[Doc Austin]

Here's today's times. I know it is just testing, but Ferrari sure looks good.





1
7
Kimi Raikkonen
Scuderia Ferrari
1:20.841
105


2
9
Marcus Ericsson
Sauber-Ferrari
1:22.019
111


3
44
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes AMG
1:22.172
116


4
33
Max Verstappen
STR-Renault
1:22.553
97


5
19
Felipe Massa
Williams-Mercedes
1:23.116
73


6
8
Romain Grosjean
Lotus-Mercedes
1:23.802
53


7
26
Daniil Kvyat

Red Bull Racing
1:23.975
63


8
22
Jenson Button
McLaren-Honda
1:27.660
35






http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/jerez-day-4-testing-results-raikkonen-and-ferrari-lead-the-pack

[steveaki13]

Here's today's times. I know it is just testing, but Ferrari sure looks good.





1
7
Kimi Raikkonen
Scuderia Ferrari
1:20.841
105


2
9
Marcus Ericsson
Sauber-Ferrari
1:22.019
111


3
44
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes AMG
1:22.172
116


4
33
Max Verstappen
STR-Renault
1:22.553
97


5
19
Felipe Massa
Williams-Mercedes
1:23.116
73


6
8
Romain Grosjean
Lotus-Mercedes
1:23.802
53


7
26
Daniil Kvyat
Red Bull Racing
1:23.975
63


8
22
Jenson Button
McLaren-Honda
1:27.660
35




http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/jerez-day-4-testing-results-raikkonen-and-ferrari-lead-the-pack


If Ferrari are as fast as appears, Fernando will kick himself in the air.

[jens]

If Ferrari are as fast as appears, Fernando will kick himself in the air.

Just like Maldonado did, when he realized, how Williams and Lotus were going in the 2014 winter testing.

Some people are prone to making wrong career decisions... But what can you do. Emotions can get very high in this game of high stakes. Alonso got very frustrated at Ferrari and couldn't stay longer with a straight face. But he must have known McLaren-Honda package would not guarantee him anything. More like even a longer shot at the top.

[Doc Austin]

Maybe Jenson is kicking himself for nor retiring.

[anfield5]

Times from this test are really not relevant to anything.

Sure it is really encouraging for the Ferrari powered teams to be running at the front, but what is more encouraging for them is the number of laps they have managed to complete.

Second and third tests will be more telling re where teams are truly at for the start of the season.

McLaren will be slightly disappointed with the laps they have done, but they have said all along that the first test was little more than a shakedown session for them. IF they are still struggling to get laps in in a few weeks time, then they, Honda and their drivers will start to get a bit edgy.

[driveace]

Did the Mcs not run at Silverstone like Mercedes did before going out to Jerez ?
I honestly think 1.20s are not the true pace of the Mercedes ,when they throw the sand bags out they will do 1.18s

[anfield5]

Ferrari have even stated that the other teams are masking their true performance.

You can understand why Force India decided to save some coin by missing this test

[Doc Austin]

As of two days ago, Autoweek was claiming that Force India did not even have their tubs yet.

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one/force-india-denies-rumors-financial-collapse

[kfzmeister]

Best time first week 2014: 1:23.2
2015: 1:20.8

That's quite the improvement! Read that Ferrari and Renault have found some HP. I'm sure the aero has improved as well. Anxious to see where McLaren fit into all this....

[jens]

I realized this year I will be cheering for Ferrari.:D What a difference a driver switch makes. But I am not going to declare myself a tifoso (though I once did), because in my case drivers influence any kind of supporting more than teams do.

In Ferrari's case the whole management clean sheet also helps. You get the feeling of freshness and a new start instead of 'same old'.

[Tazio]

Today was the first day this year I've given Ferrari a thought. I'm not sure what their chances are but early signs are encouraging. I'm pulling for Kimi to whup up o n Seb, but 'm not holding my breath. I had this crazy thought earlier today, that if Kimi gets punked by Seb, I wonder if he would drive for Haas in 2016? :angel:

[jens]

Today was the first day this year I've given Ferrari a thought. I'm not sure what their chances are but early signs are encouraging. I'm pulling for Kimi to whup up o n Seb, but 'm not holding my breath. I had this crazy thought earlier today, that if Kimi gets punked by Seb, I wonder if he would drive for Haas in 2016? :angel:

Well... I am pretty sure Räikkönen would not drive for Haas.:p: Which means he'd retire if he can't get a seat in a strong team. Maybe Vergne or Gutiérrez could drive for Haas, they are Ferrari reserve drivers right now.

