Nasr goes fastest for Sauber on day three in Spain

Felipe Nasr sent Sauber to the top of the timesheet on Tuesday in pre-season testing at Jerez, narrowly edging the Ferrari of morning pacesetter Kimi Raikkonen and the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.

Less than half a second separated the trio at the close of play, although it was Nasr who set the headline time as he bolted on Pirelli's super-soft tyres and lapped the Spanish track in 1m 21.545s. The Brazilian also clocked up more than 100 laps on what was only his second official session as a Formula One race driver.

Raikkonen maintained Ferrari's position at the sharp end of the times with a 1m 21.720s on the white-marked medium compound, which was enough to edge Rosberg by two-tenths of a second in the fight for second overall.

Elsewhere there was encouragement for McLaren as Fernando Alonso managed 32 laps total, and several multi-lap runs, on his final day of running at Jerez.

The Spaniard's day was cut short by a loss of cooling water pressure, which left him with an unrepresentative time of 1m 35.553s set in mixed early conditions. Nevertheless the team were buoyed by their increased running relative to the first two days, and also by the fact they will be able to replace the problematic components ahead of the fourth and final day.

Alonso's tally was still in stark contrast to Rosberg, who once again set the standard with 151 laps in the Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid. The German's day included triggering the red flags when an on-track engine shutdown brought him to a halt just after midday.

Nasr had earlier triggered the red flags to fly when he spun into gravel at Turn 9 in damp conditions, while Lotus's Pastor Maldonado brought them out for a third time with just over one minute of the day remaining when he stopped out on track.

The Venezuelan had been delayed as Lotus encountered telemetry problems in the morning, but eventually finished the day fifth overall - just behind Felipe Massa, who took over from Valtteri Bottas for his first day of running in the Williams FW37.

Carlos Sainz Junior was sixth for Toro Rosso, while Daniel Ricciardo was limited by engine problems that restricted Red Bull to a handful of short runs in the RB11 as the day drew to a close.

Testing concludes at Jerez on Wednesday.

Unofficial Tuesday testing times from Jerez:
1. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, 1m 21.545s, 109 laps
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 21.750s, 94 laps
3. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 21.982s, 151 laps
4. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 22.276s, 71 laps
5. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 22.713s, 96 laps
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso, 1m 23.187s, 137 laps
7. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 23.901s, 49 laps
8. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1m 35.553s, 32 laps

(source: f1.com)

Vettel keeps Ferrari on top on rain-hit second day

Sebastian Vettel maintained his and Ferrari’s encouraging start to pre-season testing by going fastest on the second day of running at Jerez on Monday.

The four-time world champion, also quickest on the opening day, set a new overall benchmark of 1m 20.984s to finish almost one second clear of the chasing pack. 

Proceedings were brought to a slightly early close as a rain storm hit the track, although Sauber’s Felipe Nasr and Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen - both entering their first season in Formula One racing - were among those who ventured out in the wet conditions.

It was Nasr who ultimately got closest to Vettel, putting Sauber second with a 1m 21.867s. That left him half a second clear of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and the Mercedes of 2014 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton was able to clock up 91 laps, the most of any driver, as Mercedes once again demonstrated impressive reliability - although a water leak from a failed component brought his day to a slightly premature finish.

Verstappen was fifth fastest, 1.5s down on Hamilton, while Lotus’s Pastor Maldonado and McLaren’s Jenson Button rounded out the top seven.

Lotus had initially played down their chances of running before the third day of the test as they finalised the build programme of their E23 Hybrid. They were able to join the fray early in the morning however, with Maldonado eventually racking up 41 laps.

McLaren’s progress was more limited, as a recurring problem confined Button to the garage for much of the day. The team did emerge in the final minutes, but only for a sedate out-lap. Button therefore ended the day with six laps - matching what 2015 team mate Fernando Alonso managed on day one - and an unrepresentative best time of 1m 54.655s, more than 30s down on Vettel.

