2016 Car Launch and Pre-season Testing

If only Felipe Massa would make a comeback... 🙂

rowdyrider12 said:There is a solution. We should all simply start rooting for Mercedes-Benz. It would make for a wonderful season. 🙂

Honestly, as someone who roots for Lewis Hamilton, watching Mercedes' dominance is enough to give me a nervous breakdown. For those exact reasons, I’ve shifted my support over to Fernando Alonso this year. Stress is a nasty thing.

Am I asking for too much, The Radiant? I find myself wondering if I’ll ever actually witness an era of Formula 1 where two teams are truly locked in a title fight. A scenario where two drivers from entirely different outfits are battling for the championship, driving cars that are essentially identical in performance. Is that really such a massive stretch?

So, I'll be rewatching the Mercedes-Benz struggle once again. Just observing that internal battle between their drivers.

I was sitting there thinking back through the history of actual battles—rewinding the tape, so to speak—and my mind drifted. It’s those legendary clashes that really stand out. I'm talking about the heavy hitters. Schumacher - Hakkinen. Schumacher - Alonso. Schumacher - Hill. And, of course, that 1990 era of Senna-Prost. That's what real racing looks like.

jadeseal7 said:Williams No2?

Oh, look at that. You're back in your usual "blah blah troll" mode.

We'll see how much you're talking when qualifying and the race actually roll around.

If F1 looks this good, it means Williams is way better than we thought. ☕
When it comes to testing or even Williams's practice sessions, they always hide their cards. They run a completely different program from everyone else, so they never actually look fast...
The Bear also definitely drives way slower than it can in situations like this...

Basically, you can only judge the Bear's engine by looking at F1... just like you'd judge Ferrari's by Sauber or now Haas.
Because those are the ones chasing sponsors and pushing to the absolute limit. 😉

stormybadger8 said:There won't be a second place, but there will be a third or fourth... Mercedes No1, Williams No2, Ferrari, or F1 No3...

Mark my words, even Haas might manage to beat not just potentially Honda, but Renault and Red Bull too.🤣 It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Adrian Newey or even the big boss Matešić decided to walk away from Formula 1 halfway through the season.

Mercedes has built a brutal Power Unit, truly brutal. It’s incredibly reliable and clearly gained significant power.
I suppose we could all sit here speculating about fuel loads and all those other variables...
but when Nico Hulkenberg clocks a 1:23.110 in Los Angeles—where last year during qualifying he set the fastest F1 time at 1:28.365—then you know Mercedes has engineered something serious.😳
Because there is no way F1 found five seconds solely through aerodynamic upgrades in a single year.
Granted, if my memory serves, they were practically driving a 2014 car in Los Angeles last year, yet even so, the progress is massive.

Haas will be looking at nothing but empty asphalt in their rearview mirrors at the start of the race; essentially, that asphalt is the only thing that will ever be behind them.

mellowtiger83 said:Am I really asking for too much, ruggedhawk20? Just waiting for an era where two teams actually fight for the title—you know, where drivers from different squads go head-to-head and the cars aren't complete trash compared to each other. Is that a huge stretch?

Dominance isn't even the real issue facing Formula 1—not by a long shot. Honestly? It’s actually pretty damn fun to watch someone run away with it.

If Formula 1 actually let loose—you know, if Mercedes finally showed what they’re actually capable of—everyone would be losing their minds wondering how many cars they're rolling out to Australia. Would it just be the usual two? Or did they decide to just screw everyone over and show up with six? Imagine the chaos by Friday morning before the race—trying to figure out who's even behind the wheel. Is it just the regulars, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, or are they throwing guys like Maximilian Buhk, Robin Frijns, or maybe even Will Power into the mix?

Man, if they actually pulled off that kind of dominance—it would be freaking glorious.

That's just not how it works—not that we actually know for sure that Mercedes is gonna roll up with exactly two cars. Not one more, not one less. And like, they'll show up at every single race this season with exactly two cars, both painted the exact same color for some totally random reason nobody can explain...

That’s just the state of Formula 1 right now—total mess.

Not exactly a blowout, either.

stormybadger8 said:...
I guess you can really only judge the Bear's engine performance by looking at the FI... just like how you'd gauge Ferrari's through Sauber or even Haas right now. It's mostly because those teams are the ones constantly chasing sponsors and pushing everything they've got to the absolute limit.
😉

That's exactly it, and honestly, I think we should take these numbers with a grain of salt—maybe try averaging them out over several days to get a clearer picture. The leaders almost never drive at full power with an empty tank, especially not for an entire lap; they usually just hammer it for a sector or two to set their time while still carrying a decent amount of fuel.

I mean, who could have predicted this time last year how much Ferrari would improve or how much Red Bull would struggle... so let's just take it easy.