As for Ferrari's chances. Probably Mercedes is out of reach, but they'd do well if they can compete against Williams and Red Bull for "best of the rest" tag. And that's possible.

[Tazio]

:sailor: What about Slash, I mean he is a man after Tony Stewart's heart? :rolleyes: :angel:

[jens]

:sailor: What about Slash, I mean he is a man after Tony Stewart's heart? :rolleyes: :angel:

Slash? Now. THAT'S the question! But... NO! :smokin:

[driveace]

Has Alonso been taking the team in the wrong direction ?
Seems odd that in his years there the car has been crap,he leaves and hey bingo the car improves !
Or was it the staff members that have been sacked/finished/retired that were the problem
OR in qualifying for the 1st race are we going to see that the Ferrari,s are STILL a second a lap slower than the Mercs ?

[Koz]

Mercedes are sandbagging. They'll still have a second on the rest.

As for Ferrari being better?
Easy, James Allison.

[Doc Austin]

I thought last year's Oz race was pretty interesting but this year looks like it's going to have more than just a few surprises. Last year's Oz was cool because the cars were not sorted and drove like pigs. You could see big gobs of opposite lock and the in car cameras were really spectacular. Now the teams have a better grip on it, but in the beginning the cars were very difficult.

This year looks to be interesting because we really don't know who has what. Mercedes could possibly not have anything more, Ferrari could be sandbagging, and McLaren-Honda could possibly pull it all together in time to be competitive, not to even mention how well the Sauber is running. Max Verstappen could surprise us one way or the other too, so I am looking forward to this season more than any I can remember.

[anfield5]

Mercedes are sandbagging. They'll still have a second on the rest.

As for Ferrari being better?
Easy, James Allison.

Agreed. James Allison is a first rate technical designer, and this years Ferrari is really the first one he has been responsible for. Just look at what happened to Toleman when he left them - last years car was an absolute pig, and to be honest last years Ferrari was not much better.

As to where Ferrari stand after the Jerez test. They look strong, plenty of laps done with no real issues, and decent pace..... but the Ferrari teams (Fezza and Sauber) both seemed to be concentrating on low fuel speed testing, where as others appeared to be doing more high fuel race pace testing, so their actual position was (probably) a wee bit lower in the pecking order than it appeared. The two Barcalona tests will be more revealing, as teams testing strategies will start to merge, giving us a better picture of where everyone is at.

[driveace]

But will Mercedes show ALL their cards ?
They show potential for 3/4 of a lap ,and then coast for the last 1/4
Think the Red Bulls will be nearer the mark when the sh** hits the fan in Australia

[anfield5]

But will Mercedes show ALL their cards ?
They show potential for 3/4 of a lap ,and then coast for the last 1/4
Think the Red Bulls will be nearer the mark when the sh** hits the fan in Australia

You are undoubtedly correct. Merc will follow their own testing path, and if full speed runs are not in the plan, they wont do them. I wouldn't exactly say they are sandbagging, as it serves no purpose, especially if the other teams know they are doing it. Think back to when they were Brawn in 2009. They arrived and blew the opposition into the weeds in testing, then continued to do the same thing for the first half of the season. During testing there was much speculation about them running an illegal car (which is ok in testing) just to fly the flag for the prospective sponsors, but their testing was at race pace. They are doing the reverse now, with a different agenda for their testing.

Usually the final test will see most teams true pace as they are trying to get the final pieces in place before they are shipped over to this side of the world for the Melbourne race.

[kfzmeister]

As for Ferrari being better?
Easy, James Allison.

A few things here: First of all, if you read the Jerez analysis from James Allen, it was heavily opined that Ferrari ran low fuel-Quali trim vs Mercedes heavy fuel-race trim. The Ferrari looked promising and got hype, but when hasn't it in preseason testing? Massa recently verified this to be common every year.

As far as Allison is concerned, he's also benefited from Byrne's input. He's been rumored to consult for the last two seasons.