Daniil Kvyat was the eighth and final runner for Red Bull, although the Russian did not set a time on his first day in the RB11 after damaging the front wing early on. With no replacement, Kvyat had the unusual task of completing several installation runs with no front wing.

The only team absent from the timesheet were Force India, who have opted to skip the first test completely whilst they develop their new car.

Testing continues at Jerez on Tuesday.

Unofficial Monday testing times from Jerez
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1m 20.984s, 88 laps
2. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, 1m 21.867s, 89 laps
3. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1m 22.319s, 61 laps
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 22.490s, 91 laps
5. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, 1m 24.167s, 73 laps
6. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 25.802s, 41 laps
7. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1m 54.655s, 6 laps
8. Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull, No time, 18 laps

(source: f1.com)

Vettel fastest for Ferrari on first day of testing in Spain

Sebastian Vettel made the perfect start to his Ferrari career by sending the Italian team to the top of the timesheets on the opening day of pre-season testing at Jerez on Sunday.

The four-time world champion, who switched to Ferrari from Red Bull over the winter, completed 60 laps in the new SF15-T, setting a best time of 1m 22.620s in the afternoon session to go clear of the field. 

The second-fastest time on the day went to Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson who, like Vettel, was making his first appearance for his new team. The Swede, who completed 73 laps, took his blue and yellow C34 round in 1m 22.777s late in the day to demote early pacesetter Nico Rosberg to third. 

The loss of position would have mattered little to Rosberg on a day when reigning champions Mercedes demonstrated ominous form. Having shaken down the F1 W06 Hybrid at Silverstone last week, the German clocked up a remarkable 157 laps in the freshly-unveiled car - a tally more than twice that managed by any other team.

Daniel Ricciardo was fourth-quickest in Red Bull’s uniquely liveried RB11, though mechanical issues restricted the Australian to just 35 laps. Williams, meanwhile, were late to join proceedings, but eventually completed a useful 73 laps and set the fifth-fastest time with Valtteri Bottas at the wheel of the FW37.

Carlos Sainz Junior recorded the sixth-quickest time as he gave Toro Rosso’s STR10 its maiden outing, though it proved a rather stop-start day for the Spanish rookie who caused the session's second red-flag stoppage when he came to a halt on the back straight towards the end of the session. 

The times were rounded out by Fernando Alonso who managed just six laps in McLaren's new Honda-powered MP4-30. The Spaniard did complete one timed effort, though it was a full 18 seconds off the leading pace.  

Absent from the timesheet were Force India, who have opted to skip the first test completely, and Lotus, whose car only arrived in Spain late on Sunday. The Enstone-based team say the E23 Hybrid is now undergoing its build programme and is not expected to run until the third day of the test on Tuesday.


Unofficial Sunday testing times from Jerez
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1m 22.620s, 60 laps
2. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 22.777s, 73 laps
3. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 23.106s, 157 laps
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 23.338s, 35 laps
5. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1m 23.906s, 73 laps
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso, 1m 25.327s, 46 laps
7. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1m 40.738s, 6 laps

(source: f1.com)

The testing season starts tomorrow in Jerez!

Finally the 2015 season is starting! Well at least the testing season is. It's still over a month till the first race in Melbourne.

The testing season is important not only for the drivers and teams but us fans as well. This is the time of the year when we will see how fast the new cars are. Usually they give a pretty good picture of it.

Last year I remember that Kevin Magnussen was pretty fast with McLaren in testing and when the first race came he was on the podium (3rd and later 2nd when Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified). Everybody also saw that Mercedes was super fast! The only team that really surprised me was Red Bull because in testing they were just awful and when the season started Daniel Ricciardo was 2nd. Some said that Red Bull would be one of the worst teams.

Some other years the testing season has shown that even though you are fast in testing it doesn't mean anything. I remember that in 2006 Honda was very fast in testing and when the season started Ferrari was the team that had made most progress. McLaren had gotten worse and Renault was pretty much the same but still the team to beat.