As far as I'm concerned, we don't really know anything for sure about the frontrunners yet, other than expecting Mercedes and Ferrari to stay at the top of the pack... as for the actual power ratio, I suppose we'll find out after Australia.

Here’s what our guy is saying from Barcelona: "We're sticking to the pre-set schedule for now. We aren't chasing lap times; our priority is checking every system to make sure everything is functioning correctly."

Now, I have to ask: "Everyone is obsessed with the timing—who’s fast, who’s slow. What’s the actual plan regarding pace?"

The response: "I can't go into specifics. You know there are things I just can't disclose. But we haven't been running at full tilt yet, which is why we stuck to medium settings. We have a few upgrades lined up, so we'll likely be testing true performance during the final session."

stormybadger8 said:If FI is looking this good, it means Williams has made a massive leap forward ☕

Regarding Williams, I know they focused almost exclusively on the rear end of the car during these tests. It was clearly their Achilles' heel last season, so
they decided to tackle that head-on first. I'm not an expert on all the technical minutiae, but based on some
American commentary, the FW38 seems to have undergone the most significant rear-end redesign
compared to last year's car. As for the front end, the new nose
actually passed its crash test the other day. I'm not entirely sure if they'll roll it out during next
week's testing, but it really ought to be on the car by the time we hit Melbourne. Naturally, a new nose means a new front wing too.
According to Felipe Massa, he was supposed to put down a fast lap today, but they had to leave him in the garage after
a minor oil leak popped up somewhere.

Honestly, reading some of the nonsense being posted here is giving me a headache. First off, Sebastian Vettel clocked an identical 24.9 on the medium tires during both days at the exact same time. So, that whole argument about how much faster Rosberg is—based on him being 2 seconds behind Vettel on the US race using mediums—is completely missing the point since Vet hit that same mark on the same rubber.

Regarding FI, this is pretty much their ceiling. It’s a shame because teams lose sponsors all the time, and just like Lotus did last year, they're facing massive financial hurdles. There was talk about Aston Martin coming in with a $50 million annual sponsorship deal to rename the team, but that fell through. Now they're just grinding it out with almost no fuel in the car; their best lap on mediums was a 1:25.3.

Helmut Marko actually mentioned that this is the best chassis RB has ever produced, and even they seem surprised by the performance levels. They didn't run qualifying simulations on ultrasofts when they were setting those times with fuel loads, so you have to wonder if Ferrari did. Personally, I’m betting they did.

If you want to judge true pace, you look at what they can do "out of the box." It's clear the Bears and Ferrari don't need much time to find their rhythm. They jump straight into that 1-2 territory even with a full tank. Of course, it's way too early to call anything since testing is shorter this year, and teams are clearly saving their fastest laps for next week. But if I had to make a prediction? I see Mercedes holding a .4 second advantage over Ferkan in qualifying in Australia, followed by Williams, FI, and TR, with RB trailing due to that disastrous engine situation. McLaren Honda won't even break within 1.5 seconds; they'll likely be slower than Haas and maybe even slower than Manor. Renault will probably be hovering right around McLaren.

stormybadger8 said:The Italians are absolutely cooking up something special today, while Kimi is just heading off to get changed. 😬🤣

It sounds like they ran into some fuel pump issues; I have a feeling they messed something up during yesterday's testing when they were checking how the car behaves once it starts running on fumes...
Honestly, if Sebastian Vettel was truly pushing the absolute limits on an empty tank yesterday, then the season might be over before it even starts...
I mean, looking at that 1:22.810 lap time Vettel clocked on the ultrasofts—if he actually did that while running low on fuel, it’s really not all that impressive,
especially when you compare it to Nico Rosberg's last year time of 01:22.792, which was set on the supersofts. 😳

I am 100% certain that Rosberg's time from last year was recorded on soft tires.

stormybadger8 said:We might not see a second seat available, but there’s definitely going to be a third or fourth one up for grabs... we're looking at Mercedes No1, Williams No2, Ferrari, or maybe even FI No3.

Listen, I’m telling you—even a team like Haas could potentially shake things up and give Honda, Renault, and RB a serious run for their money. 🤣
Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised that Newey and the big boss Matešić decided to walk away from Formula 1 halfway through the season. It's just one of those things, isn't it?

Mercedes really knocked it out of the park with this new PU. It’s absolutely brutal—not just because they clearly found some serious extra horsepower, but because it looks incredibly reliable too. They've managed to find that perfect sweet spot between raw power and bulletproof consistency.
I honestly think we could start throwing out some fake telemetry spikes just to mess with everyone—you know, like making it impossible to tell who actually has how much fuel left in the tank and all that stuff. It would be such a trip!
Look, when you see Nico Hülkenberg clocking a 1:23.110 in Barcelona—especially considering he was pulling a 1:28.365 during qualifying there last year—that’s when you know Mercedes has actually cooked up something serious. It's a massive jump. 😳
I mean, come on, there's no way Formula 1 just stumbled upon five seconds of pure pace through an aerodynamic upgrade alone in a single year...
If I remember correctly, they were basically running a car from 2014 back when they were at Barcelona, but man, even so, the progress they've made since then is absolutely massive!