Now, i know that Allison has not much to do with the PU, and Ferrari look to have found some HP for this year as well. Reports are that the engine has an additional 60-80HP this year. If they were off 75HP last season to Merc, and Merc supposedly has an additional 50 added for this year, then the Ferrari still has a deficit.

I'm sure there are additional things that have gone better for them, but i think it is never just one thing (person) that brings such an improvement. As hard as that pill may be to swallow for some diehard Schumacher or even VET fans.....

[jens]

I don't think anyone doubts that Mercedes is still the car the beat, and comfortably so. The question is what happens behind them. And if Ferrari can genuinely fight against Red Bull and Williams, it would be an improvement over last year, clearly.

[jens]

But will Mercedes show ALL their cards ?
They show potential for 3/4 of a lap ,and then coast for the last 1/4
Think the Red Bulls will be nearer the mark when the sh** hits the fan in Australia

Testing is not a place for showing 'cards' or "sandbagging". These things happen very rarely. You are more likely to see an underfunded small team going for fast laps, but deliberately playing fool and going slowly is wasting time. You have to concentrate on your testing programme and get as much data as you can. Difference in times is explainable by ongoing testing programme. Mercedes doesn't need to "coast" for quarter of a lap - everyone knows that they have the best car anyway. So there is nothing to hide. Except put some blankets on when the car gets back to the garage to hide some details....:) But I am unsure, how much does even that help nowadays, because a photographer with an eagle eye can catch all details, when the car is out on track doing lap-times.

[AndyL]

I don't know if anyone saw the "development special" on Sky last night, but they had an ex-Ferrari engineer on there who had an interesting theory about Ferrari's and Sauber's pace. Given that it was Ferrari who instigated the whole business about not having to homologate their engine before the start of the season, he speculated that they might still be running their 2014 engine, or a lightly modified version, and were therefore able to run it at full power, while Mercedes would have been more cautious for the first test with a brand new motor.

[airshifter]

A few things here: First of all, if you read the Jerez analysis from James Allen, it was heavily opined that Ferrari ran low fuel-Quali trim vs Mercedes heavy fuel-race trim. The Ferrari looked promising and got hype, but when hasn't it in preseason testing? Massa recently verified this to be common every year.

As far as Allison is concerned, he's also benefited from Byrne's input. He's been rumored to consult for the last two seasons.

Now, i know that Allison has not much to do with the PU, and Ferrari look to have found some HP for this year as well. Reports are that the engine has an additional 60-80HP this year. If they were off 75HP last season to Merc, and Merc supposedly has an additional 50 added for this year, then the Ferrari still has a deficit.

I'm sure there are additional things that have gone better for them, but i think it is never just one thing (person) that brings such an improvement. As hard as that pill may be to swallow for some diehard Schumacher or even VET fans.....

I have to agree that testing often doesn't show the hand very well due to the type of testing and fuel loads.

And I would agree even more that one person usually doesn't have huge influence on the team. In the case of Ferrari, I think it is just as important (if not more so) to look at who is NOT on the team. They have been a capable team for years, being misdirected and pressured from the people driving the show IMO. And as much as I admire Alonso for being the "never give up" guy that always gets 110% from the car, he often did so at the expense of the car being set up for him and disregarding the other driver.

One thing is for sure. With yet another season of WDC drivers at the helm, the pressure is on the team to fix the car. Likewise for McLaren having Alonso in the seat and Honda money behind them.


Though I expect Mercedes to remain on top, I seriously doubt it will be another walk in the park. The other teams have had a long time to figure out what they did wrong. I hope for a much more competitive 2015.

[Roamy]

well fred is sucking wind at the moment - they need to get that rice rocket dialed in !!!

[AndyL]

From f1today.net:



Lewis Hamilton won't be testing anymore today. The reigning world champion is feeling unwell. Mercedes calls Pascal Wehrlein back from Force India to take over testing duties from Hamilton.


I hope Force India have a substitute, otherwise their testing programme will go from bad to worse!

[AndyL]

I hope Force India have a substitute, otherwise their testing programme will go from bad to worse!

Apparently Perez is on hand so it's worked out OK for them. They've got Mercedes' money for running Wehrlein and now they've got their own driver back in the car.