This year I believe that Mercedes and Williams will have the best cars and Ferrari will be much better than last year. Some say that even though Fernando Alonso is a great racer he is not good at developing the car. Sebastian Vettel is much better which might bring the team forward. This helps also Kimi Räikkönen who does not only have more experience than Vettel but has also a similar driving style.

The team that interests me the most is still none of these teams. McLaren-Honda is the one I am very interested of. I was a huge Ayrton Senna fan (and still am) and the last time Honda and McLaren were together they were unstoppable.

I am posting the test results here on the blog every day starting tomorrow.

If you want to follow the testing in real time I suggest that you go to www.autosport.com because they usually have a live feed in every test session.

Vettel and Raikkonen ready to be patient with new Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel has warned against expecting immediate results from his maiden season with Ferrari, saying that patience will be key to the Scuderia's hopes of returning to the front of the Formula One grid.

Having switched from Red Bull to Ferrari ahead of the 2015 season, the four-time world champion says he is realistic about the team's early prospects, and that his focus is on building a platform for success in the long-term.

"There is a lot of change going on, new people in new positions - including myself," Vettel told the official Ferrari website, "so it always takes a bit of time to settle in until you really start to make proper progress. 

"I am confident we are going in the right direction but it would be wrong to immediately expect a lot [from] us.

"We need to remember we are coming from a 2014 season where there was one team very dominant, so it will be very difficult to arrive there from the beginning. For us the main target is to start to really work together, start to make progress, hopefully catch up more and more as the season progresses."

Asked if he would be happy should Ferrari score one victory over the coming season, Vettel said: "I think we would be happy - but of course we would be happier if we win more. As I said you have to be realistic. 

"I think the most important thing is that we start getting into the groove quickly in winter testing and start to make progress. If the situation is like last year, it will be very difficult to fight for victories, but of course that is our goal. That is why we are here; we are not here to be second."

Vettel's patient approach was echoed by an new team mate Kimi Raikkonen, who said his immediate focus in on pushing the team forward rather than outright targets.

"Obviously we want to be as strong as we can, but it's too early to say where we're going to be," the 2007 world champion said. "As long as we do our things 100 percent, work as one team to push things forward and keep building what we have over the winter, that's the starting point - and then the results should come. 

"There's no point from my side to put any goals yet: start from the first test and go forward from there. It will be interesting working with [Vettel], but I'm sure we have a good understanding of each other. The aim is to push the team forward and do everything for Ferrari, and then obviously we try to fight against each other, but in a good way."

Raikkonen said that both he and the team had learned lessons from their lacklustre showing in 2014, adding: "Sometimes you have years that go like that, everything seems to be a bit difficult. We understood a lot of things and hopefully this year we can turn things around, as a team be strong, and get more where we should be little by little."

Between them, Vettel and Raikkonen have claimed five F1 drivers' crowns, 59 Grand Prix victories and 61 poles, making them one of the strongest pairings ever to line up for Ferrari.

(source: f1.com)

Alonso and Button realistic over development of McLaren MP4-30

Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have expressed excitement about getting behind the wheel of McLaren’s newly unveiled MP4-30, though both are acutely aware that developing the Honda-powered machine will not be easy.

Alonso, who re-joined McLaren from Ferrari over the winter, said that he’s prepared for possible teething problems when he gets the Woking team’s pre-season test programme underway in Spain on Sunday. 

McLaren have only ever run Honda’s brand-new RA615H Hybrid power unit once previously, in an interim car during a disrupted test at Abu Dhabi last November.

“Of course, we’re prepared for a steep learning curve, but it’s clear to see that inside McLaren-Honda there’s total commitment, and a real change in feeling, as we start this new partnership,” explained Alonso.

“Our first target will be to learn the maximum from the car at the pre-season tests, understand the package, and extract as much performance as possible. That won’t be easy or trouble-free, but we’re ready for that. Why? Because our key focus will be on development. 