TIBI FI actually finished last year as the third fastest team on the grid. They aren't exactly terrible; that five-second gap they saw over the course of the season wasn't just because of the engine. You also have to factor in how much slower times get during the summer heat, plus the fact that qualifying is done on mediums instead of softs. If you take that five-second engine deficit out of the equation, you're looking at a power increase of about 400 horsepower—which is basically what the SF2 had. Don't start panicking just yet; they won't be anywhere near Ferrari. Quote me on this: if FI is within half a second of them in Australia or Barcelona, then I'll eat my hat.

When it comes to the power unit, Mercedes really hit a wall in terms of how much more spectacular they could make it. There's only so much efficiency you can squeeze out of 100kg of fuel; once you start talking about anything north of 40-45%, you're basically drifting into science fiction territory. At best, Mercedes is looking at gaining maybe 30 horsepower over last year's PU, which translates to roughly three-hundredths of a second on average per lap. And don't be so sure that Ferrari is lagging behind on the engine side this year. From what I'm hearing coming out of Italy, the vibes are actually pretty positive. They’ve poured a massive amount of resources into redesigning an engine that was already solid, especially with the help they received from AVL throughout last year. Just look at the lap times Haas is putting up as a rookie team—it's impressive! Honestly, I think you're panicking over nothing.

Next week, the teams are diving into those heavy-duty simulations, and honestly, everyone knows the drill—everyone will be looking at exactly how much fuel they need to haul for their stints.

Kimi mentioned yesterday that the car is already superior to last year's final specification. Kimi doesn't possess much fluff; he has that blunt honesty the others seem to lack. If he’s saying that, then any talk about even greater dominance is nothing more than a shot in the dark. Nothing else.

When you see Haas putting up such interesting times with that exact same engine—it's almost as if they actually attempted a qualifying lap.

There is plenty more to be said, but Ferrari didn't miss the mark. If the car is already this improved and fast, it wouldn't have been easy for Mercedes either. I believe him when he says it. When Kimi speaks, that's just how it is. There is no other way.

Kimi tends to prefer a push rod suspension setup, whereas last year they were running a pull rod... 🙂
Does this imply that Kimi might see an improvement in performance, even if it isn't necessarily within the Ferrari ecosystem?

Looks like McLaren is lagging behind at the top end of the speed trap.

mellowtiger83 said:Kimi said yesterday that the car is already better than last year's final spec. Look, Kimi might be blunt, but he's got that honesty everyone else lacks. If he says it, it's true. That means all this talk about even more dominance is just shooting in the dark. Nothing else.

I mean, even Haas is putting up decent times with that same engine, and you wouldn't even think they were trying in qualifying.

There’s plenty more to say, but Ferrari didn't mess up. If the car is already faster now, Mercedes is going to have a tough time. And I believe Kimi. When he says something, that's just how it is. Period.

Why are you so sure that matters?
Of course Ferrari is already better. Nobody is arguing that...

The real question is how much better Mercedes is. That's where the catch is...
Because Ferrari could be a full second faster than their old car right now, but if Mercedes also improved by a second over last year, the dominance stays exactly the same as last season.😉

Plus...
Yesterday's speed trap:
1 Nasr 210 miles/h
2 Lewis Hamilton 210 miles/h
3 Felipe Massa 208 miles/h
4 Nico Hülkenberg 207 miles/h
5 Haryanto 207 miles/h
6 Magnussen 207 miles/h
7 Grosjean 206 miles/h
8 Kimi Räikkönen 206 miles/h
9 Nico Rosberg 204 miles/h
10 Sainz 203 miles/h
11 Kvyat 200 miles/h
12 Button 199 miles/h

Hmm, since when is some kid at Manor faster than a Ferrari in the speed trap?🤔
To me, this smells like the Bears built a better PU than Ferrari, and as for the chassis, they're almost certainly way ahead too.
Honestly, I don't see how Ferrari catches Mercedes, let alone passes them...

Who even is this kid 😲

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/124...t-at-barcelona
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/me...w-nose-675584/



Seriously, how is that wing even staying attached to the nose? 😵
And I have zero clue how that thing passed a crash test. Like, is it actually sturdy enough? 🤔

That’s just one of those beautiful things about F1—you really have to take your hat off to the engineers and give them a massive round of applause. That specific setup handles 200kg of downforce without breaking a sweat.

stormybadger8 As requested by stormybadger8:
Why exactly do you believe that matters?
It is an absolute certainty that Ferrari is already performing at a higher level. There is simply no room for debate on that point.