[kfzmeister]

Jerez test day 2.

Kvyat loses front wing. Vettel sends text to Marko: Don't you (Red Bull) have wings anymore?

Marko: You, especially, should know that Red Bull loans (front) wings! Btw, congrats on the best time. I bet you drove it with about 50 kilos fuel!

[AndyL]

Another problematic day for McLaren. They got some respectable running in early on, but then suffered an MGU-K failure and have to change the engine for tomorrow.

[driveace]

And Lewis only does 11 laps ,and pull out with tummy bug

[anfield5]

Jerez test day 2.

Kvyat loses front wing. Vettel sends text to Marko: Don't you (Red Bull) have wings anymore?

Marko: You, especially, should know that Red Bull loans (front) wings! Btw, congrats on the best time. I bet you drove it with about 50 kilos fuel!

I love to see things like this between former driver and former boss. Shows there are no ill feelings between the two and they still have a decent relationship - good stuff!

[steveaki13]

Banter :p

[Doc Austin]

I love to see things like this between former driver and former boss. Shows there are no ill feelings between the two and they still have a decent relationship - good stuff!

It still seems really odd that he is not there. I would not be surprise to see him go back there one day.

[driveace]

Ricciardo showed him as an AVERAGE driver last year though!

[Mia 01]

21 laps for Button today. Hope they can solve their problems until tomorrow.

[The Black Knight]

Interesting preseason testing. It looks like a lot of teams have made strides towards Mercedes position on the grid. Whether or not it will be enough is too early to tell but I'm really looking forward to next weeks test. I think we'll have a better idea when teams start doing low fuel runs. I wouldn't be too concerned if I were Mercedes yet. I reckon they are running a lot of fuel.

[steveaki13]

Alonso has had a nasty crash in Barcelona and although reports say he is concious, he has been airlifted to hospital.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/31575734

[Tazio]

Alonso has had a nasty crash in Barcelona and although reports say he is concious, he has been airlifted to hospital.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/31575734


#F1 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash) Vettel was behind Alonso before the crash: "The speed was slow - maybe 150kph. Then he turned right into the wall. It looked strange."
There's a rumor going around that it may have been due to an electrical shock from the KERS. Just a rumor.

[Robinho]

There's a rumor going around that it may have been due to an electrical shock from the KERS. Just a rumor.

I hadn't seen that rumour, but was wondering that myself - seen some pics on marca of the crash, basically rubbed up the wall, no head on impact, all wheels still on the car, no major impact damage, but needed to be stretchered out and taken to hospital. Seems something untoward happened to Alonso to cause the accident, and shock would fit the bill.

[Doc Austin]

Anyone still think the cars aren't too complicated?

[Doc Austin]

Good news about Alonso:

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mystery-swirls-around-alonso-incident


His McLaren team has confirmed that the Spaniard has undergone a full CT scan in hospital and has no injuries. A spokeswoman added: "He is fine, that's all I can say."

[kfzmeister]

The best info that i found was from a German website.

It stated that ALO seemed to be unconscious, or perhaps slightly disoriented for nearly 10 minutes and could not get out of the car by himself.
VET was directly behind him and said that ALO was not going very fast and that it just looked strange, not like an accident.
It is possible that electroshock, poisonous gasses from the hybrid system and, or the flu had something to do with the mishap.

[N4D13]

El Pais is quoting Alonso's manager saying that the accident was caused by the strong winds in that part of the circuit and that the driver was not incapacitated in any manner before the crash.

[Doc Austin]

Now Motorsports.com is reporting that Alonso has a concussion and might miss this weekend's testing which starts on Thursday.

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alonso-remains-in-intensive-care-unit-after-crash

Also, the artice is titled "Alonso remains in intensive care unit after crash." Why would they put someone with a concussion in intensive care?

Meanwhile, and most importantly, according to McLaren, Alonso is "fine."

Seems odd someone in intensive care could be "fine." In fact, all of this is pretty odd.

[AndyL]

This is certainly a pretty strange incident. I guess we're going to see all sorts of rumours until some hard facts emerge. Like whether Alonso is in the car for the second Barcelona test later this week. I really hope it's a lot of fuss about nothing and Alonso is OK.