“Historically, McLaren has already been characterised by its ability to bring updates to the car quickly, and develop a strong package.” 

Despite the hard work that lies ahead, Alonso emphasised that his motivation for the new season ‘could not be stronger’, a feeling echoed by new team mate Button.  

“I’ve trained hard over the winter, and I’m absolutely itching to get going in the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30,” said the 2009 world champion, who will take over driving duties from Alonso on day two at Jerez.

“It’s been interesting to spend time in the factory during the past few weeks: you can really sense a feeling of reignited optimism and positivity around the building. 

I’ve never seen such motivation amongst the guys - we’re all massively keen to get going in Jerez and to work hard on developing our new car. But we’re under no illusion that it will be easy - there’s a huge challenge ahead of us to try to pull back the gap to our rivals, but we’re certainly up for it. 

“We ended last season with great momentum and clear progress, and I’m determined to carry that forward into 2015.”

In December McLaren chairman and CEO Ron Dennis described the pairing of Alonso and Button as "by an order of magnitude the best driver line-up of any current Formula One team". Between them the experienced duo have started 500 Grands Prix, winning 47 races and three world drivers’ titles.

(source: F1.com)

Renault reveal 'fundamental' changes to 2015 power unit

Renault have achieved a 'fundamental' overhaul of their Formula One engine ahead of the 2015 season, as they bid to reduce last year's performance deficit to Mercedes.

Managing director Cyril Abiteboul said sweeping changes have allowed Renault to make significant progress over the winter in terms of both reliability and performance, with the French manufacturer now targeting upwards of the three victories they scored in 2014.

“Viry needed a refresh. We did not suffer from a lack of resources or finances in 2014, it was simply that the resources were not joined up in time or used to their optimum," Abiteboul explained.

“We knew what we had to do over the winter and we know what we have achieved. We believe we have made a very big step in performance and will be more reliable. In the short gap between seasons we have taken a number of steps forward. 

“We do not know where the others will be: we may not have erased all the gaps, but we are confident that we have gone a long way to making up the deficit of last season. Our objective is to close the gap as much as possible and give Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso a more competitive car on most circuits, independently of their characteristics and sensitivities."

Rob White, Renault chief technical officer, said Renault's 2015 power unit will be substantially different to their 2014 version, such has been the extent of the changes made. Engine manufacturers are allowed to change up to 48 per cent of their power unit for the season, using development 'tokens' as permitted by governing body the FIA.

“We have made some fundamental changes to gain performance and reliability. We have upgraded every system and subsystem, with items that will give the most performance prioritised," White said. 

“The principal changes involve the internal combustion engine, turbocharger and battery. The ICE will have a new combustion chamber, exhaust system concept and variable trumpets, as permitted by the 2015 regulations. The compressor is more efficient, while the energy recovery systems are able to deal with more severe usage.

“The 2014 unit was already well placed in its centre of gravity, however we have tidied up the packaging to give greater ease of integration into the chassis. Additionally many systems and functions have been rationalized and simplified to further ease the task. In short, there are very few carry over pieces between the 2014 and 2015 power units."

In addition to such changes, Renault have also overhauled their staffing structure. White, in his capacity as chief technical officer, will now work alongside Jean-Paul Gousset, who has been appointed as organisation performance officer.

A development department has been newly created and will be headed up by Naoki Tokunaga, who is also responsible for overseeing the engineering department. Director of operations Remi Taffin will also take on an expanded role, overseeing all factory operations in addition to his existing track operation concerns.

“We have implemented a new organisational structure [with] numerous of changes," Abiteboul added. “F1 constantly moves forward at a very fast rate. The sport evolves, technology evolves and the competition never sleeps so Viry needs to evolve at the same rate. It is still very early to see the direct effects but all the changes are made for long term gain. We should start to see the full impact in development by the mid-season with greater flexibility, dynamism and efficiency across all our operations."

(source: f1.com)