The real question is just how much better the Mercedes actually is, and that’s exactly where the catch lies.
It is entirely possible that Ferrari could be a full second faster than last year's car right now. However, if Mercedes also manages to find a second of improvement over their previous machine, then we are looking at the exact same pattern of dominance as last season. 😉

Beyond that...
Yesterday’s speed trap:
1 Nasr 210 milesI suppose I should start by saying that most of what we discuss here tends toward the superficial. It is a common occurrence. People tend to focus on the glitter rather than the mechanics. It is quite tiresome, really. One finds oneself searching for a shred of substance amidst a sea of trivialities. Anyway, let us proceed.
Lewis Hamilton. Two of them. That's the figure. It stays constant. 210 miles/h
Felipe Massa. 208 milesI suppose I should start by saying that the current state of affairs is, quite frankly, rather underwhelming. It’s all very predictable, isn't it? One expects a certain level of chaos, yet we find ourselves mired in this tedious, rhythmic monotony. It lacks the necessary friction to be truly engaging. I shall attempt to elaborate, though the impulse to simply sit in silence is growing stronger by the minute.
Nico Hulkenberg. Four. That’s the number. It just sits there, doesn't it? A constant, quiet weight in the background of the sport. One might expect more by now, given the talent, but such is the nature of things. Some drivers simply exist in that peculiar space between potential and reality. It is what it is. 207 milesI suppose I should get started. It’s quite late, isn't it? Or perhaps just early. Time is a relative concept when one is staring at a screen, waiting for something meaningful to happen. Nothing much to report on my end. Just sitting here, thinking about things. Moving along.
5 Haryanto 207 milesI suppose I should get started. It’s about time.
Magnussen. Number 6. Just stating the facts. 207 milesI suppose I should begin. It seems there is an expectation for me to provide something here, though the purpose remains somewhat elusive. I shall proceed accordingly.
7 Grosjean 206 milesI suppose I should probably get started on this. It feels a bit premature, really. One doesn't simply jump into a discussion without the proper context, though I suspect most people here lack the patience for that level of nuance. There’s an inherent restlessness in these forums. A certain lack of decorum. But let us proceed. I shall attempt to be concise, though I make no promises. Efficiency is often a casualty of thought.
Kimi Raikkonen. Eight. That is all there is to say about it. One doesn't need much more than that. 206 milesI suppose I should begin. There is a certain necessity to this. It is simply how things are done.
Nico Rosberg. Nine. 204 milesI suppose I should get started. There isn't much to say, really. Everything is just... there. Moving along. One step at a time. Nothing more.
Ten Sainz. 203 milesI suppose I should get started. There isn't much to say, really. Just some thoughts floating around. Nothing monumental. Just observations. Moving on.
Kvyat. Number 11. Just facts. 200 milesI suppose I should probably say something. It’s all rather quiet here. Not much to report, really. Just sitting around, waiting for something worth noting. Nothing substantial. Moving on.
Twelve buttons. It’s an odd number to focus on, isn't it? One might argue that twelve is a complete set, a dozen, a standard unit of measurement in many American households. Yet, here we are, dissecting its significance. It feels somewhat arbitrary, though I suppose there is a certain logic to it if one looks long enough. Perhaps it relates to the layout of a control panel or a specific sequence of operations. It is a simple observation, really. Nothing more, nothing less. 199 milesI suppose I should get started. It’s all rather trivial, really. Everything seems to be moving at such a frantic pace lately, doesn't it? People rushing about, making noise, expecting immediate results. It's exhausting just watching them. Anyway, where was I? Right. Let's move on.

I wonder which kid is actually faster in the speed trap: Manor or Ferrari. 🤔
It all strikes me as quite obvious. It seems to me that Mercedes has developed a superior Power Unit compared to Ferrari. As for the chassis itself, it is almost certainly far more capable as well.
Consequently, I fail to see how Ferrari could ever hope to catch up to Mercedes, let alone actually overtake them.

Which one do you prefer? And which Power Unit is Felipe Massa running?

mellowtiger83 said:Which one are you talking about? Which engine is Felipe Massa using??

Oh, just ignore Tibidragi—you can see they're just talking nonsense, and honestly, they've already filled two whole pages with it.

mellowtiger83 said:Which one are you talking about? Which engine is Felipe Massa using??

Last year's Ferrari 🤣

Some crazy theory suggests last year's engine might actually beat this year's Mercedes or Ferrari... the odds of that happening are basically zero. Like, statistically impossible.
It’s way more likely that since Sauber is running last year's car and engine, they're pushing everything to the absolute limit, while everyone else is just cruising in some low-power test mode.

Anyway, STR and Sauber are on last year's power unit, while Ferrari and supposedly Haas are using this year's stuff.😉