[Robinho]

Now Motorsports.com is reporting that Alonso has a concussion and might miss this weekend's testing which starts on Thursday.

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alonso-remains-in-intensive-care-unit-after-crash

Also, the artice is titled "Alonso remains in intensive care unit after crash." Why would they put someone with a concussion in intensive care?

Meanwhile, and most importantly, according to McLaren, Alonso is "fine."

Seems odd someone in intensive care could be "fine." In fact, all of this is pretty odd.

Apparently it's standard to be in intensive care for a concussion (especially when you are one of the country's most famous and highly paid sportsmen)

[Tazio]

According to Fred's manager this extended stay in the ICU is precautionary;


“The impact was quite strong but fortunately, it was nothing. He was conscious and able to speak.
“He was taken to hospital as a precaution and they have done all the necessary tests, which have all come out well.
“But he will need to spend another 24 hours under observation. The tests will be repeated on Monday.”

I was kept overnight for observation when I was concussed, and look how normal I am :dork:

[anfield5]

I was kept overnight for observation when I was concussed, and look how normal I am :dork:

Yes, but you weren't kept in a hospital though :)

[anfield5]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do. How is it that these amazingly strong and apparently extremely localised winds didn't push Vettel's Ferrari off the track as well, as he was right behind Fred when the accident happened. And if a wind gust did push the Silver Minger off the track, don't you think you need a radical redesign of your car McLaren? We do get wind in many places around the world, and the sight of a McLaren spearing off into the weeds with every gust will be funny (not to mention the excuses and babble Ron will come up with) it will get beyond a joke quite quickly.

[Tazio]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do. I'm going to wait and see what Fred says, I don't think he will candy coat it!

[Robinho]

Statement suggests that Alonso was conscious, braking, steering and downshifting to the point of impact (therefore no electric shock) and that it was a simple accident, car ran wide, partly due to gusty winds, outside wheels on astroturf, spins up and heads into the inside wall, which by some fluke knocked Alonso about a bit, causing a concussion. Seems plausible enough, Alonso is sitting smiling for pics from hospital, and I'm sure if there were more to it he wouldn't be wanting to cover it up

[anfield5]

I'm going to wait and see what Fred says, I don't think he will candy coat it!

It depends on what herr Denis tells him to say. Eventhough Alonso tends to be quite up front with things, he will toe the party line this early in his new marriage with McLaren.

It just seems unbelievable that a gust of wind can
1. push a gp car off track, considering that the aero even at low speed should make air flow over and around the car, it's not as if the McLarens is a slab sided delivery van.
2. not similarly push a second car off, when it was in fred's wheel tracks.

[kfzmeister]

I think it is quite plausible. I've read that when he took turn 3 he ran pretty wide and may have gotten onto some astroturf with the left rear. The rear gave out just enough to drastically change directions and sent him towards the wall. The massive shunt could have knocked him out for some time. The guy that photographed the incident said his head was tilted to the side for a bit. The stewards that approached the car were said to have tapped on his helmet, yet there was no response for up to ten minutes. It was also said that he had to be taken out of the car. Further reports suggest that when he was taken to the med center, he acted agitated. As if he came to and freaked out a bit due to disorientation (remember the photos after Massa got hit with that Brawn spring).

It makes sense to me that perhaps he did get caught by a gust of wind and that it was exasterbated by the car running wide. Add to it, perhaps that he was playing with some dials adjusting the car and we have a perfectly possible scenario that could have happened. The guy got knocked out and i'm sure the whole thing is a little more embarrassing than anything else.

Glad he's ok.

[AndyL]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do. How is it that these amazingly strong and apparently extremely localised winds didn't push Vettel's Ferrari off the track as well, as he was right behind Fred when the accident happened. And if a wind gust did push the Silver Minger off the track, don't you think you need a radical redesign of your car McLaren? We do get wind in many places around the world, and the sight of a McLaren spearing off into the weeds with every gust will be funny (not to mention the excuses and babble Ron will come up with) it will get beyond a joke quite quickly.

What bemused me was that in the same statement as blaming the wind, McLaren said that "absolutely no loss of aerodynamic pressure was recorded". How on earth does a gust of wind cause an F1 car to crash, if not by causing a loss of downforce due to the change in airspeed?

[Malbec]

It depends on what herr Denis tells him to say. Eventhough Alonso tends to be quite up front with things, he will toe the party line this early in his new marriage with McLaren.

It just seems unbelievable that a gust of wind can
1. push a gp car off track, considering that the aero even at low speed should make air flow over and around the car, it's not as if the McLarens is a slab sided delivery van.
2. not similarly push a second car off, when it was in fred's wheel tracks.

Sainz had a similar accident the same day and blamed the same thing, a gust of wind. Bottas claimed the wind was sometimes so strong he had to see-saw at the wheel down the main straight to compensate on the same date.

Maldonaldo had a very similar accident at exactly the same spot a year or so ago again claiming that the wind pushed him off.

I don't see a conspiracy theory here.

The only odd thing here is that Alonso clearly took a major knock, yet the car still had all four wheels intact when it was brought back to the paddock.

[Tazio]

I think Fred should sue Spain, Santander, Ferrari, and Vettel, for starters. :p:

[jens]

McLaren have claimed that Alonso crashed due to gusty winds. Now... I am not claiming McLaren are lying, but really, is this the best you can do. How is it that these amazingly strong and apparently extremely localised winds didn't push Vettel's Ferrari off the track as well, as he was right behind Fred when the accident happened. And if a wind gust did push the Silver Minger off the track, don't you think you need a radical redesign of your car McLaren? We do get wind in many places around the world, and the sight of a McLaren spearing off into the weeds with every gust will be funny (not to mention the excuses and babble Ron will come up with) it will get beyond a joke quite quickly.

Well, that's true that the explanation doesn't hold water. Unless it was a proper windstorm, which blows everything out of its way, there is some wind blowing or breezing most of the time, when cars are racing.

[Tazio]

Well, that's true that the explanation doesn't hold water. Unless it was a proper windstorm, which blows everything out of its way, there is some wind blowing or breezing most of the time, when cars are racing.
You're not taking into consideration the amount of hot air that Alonso produces himself, and the synergistic effect the combination would have on the stability of the car. :rolleyes: ;)

[AndyL]

7 laps for McLaren and that's it for the day, they need to change the engine. They're running out of time to get their problems sorted out.
Even if Alonso is not declared fit for the first race, he may not be missing much.

[Tazio]

7 laps for McLaren and that's it for the day, they need to change the engine. They're running out of time to get their problems sorted out.
Even if Alonso is not declared fit for the first race, he may not be missing much.
We're on the back foot lads :rolleyes:

[Roamy]

McLaren is a certified Piece of Sh!t - Well at least Honda is. Lets see if they can get it going but perhaps they should look for a new engine supplier.

[anfield5]

McLaren is a certified Piece of Sh!t - Well at least Honda is. Lets see if they can get it going but perhaps they should look for a new engine supplier.

Nonsense!

Sure Honda are behind the 8-ball now. But they will develop the engine as the season progresses. Expect them to be pushing Renault and Ferrari by mid season. Remember the other suppliers had a year in 2014 to hone their engines in race conditions, Honda haven't. Plus the issues don't really appear to be with the actual engine, more the control systems associated with it. If this is the case the performance that they are currently lacking is probably in there.

[Mia 01]

My guess is that it will take them some races to finish a race. And, they will be running out of Engines early on.

[Roamy]

Lets see where can Fred bail too - Lotus????

[Tazio]

My guess is that it will take them some races to finish a race. And, they will be running out of Engines early on.My guess is you are guessing wrong on both counts, but we're about to see!

[Tazio]

Looks like Jense is about to get 100 laps in today, that's a huge boost for McLaren!

[AndyL]

A decent first day with their 2015 car for Force India too, they had a bit of a slow start but are over 70 laps with it now. Although their lap times are nothing to write home about so far.

[Tazio]

My guess is that it will take them some races to finish a race. And, they will be running out of Engines early on.
My guess is you are guessing wrong on both counts, but we're about to see!
Actually your comment lends itself to an interesting dilemma. McLaren should take their lumps in the flyaway races, while not destroying PU's, because I think by the European season they will have caught most of the rest of the field. I think Jense, and Fred are going to have to show a lot of restraint in the early going as to not grenade PU's :grenade: